Meet the makers at UBT’s makers markets
We’re midway through our most recent run of the makers markets hosted at Union Bank Place in bustling downtown Lincoln. To that end, we thought it would be fun to introduce you to the artisans, bakers, crafters, designers, creators, and makers who haul their wares downtown and set up shop for these unique indoor markets.
Get to know the vendors making their way downtown for these markets below!
Jump to your favorite maker here: Bee Bum, Blackwood Creek, Book Nook MarjorieMae, Brinson Stained Glass Art, By Hand & By Heart, Connected Fragrance, Creative Confections, JB Metal Creations, Kennelwood Farms, Link x Lou, Little Whiskers Designs, Lucky Larry's Dog Treats, Moon & Hare Shop, Moose's Mad Fresh, Muffins & More, Peyton and Moon, Silky Mermaid, Sleepy Bees Lavendar Farm, Slow Your Dough, Studio Trouvaille, Tasty Good Toffee, The 3 AM Co, Truth Papers, Twin Springs Pecans, Twisted Squirrel Nut Butter, Yummi Tummi Mixes
Bee Bum
Kevin & Julie Monfelt
Julie and Kevin Monfelt started with their first beehive in 2014 and have grown to 180 hives in total — providing them with what they need to make craft honey and beeswax products. They’ve been in business as Bee Bum for the past four years. During those years, they’ve kept busy with full-time jobs and attending numerous vendor shows per month.
“Kevin has always been a fan of bees,” said Julie. “When we got our first colony, we had no idea that this hobby of his would grow into this business. Now we do it to provide a great product to our customers and help people realize how important bees are to our survival; that they aren’t harmful and are actually very beneficial to our existence.” Among their range of products are four hot honeys, two infused honeys, and 18 flavors of creamed honey. They also make lip balm, lotion bars, and soap.
They recently moved to the family farm and plan to build a honey processing/retail store there to expand their business. Check out their online shop and make sure you stop by and try samples of their products at the market!
Blackwood Creek
Culleen & Alan Bauer
For Blackwood Creek, it all started with a dilapidated barn. Living on the family farm back in 2000, they began tearing down an old barn located on the property. Alan Bauer, half of the husband-and-wife duo behind Blackwood Creek, grabbed barn wood and started building signs and birdhouses. His wife, Culleen, then ramped up production on the craft items she’d been sewing, and they both hit the vendor show circuit as Heartland Creations later changing their name to Blackwood Creek.
They took to the vendor circuit well and have attended shows in six different states so far. “We’ve met so many wonderful people during our times of travel and even had some wild travel experiences,” Culleen said. “Fargo sure sees some snow! You name it, we’ve experienced it.” Not only do they enjoy traveling to shows, but they also host one in Seward called Junk & Disorderly, featuring other vintage and handcrafted vendors.
Their goal for their business, named Blackwood Creek (which runs along the south part of the family farm) since 2005, is to never stop growing, continue to love what they do, and keep seeing the smiles of customers at their numerous shows — and at their shop at 55 Main Street in Seward. Check out their unique lineup of primitive wood items and handsewn home and holiday décor, where they’re always adding new things to keep their displays fresh. If you’re bringing kids to the makers markets, make sure you stop by and check out the foam pirate swords and twirling wands.
Book Nook MarjorieMae
Kathryn and Lou Mary Webb
Marjorie Mae was a teacher and children’s librarian who shared her love of reading with others. Today, her daughter Kathryn and granddaughter Lou Mary carry on that book-loving legacy through Book Nook MarjorieMae, a book repurposing venture where they give new life to old books by creating pieces that others can wear or display to show their favorite books. They enjoy searching through thrift stores, estate sales, and book stores to find books and quotes to work with.
Starting in 2017, Kathryn and Lou Mary are no strangers to entrepreneurship. Small business ownership has been in the family for more than 30 years, and the two are now enjoying working together and meeting fellow book lovers as they sell books repurposed into artwork, purses, jewelry, bookmarks, notebooks, and more. They also make artwork and jewelry that look like books from quotes pulled from books.
