More to the story...

"About Us" continued...

It's been almost 4 years since TwirlyGirl started. While it's true that I stumbled into a sewing class and was inspired by my daughters to create something special, there was always something deeper driving me to find expression. As I worked building the company, I realized that a big part of me was being healed in ways I never imagined, but desperately needed. I feel the time is right to share the rest of my story with you. "Up from the ashes grow the roses of success" - Success for me is truly having a voice.  Thank you for sharing this journey with me. 

I grew up in Chicago. When I was four, my parents got divorced. My 26 year old mother was faced with raising me on her own. She was an alcoholic all through my childhood. We were on welfare and food stamps. When I was seven, I was sent off to a Summer Camp in Wisconsin for 8 weeks (I received a scholarship from the camp's owner). As an "only" kid, I was happy to make new friends. The camp was beautiful, surrounded by nature. Big tall trees, open spaces, no high rises, no cement. It was such a change from all the chaos and drama. I loved this new found freedom and I felt safe and comforted by the surroundings.

The freedom and beauty was short lived. During that first week, I was abused by the camp's owner. Everything changed for me in that split second. The camp became a prison and I was no longer the wide-eyed little girl getting to have peace for the first time. Because the man lived in the same building as my Aunt, when camp was over, the abuse continued. He prayed upon my unstable home environment, "rescuing" me from my alcoholic mother. This went on six years, effectively stealing my childhood from me.

I do believe I have been surrounded by many angels that have helped me heal. My husband, Michael, is one of them. He encouraged me to start TwirlyGirl. Little did I know that I would have a chance to "redo" my childhood by creating clothing for girls. When I walk into my office downtown and see all the colorful fabrics and prints, I am filled with joy. Joy that was lost 40 years ago at that camp. I've gained so much confidence by creating this line and seeing how positively people of all ages respond to it. Early in 2011, I received this very sweet email from a mother:

Just wanted to let you know what a HIT all the TwirlyGirl clothes were. She LOVED the dress, the three shirts, and the short outfit a lot. She wore the long sleeved hoodie shirt and bandana to school and got lots of compliments. She felt confident about how cool she looked, you could see it in her face! Thanks so much for everything!!

When I read the word "confident", my heart just burst. CONFIDENCE is everything. It means you love yourself. It means you are proud to say, "I can do anything!" The fact that her daughter felt this way was such a gift to me. It's exactly the reason why I'm doing this -- to help girls connect with the joy of being who they are. TwirlyGirl is about conveying love, joy, confidence, creative inspiration and feeling empowered.

Unfortunately, I know my story is NOT unique. There are so many of us that have suffered and are still suffering from abuse of all kinds. Why do I share my story? Because others should know that it's never too late to reclaim what is yours. Stand up for it! Fight for it! Celebrate it!

As TwirlyGirl grows, one of our goals is to find those children when they are still young, and help them get past the guilt, shame, fear and self-loathing. In the not-so-distant future, we plan on creating a separate non-profit Foundation that can be an integral part of their recovery. Right now we donate a portion of all our sales to the Echo Center which helps families connect in supportive and non-violent ways.  I want these children to know they can love themselves, that they are lovable and loved. Their joy is still inside and no one can take that away - it just needs encouragement and trust to shine again. 

Thank you for reading and sharing this journey with me.  I'm truly twirly and grateful!
Let your light shine bright,
Cynthia Jamin
Owner/Designer

© TwirlyGirl LLC 2011 all rights reserved