And then suddenly there was Bi Happy Creations….
I'll start at the beginning…. Ok maybe not at the beginning, because I don't think anyone would be happy with my mother's birth stories. So we'll go through it a little faster. I am Bianca, owner of Bi Happy Creations. I am 44 years old and live in a lovely 1930s house in Westzaan. Together with my guy, Flip (Vladan for the more distant ones) and two brats. Etter #1 Louis of 8 and Etter #2 Dejan of almost 4.
If you are not yet familiar with my Insta account, you may be thinking: why do you call the most beautiful thing that ever happened to you: brats? Well, they are. And don't worry, I'm not just saying this to you, but to them too. No, not in a “soon to be traumatized for life” way, but in a “mommy is just kidding” way. And yes, I sometimes get it back... very often in fact. Because… bastards! But the nicest guys in the whole world, that's for sure.
Anyway, back to my story. Ever since I was young, I have been passionate about “making things beautiful”. Crazy about drawing, paper, beautiful fabrics and decorating. I quickly had my future figured out: I became a fashion stylist! I finished fashion school and started working as a window dresser at Peek & Cloppenburg on Dam Square when I was 19 . Finished! You would think... But no. It started to tickle me, I wanted to see more of the world than just the inside of a shop window. In the following years I worked in Mallorca as an entertainer. I worked in a hotel and worked for 5 years as a guest service employee on various cruise ships in the Caribbean, North and Central America (about which a separate blog will be written at some point, because WHAT A TIME!). The year I turned 30 I thought I had had enough. Partying seven days a week and listening to a lot of bullshit every day started to wear me down...although, the bullshit rather than the partying. That year I met my (then) Serbian husband on board and I wanted to settle down. Back in the Netherlands, I had various jobs in the travel industry and hotel industry and eventually ended up at a company at Schiphol. I have been working there for almost 8 years now, and have been working as a schedule planner for 3 years now.
What does this have to do with Bi Happy Creations? No ball! So move on quickly. Because I have had a mild obsession with everything made of paper for years, especially wrapping materials, my cousin took me to a packing workshop two years ago. The workshop itself was fantastic, but the warehouse where it was held was like a kind of heaven for me. I really had no idea that, outside of HEMA, there was a whole world of wrapping paper, stickers, labels and ribbons. The following months I (of course) went all out! I ordered like crazy and soon had a considerable collection. Was it someone's birthday? Then I ordered at least 5 rolls of paper and then thought about which gifts would fit nicely in them. I posted the gifts on my personal Insta account. Until after a few months I was suggested to open a separate Insta account. And yes, it worked! I gained followers and soon the questions came: can you pack something for me too? Do you also sell gifts? When I received a request to give workshops at a school and at the same time my girlfriend asked if I wanted to wrap Christmas gifts under the huge tree for her work, things suddenly took off. Before I knew it I had a Chamber of Commerce and was an entrepreneur. A few months later, my website was also online.
And then? Well then she lived happily ever after. And that is really the plan…. But I also have many plans in that long life. And yes, those plans include: keeping brats in line and raising them to be sweet (wuhahahah good luck), independent men, reaching retirement age without too many problems, divorce or health problems. But also: growing Bi Happy into a successful company, preferably with a small physical shop, where I can happily buy, sell, pack and give workshops until retirement age. Is that going to work? No idea, but I'm going for it. The beginning is here. The first regular customers are a fact and slowly but surely my website is becoming a real gift department store. Delicious!
In my blogs I will give you an insight behind the scenes of Bi Happy, I share packing and gift tips, and tell you all about my hectic life and my way of being a mother. I leave the tips to people who succeed, so I stick to hilarity and WTF moments.
Don't miss a blog anymore? Sign up for the Bi Happy News Flash! No, I'm not going to bury you under annoying advertising emails every day. But you will receive all promotions and discounts first, you will be the first to be notified when a new blog is online, enjoy special Bi Happy Flashmember discounts and promotions and receive a whopping 15% discount on your next order. If that isn't enough, every 10th registrant will receive a discount voucher worth €10*. Enough reasons I would say.
To enrol? click here
* Discount voucher to be redeemed for orders over €20 (excl. shipping costs)