Their favorite part of the gig? “We get to see people light up when they find the perfect gift for the readers in their lives,” Kathryn said. The two have an Etsy shop set up and are hoping to expand their online business in the future.
Brinson Stained Glass Art
Crazy Brinson’s Stained Glass
Becky Brinson fell in love with stained glass in the 1980s when she took a class with her mother, Kaye. Both became obsessed with this unique art form and continued to take more advanced classes to hone their craft and learn more skills. While Becky got busy with the art of raising kids, Kaye began a business in her home in Eagle and taught classes at Southeast Community College. Fast forward quite a few years, and the kids grew up, the nest emptied, and Becky had more time for her favorite hobby.
When Kaye passed away three years ago, Becky inherited all her remaining tools and supplies. Putting her soul into her work, she enjoyed making bigger and more complex projects. Once she began to amass quite a few completed projects, she decided to start selling them — beginning with a small local craft fair about three years ago. After the success of that first show, the business snowballed from there. These days, she uses the winter months to create products in preparation for spring shows.
“I want to share my art with others and honor my mom’s legacy,” Becky explained. “I love talking to customers who admire the work and can appreciate the time involved.” Products she creates are suncatchers, large panels, plant stakes, ornaments, 3D succulents and flowers, kaleidoscopes, planters, candle holders and lanterns. Becky only sells at local vendor shows, so if you’d like to check out her stained-glass art, we suggest dropping by our remaining makers markets!
By Hand & By Heart
Jen Ward (photo credit: Tess Vrbicky Photography)
A stay-at-home mom to three kids, Jen Ward has been in business for nearly 5 years as By Hand & By Heart — a business started as a hobby to use her hands and keep her wits about her during the COVID pandemic quarantine days. “I had no intention of ever selling my pieces, but on my oldest’s first birthday, my grandma asked me if she could purchase a pair of earrings I had made,” Jen said. “And then By Hand & By Heart was born.”
Jen’s products are handmade from polymer clay, metal, and beaded goods that are lightweight and hypoallergenic. Her main product is earrings, but she also creates bracelets, necklaces, bookmarks, and ornaments. Her personal favorite products are her hand-detailed floral earrings, since a lot of time and patience go into mixing colors, designing the slabs, selecting and cutting shapes, and finishing the unique accessories. She feels a sense of connection to them due to the arduous process.
“My pieces are truly made by hand and by heart,” Jen explained. “The heart of it is that I started this business to help my mental health. The process is exactly what my brain needs to slow down in the chaos of life. I also get to heal my heart while making pieces that others can love or share with someone they love.” Jen would love to continue making local connections to sell her products in locally-owned businesses and has dreams of doing out-of-state events in cities like Chicago, KC, Denver, or Nashville. Catch her at our makers markets and her online shop.
Connected Fragrance
Olivia Munroe
Inspired by the simple moments in life, Olivia Munroe creates fragrances that remind a person to slow down and enjoy the moment. Owning a business has always been her dream, and what began as pouring candles for family in friends in 2020 is now a premium candle company, Connected Fragrance.
“We’ve always cherished the simple moments of life,” Olivia explained. “Whether it’s curling up on the couch and reading a good book or going for a late-night drive, we launched Connected Fragrance Company with the goal of sharing these moments with others.” While choosing a favorite scent is difficult, Olivia said her family vacations to the west coast helped make her Oregon Coast scent a frontrunner, using calming notes of coconut, rose, and amber to resemble the content feeling of sitting on a beach listening to waves crashing upon the shoreline.
Her collection is designed to make people feel closer to the people and places they miss. You can stop by and enjoy her scents at the market or buy online.
