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20 + WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, August 8, 2007 Take me to Funky Town Childhood passion for jewelry now being shared with kids rowing up with a father who worked as a costume jewelâ€" ry wholesaler, Laura Oliveira seemed destined to follow in his footsteps. "I wore lots of jewelry and had lots of jewelry," Oliveira recalled. . "I remember simple things like fixing jewelry, or taking apart neckâ€" laces and making earrings to help my dad." _Her mother has told her she was a creative child, who loved art and pottery classes. That creativity stayed with her as she grew up, and eight years ago she began selling her own hempâ€" andâ€"bead necklaces at a flea marâ€" ket in Cambridge while she was still in college. "That‘s probably the first thing I ever started making, and 1 just taught myself out of a book," said the 29â€"yearâ€"old. "Everything I do is selfâ€"taught." Although the flea market wasn‘t that busy, her hemp necklaces sold well. {n fact, customers she‘s had from as faraway as Toronto have returned to the market to buy other pieces from her. "They said they can‘t find nice ones up there, so it‘s pretty good feedback," Oliveira said. "It makes you feel good when people like your stuff." _ Her next step was to begin sellâ€" ing her jewelry at the St. Jacobs Farmers‘ Market, which she‘s been doing regularly since 2001. Her outdoor booth â€" No. 197 â€" is across from the iceâ€"cream 4300 KING STREET EAST, KITCHENER (near Sportsworld Drive}) 519â€"650â€"4300 MONDAYâ€"FRIDAY 9:30 AM â€" 9:00 PM * SATURDAY 9:30 AM â€" 5:00 PM * SUNDAY 12 NOON â€" 5:00 PM By Jennirer OrmsTonN â€"_â€" Chronicle Staff Laura Oliveira, the owner of Funky Town Jewelry Emporium, stocks a variety of pieces, from sterling silver to beads, in her uptown Waterloo shop. Jemarer Ormston PhOTO caboose, and open on Tuesdays, "The magnets increase your blood Thursdays and Saturdays. _ _ "I remember sim nle circulation, so that helps." Silver rings and chains, handâ€" made necklaces and magnetic jewâ€" elry are popular sellers there. _ The latter, which she makes by stringing together magnetic beads, are used for therapeutic purposes. "I use triple strength magnets, so they are a lot stronger than norâ€" mal ones," said Oliveira. BUSINESS "I remember simple things like fixing jewelry, or taking apart necklaces and helping my dad." â€" Laura Oliveira Owner of Funky Town waTerL5o Gffiomcis ARTS VIEYVPOINT WATERLOO CHRONICLE NEVS SPORTS LUEESTYLE BUSINESS and more in YOUR CHRONM 1 & 2 BEDROOM LIFE LEASE SUITES FROM $176,900 CALL TODAY TO VIEW OUR MODEL SUITE Oliveira has been selling them for eight years, and some cusâ€" tomers have come back and told her their arthritis is better or they don‘t get migraines anymore thanks to the jewelry. "I have wrist problems and 1 wear them and it helps," she said. Choose excellence, choose Luther Village Oliveira eventually decided to LUTHER VILLAGE expand her business by opening her own store. To keep costs as low as possible, her husband‘s cousin, a hairstylist, decided to join her in this venture. One year ago, they began workâ€" ing out of a building at 26 Regina St. N., in uptown Waterloo. The front half is Funky Town Jewelry Emporium; the back is Godiva Hair. "It‘s just nice to have a place where you can always have your jewelry displayed and have regular customers, especially because at St. Jacobs a lot of people you don‘t see again because there‘s a lot of tourists," she said. Oliveira makes about 40 per cent of the jewelry in the store, which is brimming with simple, fashionable pieces, many made of sterling silver, semiâ€"precious stones and pearls. She changes her merchandise depending on what‘s in style each season. This summer she‘s selling lots of bangle bracelets, shell neckâ€" laces and dangly earrings. Toe rings and ankle bracelets also become popular once the warm weather settles in, which coincides with when her business slows down a bit. During the school year, many university students frequent her shop, and she‘s expecting business to pick up in September. She also saw her business spike last Christmas, with people buying sterling silver, gemstone jewelry and handmade pieces. Although Funky Town attracts students, Oliveira tries to appeal to all age groups. _ ON THE PARK Continued on page 22