20. That’s how many female artists sell their creations at Pop of Confetti , a boutique positively polished in purple wisteria blossoms.
The shop just reached this milestone with two new businesses joining the shelves this month — L’Essentials and Pretties and Papers .
The owner + creator of Pop, Allison Smith-Mackey , says she created this hub of local businesses from her experience working in e-commerce at the beginning of the pandemic.
You can find Allison Smith-Mackey behind the counter at Pop of Confetti.
Starting out was a very lonely experience, so she wanted to form a connection between artisans working alone from their homes.
“As small business owners, you don’t have a lot of conversations, other than with yourself,” Smith-Mackey said. “So if you can meet other people in the same space with you, who are not competing against you, then you can really grow.”
That’s not all she does.
“It’s my goal to further [the artists’] capabilities.” Smith-Mackey said. “I pay for markets, and the money they make is theirs. It helps build community […] and they’ve made friendships far beyond the store.”
You can find a variety of creative works at Pop, from bath bombs to brightly-colored bags like those from Unas Bolsas . As the store’s name suggests, there’s also a confetti bar, where visitors can “add a little confetti to each day.”
Editor Katie may have been the one who left the lids off... | Photo by RICtoday
“This is nothing you need,” Smith-Mackey said. “But joy is essential. And that’s what is here.”
Wanna see what’s poppin’? Meet the makers
of Pop of Confetti. Bonus: Right now, Pop of Confetti’s online store is giving 5% of all purchases to local nonprofit Celebrate RVA
and the Girls For A Change
youth center.