MEET THE 10 FOUNDERS OF YYC GIRL GANG
Kenzie – MILK AND HONEY DECOR
Kenzie is the bossy babe behind Milk and Honey Decor and a huge influence in the YYC Girl Gang. She originally started her account as a way to promote makers and creatives and she just loves sharing the love. Once bitten by the inspired bug she started turning her love of home decor into something she could make for other people’s homes. She’s a dinosaur planter, dog bed maker, ring dish extraordinaire. She’s a fan of all things kitschy and you can usually find her playing video games, eating sushi, cuddling her cats or having anything to do with nerd culture. Though she may be super sweet and kind, her favourite type of music is hardcore & metal.
Facebook: Milk and Honey Decor – Instagram: @milkandhoney.yyc
Twitter: @milkandhoneyyyc – Website: www.milkandhoneydecor.com
*Photo credit: Jamie Hyatt Photography
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Chantal – KNITATUDE
Ok grandma’s, take a seat. There is a new gal in town and she’s taking on the knitting world by storm. Chantal is the unicorn haired firecracker behind Knitatude. She is all about knitting with attitude and if you’ve met her, you can 100% attest to this. If she’s not sleeping you will probably find her knitting, thinking about knitting or maybe even doing some more knitting! Chantal organizes a local Knit Night where she encourages knitters of all skill levels to come and meet one another, vent about their day and or find an excuse to pull out a project they have been neglecting. On the rare occasion she’s not working on her beautiful creations, you will most likely find her at a comic book store, eating poutine, swearing like a sailor or having a Lord of The Rings marathon.
Facebook: Knitatude – Instagram : @knitatude
Twitter: @knitatude – Website: knitatude.com
*Photo credit: K&E Imaging
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Rhonda – BARK YYC
This girl has bite! Rhonda is quirky, rambunctious and an extremely loyal friend. You would think she owns a dog based business with all of these wonderful traits *wink* – Wait, she totally does! Bark YYC is all about healthy wholesome handmade dog treats with hand stamped cheeky sayings, bow ties, bandanna’s and anything else you could imagine when pampering your pooch. When she is not baking up a storm she can be found loitering outside local ice cream parlors, stumbling around in the mountains or searching for treasures in an alley near you. She has a serious obsession with confetti, flamingos, Beyoncé and her two pups Lola and Bruno. If you like doggy photos, you will have to follow her on Instagram.
Facebook: BARK – Instagram : @bark.yyc
Twitter: @barkyyc – Website: barkyyc.com
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Dawn – DAWN BRADLEY HAIR
*AHHHHH* (sounds of Choir angels singing) Say hello to the hair guru of the group. Dawn Bradley is the brains and beauty behind Dawn Bradley Hair. This goddess has the Midas touch, except instead of everything she touches turning into gold – it’s rainbows. One of the shining lights right here in YYC in the new trend of “hair painting”; Dawn hand paints each strand to perfection. If you haven’t heard, hair painting is the hi-lighting technique that creates a graduation of colour so your hair grows out seamlessly. Whether you decide on unicorn tresses or subtle highlights, this chicka is your girl! Dawn has the power behind her punch after being on award winning teams and studying all over the world including, London, Paris, Australia, NYC, LA and Canada. You can usually catch Dawn hair painting away in her new hair studio in Mission, or bouncing around singing along with the Backstreet Boys… she’s seen them 6 times in concert. No word of a lie.
Facebook: Dawn Bradley Hair – Instagram : @dawnbradleyhair
Twitter: @dawnbradleyhair – Website: dawnbradleyhair.com
*Photo credit: Kaihla Tonai
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Nicole – SALT WATER TEA
Loud, exuberant and a fiercely devoted friend, Nicole is the fearless boss lady behind Salt Water Tea. Inspired by her gigantic collection of crystals you will find an array of necklaces, body chains, malas and all natural soy candles that each come with a beautiful gem inside. Interesting fact: Salt Water tea was named after the process of pouring salt water over gemstones to cleanse, energize and program the crystals. She ain’t got no salt water toffee at her booth. Don’t be wary to say hello to this art and design grad (ACAD, 2013 with distinction PS!) when at markets, she’s always up for a good laugh and gives great advice. When in doubt ask her about her fluff of a pup named Shyla.
