Anna is a massage therapist by trade, and when Covid led to the loss of her job in March, she focused on her virtual self-care company.

For every virtual retreat for her company and during personal meditation and yoga practice, she was always lighting candles. In July, she decided to buy a candle making kit. She kept a few and gave a few away. Her friends loved the candles, so she bought more soy wax, fragrance oils and vessels to experiment with. She added intentions to each candle, naming each one after a Virtue like Fortitude, Confidence and Joyfulness. She started hand painting the labels with watercolor to connect to a specific chakra, and now she handstamps the muslin bag each candle comes in.

In August, she attended her first outdoor market at the Pilsen Community Market, and by October her candles were being carried in 2 different Chicagoland stores while her presence at community and pop-up markets and online grew.

In mid-October, Anna met up with fellow maker and business owner Monica, whom she had met on the summer market circuit. While having coffee, they came up with the Chicago Makers Holiday Pop Up Shop— a place where  27 diverse small businesses could showcase and continue selling their products.

You can stop by to meet Anna and check out her candles along with skincare, woodwork, pottery, leatherwork, jewelry, dog accessories, kid’s gifts, upcycled clothing, and more through December 31! The Chicago Makers Holiday Pop Up Shop is located in Wicker Park at 1279 N Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL.