Welcome to another edition of my Weekly Journal! I use this space to share a bit about jewelry, and a lot about my journey from lawyer to jewelry business owner. With 2020 just a few weeks away, it's almost time to reflect on your goals for 2019 and how much you accomplished (or not!). Before you do that, I want to share a new way to look at goals that's been life-changing for me. It's not about whether or not you accomplished the goal - it's about who you've become along the way. How much did you grow? Did you become a better person? Did you acquire new skills? Did you learn new things? Did you meet new people? Did you learn more about yourself? Those are the important questions. When we become too focused on the outcome - the end game - we miss out on a huge part of the journey. In our American culture and particularly because of social media, many people want instantaneous results. They don't want to try unless the outcome is guaranteed. For example, I know a lot of people want to start their own business, but they want a guarantee that it's going to be successful before they'll even try. Not only is that unrealistic, it entirely ignores the learning, growth, and development that'll happen during the process. And that's where the true value is! 

I feel particularly qualified to talk about this topic because I had a business in 2010 that "failed." It was a brick and mortar jewelry store and I had to shut the doors after just one year. While one could label that an utter failure, I choose to look at it differently. I learned so much during that process and I met so many amazing people - business owners, customers, and even someone who turned into one of my very best friends. I am also 100% convinced that grace + hudson is thriving because of the knowledge and experience I gained from running that store. I constantly draw on the knowledge I gained there. This first jewelry store was an important step on my journey. Without it, there would be no grace + hudson.

We can apply this perspective to all aspects of our life, no matter whether our goal has to do with career, relationships, fitness, even weight loss. For example, say you'd like to lose 50 pounds. Sure, you'll focus on the number along the way, but losing that amount of weight is going to require you to love yourself more, treat yourself better, and value your health more. In other words, the journey to losing 50 pounds is most likely going to transform your relationship to yourself and increase your self-esteem. I'd argue that this is much more valuable than the 50 pounds, wouldn't you? What's more is that increased self-esteem and self-love is a lifelong gift you'll carry for many years to come and I bet it'll lead to transformations in other areas of your life, too. As another example, take the area of relationships - perhaps you got divorced this year and you have a child. Would you consider your marriage an utter failure? I'd say absolutely not - you created a life together - a child. And you undoubtedly grew and evolved as a person during the marriage. Does that sound like an utter failure? I sure hope not. 

When you look at your accomplishments in this new light, it takes a lot of the pressure off and you can give yourself a lot more credit for how far you've come. It's not about the end goal. Sure, that's great if it happens. But it's really about the journey. 

xo,

Stacy

We sell a lot of bridesmaid jewelry over here at grace + hudson so I wanted to write a little something about how to choose the right jewelry for your wedding day. When I was thinking about this topic, I perused some of my own photos from our Collection for Brides and Bridal Parties and realized there's one thing that brides never think to think about. It's totally understandable given there are 1,387 things to think about when planning a wedding. Let's play a little game before I tell you the answer to this question. Look at the photos below and pay attention to where your eye looks, upon first glance at each photo.

Photo Credits: Morgan Miller Photography; Gerber Scarpelli Weddings; and d'Anelli Bridal

Did your eyes immediately go to the bold statement necklace and earrings in the first two photos? What about the last two? Did your eyes see their beautiful faces first, and then their gorgeous dresses and veil?  

So that's it! That's what most brides forget to think about when they're selecting wedding jewelry. How will this jewelry look in my photos? Will it distract from the look of love written all over my pretty face? Will it distract from my beautiful dress? (I sure hope not - you spent a pretty penny on that thang!). You might be the biggest fan of the boldest crystal statement earrings, but think about how those earrings might steal the show in your photographs. 

The same is true when it comes to your bridesmaids. But what I also want you to think about here is that big picture - you know the one - the big line up of your bridesmaids with you smack dab in the middle. Let's play that game again...

Photo Credits: Aaron and Jillian Photography; Knot Just Pics Photography

You get the point by now, but did your eyes quickly notice the bold statement necklaces in the first photo? As a distraction from the bride? Yes, me too. What about in the second photo? I first noticed the lovely bride - as it should be.

This is why you should keep your photography in mind when selecting wedding jewelry. I keep photography in mind when I design jewelry for my Collection for Brides + Bridal Parties. I only offer one statement piece in this collection, called the Grace Necklace, and the remainder of the pieces are dainty. The most popular pieces are simple pendant necklaces and earrings that come in circle, teardrop, and petal shapes. I'll share those with you here, and leave it to you to explore the rest of the collection on graceandhudson.com!

Our most popular style is called Sophia (teardrop shape). The Sophia Necklace and Earrings are each under $50. Choose from 6 sophisticated colors, in silver or gold. We also offer bridesmaid earring and necklace gift sets in this style.

Our second most popular style is the Lily (circle shape). The Lily Necklace and Earrings are also under $50 each. Choose from 8 sophisticated colors, in silver or gold. Bridesmaid earring and necklace gift sets are available, too.

Our third most popular style is called Emma. The Emma Necklace and Earrings are each $74 and resemble a floral shape. Choose from silver or gold, and 8 sophisticated colors.

I hope you enjoy exploring the collection and if you need some help deciding on your wedding jewelry, don't hesitate to send us a note. Whatever jewelry you choose, look forward to receiving pretty wedding photographs!

xoxo,

Stacy, Owner + Designer of grace + hudson jewelry