Giving From The Heart

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This Christmas, we wanted to share this touching story. One of our former hostesses wrote to tell us about a girlfriend who lost everything in a fire that burned her whole house down.  It reminded us that we have so much to be grateful for and that joy truly is, giving from the heart.

When we loose everything, sometimes we're surprised to find what we treasure and miss the most. 

Aston, our first remote hostess, had hosted a Jay + Renae trunk show a while back. We're glad to say that she had a fun time with friends and enjoyed a successful party! Earlier in the month, she wrote us to inquire about reordering a necklace that one of her girlfriends had purchased. It was a custom order personized necklace by Alana Little of MakePieNotWar. In her email she explains...

The reason for this email is that one of the girlfriends from my trunk show house burned down about two weeks ago. They completely lost everything, but so very thankful they are all safe and okay. It was crazy. Their dryer had caught on fire during the day and the fire department came quickly and put it out. But due to the lingering smell and having a 9mo old and a 7yr old, they stayed at her parent's house for the evening. Well, apparently it caught on fire again in the middle of the night and completely burned the house to the ground. They literally lost everything.  But God was so good to protect them, and our community have reached out to help them.

When I saw her tonight she told me that one item she lost was her necklace that she had purchased at the trunk show. It had both her boys names inscribed on it. I would like to buy her another. I cannot remember exactly who the designer was, but I think it was MakePieNotWar. I can describe the necklace if need be or send a picture (another friend bought the same one). Just not sure what I needed to do or where to begin in getting it replaced for her.

Thanks so much!
Aston

The story really struck us. Imagine losing everything to a fire! Especially with two little one's so close to the holidays. Well, we simply had to do something ... her story made our hearts break but also, we are so honored to find out that one of our handmade pieces is so meaningful. So we replied to Aston right away and promised to take care of it.  We wanted to surprise both Aston and Julie and replace the necklace as a gift from us at Jay + Renae. We notified our member Designer Alana Little and she got to work right away so it could be finished in time for Christmas. 

This is what Aston wrote to us just before Christmas Eve...

I had the privilege of delivering the necklace to Julie today. It was a complete surprise. She told me that this necklace was one of the first things she thought about as she realized everything in her house was destroyed by fire. She was heartbroken because she had not had it long and it was the first thing she owned that had both her boy's names on it. We talked about how some items seem so small and insignificant to others, but are invaluable to you because of what they mean or represent. They can never be replaced by anything else. She was overjoyed to be given the exact necklace that she had lost. You made it possible to replace one of the items she held so dear. 

Thank you! This made her Christmas! 

Thank you Aston, for sharing this story with us and for giving us an opportunity to be a part of this joy. Julie, we hope you enjoy your necklace and that it brings as much joy as the original that you lost to the fire. 

Merry Chistmas everyone. 

Your friends at Jay + Renae

Holiday Treat: Peppermint Mocha

We're into the final stretch as we enter the 3rd week of December. Most of the holiday orders have come in and our designers are working furiously to make your special piece just in time for holiday delivery.

This, of course, is known as the holiday rush...something we're all too familar with! Things can start to get a little crazy with so much to accomplish in such a short period of time. And if you're anything like us, you want things to be perfect...which means having things carefully and skillfully hand crafted and made with love. It's hard to rush anything when this is your motto. But somehow, our designers get it done because that's what we've promised.

At times like these, we find that it's especially important to remember to be take breaks, even if only for 5 or 10 minutes. Just to take in some fresh air, smile at our little one(s) and steal a kiss or two (because we're all moms working from home or, very close to home).

Peppermint Mocha by the faux MARTHA

Or maybe, even stop long enough to enjoy a holiday treat...like this amazing hot Peppermint Mocha by the faux MARTHA - a favorite blog full of mouth watering recipes with beautiful photos that are elegant and delicious enough to eat! A treat like this is perfect because you it forces you to sip it slowly which is exactly what most of us need right now...to slow down enough to enjoy the moment.

A perfect little break from the holiday rush...one slow, yummy sip at a time. 
Find the Recipe at the faux MARTHA

What do you do to take a break from the holiday rush? Do you have a favorite treat that helps you unwind and enjoy the moment, however brief? Share with us in the comments below. We love to hear from you!

xoxo

Jay + Renae Collective

May Special!

We love our hostesses and we want to make sure you feel loved. So we are making the month of May our special Hostess Month!




