The Dutch Greeters discovered that laughter is the shortest distance between two people, as we welcomed Wild Bramble, a new gift store, in downtown Pella! The smiles were bright and the laughter merry as we talked with owners Melissa Blasi and Kami Conrad.
JOY and HAPPINESS are the central values behind the vision of Wild Bramble. Best friends, Melissa and Kami, started the idea of Wild Bramble over 17 years ago. Their friendship blossomed over being coaches wives, moms to boys, and their mutual love of movies and cookie dough!
When Melissa moved to Pella five years ago with her husband and Central College Golf Coach, Mel (yes they are Mel and Mel), of course, Kami had to take the trip to visit her best friend in the land of blooming tulip beds and spinning windmills. It wasn’t long before Kami fell in love with Pella as much as Melissa had. Their brains started churning as their dream of opening a store together took shape, with Pella as the perfect location.
So, the best friends went for it and now Wild Bramble is officially a part of Pella’s Downtown Retail landscape. So, what is Wild Bramble all about? Well, it’s all about finding your own happy!
“When you are living your best life, it still isn’t always grins and giggles and rainbows and roses. So we thought, what if we could provide a little bit of happiness wherever we go? What if we can share our friendship and happiness with everyone we meet?”, said Kami.
She continued “Pella already is a super happy community. Our goal is to build upon that! We wanted to create a store that has something for everyone. A space where all ages feel welcomed and can find gifts, from little kids to teenagers to parents to moms, dads, guys, dudes, families, and just everyone!”.
Candy display
As Wild Bramble took shape Melissa and Kami started with their daily dose of happy, soda! Wild Bramble features a “New Fashion” Soda Bar with custom-filtered nugget ice, flavored syrups, purees, and everything you need to take your favorite soda to the next level!
Naturally, the next order of business was candy! Wild Bramble has bulk candy as well as prepackaged options. Fun fact: they even have Penny Candy! You heard that right! Kids 10 years old and under can purchase up to 10 pieces of candy for only 1 penny per piece! Can you say nostalgic?
Wild Bramble: Gifts and Happiness has everything from accessories to special custom pieces to jewelry, cosmetics, cards, all things birthday, fun socks, unique kitchen pieces, and more!
So where did the name Wild Bramble come from? “Blackberry bushes are also known as brambles. They are noxious weeds that are hard to get rid of. They produce sweet berries yet grow a little crazy. And, that’s kind of like us! The name describes us perfectly” said Melissa.
And finally, we HAVE to talk about the PINK THRONE CHAIR! Melissa and Kami knew they wanted a spot in their store that served as a perfect backdrop for unique pictures and a space where people can sit, visit, and have fun!
“We kept looking for something kinda vintage or cool or antique. We really do like to visit with people and get to know people and the pink chair creates an ice breaker for conversation and making new friends.”, said Kami.
If you need a smile on your face, don’t hesitate to stop into Wild Bramble and find your happy!