Creative Confections
Cindy Harper
Culinary school graduate Cindy Harper started her business in 2019 after the Cottage Food Law opened the door to a new opportunity for this longtime baker. Making treats look like works of art is Cindy’s focus, and her goal is to grow Creative Confections enough that when she retires from her full-time job, she can commit that time to her small business. When she isn’t working her full-time job or selling her confections, Cindy teaches baking classes through the continuing education program at Southeast Community College.
Creative Confections has a core menu of kolaches (including the elusive prune and poppyseed fillings), decorated sugar cookies, and lemon bars. A few of her rotating and seasonal offerings include macarons, angel food cake, and artisan chocolates. Her favorite creations are her sugar cookies. “They’re delicious and like little works of art,” Cindy said. “I have found that a simple sugar cookie can really lift people’s spirits.”
Cindy’s favorite part of running a small business bakery is simply making people happy, and she wants to reach more of them. Other than at the Union Bank Place markets, she’s at the Sunday Farmers Market at College View during their season from late April through the end of October and often does their holiday markets after the season wraps.
JB Metal Creations
Brenda Thacker
Helping Brenda’s dad tear down an old barn led to a business venture for Brenda and Jeff Thacker of Lincoln. Jeff suggested Brenda ask her dad for the metal from the barn because he believed they could “do something really cool with it.” And that was the birth of JB Metal Creations in October 2018.
Specializing in signs and planters made with corrugated metal and barn board, Jeff and Brenda enjoy introducing new designs and ideas to their growing customer base. Their products are made to withstand the outdoor elements with exterior-grade materials including the vinyl they use to incorporate heartfelt, funny, and snarky quotes that appeal to large audiences.
Both Brenda and Jeff love doing custom orders, including personalized items and signs with business logos. In addition to doing local vendor events, the couple has traveled to Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota for shows. You can also find their products in five different boutiques in the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas. Check out their website and give them a follow on Facebook to see where they’ll be popping up next!
Kennelwood Farms
Kennelwood Farms
Looking for farm-made jellies, jams, and honey products? Kennelwood Farms has you covered. Debbie and Robert Kennel have been in business since 2019 and enjoy bringing a lost art to vendor shows in the area. “We carry on an old-fashioned skill that most people don’t make anymore,” Debbie said, explaining that they use as much fruit from their farm as possible and don’t add artificial preservatives. The small batch process means their jams are as fresh as possible and taste better than anything you can find in stores.
They began making the jellies and jams as a form of relaxation and soon had a very large inventory — more than they could ever eat. If Debbie wanted to make more, she needed others to take it off her hands. Thus began a business venture leading to the two of them traveling first to the Seward and York farmer’s markets, and then beyond.
With dreams of having a storefront with a fancy commercial kitchen in the back, Debbie and Robert enjoy working with each other on a farm that’s been in their family for more than 150 years. Follow them on Facebook for more information and feel free to message special orders to them there or via email.
Link x Lou
Devony Votava and Molly Houser
Offering solid 14k yellow and white gold permanent jewelry, LINK X LOU owners Molly Houser and Devony Votava love the opportunity to meet and link with folks throughout the community by partnering with different small businesses each month. In business for three years, they’re grateful to be part of big and small life celebrations, moments, and events with their clients.
Their jewelry pieces can be worn daily and are dainty, durable, and elegant enough to add to everyday lifestyle. Their product lineup includes bracelets, rings, necklaces, anklets, and even ear accessories. Two of their favorite links they’ve completed were for Nashville star Carly Pearce and Nebraska volleyball legend Jordan Larson.
You can find LINK X LOU at their monthly pop-up events in the area. Visit their Facebook page to see where they’ll be next, stop by our makers market and shop their selection, or check out their website.
Little Whiskers Designs
Emily Quick
David and Nanci Quick work together with their kids, Emily and Andrew, to run Little Whiskers Designs. This unique business was formed when they owned and operated their quilt pattern design shop, The Quilted Kitty, which evolved into their embroidery and cutting board business.
