So Me!

When you find something you love be it jewelry, shoes, clothes, or even a house or a car, odds are you love it because you think it's very "you." How many times have you heard someone exclaim "That is so me!"? I know I'm guilty, and I use that phrasing when shopping for others too ("That is so insert friend's name here"). I consider myself something of a shopping psychologist (believe me, I've done the research) so I know that people love things they believe were especially made for them. However, a good retailer can make more than one of something but make it so well that it feels personal, and that's all that anyone wants: to feel special.

I am beyond blessed to say that my friends have made me feel most special. A lot of my best friendships came out of working at a place that made people feel like dirt. But the more we struggled with where we worked, the more we bonded with each other. True friends are people who will always lift you up; they will always support you and are happy to remind you that you deserve better. Friends are honest and committed to each other's cause. I learned all this and more from my first group of friends in the "real world," at my first "real job." These weren't the people I went to high school with; we were all different ages and came from different places, but they're the people I want to stay friends with for life. They're the people I already feel like I have known forever. 

After leaving that place of work, I have managed to stay close with this group of people. Now that they don't have the negativity of that workspace surrounding them, every single one of them has gone on to do amazing creative things. My friend Michelle, who has always been a fabulous photographer, recently took up sewing and came up with the idea of So:Me, an upscale plush line. If you love fabric, jewelry, and color like I do, then this line will definitely appeal to you. But more so than the eye-catching patterns and bling, these pieces make you feel something. Maybe it's nostalgia for that favorite childhood toy; maybe it's love for the person who gifts you with one; or maybe it's the inspiration to take a chance on making your dreams a reality. When I look at all that Michelle is doing I think about where we both came from and where we are now, and I'm so excited for the future. 

The pictures above are a few of my personal favorite designs. For now there are Frenchies, pigs, and elephants, with more animals to come. She even has an Audrey Hepburn-inspired line called Audrey's Pearls. I wrote this blog post because I really do believe in supporting my friends and their creative endeavors. They have always supported me. If you're interested in supporting Michelle and So:Me Plush, make sure you check out her site and sign up for her mailing list so that you are aware of her Kickstarter campaign and are entered to win a plush. She is giving out two every week for the next month! Also, she is giving away a gorgeous nail polish kit TOMORROW so make sure you are following on all of her social networks to win:

Instagram: @so_me_plush

Facebook: facebook.com/someplush

Twitter: @SoMe_Plush

Pinterest: pinterest.com/someplush

Good luck!

Getting Ready

Getting ready is an art form. Unfortunately, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays I cannot dwell in front of the mirror or in my closet as long as I would like. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the days I have strength training classes after work, and therefore have to be out of the office earlier as opposed to later. Today is a Wednesday, and I thought I had my outfit all picked out the night before ... but then I tried it on this morning. Not so good.

Since I had to start over, I quickly ran through in my head what I had to wear, the weather for today (cold!) and what I had to do at work (not a lot of walking or lifting = high heels). Since I am very much into wearing my new Jeffrey Campbell's right now, I thought it would be fun to wear basic black all over and use my new shoes and a bunch of jewels to play.

As I said before, it's been quite cold, so I grabbed my favorite animal print hat from H&M and did something I have wanted to do for a while: make use of all my vintage brooches. Pictured above is just some of my collection. I added a few that matched the color scheme of the hat to its base and threw it on. Since my hat covers my ears and my sleeves are long, I cant wear earrings or bracelets. I figured the brooches would add enough sparkle for the day, plus a few vintage gold rings.

And since I saw the lovely, wonderful, creative Deb yesterday, I threw on the Audrey Hepburn tote she made me and was out the door by 8:10. Getting ready is so exhausting, but oh so worth it. Sometimes it's better when things don't turn out as planned.

Oh, and Deb now has a fab YouTube channel. You must check it out! She will be doing a giveaway for one of her bags (similar to the Audrey one above) when she reaches 100 subscribers. Good luck!