North Texan entrepreneur turned tragedy into thriving popcorn business
For Kelly Girnas, popcorn is a way to both make people happy as she remembers her late husband Stan. She is the founder and owner of Pixie Pop, a flavored popcorn business based out of her home in Mansfield.
Why popcorn? She believes it is the perfect metaphor for anyone wanting or needing to start over.
“One of the many things I enjoy about popcorn is that it is a blank slate. It can be turned into something savory or sweet, it can be colored, and even made into various shapes,” she said. “Much like life, popcorn can be transformed into something totally different than what it originally started as.”
Plus, Stan would be proud to know she’s bringing lots of smiles to faces as they enjoy a tasty treat.
In June 2019, Kelly made flavored popcorn for a neighborhood movie night. It was a big hit. Friends and neighbors encouraged her to develop a flavored popcorn business.
So, she began doing that in early 2021.
Then, in May 2021, Stan suffered a heart attack, and underwent a quintuple bypass. He suffered some complications afterward.
Still, with Stan’s encouragement, Kelly entered a contest hosted by Dallas public relations firm The It Crowd in September of 2021. Their campaign, called “The Heart Behind It,” entailed awarding a small DFW business that was started during COVID with six months free marketing, website creation and branding.
She won the contest and Pixie Pop was on the way up.
“Suddenly I had an actual team of amazing marketing professionals, helping me develop a business that I had started from my kitchen only a few months before,” she said. “My husband also seemed to be getting better. Life was on the upswing, or so it seemed.”
Pixie Pop’s start
In January 2022, her Pixie Pop website went live. She embraced the new year with a sense of gratitude.
Two weeks later, everything changed. Stan fell, hit his head, and became unconscious.
Over the next year and two months, Stan was in four hospitals and a nursing home. He coded eight times in that span.
Finally, in early 2023, doctors advised Kelly to sign a “do not resuscitate” form. Sam Passed shortly after in April.
“There was no hope of him getting better. He was suffering, and that was the last thing that I wanted for my husband,” she said. “A part of me also died that day. Stan was my biggest cheerleader. He was so full of life, and everyone loved him. Our life together was filled with joy and laughter. Two people from New Jersey, who met on a blind date in Arlington in July 2000.”
During that entire year Kelly put her business on hold. However, she knew what Stan would want — for her to move forward.
In fact, she and Stan served on the board of the former DFW Area Tour Guide Association and had planned to start a tour business. However, the COVID-19 Pandemic interrupted those ideas.
“Stan said to me that most likely he would go first, since he was 17 years older. He said that the best way to honor his life would be for me to live my life to the fullest after he passed,” Kelly said. “He wanted me to embrace my creativity, and go after my dreams. That is what I try to do every day.”
Being a cottage-based business, she makes everything from home. It helped when, this past September, Texas passed some new cottage laws, making it arguably the most liberal state regarding home-based food businesses.
“The plan was always that Stan would help me,” she said. “He had been in sales and marketing for many years, and he could sell anything.”
Her business continues to grow, and she hopes to hire an assistant to help with marketing.
Pixie Pop’s specialties
Among her most popular flavors are Pop Rocks and Pickle Pop.
“I developed Pickle Pop after moving to Mansfield, in honor of their wonderful Pickle Parade,” she said. “Pop Rocks is a fun flavor, and I think adults like it as much as kids do.”
She also has seasonal flavors — pumpkin, peppermint, heart pop, bunny pop, paradise pop and patriotic pop.
“Puffles” are popcorn truffles, a Pixie Pop original and one of her favorite items, bite-sized morsels of buttery popcorn and chocolate, or salted caramel.
She specializes in events such as birthdays, celebrations, corporate activities and weddings. She also creates popcorn tasting bars and has partnered with a few DFW area wineries for popcorn and wine pairings.
“She loves to experiment with colors, and flavors to meet the needs of the client, whether for a baby shower, birthday party, or individual consumption,” said friend Stephanie Suggs. “I love how she thought to make the labels on the bags for marketing your own business, allowing you to give her tasty popcorn to your clients.”
This past October, Pixie Pop was part of Taste of Mansfield, and all the money earned went to local charities. She has also created/donated gift baskets to be auctioned off at fundraisers for Mansfield Cares.
She still works as a contracted travel and event coordinator. In addition, she makes painted margarita and wine glasses, along with Christmas ornaments. They are sold at Mosaic Market in downtown Arlington.
Kelly said there have been many challenges in the past few years, much sorrow, but lots of joy as well.
“I have been transformed by the hardships. I have learned that I am stronger and more resilient than I ever thought,” she said.
“I am so grateful that I shared a very happy life for 22 years, with a man who truly loved me, as I did him. His love is my strength, and it carries me through each day.”
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM.