A Giveaway from Anna Moor Designs!

This giveaway is now closed, but the 10% off discount continues until July 28 at 8 pm Eastern. Congratulations to Lauren C.!

Everyone meet Anna:

I know. Ugh, could she be any cuter? Anna has started a shop selling her adorable scarfs, makeup bags, and clutches for crazy good prices. The quality I can attest to because I ordered this scarf from her and it is in constant rotation... even through the summer. It's light enough to keep me warm in the mornings, but still super cozy.

I just can't get enough of her stuff and you won't be able to either. Here are just some of my other Anna Moor favorites:

And here is Anna modeling some of her favs.

Stunning right? I asked Anna to share a little bit about her beautiful works of art... and her brave decision to start her amazing business:

"I learned to sew when I was eleven with my mom patiently teaching me sewing machine basics and patterns.   Even as a little girl I had a great desire to make something unique and special. My love for textiles grew and in high school I started to explore fashion. After earning a degree in Non-Profit leadership and management I lived the status quo; I got a job that paid the bills and went home for the day. But I became dissatisfied with my career choice. After a conversation with my mentor, she challenged me to dream about having my own hand-made business. I knew I had to make a decision; I could either stay where I was or I could take a risk. I’ve always heard people say that if you do what you’re passionate about it’ll never feel like work.

By starting Anna Moor Designs, I decided to venture into the unknown and trust that my passion would be used to bless others. I like to think that my personality is translated into my bags, scarves and garments through the vibrant color schemes and prints that I combine. Usually my go to material is good old cotton, which is probably attributed to my mothers love for quilting. The more I let myself freely design the more I realize it is just a small glimpse of how deep my love for sewing goes.

My shop is a reflection of the joy that I find in creating something beautiful."

I feel so honored to help get this lady's business launched by giving one of her scarfs away! That's right folks... you can win one of her adorable, soft, all-season one-of-a-kind beauties.

Since she is so so so so so so very special, we are NOT going to use Rafflecopter for this giveaway. Nope. Anna is getting all the traffic cred on this one.

Here are the giveaway rules:

• PRIZE: (1) Scarf by Anna Moor Designs (you will be able to choose from her current scarf inventory)
• NUMBER OF WINNERS : (1) One

• TO ENTER :  TWO STEPS: Edited down to one!

  • Go visit http://instagram.com/annamoordesigns and comment on your favorite design with "#houseofbennetts sent me! I had to tell @(your best friend's instagram) about you!" (EXAMPLE: #houseofbennetts sent me! I had to tell @treansy about you!)

• PRIZE SHIPS :  US
• NITTY GRITTY :  This giveaway closes on Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at 8pm Eastern.  Only one contest entry per instagram address.  The winners will be chosen using Random.org and will be announced in an update to this post the following Friday morning. We will instagram the winner directly, so please make sure you use your regular, everyday, instagram.

If you want to order from Anna now, you can get in on the Anna Moor/House of Bennetts love by ordering from her through Instagram. Just let her know that House of Bennetts sent you and you'll score a 10% off discount to everything in her shop. The House of Bennetts 10% discount ends July 28 at 8 pm Eastern.

*As a personal aside: this is what I love about blogging. Finding small business owners who have a passion for what they do and are willing to share their love/their hearts with the world. When you create things like Anna creates, that's really what you are doing: Sharing your heart. So, please, go support this lady by entering the giveaway or buying from her.  She's amazing (and affordable). :)

Work Life Balan... CHAOS

I just sent this email to a friend of mine who is not in a happy work position currently. This email represents to me why I love my friends: I get to give them advice that I need to be reminded of as well. Speaking the truth into someone else's life doesn't really work if you aren't living it in your own.

So. Listen.

STOP BEING SO HARD ON YOURSELF.

You made the choice that you had to make at the time. I know plenty of people who have taken jobs just to have them, in fact, I am about to marry one. If it doesn’t work out, who freaking cares? It’s just a job. It pays your bills for now, so it’s fine. It also is giving you enough time to think and go after what you really want. You can’t go back and undo what you did in law school or how that all shook out… the universe handled that for you in the way it needed to be handled and there is no amount of “what-if-ing” that is going to change a damn thing. 

I have this quote on my wall at work that I think applies here: “An ethical and evolved life also entails telling the truth about oneself and living out that truth.” So, you’ve done the first part: told the truth about the things that are shitty that you are unhappy with and the choices that you have right now. So, live out your truth kid. Step back and survey all of your skills and priorities. It’s clear to me that lifestyle is the most important to you… so make it the most important and don’t apologize for what your career is/should/could be.

I did that exact same thing when I took this job. I always thought that I would be a badass corporate litigator because I clearly have all of the skill sets for it. And yet, I wanted my OWN LIFE. I wanted a marriage and a family that work together towards being a family that functions. Because for me, that is going to take a lot of work/time. I would never be able to work 60 hours a week, let alone, 80. So I let that dream go, and focused on the fact that I get to have a life with tons of time off to invest in the people that I love. And I REFUSE TO APOLOGIZE FOR IT. When my other lawyer friends make fun of me for having every other Friday off or say that I never work, I know it is not true and sometimes it bothers me. But in the end, I know that I made my choice for a LIFE and I’d make that choice EVERYDAY forever and ever (AMEN). So yes, it might bother you if people give you shit for working part time or changing jobs again, but don’t apologize for living your truth. We’re too damn old for that horseshit.