Today is a special day for Style Delegate (SD), as today marks the beginning of a new chapter on this lovely editorial journey. From the inception of this space, I’d envisioned SD being a place for camaraderie , a place for us to connect, and share our style stories and jewels from our unique life journey– that vision is officially reality.
Today, I present to you the first edition of the Tea + Confetti Column of SD. I can’t tell you all how excited I was to read Ali’s responses. It’s amazing how much we have in common. She’s a woman pursuing her passion, just as I am. She has a family that she loves dearly just as I do. She eagerly strives to be the BEST in her roles as Wife, Mom, + Solopreneur–as do I. My point is that though we as women (+ people in general) walk different paths in life, we desire much of the same. I recently had the pleasure of reading “Girl Code, Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity and Happiness”” by Cara Alwill Leyba. After reading this book y’all, I knew I needed to get Tea + Confetti underway. I knew I wanted to support my fellow #GirlBoss Babes of the world. I knew I wanted to show love, and market their brands and talents to the cyber universe while sharing their insights and lessons learned.
Meet Awesome Ali!
Because I’m a super quirky, random kinda girl, I had to kick things off by asking Ali some super quirky random kinda questions… Check out her responses!
NOTE: In a hurry? Hop the line (break), and head straight to the meat and potatoes 🙂
SD: So, You’re out with the girls on a Saturday afternoon. Which are you most likely to recommend?
a. Midday Coffee
b. Afternoon Tea
c. Mimosa
SD: Which do you prefer? Electronic books or Hardcopy
a. Electronic eBook-I like to carry all of my books with me
b. Show me the Pages… Hardcopy Please!
c. Neither, why read when I can indulge in reality t.v
SD: Which do you prefer? Bold Matte Lippie, Gloss, or Chap Stick
BOLD Matte Lippie!
SD: How do you keep track of your daily happenings?
a. Digital Calendar/App
b. Kate Spade Planner/Calendar
c. Chile, I have digital apps + super cute planners, BUT I never seem to use them
d. I use a digital calendar, but I also write things down in my agenda/planner as well.
SD: What trend can you absolutely do without right now?
The social media donut obsession is getting really old! #youdidnoteatthat
SD: If you could live anywhere in the world, for a year, with all expenses paid, where would it be and why?
I visited Switzerland almost 10 years ago and the beauty there is un-real. I would absolutely love to call it home for a little while!
Which are you most likely to carry in your purse?
a. Tic Tacs
b. Chewing Gum
c. Take me as I am… hot breath and all. I’m not wasting any money on breath control, there are bigger issues in the world! Lol
SD: Give SD readers a little sneak peek into your excellence… Who are you?
I’m Alison! I grew up in New Jersey, lived in New York City for a little while, and now I live in Pennsylvania with my husband and two little kids. I love running and hiking and most things outdoors. I love making things! I hand make leather bags and accessories and I absolutely love what I do. I’m proud of the things that I make and I love coming up with new designs and new products. When I see a photo of someone using something that I’ve made, I smile ear to ear.
SD: When did you realize what you wanted to be in life?
I actually never realized what I wanted to be in life! In college I didn’t know, and after college I just sort of fell into a few jobs – none of which I loved or cared about. I always had a creative project of some sort going on personally, and when my daughter was a baby, in 2012, my cousin suggested to me that I start an Etsy shop and put my creative drive to work! I am so so happy with what I am doing now, and I’m not sure if I’ll do this forever but I do know that I won’t ever go back to a desk job!
SD: What specialized requirements or skills would someone need to have in order to be successful in your particular career field?
Not every one is creative, and that’s ok! But I would say it’s necessary to do this. Also, this is a one-woman show. Entirely. Ability to multi-task (including taking care of kids) is a must.
SD: What is one thing you wish you’d known earlier in your career or in life?
I worked a lot of traditional desk-type jobs that were awful. Really awful. But I thought that that was what I was supposed to be doing post-college, and I don’t regret that time at all, but just because you go to college and get a degree doesn’t mean that you can’t think — slash work — outside the box and do your own thing.
SD: What piece of advice would you give someone who’s interested in working in your career field?
Start building a network on social media!
SD: What are some of the barriers you’ve faced while pursuing your dreams and how did you overcome them?
To be honest I haven’t faced too many barriers yet. This is a difficult time in my life to be building and running a business, though. I have a four year old and a one year old and I just don’t have the time to devote to my business that I would need to make it the best it can be. My plan is to do the best that I can do now, and hopefully I can play the timing right, and when the kids are both in school all day I can really expand.
SD: What tips or resources would you recommend for that individual who’s still seeking to find their path in life?
Listen to those little thoughts in the back of your head. Take a look at the things that you really enjoy doing in life. It may not immediately seem like there is a job there, but there may be! 5 year ago I would have laughed if you told me that I’d be making leather handbags and accessories today.
SD: Who do you turn to when you need some good sage advice or just someone to hear you out when you’ve had a rough day?
My husband and my mom – I don’t know what I’d do without either one!
SD: How would you describe your personal style?
Casually cleaned up mom? Is that a thing? I love fashion and get into it on a small scale, but for me everything has to be easy. I can’t do the taking an hour to get ready thing, and I need to be able to get down on the ground and play with my kids without worrying about anything. To accommodate those things I accessorize casual outfits with fun pieces and bold lipstick!
SD: If you could share one style hack or beauty tip with SD readers, what would it be?
Dry shampoo and confidence are the keys to success!
SD: How do you maintain a healthy work life balance, especially as a mother and/or spouse?
This is tough and is constantly a work in progress for me. I am home with my kids during the day and I try to only work during specific times of the day and to be present the other times! That means I only work in chunks, which can be difficult especially if I’m on a roll, but it means that my kids know what to expect and for the most part are understanding of it.
SD: It’s so easy for us to speak of the qualities we love in others, but today we want to celebrate you. What do you LOVE about YOU.
I love my ability to not stress over things that I can’t control. It makes life so much easier! I try to keep a positive attitude, also, and I do a pretty good job with it. It’s pretty easy in life to be negative but then you have no fun. I take on a lot of things, my plate is always full, and sometimes it gets difficult, but I wouldn’t change any of it and I’m thankful that I’ve allowed myself to get here. I’m so glad that I didn’t put any of this on hold for a day when the kids were older or when I might have less going on, because that day may never come. I love that I have the ability to put myself and the things that I make out there in the world, because it leaves you feeling very vulnerable and that can be pretty scary.
SD: What’s your favorite scripture or quote?
You were probably looking for something inspirational here, but I don’t have any of that. I love any quote from Seinfeld, seriously. I grew up watching it and I still laugh at them.
These pretzels are making me thirsty!!
SD: Where can SD readers go to connect with you?
Etsy
Ali’s tassels + leather goods are handmade with love,+ perfect for the holiday season. I love a chic stocking stuffer, don’t you! Head over to her shop and support her journey into entrepreneurship AND have an eye-catching arm party while we doing it. 😉
This was an awesome discussion Ali and I’m so happy to have you as SD’s first Tea + Confettian! * Pops champagne and hits the rain confetti dance.
I hope you all found a bit of inspiration from Ali’s story. I tell you, I enjoyed every bit of it. How can you relate to her journey? I’d love to hear your thoughts… Sound off below
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