Hi, my name is Tim and I started and run Hollabears myself!
6 years ago, when I was 21 and had my first girlfriend (yea I was late to the game), I somehow didn't realize that you are supposed to get your significant others gifts for their birthdays. On the day of, I needed to think of a gift quickly. Chocolate? No, overdone. Go out to dinner? We did that too much already.
So my big budget and I went over to the drugstore in my hometown of Oakland to try to get some ideas. There were a lot of teddy bears and other lovey-dovey crap but they were all really low quality. I saw a guy talking to a "female" as he called her, and when she started walking away, he yelled out "AYE BITCH I'M TRYNA HOLLA." It didn't change her mind, but clearly she didn't have good taste.
So I bought a bear, thread, felt, and cotton balls and went home to learn how to sew from YouTube, which provided for a lovely rage filled afternoon. The first Hollabear was born. It was pretty crude, and inferior quality, but hey, my girlfriend at the time laughed her ass off so it was worth it.
We stayed together for five years. I like to think that the bear I made had to do with that, and had nothing to do with the break up. Results may vary for you...I'm not guaranteeing anything on that one.
If you buy one for your partner (or a friend you're trying to coax out of the friendzone), you can tell them you made it yourself. I don't mind. All I ask is that you invite me to the wedding if you have an open bar.
