About Little Bee
About Me
I grew up creating. It’s always been my “thing,” I guess. I’ve been surrounded by creative women and men my entire life. On my mom’s side: My great-grandmother, Gram, was a quilter, a crocheter, and an incredible sewist. My Grandmother, Baba, is a multimedia artist wizard; painter, drawer, sculptor, collager. You name it. She’s good at it. My Grandfather, Papa, was a woodworker, tinkerer, and major creative genius. My mom, a mosaic sculpture artist, and an incredible creator. On my dad’s side: My grandmother, Nonna, is a writer, poet, songwriter, painter, and more. My grandfather, Papa, was a singer, songwriter, and a lover of all things music. My dad doesn’t draw much, but when he does, damn! he’s great! I love all of these creative influences and I hold each of these mediums close to my heart. I’ve been surrounded by creativity on all sides. It’s no wonder I am where I am right now; I feel lucky. I could go on and on.
The first thing that I was ever really proud of creating was a small bright orange and pink quilt that I created one summer (around 2009?) in Tulelake, CA with Gram, Baba, Mom, and my two siblings; a multi-generational affair! I look back on that time and feel so proud to be where I am today! I always have it sitting in my bedroom, art studio, wherever I’m creating to remind me how freaking badass it is that I get to create ALL day EVERY day. Lucky.
Simply put: I love creating. Whether it be through sewing, making jewelry, playing music, or just generally crafting; my passion lies in using my hands! I feel so so grateful to be able to wake up and do what I love! I spent so much of my life feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable wearing swimsuits and shortie shorts and all that fun stuff, but since I started creating clothes for myself, I truly recognize that my body is beautiful just the way that it is. I want to use my passion to make people feel just as good as I feel when I’m wearing the clothes that I make. It’s not about how much you weigh or what size you are. It’s all about feeling good. We don’t have enough time in our lives to be concerned about what we look like. You’ve got a body that’s beautiful. That’s final. Do what you want with it.
Thank you to everyone who’s supported my little business! You’ve given me so much confidence in myself as an artist, creator, and woman, damn it! I’m so excited to continue to grow and get better at what I love to do! Thank you all!
♡︎ Bridgette ♡︎
About Little Bee & Company
My first little business endeavor was back in high school (circa 2012) with one of my greatest friends, Erin. We spent our afternoons in thrift stores, hunting down denim and other used items to up-cycle. We made shorts and embellished jean jackets, but we quickly spent all of our money on other thrifted items, so the business failed. ha! I started creating jewelry pieces in high school during the summers between school years. I officially started my Little Bee Instagram selling puff-ball earrings and promoting the concert posters for events I put on with my friends around 2018. (My parents have called me Little Bee since I was a teeny one, so of course, I had to incorporate it into my little business.)
I had a loooooot more time to commit to my crafts after graduating from the University of Oregon when I moved to San Luis Obispo, California. Since the fall of 2019, I’ve committed to creating handmade clothing and jewelry for beautiful people. It’s so fun to make people feel confident, comfy, and funky in their handmade Little Bee items!
In 2020, Bryce and I moved to Los Osos for a bit and I was able to have my first very own art studio to make a nice big mess in! I worked my ass off in 2020 while nannying full-time and in December of 2020, I was finally able to quit my job to do Little Bee full-time! I have always dreamt of running my own business full-time and so far it’s been amazing. The one life tip that my dad alllwaaaayys said to us kids that stuck with me was, “Be your own boss.” So, here I go!
Thanks all for the endless support! You’re keepin’ my dream alive!