Facebook: Salt Water Tea – Instagram : @saltwaterteajewelry
Twitter: @saltwaterteaYYC – Website: saltwatertea.com
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Amber – DIXIE AND TWINE
Bright colours, glitter, cheeky girly fun sayings = Amber from Dixie and Twine. If there’s confetti, flamingos, pineapples or all of the above she’s in like sin. In her own words Dixie and Twine is “Party decorations for the modern mega babe,” which is exactly what you will find when you visit her Etsy shop. Confetti, straws, banners, bags, tags, twine and general radness is the essence of her biz. Amber’s personality is identical to her brand. Bright, bubbly and full of energy. She’s a mama to one very spunky toddler named Millie and married to a fabulous silver fox. When you’re looking for Amber just look for sky high curls, brilliant white hair and a bright red or pink pout and “voila” she will magically appear.
Facebook: Dixie + Twine – Instagram : @dixieandtwine
Twitter: @dixieandtwine – Etsy: etsy.com/ca/shop/DixieAndTwine
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Leanne – LITTLE ME PAPER CO
Hey girl hey!! Some of the best things come in small packages and Leanne is no exception. She’s the mastermind and master drawer/water colour artist behind Little Me Paper Co and this girls got skills! What started as a small illustrated Christmas card to her Mumsie back in the UK has now blossomed to greeting cards, self portraits, wedding invitations, posters, and other paper stationary items. While juggling Little Me Paper Co, she’s also a trained actress, acts in plays around YYC and is married to the wonderful Adam from Friday Sock Co. Whenever you see her it’s hard to resist the urge to run and grab her up in a squishable hug. Trust me, you’ll want to once you meet her.
Facebook: Little Me Paper Co – Instagram : @littlemepaperco
Twitter: @littlemepaperco – Website: www.littlemepaperco.com
*Photo Credit: Diane + Mike Photography
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Aja – DRIZZLE LOCAL HONEY
Move over Beyoncé, there’s a new Queen Bee in town! Pronounced like Asia (as in the continent), Aja is the mega babe behind Drizzle Local Honey. Honey bee maker by night and Environmental Scientist of Applied Research & Innovation Services dept. at SAIT (sounds nerdy right?) by day. Drizzle is all about bringing locally produced honey, from both urban neighborhoods and Alberta farmland, to Calgarians. Did you know that there is a set up of rooftop beehives at the SAIT campus!? Aja’s the backer behind the research project that helped them arrive in the summer of 2014. She also has the title of the most pets ever. She has over 100,000 bees, while her boyfriend only has one dog!
Facebook: Drizzle Local Honey – Instagram : @drizzle_local
Twitter: @drizzle_local
*Photo Credit: Katherine Lidgren Photography
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Alyssa – PEARL AND DOT
Sugar, spice and everything nice. That perfectly sums up Alyssa, the smiley boss babe behind Pearl & Dot Bridal Boutique. Alyssa has always had a thing for weddings, as a kid she even had a little wedding dress she would wear around her lined up teddy bear guests. Pearl & Dot has quickly become one of the most sought after bridal spots in Calgary and it’s easy to see why. The space is filled with the most beautiful designers, a lot that she has introduced to Canada or are Canadian made! She is a huge supporter of local and carries a lot of local designers as well. Alyssa’s favorite film is Billy Madison and she is serious about sing a longs in the car. I mean, super serious. If you don’t join in you can just get out.
Facebook: Pearl and Dot – Instagram: @pearlanddot
Twitter: @pearlanddot – Website: pearlanddot.com
*Photo Credit: Tara Whittaker Photography
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Ayla – GYPSY SKULLS
Chic, trendy and cute to boot, Ayla is the maker of all things Gypsy Skulls. Flower pressed art in forms of sugar skulls, animals and anything you can imagine is all that Ayla is about. What once started as a procrastination (though she cleverly hides it as an “outlet”) while pursuing her Masters degree in clinical exercise physiology has now blossomed (get it!? haha) into a wonderful business. Each piece is unique and handmade with time and care. This new mom has just introduced T-shirts, baby blankets, toddler leggings, pillow covers, tea towels and so much more to come! Finding the balance between being a full time momma and starting a new business has been quite the adventure for this gal. Her business has helped create a path that allows her to tap into her creativity and spend loads of time with her lovely family. Ayla’s love tank full to the brim!
Facebook: Gypsyskulls – Instagram : @gypsyskulls
Twitter: @gypsyskullsyyc – Website: gypsyskulls.com