My mother is a Dutch immigrant and my father was born on the same farm I grew up on in Fairview, Alberta. I grew up riding my bike to my grandparents’ neighboring farm, drinking tea, and watching afternoon soap operas with my grandma.

My grandmother and my mother inspired me to be creative at a very young age—sewing, crocheting, painting, and using tools to build whatever I could dream up! I realized at a very young age I also wanted to be entrepreneurial like my parents… however, farming was not my passion, lol. But retail was!

I opened my first retail store at the age of 24—it was a franchise called SoapBerry Shop, and I loved it. Soon after, I opened another franchise (every Canadian kid knows) Roots Canada. Over the next 25+ years, I renovated, built, sold, and then opened a small boutique furniture and design store, all while raising two amazing kids.

In 2016, I moved to Calgary for a fresh start and worked in the furniture industry as a sales rep. But my passion for design and creativity was calling me to do more. I started buying and flipping condos with my partner, and long story short, my idea for “Maude” happened!

I have a passion for Mid-Century Modern style and desperately wanted a nostalgic electric fireplace for one of my flips. After searching and searching, I could not find anything available in Canada that met my “wish list” for design, price, and features. So, just like my parents taught me… “just do it yourself.” I sketched what I wanted and found a local family-run metal fabricator in Calgary to build it.

I wanted Maude to be fun, to add ambiance and personality to any room. It has been challenging, but I am so proud of how Maude turned out, and I hope you enjoy her as much as I do! Maude is the first product (and hopefully many more to come) that I have created for The Joyful Times. My goal is to find/create products that are locally made and spark joy… with a hint of nostalgia!

I am a self-proclaimed ambassador for color, whimsy, and bold design. Maybe growing up watching all the ’70s sitcoms directed my design style to be less serious and just more joyful?! In the words of the Partridge Family (I know only some of you will be old enough to get it), “Come on, Get Happy.”

Stay tuned for more to come from The Joyful Times!