We think supporting women in creative businesses should be a fun and rewarding experience.    So gather family and friends for your own private event. Make sure to take advantage of this special promotion today...we can only offer it once a year! 

www.jayandrenae.com

Discover FriedaSophie

Hi. I'm Rebecca, the person behind the company Jay + Renae. I want to take a moment to introduce myself in case I haven't had the privilege of meeting you in person. It's been a whirlwind since Jay + Renae was launched just over a year ago. What began as an idle thought as I searched for ways to make my home based creative business more successful has evolved into the very company I had long fantasized about creating. I never thought it would really be possible, especially as a full time stay-at-home mom.  Of course these things never happen without the generous help of others. From the kind words of encouragement from family and friends, to the unexpected offer from a neighbor to host my very first trunk show, to the unsolicited sharing of trade secrets from a fellow designer...I have been privileged to have the assistance of those near and dear, and from those I have met along the way.

OOAK Vanilla Agate Geode Druzy Ring by Sandra Ducheneaux of Etsy Shop FriedaSophie  Today, I have the pleasure of introducing one of the very individuals who assisted me on my path. Meet our Featured Designer Sandra Ducheneaux, of Etsy Shop FriedaSophie. Not only is Sandra a talented jewelry designer and crafter, she is an incredible person and a dear friend. We met during a gem show where I had the privilege of watching Sandra work, diligently and systematically shifting through a mountain of gem trays in search of that perfect stone for her next One-Of-A-Kind creation. It was clear from a mere glance at our individual gem trays that I was a complete newbie, and she was a seasoned vet. She invited me to tea, took me under her wing, and without hesitation divulged every single one of her trade secrets.  Unique Peach Aragonite Mineral Gemstone Necklace by Sandra Ducheneaux of FriedaSophie There are encounters that can significantly shape the outcome of our lives, often in ways we don't expect. It's no exaggeration to say that my chance meeting with Sandra helped shape the very foundation of Jay + Renae and gave me the extra incentive to make my dream a reality. So meet Sandra, and discover her shop FriedaSophie, a perennial Etsy favorite since she opened it's virtual doors in 2009.  How did you get into jewelry designing? I was days away from completing my training as an acupuncturist when I fell severely ill with a heart condition. I was bedridden and physically unable to continue with my training. To entertain myself while I was on bed rest, I made myself a pair of earrings. Then while out for some fresh air, a store owner noticed them and asked me if I could make a dozen of them. They sold out within 1 month and a friend mentioned that I should open an Etsy store. The following week I signed up and named my shop FriedaSophie after my late grandmother. After just 3 months my shop became my full time business. Looking back, I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found jewelry crafting when I did. I have always done artwork since I was a child but never thought that I could support myself as an artist. It has been a joyful time since I opened FriedaSophie in 2009. FriedaSophie is a true Etsy success story and your work has been highlighted by Etsy many time. What do you think distinguishes your work from your peers?  My focus has always been on quality and uniqueness. I'm very detail oriented and I'm constantly creating new pieces so that I can offer new designs all year round. So I think my One-Of-A-Kind and Limited Edition collections are what really distinguishes my work from others. I also believe in offering my best work at reasonable prices...I set my pieces at a price that I would want to pay for them.   Your Collection has a wonderful raw beauty to it. How do you find your stones?  I make a trip to the desert for the yearly gem show to meet miners from all over the world. It can be an overwhelming experience but I like being there to discover new treasures and to handpick each of my stones...it's the best way to ensure quality and uniqueness. But I also like meeting the people who mine the stones and get to know their stories. Knowing that I'm helping to support their family businesses and ensuring eco friendly practices adds a deeper level of meaning to the stones I carry back home with me. I hope that comes through in each of the pieces I create.                                                                                Sanda Ducheneaux Moroccan Blue Turquoise Earrings Hand forged by Sandra Ducheneaux of FriedaSophie I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such incredible and talented women like Sandra. The open sharing and trust within our community has helped make Jay + Renae possible and gives special meaning to these collaborations. On a more personal level, being in such great company has helped me flourish as a jewelry designer and inspires me to do better and be more to ensure Jay + Renae's success. Thanks for taking this journey with me.                                                                                                               Rebecca

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It's true that nothing great is ever accomplished alone. I met Rebecca at her very first trunk show. It was hosted by a personal friend of mine who also happended to be Rebecca's neighbor. It's incredible how a series of small events and the desire to lend a helping hand can be so powerful. I joined Jay + Renae because there is something fantastic about being part of something that truly gets better and better as more women get involved.

We're really looking forward to receiving Sandra's collection in the next few days! The pieces are stunning in pictures which means that they will be even more beautiful in person. I personally love learning a bit about Sandra's history because it adds a whole new dimension to her work. They're not just rings or necklaces, but a beautiful token of a much larger story...now to be cherished as part of your own personal story! Let's view Sandra's collection together. Email us and book your own private party! Remember that you get up to 40% off all the collections at your private trunk show.  And as a reminder, we are extending Alana Little's feature into the month of April. So if you love her collection but haven't booked your trunk show yet, here's your chance! I will have her collection along with Sandra's until the end of April. So contact us today at info at JayAndRenae dot com. We're looking forward to sharing the latest from all the collections with you!