They make unique crossbody bags in the design inspiration of Cup of Noodles, mac ‘n’ cheese, an old library card, and Chinese takeout, as well as their famous Nebraska cutting board made from solid surface materials, book pillows, and more. Their favorite products are the clear square bags.
Taking their goal of making others happy very seriously, the Quick family enjoys providing excellent customer service and meeting new customers. The response from their customers fulfills them as much as the creative process. They’d love to work larger shows all over the United States. Follow their Facebook page to see which shows they’ll be doing in the future.
Lucky Larry’s Dog Treats
Dave Vrbas
Dave Vrbas started Lucky Larry’s Dog Treats soon after adopting a big-footed mastiff puppy named Larry. He began baking up treats for Larry’s training to keep him healthy, and it snowballed from there. “We were walking Larry around the farmers market one weekend and one of the kids said, ‘You should sell your dog treats here,’” he commented. “That was all I needed to hear. I talked to the market manager that day and started doing all the work to get going. We’ve grown so much since then.”
In the years since, Lucky Larry’s treats have evolved to resemble human food (to make the dogs feel more special) and are still chock-full of ingredients that promote canine health. Products include cinnamon rolls, peanut butter cookies, assorted oat bars, chew twists, muffins, dog beer, and a small line of grooming products including shampoo, paw balm, and deodorizer — and much more.
In addition to attending various shows during the months he’s not at the Sunday Farmers Market at College View, Dave is also on the Marketing team at UBT. His products are available year-round at booth C-12 in Painted Tree Boutiques at South Pointe, or at the Tamayta store in College View.
Moon & Hare
Samantha Brandt
Passionate about plant-based healing and creating products that nurture the body and spirit, Samantha Brandt is using her background in herbalism and her love for nature’s magic to help others live their healthiest lives. “I started the business because I wanted to provide people with a way to reconnect with nature, find comfort, and enhance their well-being through products made with mindfulness and care,” Samantha said of the business she’s been running for just over a year.
Offering a variety of herbal creations, including handcrafted tea blends, ritual bath salts, skin balm, simmer pots, flower essences, and herbal tinctures, Samantha makes each product by carefully choosing herbs and crafting with intention. Her favorite product so far is the Brain Food herbal tea blend, made from rosemary, lemon balm, holy basil, peppermint, and milky oats. “It’s personally meaningful because it’s crafted to support focus, mental clarity, and memory in a gentle, natural way,” she explained.
With dreams to one day have a brick-and-mortar storefront where people can buy her products but also learn about herbs via workshops and community, Samantha keeps busy with vendor shows, her website, and an Esty shop.
Moose’s Mad Fresh
Matthew “Moose” Morrison
Former teacher Matthew “Moose” Morrison has been the workhorse behind Moose’s Mad Fresh for five years, after growing his own ingredients to make salsa for years. People kept telling him, “You should sell this stuff!” and he finally followed their advice. His products — including guacamole, three heat levels of salsa, and five varieties of hummus — are all made fresh (hence the name) from scratch and with no heat elements or preservatives.
His favorite products change based on his mood at the time, but lately he’s been eating a lot of Craveable Curry Hummus. Moose’s favorite part of his gig is being at vendor markets and interacting with people from all walks of life. His dream is to have a food truck that could double as his certified commercial kitchen. He’s no stranger to Union Bank Place either, after being chosen to be our third Small Business Pop-up Shop resident in May-August 2024.
When he’s not at our markets, you can find Moose hustling through both of Lincoln’s farmers markets every weekend. His products are also available at Leon’s Gourmet Grocer and Canopy Street Market in Lincoln. Robinette Farms offers his products as part of their local food subscription box service, and you can also purchase his products online.
Muffins & More
Randy and Donna
When Randy Stajner’s mom retired from her baking business two years ago after 33 years vending at the downtown farmer’s market, he decided to take over and expand the operation into a full-time business. Hailing from a long line of bakers, Randy’s passion for baking is a perfect fit for Muffins & More, the business he now runs with his wife Donna.
