Wednesday was a bit chilly and rainy, but as soon as you opened the door to the Women’s Center, you stepped into a warmer place, and not just in a literal sense.  You were greeted by friendly faces and some Christmas tunes to get you in the holiday spirit.

All adorned with Christmas trees and holiday lights, two of the rooms held multiple tables for student-owned small businesses to sell their products. There was a variety of products for purchase like candles, jewelry, baked goods, and ceramics. The Pop-Up Shop is a pretty new presence on campus since its emergence last spring semester. This event has always been run by the Women’s Center and the most recent one on Wednesday was from 12:00 to 2:00.  

Melissa Lees is the program manager for the Women’s Center and loves to see the creativity of the students and everything they bring to sell.  

Lees said, “Two students reached out to us last semester because they had small businesses and asked if they could come and sell in the Women’s Center.”  

With only two people participating in the Pop-Up Shop, Lees felt like there were other Loyola students who may benefit from this new opportunity.  

Lees said, “We thought if there were a few small businesses, there might be others we don’t know about, so we just put out a message to the community and students came forward.”   

 The IvyLetter is run by Victoria Brimacomb ‘23 and was one of the small businesses present on Wednesday. Brimacomb makes handmade greeting cards for all sorts of occasions like birthdays, special accomplishments, and holidays.  For her, the pandemic gave her the time she needed to launch something great.  

Brimacomb said, “I’ve been making cards for fun for a long time, but I started my Etsy shop in 2020 during COVID-19 when I had a lot of free time.” 

 There is a lot of intention behind the cards that Brimacomb makes. Through her creations, she hopes to add a little light to people’s days.  

She said, “I’ve always loved being creative and making fun cards that can help spread love and kindness, so I wanted to share that with the world.” 

There were several other shops present on Wednesday including Cat’s Candles, Gummyy Pearls, Leo’s Ceramics, Charismatic Creations, Brigid Bakes, Willia’s Waistbeads, Abstract Pieces, and Madsphia Boutique.  If you want a chance to see some of these small businesses again and others, the next Pop-Up Shop will take place again sometime this school year.  The exact date and time are to be decided.  

Small Business Instagram Accounts:

Gummyy Pearls: @gummyypearls

Leo’s Ceramics: @leosceramics

Charismatic Creations: @charismatic_creations13

Brigid Bakes: @brigidbakes_

Willia’s Waistbeads: @willias_waistbeads

Abstract Pieces: @abstract.pieces.store

Madsphia Boutique: @madsphia_boutique 

You can also reach the Women’s Center at: [email protected] or by calling (410) 617-5844.

Featured Image Courtesy of Michaela Chambers