Giveaway: MakePieNotWar

As you may have read in our previous post, we are very excited about our new collaboration with women designers on Etsy. We feel this really widens the scope of Jay + Renea as a collective and creates exciting opportunities for everyone involved. Above all, it keeps us in step with our company mission of supporting women in their creative businesses.

So to celebrate, we're hosting our first ever giveaway! Choose from a collection of hand forged and hand stamped pieces from our featured designer Alana Little of Etsy Shop MakePieNotWar.

TO ENTER:

• Please visit Alana Little's Etsy Shop MakePieNotWar. 
• Pick out your favorite piece*
• Then "like" Jay + Renae on Facebook. 
• Leave a comment on our Facebook page letting us know which piece you would like to have customized just for you by Alana Little herself.

We will announce the winner here next week so be on the lookout for our next post! Or sign up to get notified of new postings in your inbox.

We have several incredible designers lined up for our upcoming Jay + Renae trunk shows for April and May. And we will kick off each month with a giveaway to introduce our featured designers of the month. So stay connected and follow us on Facebook or visit our website JayAndRenae.com. Or join us at our next trunk show...we'd love to see you!


*Any piece valued up to $50

Jay + Renae is a modern Collective of jewelry and accessory Designers, savvy entrepreneurial Representatives, and our cherished Supporters like you! Our mission is to support women and mothers find success in their creative businesses. Through collaboration, we bring greater recognition and success to each member. We love helping women succeed - creatively, financially and personally. And we love having fun doing it!

Join us today. Bring together family and friends to share in style. Host your own Jay + Renae Trunk Show and make helping women succeed a part of your everyday. Or jump-start your own fun and flexible creative business as a Jay + Renae Representative and let your stylish entrepreneurial side shine!

A Wonderful Collaboration

Jay + Renae is a brand new company. We know we have tons to learn and lots to improve upon to deserve your attention and loyalty. And we take that job seriously. We are constantly working to measure up to the standards we've set for ourselves and work to make sure we are on target with our mission to help women and mothers find success in their creative businesses. So we are very happy to announce a brand new aspect of Jay + Renae! Starting this month, we are collaborating with women designers on Etsy - the site that has taken the concept of handmade to a whole new level. Each month we are featuring the work of one to three designers whose philosphopy and work reflect our core values  - original, heartfelt, fun and of course, high quality handmade craftsmanship.

Alana Little (left) with her amazing assistant Risa of Etsy Shop MakePieNotWar Meet our featured designer of the month, Alana Little of Etsy Shop MakePieNotWar. Alana creates a fresh collection of hand forged and hand stamped jewelry that add a wonderful dose of sophisticated whimsy to your day. She specializes in custom work, personalizing anything from dainty rings to bold necklaces that bear your astrological sign. Alana is a busy mom like so many of us, balancing a creative self-made business and a family life with a three year old! We caught up with her for a quick moment to ask her a few questions about taking that proverbial leap of faith and the reason behind MakePieNotWar. Whimsical, modern, and thoroughly handmade by Alana Little of MakePieNotWar What was the toughest thing about giving up the corporate world and going into business for yourself?  The toughest thing for me was not having that steady stream of income! You just have to take that leap of faith and have a good backup plan. But I also come from a long line of self-employed determined individuals, so becoming an entrepreneur was a natural evolution for me.  What motivates you when things get really tough? What motivates me everyday is the idea that Failure is NOT an option.  When I had my baby, Lucy, 3 years ago, that became my mantra. I was determined to work harder and smarter to grow and continue making MPNW a success.  What was the motivation behind naming your company MakePieNotWar?  My best friend and I came up with this name late one night. I love the smile people get when they see something that I've made. I know that crafts won't solve the world's problems, but we can add joy by creating something that makes someone smile! How does it relate to your work/designs? I definitely have a whimsical way about minimalistic jewelry.  I personally have a free spirit as the name suggests and I think it comes through in my company, from our hand stamped tissue paper, a custom carved stamp, to my crazy cat lady ring!                                                                                                             Alana Little Hand forged and hand stamped...personalized just for you by Alana Little of MakePieNotWar There are many reasons why we’re so excited about collaborating with Etsy shop owners like Alana Little. We love introducing new designers and making their work available to you for your own private viewing. We enjoy growing our Collective to include a more diverse body of work. But best of all, we love that it gives us the perfect opportunity to expand our reach and support a greater number of women who share our goals. We’re proud to say that this is what Jay + Renae is all about. We think this keeps us in step with our company mission. We hope you agree.  Like Us! JayAndRenae.com Contact Us Pinterest Look out for our next post detailing our first ever giveaway! It's our way of kicking off our collaboration with Etsy Shop MakePieNotWar. Hope you win!

