An Exciting New Venture! (and Giveaway)

If you've been reading RGR for a while, you know my love for Stella & Dot jewelry. My love affair began in May of 2012, when I attended the NoVA Fashion Week Luxe Lifestyle Event. It was there that I met Kristin Biggs, Stella and Dot Stylist. That night I also gained a dear friend in Kristin. Over the years, we've had lots of fun with jewelry, lots of great conversation and tons of fun. Before Thanksgiving I approached Kristin about becoming a Stylist myself. I had done some research and decided it would be a great fit for me and a way to make some extra money but also set my own hours. Kristin spent hours answering all of my questions and was very encouraging but didn't pressure me at all. I spent the next two weeks thinking and doing more research. Last week I decided to take a leap and become a Stylist. Frankly, I was a bit scared but I think that's a good thing. I love this quote.

 

― Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President

I have always needed challenges in my life. This venture is a huge challenge. It will take hard work, in addition to my full time job but I know I can make it my own. It's easy to be passionate about something you love.

 

The first piece I fell for back in May of 2012 was the Femme Fatale. This necklace was everything I loved. I could wear it at work (like in the photo below) or to a rock show with a t-shirt. It's shiny, chunky, pretty and attention grabbing. It's still one of my favorites. Stella and Dot retires their pieces eventually, which is a great for a collector but sad when someone spies a piece they love and it's no longer available. The great news is there are always great new pieces to fall for.

 

A few of my favorites...

Just a few of my current favorites are the Déjà Vu earrings, Renegade bracelets (I'm loving the rose gold version, not pictured below), and the Sutton necklace. The Déjà Vu earrings are three pairs in one, just flip them around and you can have a brand new pair. I say three because you cold wear the solid side in one ear and the pave side in the other ear.

It's amazing to me how so many women with different personal styles love the Renegade. From preppy girls, to rocker girls, it can work for anyone and everyone.

The Sutton necklace (it comes in five different colors, mixed metal, gold, silver, white, and green). I love the sutton because you can wear it five different ways, just on it's own. How great is that!?

I will have a giveaway later this week! STAY TUNED!

Frugal Fashion Friday - Living Your Dreams

Today's FFF post is fashion related but the full focus isn't fashion. Wow, the alliteration in the previous sentence is nuts. About six months ago I opened a fortune cookie to find the following fortune:

It really made me stop and think.  I have a great job, that is rewarding (most of the time), where I'm successful and it pays well. It however, is not and has never been my dream job. Sometimes, There are two things I'm very passionate about, politics and fashion. I've always wanted to work  in fashion in some capacity. I toyed with the idea of majoring in fashion in college. I've held dreams of opening my own boutique, and being a personal stylist. One of the things on my bucket list has always been to attend NYC Fashion Week. I started this blog a couple of years ago hoping that I might be able to go sometime using my blog as an avenue. Little did I know fashion blogging would blow up like it has in the past few years. Back then, I only posted occasionally and wasn't committed to it fully. I've avidly followed politics my whole life. Voting and making my voice heard is very important to me. During college I became more of an activist for causes that are important to me. In the last ten years, I began working with candidates to assist with their campaigns.

When I got that fortune, it made me stop and think about my dreams of youth.  I've always known that I had the power to live those dreams. I just had to make it happen. Silly me, a fortune cookie had to be my catalyst. First I made a committment to blog regularly.  I would attempt to post daily or at least four to five times a week at a minimum. Then I decided to work my blog. Look for ways to learn more and network. With politics, I took a more active roll in my local Democratic party, serving as the chair of some committees and volunteering additional time.

Me with former Governer of VA and DNC Chair Tim Kaine

Here's where the frugal part comes in.  I've spent a little (very little) money here and there on small donations and social events. I've never purchased clothes or products just for my blog that I wouldn't have bought normally. I have only donated to candidates and causes I fully believe in. It cost me nothing to start my blog. It was free (THANKS BLOGGER!). In fact, if choose to, I can run ads on my blog to make a little cash. I've been invited to events and gotten a few items gratis, in gift bags and through product reviews.  I've had the opportunity to meet some incredible activists and politicians, including Gloria Steinhem, Tim Kaine, Tyne Daily and many other Congressional leaders.  I attended rallys and heard (at the time) future President Barack Obama speak.  I was even invited to and attended the innauguration.  The only cost for these events was my time to volunteer, committment to the cause or small donation.

I know that all dreams aren't this inexpensive. However, there are always opportunities to make your dreams happen. I'm sure if you search a little you will be able to find less expensive options.

LIVE YOUR DREAMS!