A few weeks ago I began a new job as a merchandiser for a really special company called Chloe + Isabel. I can't wait to tell you what I love about this company and why I've chosen them, but first a little personal note...
I've been debating a home based business vs. giving private music lessons again vs. a real job out there in the "real world" for a long time now. As explained in a recent post, I've been in a funky season. And in this season, I've had a lot of time to evaluate my life, the hopes and dreams I've carried with me since I was a kid and the things I'm good at. In the midst of all of my planning and striving to find my niche, one small little thought continues to nag at my heart, "Take a risk. Put yourself out there." That thought makes my skin crawl. I've put myself out there and it hurts.
When I first began this blog, I never intended to fully let people into my life, nor my heart, and I certainly wasn't going to share my music. But I've been playing it safe for a while now and things aren't going the way I thought they would go. I truly truly truly feel that, that small nagging voice is the one I need to listen to, so rebranding PPS and making it all a bit more personal is a BIG step for me. It's huge in my world, but I'm excited about where things are headed.
That said, I'm also moving forward with pursuing more opportunities in my music. A career as a recording artist has been my ultimate dream as long as I can remember and it was put aside once B & I got married. I knew God was calling me to find confidence as a wife and to invest in my marriage, so I laid down a lot of things that I was passionate about and really good things came as a result. The cool thing about God-given gifts though, is that often times He only calls us to lay them down for a season while He prunes and perfects other areas of our lives. It's safe to say, I've been pruned and I've been prepared and I think my heart is ready for more. Ready to dive in and give it my all and ready to open it up to whomever may benefit from the lessons I've learned, the life I've lived and the pain I've experienced. Life is messy and life is good - and it's meant to be shared.
So this is where Chloe + Isabel comes in. Chloe + Isabel caught my attention a few months ago and I just couldn't forget about it. I'm always looking for ways to supplement our income and for years, I've dreamt of owning my own business. The more I learned of c+i, the more I realized it was a great fit for my life in this moment. It's a fairly new direct sales jewelry company based in New York City, that empowers and trains women to be creative entrepreneurs. Each piece is designed exclusively for c+i in NYC and is handcrafted, nickel free, lead safe and backed by a lifetime guarantee. Not only is the jewelry beautiful, unique and made of high quality (some organic) materials, but they've set their merchandisers up for success. From the ground up, they've designed a website that each merchandiser can personalize and use as their own online boutique. And they don't let just anyone become a merchandiser. Each merchandiser is approved and interviewed before being accepted, ensuring that geographical locations aren't saturated with c+i merchandisers and that we fit the brand just as much as they fit into the lives of their merchandisers. It's truly a fantastic company, one I'm proud to be a part of! Over the next few weeks I'll be building relationships with local businesses, charities and events to partner with as well as selling the jewelry through my online boutique. Feel free to take a look around, do a little shopping and a little dreaming. If you create a free account, you can add things to your cart (aka wish list) and potentially win those pieces through my promotions or through hosting your own pop-up shop (email me for more info about that if you're interested - in Cali or not). C+I pieces make for great gifts, so remember me when shopping for bdays, graduation, mom's day, sisters, girlfriends, Christmas, etc.
So where's the party?!
To celebrate this new and exciting season, I'm giving away one of these beautiful leather wrap bracelets to anyone who spends $50 or more in my shop using this link. If you shop + share my link {or this image} via your social media outlets you gain extra entries {just be sure to leave a comment below with a link to your extra entry, so I know to add it to the giveaway}. All orders over $100 get FREE shipping. Winner will be announced Friday, September 20th.
Thank you so much for your friendship, encouragement and support as I follow after my dreams and venture out into new territory with the blog, my music and the business. I'm really excited to follow hard after my Creator and can't wait to see what He has ahead.