With regular and allergen-free baked goods and a large focus on gluten-free options for customers, Randy and Donna offer muffins, cinnamon rolls, bread, kolaches, and bars. Randy’s favorite? “I would have to say the cinnamon rolls, because who doesn’t love a good cinnamon roll?” he answered.
Sharing the common dream of one day opening a brick-and-mortar bakery, Randy’s favorite part of the gig is the customers and seeing their faces light up when they find something they like. You can purchase his products online or by catching him at a local vendor show like UBT’s makers markets.
Peyton and Moon
Miranda Johnson
Miranda Johnson is a mother, grandmother, and dog mom who’s been in business since 2016, when she was initially seeking extra income to support her family. Her fashionable baby and toddler clothing quickly became a hit with crowds at vendor shows. She uses mostly bamboo, cotton, and organic cotton and is working toward making all her products from these natural fabrics. Her personal favorite products are the envelope rompers because she has fun making them and loves the interesting design.
Your young ones can literally wear art pieces, since Miranda has her fabric custom-printed and purchases art to have printed to fabric. She’d eventually like to turn her clothing business into a full-time job, but for now she enjoys the vendor show circuit. Her products can be seen online when she’s not at vendor shows selling her wares.
Silky Mermaid
Molly Nance
Self-proclaimed mermaid Molly Nance is no stranger to the water. An open water marathon swimmer who became the first woman to swim the 21-mile ocean channel between St. Lucia and Martinique, Molly developed a skin allergy to chlorine that resulted in itchy welts all over her arms and legs. Regular moisturizers didn’t help, and the steroid prescribed by her dermatologist just caused the welts to come back with a vengeance when she stopped using it.
After researching the benefits of organic, plant-based emollients, she found fantastic results in a formula she developed. Sharing it with friends and family, the feedback was so positive, she decided to dive into small business ownership. All of her products are made with organic, all-natural ingredients that have documented benefits for dry skin — with no additives, colorings, preservatives, or any other non-essential ingredients. Fragrances come from essential oils and fragrance-free options are available from Silky Mermaid.
“There are millions of skin care products out there,” Molly explained. “As a swimmer with super sensitive skin, I wanted to create a product line that was safe, effective, and affordable. I wanted to do good, as well as feel good.” Molly’s products are available on her website, at local vendor shows, and she even has a spot at Painted Tree Boutiques at South Pointe. Give her a follow on Facebook for regular updates.
Sleepy Bees Lavender Farm
Holly & Jerry McCabe
Jerry and Holly McCabe were married on their farm in 2017. When their corporate jobs were moved to South Dakota, they stayed put on their place south of Hickman and planted 1,700 lavender plants, starting Sleepy Bees Lavender Farm.
Now in their sixth year of business, the Sleepy Bees duo enjoys working for themselves and doing something good for the land, all the while supporting themselves on 21 acres of land. They use no pesticides or herbicides, and also keep bees — which love the lavender plants and create amazing honey.
Together, they make a variety of bath, body, home, and culinary products, all handmade in small batches and all including lavender essential oil. Their favorite product is the Whipped Body Butter: “The scent is amazing, and if you use it after a shower at bedtime, you wake up with soft, glowing skin,” Holly raved. They keep busy doing various shows throughout the year and can be found every Sunday at the Farmers Market at College View. They dream of being able to have a shop on their land and have enough space to expand the culinary side of things.
Slow Your Dough
Jonathan and Samantha Gieseke
The preschool children of Jonathan and Sam Gieseke don’t know a world where there isn’t a scone on the counter. “We’re your local mom-and-pop bakers,” Jonathan explained of the venture he started with his wife during the pandemic after losing employment from the restaurant industry. Since he’d tried all aspects of the restaurant business except for baking, he started making breads.
