The Merchant Co is a new-ish shop on Congress Street in Portland, near Longfellow Square. It’s a beautiful space, and a great concept: somewhere between a flea market and a boutique, they have a curated selection of vintage and handmade, with an emphasis on local vendors. You can apply to rent a table on a monthly basis, and Merchant Co. handles all the sales, taking a small commission. I’d heard great things from friends who were selling their stuff there, so I was super excited to be accepted for a spot there in mid-December. I’m sharing a space with Lillian of Lillianka, who’s my co-collaborator on the new tote bags. We’re sharing a 4′ x 4′ space and we get to play shopkeeper and set it up pretty much as we please, squeezing in a little bit of everything from both of us. Super exciting and fun! This is our booth as it looked on the very first day there. I found the desk in my parents’ basement; it may or may not have been the same desk used by my dad when he was a little kid. I definitely remember having it in my room when I was a kid. It’s so small and cute and fits our space pretty perfectly.