Only-in-YEG shopping list: Oilpatch veteran becomes home decor dynamo
'It was the perfect time for me to now realize this dream'
Finding the perfect gift can be a struggle.
The malls are packed and trying to navigate online shopping sites can frazzle the most ardent shoppers.
To ease the holiday strain, Radio Active, CBC Edmonton's afternoon show, is bringing you an offering of only-in-Edmonton gifts which are sure to keep you off the naughty list.
The Only-in-YEG shopping list features the people behind the creations you'll find only in Edmonton.
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Gwen Sautner-Davis's life is a study in opposites.
During her previous career, she oversaw the construction of massive oil and gas projects in the heart of Fort McMurray's oilsands.
But after getting her hands dirty building pipelines and other industrial earthworks, she's returned to her roots.
She traded in her coveralls for a paintbrush and a cash register as proprietor of Wabi Sabi Home Decor in Edmonton.
The sprawling space, which recently held its grand opening in the Queen Mary Park neighbourhood, is filled with plush white furniture, rustic light fixtures, tapestries, textiles and charming knick-knacks.
Most of the kitschy crafts are her own handiwork. Painting and crafting have provided a nice change from the rigours of the oil patch, she said.
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"I would say I'm balancing my yin and yang," said Sautner-Davis.
"It's nice because I can come back here and get in touch with my feminine side ... get into the artsy side of things, the creative side of things which I don't get to do up there."
Sautner-Davis spent more than 12 years in industrial construction before opening the store last month. Like so many before her, it was tough times which originally led to her to Alberta.
The economy was struggling, her crafting business was suffering, and so she headed to Fort McMurray in search of work.
She thrived on the job sites, but another economic shift had her reevaluating her place in the heavy oil industry. When the Alberta economy tanked last year, she started reevaluating her career path.
Plan many years on the making
"I love being out there. I love of the camaraderie. I have a lot of fun with it. I have a lot of fun with the guys," she said.
"But the way the economy was going, my contract was up in March so it was the perfect time for me to now realize this dream of opening up this store," she said.
"It's something that I've been wanting to do for a really long time. I've been planning on it for many, many years."
And although business is booming at Wabi Sabi, it appears the oil patch has a certain hold on Sautner-Davis.
"I would love to do one more round in Fort McMurray and get back up there," she said.
"I love it and I do miss it a little bit right now so I would like to do one more and then let this store build up.