When the yeast shortage hit, he started making different flavors of scones. With Sam on maternity leave, they started sending his baked goods to friends and family and documenting the fun he was having. Thus began Slow Your Dough, a baking venture that’s caught on locally. Specializing in scones, their most popular of the more than 60 flavors they’ve made are Lemon Blueberry and Bacon Cheddar. Over the past year, they’ve added sourdough bread, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and other breads to their product lineup.
The pair have fresh-baked scones and muffins every Tuesday through Saturday at Butterfly Bakery. You can also find their products at Stories Coffee (locally within Union Bank Place). Or simply place an order on their website for delivery or pickup at Butterfly Bakery.
Studio Trouvaille
Shane and Ann Walsh
Shane and Ann Walsh, the husband-and-wife duo behind Studio Trouvaille, originally met as coworkers at a frame shop. Connecting through their shared backgrounds in art and graphic design, their unique wood creations — a craft and art hybrid — and were on full display when they were chosen as the second residents at UBT's Small Business Pop-up Shop in early 2024.
In business for the last few years, Ann and Shane rely on the inspiration they draw from the people they meet and visit with at vendor shows. These self-professed introverts chat and bond with other art fans, offer a safe space for other introverts, and often make art out of cool tattoos and T-shirts they translate into pieces. Other inspiration comes from nature and more abstract and obscure concepts they visualize.
Their original works in wood, glass, and paper begin with an idea and raw materials, resulting in stunning shadowboxes, décor items, and other gifts. Ann designs each item, paying special attention to aesthetics and the technical aspect of how each piece fits together during assembly. That’s where Shane comes in — laser-cutting the creations, hand-finishing the wood, cutting glass, and doing careful assembly. His eye for detail informs any changes in design and fit.
Tasty Good Toffee
Katie Becker
Katie Becker’s grandma passed down her toffee recipe to her in 2002, and for years, she gifted toffee to family and friends. She sold her first official bag of toffee in 2013 when she was in the middle of a corporate restructure that left her with a severance and a newborn baby. Tasty Good Toffee was also born that year. She went full-time with the venture in 2017.
“I started making and marketing Tasty Good Toffee as a fun holiday treat to fill my time and quench my creative nature. I found myself empowered and emboldened by the fact that people wanted to pay me money for this toffee,” Katie said. “When I realized that the corporate machine wasn’t the place for me, I left my 8-5 job. And now I work 24 hours a day!”
Tasty Good Toffee is small-batch, homemade toffee crafted here in Lincoln, and her favorite flavor is the Milk Chocolate Pecan because it was her Grandma B’s original recipe and holds a special place in her heart. Her favorite part of running a toffee business is meeting other wonderful makers within the vendor community. She enjoys traveling to vendor shows like Love, The Locals and Junkstock. You can also order her products online.
The 3AM Co
Sara Schaepe
Sara Schaepe is a stay-at-home mom to a 2-year-old and in her fourth year of running The 3 AM Co. The premise behind the name is simple. “Everyone has a great story from 3 a.m. — whether it’s rocking your baby to sleep, sitting around the campfire having a heart-to-heart with your besties, or driving through the night on your road trip,” Sara explained. “All our core memories need accessories, and we want to be worthy of your memories.”
Combining both those thoughts — core memories tied to her clothing and nostalgic moments while we’re in them — The 3 AM Co. was born. She designs and prints T-shirts with the occasional hat, and her current favorite is the Sandhills Cowboy Crew that her husband helped design and has become one of their most popular products.
Sara’s dream is to keep expanding her reach in Lincoln and Omaha, as well as selling her products to a larger market outside of Nebraska. For now, you can find her products at her shop in Turbine Flats next to Reactor Coffee, or on her website.
Truth Papers
Lindsay Griepenstroh
Spreading love through paper is Lindsay Griepenstroh’s main mission. Combining modern design elements with the muscle of a century-old antique letterpress, Lindsay has pressed out a creative niche for herself with her stationery business, Truth Papers.
