Jun 24, 2012

Little Shop of CourageBy Maureen ScurfieldWinnipegFreePress.com

St. Norbert, Manitoba – It all started with a booth at the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market more than a decade ago, where Brenda Weiss first offered her original beaded pieces to the public. Her creations sold like crazy — so much so, it gave her the courage to quit the insurance business, where she felt like a purple and orange person in a blue and brown industry.

She started a shop on Academy Road and set up beading classes as well. That location wasn’t the best for her; traffic went whizzing by on the short cut to the St. James bridge. Where many people might have given up the dream, she and her husband, Shane, took the “Go big or go home” attitude. Instead of folding, they went to China, where Brenda loaded up on thousands of unique beads and came back to reopen at 653 Corydon Ave., where her shop, Boutique Unique, is much busier.

The sexy split-level shop, which used to be the Ooh La La hair salon, now looks like a fancy French brothel in hot pink and charcoal with demi-mannequins and mirrors on the walls. Most days, it’s full of women checking out the glitzy cocktail dresses and funky accessories — although guys are welcome.

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