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).

Valentine's Day | Opposites Attract

You know the saying, "opposites attract." There's something terribly romantic and exciting about two apparent polar opposites coming together. As if to say that love is really that powerful. Call me a romantic but I for one am a believer.

photo curtesy of ahouseinthehills.com

When you're talking fashion that is! Combining contrasting textures and opposing looks into one is what gets this fashionista-wannabe's heart racing every time. Take the gentle spills of soft fabric and pair it with the dark, hard bindings of black leather and you've got the undeniable makings of an exciting evening.

photo curtesy of http://carriechanchan.tumblr.com

Or how about opulent and heavy ornate lace.., it's feminine antique romance modernized by the casual ease of a favorite pullover. All to be stirred up again when introduced to the call of the wild...

Valentine's Day | Opposites Attract by jayandrenae 

3 1 Phillip Lim cream silk dress / Carven black jacket, $580 / Christian Louboutin ankle boots / Lanvin clutch

Jewelry: Colby June branch cuffs | Jay + Renae Collective / Rebecca Scott Clear Quartz Tear Drop Earrings | Jay + Renae   

The simple unexpectedness of it all is what accounts for half of the intrigue. Like adding a feminine bow to an otherwise masculine cut of a jacket and pairing a pale flow of silk with the bondage of black leather. It's the play of hard against soft, smooth against rawness and feminine with masculine that lends excitement to these combinations. It gets my heart pounding every time.

I do have to wonder though how much of this obsession is really a reflection of my personal life. After all, I'm married to my polar opposite. He is gigantically tall while I'm petite. He's conservative while I call myself a progressive. I love to read - he likes to play ball (any ball game will do). I tend toward the serious side and to my chagrin, he jokes even at times of seriousness. I fancy myself the creative type - he's good with numbers...is it any wonder I fill my fantasy closet with opposing elements?

So on this Valentine's Day, what contrasting and opposing elements will you add to spice up your day?

Thank You from Jay + Renae

Thank You from Jay + Renae by jayandrenae on Polyvore

Jay and Renae
jayandrenae.com

Jay and Renae
jayandrenae.com

Happy Holidays...

Happy Holidays... by jayandrenae featuring a black skirt

Madewell silk top / Juicy couture jacket / MSGM black skirt / Alexander wang shoes / Lanvin handbag

Bargain Hunting: J Crew Sale

J. Crew Collection

I have a confession to make. I'm a bargain hunter. I love getting a great deal, especially on something that suits my style so perfectly. In that respect, I may share this love with a few others out there. Now I'm not the kind of bargain hunter that scours the shelves or internet for hours for the best deals out there, only purchasing at dirt cheap prices. I find this to be too time consuming and too often, the end result is a closet full of items that don't really suit me or my true sense of style. Oh, yes, I speak from experience.  

I've wised up. The key is...know thy self. And know your closet. Then when a sale announcement from your favorite shop lands in your inbox, go hog wild! Well, in keeping with your true sense of style and budget that is. I look for quality classic pieces that will weather fleeting trends and the passage of time. And hold up wear after wear. That means great construction and quality materials..fine merino wools, cashmeres, cottons. Throw in a few mixed blends for loft and durability. Silk for the occasional ladylike item (a girl's gotta have a few feminine pieces right?). 

I also find that a sale is the perfect time to branch out...just beyond the comfort zone. Like by adding a pop of color to a closet dominated by neutrals (or vise versa). Or mixing in an unusual print to give life to all those solids. And a little spurge on a fun trendy item  or two makes for a quick and easy update to a classic wardrobe. 

J Crew is my go to when it comes to getting my bargain hunting fix. J. Crew and I go way back. To the days when factory outlets were practically nonexistent. When the retailers actually came to you. As in came to your city, rented a warehouse and advertised their giant blowout factory sale in the newspaper. Since that faithful day, it was love at first sale. And I haven't turned back, even as I wean out giant retailers from my list in favor of independent businesses with soul. Their attention to quality and construction with just the right twist on classic style has me hooked, line and sinker. Here are my current bargain favorites...

Bargain Hunting: J Crew Sale by jayandrenae on polyvore.com