When I was four years old, I wanted to be a race car driver. My dad loved cars. He watched NASCAR, took me to stock car races at our local fairgrounds, and was always building or rebuilding something in the garage. I was his oldest child, and before he had a son, I was his…
What happens when you get almost everything you thought you wanted, and still find yourself wondering, What now? You accomplished the goals. You built the career. You created a life you can look at with pride and say, Yes. This is what I worked for. And yet, somewhere underneath all that gratitude and accomplishment, there…
Starting something new is scary. Starting something new when you’ve already spent decades becoming really good at something else? That’s a different kind of scary. As I approached 50, I found myself thinking differently about my life. I had experienced loss. A close friend lost her husband, someone I knew well, and it was one…
How many things have you told yourself you’ll do someday? When you lose the weight. When you finish the degree. When the kids are older. When work slows down. When you have more money, more confidence, more time, or finally feel like you have everything figured out. But here’s what I’ve learned: ready is a…
Not too long ago, I had one of those days. You know the kind. I had showered and dried my hair, but with the summer heat and humidity, there wasn’t much point in doing anything elaborate with it. I was also dealing with an eye condition that made wearing makeup difficult, so I decided to…
There was a season in my life when I learned to make myself a little smaller. Not because anyone sat me down and told me who I was allowed to be, but because sometimes you learn from reactions, comments, and expectations what versions of yourself make other people most comfortable. So you adjust. Maybe you…
There is a season in every woman’s life when she’s caught between who she is today and who she’s working so hard to become. I remember that season well. When I went back to college to finish my teaching degree, my daughter was only three years old. I worked full-time in a nursing home, spending…
I’ve always believed that what we choose to wear says something long before we ever speak. Not because labels matter. Not because trends matter. But because intention matters. I can remember being a little girl, maybe first or second grade, when my mom would carefully lay out my clothes for school the night before. The…
Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared the three pillars that guide every piece I create for UNCOMMON Jewelry: aesthetics, quality, and meaning. The aesthetics are what first catch your eye. The quality is what gives you confidence that your bracelet will stand the test of time. But the story? That’s where everything begins. I…
Last week, I shared the first piece of the UNCOMMON Jewelry brand: aesthetics. I believe jewelry should be beautiful. It should be the finishing touch that brings an outfit together and helps a woman feel confident the moment she puts it on. After all, I’ve always said, a bracelet always fits. But beauty is only…