5 minutes with... vanilla pixie

unique hair accessories

Tell us a bit about yourself?
I am a wife & stay-at-home mum to three. I enjoy reading (there is always a book on the go), shopping, hanging out with friends & family.

I am organized, structured & under control (ok, most of the time). My background is in administration – in my pre-children life I was Administration Manager to a top Australian hairdressing salon.

My retail obsession is bags (in any form), I am easily annoyed by anyone who doesn’t respect my personal space & I have a sweet tooth… mmmm, donuts.

Tell us a bit about your business?
I went looking for something & couldn’t find what I was after. As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one in this situation. For me, Vanilla Pixie was born out of necessity.

I wanted beautiful, stylish, well-made & hard-to-lose hair accessories for my girls. Having worked in the hairdressing industry for 7 years, I had inside information that told me they just weren’t available. So, with nothing to lose, I made them myself.

Now, 12 months down the track, Vanilla Pixie has achieved over 300 Etsy sales, has stock in 3 different children’s boutiques across Sydney & continues to grow!!

Where did your business name come from?
I wanted something that was fun, sweet & obviously, new. And I didn’t want to give the name any personal attachment.

So, I visited my friends at Wikipedia & looked up words that were evocative for me (food is always a good place to start). Eventually, after much trial & error – and lots of visits to ASIC making sure it wasn’t already taken – voila, Vanilla Pixie.

Along the way I toyed with pomegranates, lavender & thimbleberries :)

My creative process in 5 easy steps…
1. Sit in front of my HUGE ribbon stash
2. Reach for the ribbon that catches my eye today
3. Cut it up (eeek!)
4. Quick finger movements, dab of glue & hold for 5 seconds
5. And there you have it – a Vanilla Pixie original

Where can we find you?
http://www.vanillapixie.etsy.com/
http://www.vanillapixie.blogspot.com/

Retrospections
498a Miller Street, Cammeray NSW

Sweet Thing Boutique
Shop 16a/2 Sentry Drive, Stanhope Gardens NSW

What are you looking forward to showing off at Mountain Makers?
I’ve just ordered a stack of new ribbons from a new supplier in the USA. Can’t wait to see what gorgeous little things they will be made into…