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A Life's Journey:

Russell Olivera Jr. a native of California and now a Pacific Northwest transplant, grew up in Southern California in the city of Santa Barbara. A beautiful coastal town known as the “American Rivera”, and known for the many artists and a wonderful art scene. An artistic and creative kid who advanced in and loved the arts more than anything. Where he learned to dream and follow those dreams from his grandmother Ramona Rube Rossman Hill, who aside from love taught him to never limit or doubt himself, a life lesson he still lives by.

At the young age of 18, he started working in the entertainment field, more specifically the music industry, Olivera did marketing, publicity, artist management and relations and more, and starting his first company Mad One Entertainment Company, which even ran several mainstream and local fan clubs, and even managed singer Beth Waters and the band “Spinning Glass”, who his company helped release their debut album, a small tour, and worked to get the band a big record deal, sadly the band separated before a deal could be made.

After over 10 years in the entertainment industry and working additional management positions, Olivera wanted another creative outlet and a change so he picked up and moved his company and himself to the Dallas, Texas area, where he took his company in a different but similar direction, entertainment, web design, publishing, and journalism, additionally he also found a job working with a creative company that did professional staging and designing, Olivera worked with great designers who could see Olivera’s passion for this and quickly started to show him the ropes, becoming his teachers and soon Olivera was staging and designing in homes on his own, becoming an interior designer and stager. After 10 years in Dallas, he started to miss his California roots and moved back this time in the San Francisco Bay Area, after a few years in the bay area, he moved to Oakdale, California where his parents had retired.

Once in Oakdale, Olivera became a vendor in a few shops, and later became a manger and a co-owner of one called "Treasure Hunt", after a while he decided he could do this on his own and with a more whimsy and fun approach, becoming the birth of “Oakdale In Wonderland”. The name was symbolic since he had always been considered a bit of a “Mad Man” and he loved The Mad Hatter, so it just came to be. He expanded with addtional shop, an event venue and tea room, and a monthly flea and open air market. In addtion he continued with interior design and staging, and party decorating and other design projects.

After 6 Years Olivera slowly closed each of these as he focus more and more on his dying father, mothers health and his personal life. The first shop “Oakdale In Wonderland” Closed at the end of Dec. 2018, The Other Shop “Wonderland Emporium” In Jamestown, California Had Closed First In Feb. 2018, Along With “The Mad Hatter’s Loft” in the fall Of 2018, & “The Hatter & The Flea” event In summer Of 2018. Olivera says he couldn’t have done it without his great vendors, family and helpers.

In Febuary 2019 Olivera launched a new 5 month pop up shop called "Refined139", in Oakdale with a silent partner. Where he also had his Mad One Designs offices and sold his various lines of products, including his own signature Candle line, He continues to do design and staging work for selective clients with Mad One Designs his design firm, he hand picks each and every professional we have on our team, as well as our list of service providers etc.

In summer of 2020 he relocated to the pacific northwest, bringing his Mad One Designs with him as well as lauching a few new big ventures, and a new boutiques!

A Mad Hatter's Dream:

Olivera occasionally journals through the years. Recently he came across an old journal, where at age 19 he wrote about a trip to Hearst’s Castle and Cambria, California. In that entry he wrote about the cute shops on the main street and how cool it would be to have a cute shop like those one day, and now over 20 years later he did and continues too. Russell has always been passionate about all he does, he has always been a dreamer and believes you have to believe in dreams and achieving those dreams, he says you have to close out the noise of others and shoot for the stars, “people will always try to stop or slow down your dream but turn that thinking off and just put it out there in the universe sparkle, shine, glitter, just go for it! Nothing is impossible even when you’re a little bit mad!” he says.

A Silver Lining In Pandemic Times:

After his move to oregon and in the middle of the pandemic, Olivera opened his shop "A Little Bit Of Wonderland" in beautiful historic downtown Silverton, Oregon. This unique boutique opened on June 25, 2021 in a small 150sq foot retail space. The smallest of his shops ever created, with its success in pandemic times, in December 2022 the boutique moved around the corner where it currently resides to a new bigger space. Olivera feels at home in this great community near Silver Falls National Area and The Oregon Gardens. Olivera's 'A Little Bit Of Wonderland" is a perfect fit to this wonderful and wonderlust town.

Expanding In The Pacific Northwest's Wonderland:

On July 12th, 2024 Olivera who just celebrated 3 years of his Silverton, Oregon shop "A Little Bit Of Wonderland", Opened a second shop "Wonderland Boutique" in Salem, Oregon the small shop shares a space with "Evergreen & Ivy Co." and is located in Cassy Can Craft At the historic landmark The Reed Opera House Underground Shops: 189 Liberty Street NE #B12, Salem, Oregon 97301. He stays busy with both boutiques, interior designing, staging and voluteers alot for the local community theater "Brush Creek Playhouse", as an actor, director, boardmember, and the theaters marketing director & more.

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