The GROW Giesen Plant Shop, coffee destination and cocktail bar, welcomed other small businesses into its green home for a Friday night of beverages and shopping.
The store was decorated with various fake Christmas trees, each in different shades of pink and a playlist of holiday tunes set the mood. Various Wichita vendors set up by the door and in the lounge to sell their handmade or baked goods.
Next to the front door, Kellie Weiser of Kellie’s Cookies had a spread of her home-baked cookies on a table. From a ginger molasses confection to dark chocolate peppermint, Weiser had a variety of options of flavors for customers.
“I’ve been doing this on the side for a couple of years,” Weiser said. “Honestly, I grew up baking with my family and working in the world — baking is a big stress reliever for me.”
From a ginger molasses confection to dark chocolate peppermint, Weiser had a variety of options of flavors for customers.
“I bake all of these out of my house,” Weiser said. “I would love to find a commercial kitchen at some point to help with production and more consistent baking. My poor little oven, it does a great job. It does what it needs.”
Next to Weiser’s table was a set up of illustrations of nature created by artist Delilah Reed. Her work is sold at her gift shop The Loud Cicada at the Revolutsia shipping container mall.
The table spread included a variety of brightly colored prints of animals and nature. Other than the unique cards, Reed also sells pins and stickers at GROW that feature the same fun illustrations, sayings and contrasting colors.
The lounge included three other vendors: PetalPinkGemz, Mooninbloom.Co, and Nifty Critters.
Jackie Elizabet owns the clay accessories sold in Mooninbloom.Co, which are handmade in small batches. She presented a Christmas collection of silky clay Christmas earrings, gingerbread houses and more.
PetalPinkGemz, owned by Arianna Genell, offers jewelry and accessories for not just your body. Genell’s collection consists of phone charms and even bookmarks.
For about five months, Genell creates and crafts these gem studded accessories. Her products are hypoallergenic and often include images of strawberries, flowers and hearts. She began her creative journey with bookmarks she made while experiencing postpartum depression.
“I had a daughter about a year ago, and I got heavily into reading,” Genell said. “With that I was just using a tag for my bookmark, and I was like ‘I can make a bookmark.’ So I did.”
The third vendor in the lounge area was Nifty Critters. The business sells practical and vintage clothing. The racks and table were previously set up at GROW’s lounge and continue to stay available at the cocktail and coffee bar.
This vendor market continues GROW’s line of community events available to the public alongside their usual operations as an elevated plant shop.