A few years ago, Lindsay began combining her graphic design background, quirky and punny quotes, whimsical and unique illustrations, and old-school letterpress techniques to launch Truth Papers. Printed by hand, her thoughtful and interesting designs contain a care and intentionality when gifted.
Boasting unique products like cards for all occasions, notepads, stickers, and other prints, one of Lindsay’s favorite products to create are wedding invites. She also enjoys helping businesses with their branding for business cards, coasters, product tags, stationery, and more. Check out her Facebook and Instagram accounts, check out her Etsy shop, or visit her website for more information on her products and services.
Twin Springs Pecans
Dave Willnerd
Twin Springs Pecans is a family-owned producer and processor of northern pecans owned by Charlie Willnerd, Julie Willnerd, Dave Willnerd, and Sarah Ferdico. Northern pecans have a milder, more buttery taste than their southern counterparts. The crew has two orchards near Panama and Firth in southeast Lancaster County, Nebraska, where they currently have more than 40 acres of orchards and where they grow close to 500 trees that are in various levels of production.
Charlie had experience working with pecan growers in the southern U.S. while working as an agricultural financial lender. Upon his retirement, he was looking to diversify his agricultural production and was fortunate to have mentorship in pecan growing from a neighbor who had a mature northern pecan orchard. Charlie began managing the orchard and eventually took ownership of operation.
Twin Springs Pecans has raw pecan halves and pieces, as well as a variety of flavored pecans that include candied, Cajun, sea salt, and sea salt and cracked black pepper. They also sell chocolate bars that are produced locally that contain their candied, sea salt, and Cajun pecans. Their dream is for their grandkids to become involved and grow the business for generations to come. Other than makers markets, their products can be found online, at all Lincoln Hy-Vee stores, Leon’s Gourmet Market, A Street Market, and at Lincolns’ farmers markets.
Twisted Squirrel Nut Butter
Nikki Thompson
Nikki Thompson is a medical sales professional by day and a peanut grinder by night. Making small batch peanut butter wasn’t something she planned for her life, but when a healthy peanut butter she’d been buying was discontinued, she bought a grinder to make her own. “Healthy turned into interesting and fun and crazy, and it all took off from there,” Nikki said about Twisted Squirrel Nut Butter.
With none of her peanut butter mass produced, she assembles every jar by hand with love and precision, putting a lot of time and effort into every jar. Every jar of peanut butter starts off with fresh peanuts she personally grinds, and from there she enjoys the process of inventing new flavor combinations via the old-fashioned trial-and-error method. Her personal favorite flavor is Harvest Crunch, a flavor that includes Ritz crackers and pretzels.
Nikki’s favorite part of the process of slinging unique and interesting peanut butter flavor combos is her customers. “I have met so many wonderful people in the short time I’ve been doing this,” Nikki said of her six months of business ownership. To pick up some peanut butter, give her a follow on Facebook to see where the owner of Twisted Squirrel is scurrying off to next. She accepts orders through that page.
Yummi Tummi Mixes
Kaye Rhodes
Kaye Rhodes is retired from the accounting world and has been the owner of Yummi Tummi Mixes for 15 years. When she founded her business, she was looking for a product that was different than what everyone else was selling, and she capitalized on a niche market she carved out for herself.
Yummi Tummi’s mixes are all handmade fresh before each show and are full of flavor. Most of her products are purchased from a small business in Iowa that sells only natural or organic dry ingredients. Typically, with her mixes, a customer would only need to add one or two ingredients to make something delicious for snacking or company. She points to three products as her favorites: beer bread mix, French onion dip, and dill dip.
Other than mixing and inventing new mixes, Kaye loves working a vendor show and talking to customers who came to the show just because she’s selling there. Her products are available online or at Willow & Sage in the Piedmont Shoppes in Lincoln.