The "Why" Question

When starting a business, there is so much to learn. Sometimes it feels like just one giant uphill battle. But one thing that I did learn at the very beginning of this journey was to pinpoint the "why." Why do I up get up (early) everyday and suit up to trek up this giant hill? Why do I stay up late to write another proposal or research a better customer relations tool when any sane person would be sleeping? Especially after chasing after a preschooler and waking up to nurse a baby in the wee hours of the night. And I'm so glad I did. Because knowing why has forced me to keep moving when really, it would be so much easier to stop. For me, it's simple: I do it because I believe in what I'm doing. I believe the small measures one person takes to help another can make a big difference in people's lives. So whether you're starting out on a business venture or right in the midst of one, if you find yourself wondering how you're going to make it up the next big hill (or giant mountain as it may be), ask yourself "why." Why bother? If you can answer that, then it lends purpose to every step. Knowing why doesn't make it easier. But it does get me up in the morning when I'd rather sleep. (For another century please!) So here is a little newsletter on one of our Collective members I did up on Mail Chimp, a wonderful emailing and customer tracking system that is totally free for smaller businesses. It's just another one of those technology tools that I had to learn in this process. A bit of a hurdle for a self-defined computer illiterate like myself! But onto Laurel's story. She's a founding member of the Jay + Renae Collective and she is really incredible.

LARUEL GUNNARSON WORKING WITH THE LADIES OF  The Didi Jewelry Project Laurel Gunnarson of The Didi Jewelry Project has just returned from a month long trip to India! Every year, Laurel plans and saves for this yearly trip, sometimes working several jobs to fund her work with the ladies of The Didi Jewelry Project. This marks the 4th year since the start of The Didi Jewelry Project.  We asked Laurel a couple of questions to get insight into what this experience really means. WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE THE NEW DIDI DESIGNS. What is your favorite part about going to India and working with the women of The Didi Jewelry Project?  I love going to India and being able to share something I love with the ladies of The Didi Jewelry Project. They are all so eager to learn and grateful for the work.  The idea that jewelry making can help better the lives of these ladies and their families is very exciting to me. And it’s always a reality check to go back to India… I realize how amazing, beautiful and kind people can be despite such harsh realities!  It truly inspires me. Also there is something very amazing about communicating when there is a language barrier that always leaves me in awe about humanity.  I know very little Hindi and they know little to no English, but somehow we communicate.  It is not just that they are able to learn to make the jewelry, but that we are able to read and understand each other on a deeper level.  We understand and can read each other's emotions, sometimes even better than you can with someone who speaks the same language.  Being able to connect with the ladies in this way is really very special.  Was there anything that made this trip particularly memorable/significant? This trip was really significant to me because I feel like I am beginning to see how the Project is slowly helping these ladies. They are more confident and happy, and tell me that it is because of this work! This is very encouraging and motivating. The ladies whom I have worked with before were excited to learn new designs and caught on very quickly. I was also very impressed with some of their designs!   It was a great productive trip. It was a joy spending my days teaching and designing jewelry, sipping chai and singing silly songs. FINDING JOY IN CREATING. Laurel started The Didi Jewelry Project because she wanted to make a lasting impact on these women's lives. As she describes it, Laurel fell in love with India during her first trip there as a teenager. She was mesmerized by the sights, sounds, smells and beauty around her. But she was equally struck by the poverty and inequality that she witnessed. Over the course of several years, Laurel traveled to India to volunteer at a number of NGO's working closely with women and children. Through this work, she learned of the hardships these women and children faced.   Young girls who are victims of sex trafficking Children who are forced into child labor Women who are HIV positive and left to die on the streets Widows who are stigmatized and thought should never experience joy again The Didi Jewelry Project ... Jewelry For Change MACRAME COLLECTION The core goal of The Didi Jewelry Project is to give these women the means to help create the life they deserve.  “Our mission is to provide Indian women engulfed in hardship with an opportunity for change. By teaching them jewelry making and selling their products, we empower women financially and personally.”                                                                                                                          Laurel Gunnarson A few of the new bracelet designs from the  MACRAME COLLECTION We are incredibly honored to have Laurel and The Didi Jewelry Project as part of the Jay + Renae Collective Like Us! JayAndRenae.com Contact Us Pinterest Personally, I'm totally amazed at what Laurel has managed to achieve. Whenever we get together to chat, I'm inspired by how genuinely devoted she is to this Project. When I describe her work and The Didi Jewelry Project to others, everyone assumes that it's funded by a grant. Easy to do - I did the same. It's tough to imagine that someone would actually work multiple jobs to help strangers in another country! But she does. Clearly, she has answered her why question. If you want to support Laurel in her work, you can do it by hosting a Jay + Renae trunk show. We like to make it fun and easy to support women run businesses and projects like The Didi Jewelry Project. Hope to see you at our next trunk show! (You can sign up here to get more info on how to host your own Jay + Renae trunk show).