In the holiday spirit, YSV Candles and Gifts nurtures creativity, connection in Garfield Ridge

For holiday gifting, “Grinch” mug candles, are available for purchase at YSV.

Mildred Rivera, owner of YSV Candles and Gifts, is more than a businesswoman. She’s a candlemaker and community advocate whose Garfield Ridge store is a hub for artisan wares and creative workshops. 

Located at 6623 W. Archer Ave., YSV Candles and Gifts offers handmade candles, natural cosmetics, and unique artisan creations from 20 local makers. The store also hosts workshops on crafting eco-friendly items and phthalate-free soy candles. 

Rivera’s business began as a hobby, creating soy candles to reflect beauty and wellness—a vision embodied in the store’s name, Yo Soy Vella (“I Am Beautiful”). Unlike mass-market options, her candles feature clean-burning bases and natural fragrances. 

“My store is unique because I try to support anyone,” she said. “We are all women here, except for one vendor. The whole thought behind this was bringing in people that make locally handmade merchandise to support this area by giving them a place to sell their good, sustainable products.” 

Holiday candle scents for autumn and Christmas scents like Mistletoe and Blue Spruce, “the Christmas tree scents,” are popular, Rivera said.  

YSV’s local south side artisans offer distinct handcrafted creations such as 100% natural cosmetic products, works of art, unisex jewelry, bags for travel, tote bags, crocheted items, handmade items for pets and more. 

By renting space to local artisans for a modest fee, Rivera helps makers evolve from hobbyists into entrepreneurs. YSV also connects vendors with resources like Canva and website-building assistance with help from established sellers in the shop.  

Community workshops at YSV also teach participants to create affordable items such as working with natural oils to promote comprehensive healing and painting an alebrije, fantastical animals, long a part of Mexican folk art. 

YSV is not just a place to buy gifts but also a place for customers to de-stress, Rivera said. 

She has noticed that the recent election and life in general seems to be driving customers to seek out her products for stress relief purposes. 

“Somebody had ordered eight lavender candles just last week,” Rivera added. “This customer was putting packages together to give to friends because they were really affected by the election. There’s a lot of women worried about what’s going on in this country.” 

Her ambitions extend beyond retail. Rivera envisions Garfield Ridge as a vibrant community, where families stroll and shop along Archer Avenue. 

“I’d love to start a book club or walking club,” she said. “I’ve talked about that on several occasions because sometimes people need that encouragement. Sometimes you need that partner and I’m open to that.” 

YSV’s extended holiday hours began Nov. 22. The store is open Friday through Monday from noon to 8 p.m., and Tuesday through Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m. until Christmas Eve. 

(Regular hours are Wednesday through Friday, noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.) 

For updates on promotions and events, visit YSV’s website or Facebook page.

Aside from offering something for everyone, Rivera encourages people to come in to get out of the house rather than being alone. “You can come and have coffee and talk about whatever you want to talk about,” she said.