Marisa van der Horst has her own DIY YouTube channel.
With her focus turning to bath bombs, she’s creating a whole line of personal care products, from candles to bath salts. It’s a line she intends to showcase in a shop she’s opening this coming Tuesday (Nov. 15).
Oh, and by the way, Marisa is 13 years old.
“I was really inspired by a lot of different YouTube videos,” she says of what originally took her down this path. “It helped me, as well, in getting out of my shy stage.”
Stepping in front of the camera for the first time was a little unnerving, she admits.
But Marisa’s DIY channel generated a lot of attention. As a result, she was asked to take part in an airing of the Health and Wellness TV show on Joy Television.
Marisa moved from West Vancouver to Squamish with her mother, Rebecca, in March. During the same time period she bought equipment to help create bath bombs. Soon after, she approached her mother about opening up a store front.
“We are definitely in business together,” Rebecca says as the two gear up for the store’s opening. “I do what I am good at, which is the accounting, and Marisa focuses on pretty much everything else.”
Their new store has a twist. The duo wants to encourage other artisans to create and showcase their work in the shop.
The idea, Rebecca says, is that the majority of the products sold will have been pieced together in the space, Buckley Trading Co., located at the tip of Squamish’s industrial park at 38922 Queens Way.
“There are so many quality artists here,” Rebecca says.
The store will pull all the local artisans’ work together in custom gift baskets, she added. Having the artisans on hand will also allow for the incorporation of personal touches to gifts, whether it be a necklace placed in a candle or toy surprise in a soap, Rebecca noted.
Going through the process of opening the art collective has introduced the new Squamish arrivals to many members of the community, the duo agrees. They hope that trend continues.
“I really like Squamish,” says Marisa, who attends Coast Mountain Academy. “I like the vibe here. It’s a nice community.”
The shop has also pulled the mother/daughter team closer together, although they both agree they’ve always had a strong relationship.
“We get along pretty good. We butt heads now and again,” Rebecca says.
“It’s a tight relationship,” Marisa adds.
Down the road, Marisa has plans to venture off into a very different field. She aims to turn her attention to becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon.
“I’ve watched so many documentaries on surgery,” she says. “I’m inspired by surgeons.”
