Happy SIXTH Birthday, Little Pieces of Hope!

By golly, we have done it! Little Pieces of Hope is SIX years old today!

Most years I forget to celebrate the anniversary of Little Pieces of Hope, but somehow I was able to catch it early on the calendar and actually remember. So naturally, I am sitting down and reflecting on how crazy this jewelry journey has been for me.

As some of you may know, Little Pieces of Hope started as a hobby when I was back in college studying Apparel Merchandising at Colorado State University. My roomie (oh heeeey, Mel!!) and I were all about that Colorado music scene, and I was constantly trying to refine my dirty (yet somewhat put together) hippie look...cue the feather earrings. 

Yup, you heard me....feather earrings. Don't worry there are some pictures down below with some AWESOME instagram filters. Joking, these are the worst filters you have ever seen. And believe it or not, I actually posted pictures like this on the Etsy shop. I know, palm to the face.

While feather earrings sparked the jewelry maker inside me, the company slowly transitioned to carry necklaces, bracelets, rings, and even paintings at one point.  It's been fun, and somewhat embarrassing, looking back at pictures this week and seeing what I sold back in college versus now. 

Now, don't get me wrong. Little Pieces of Hope has been fun, but not always a breeze. It's been a lot of trial and error. Feast & famine if you will. But no matter how many people told me "Maybe it's time you get another job", it's always been my number 1. My little jewelry sanctuary.

The best part about reflecting and looking back at photos today, is realizing that Little Pieces of Hope has accompanied me throughout all my chapters of life. Break ups, health scares, traveling across the world. It's been right there beside me, growing as I do. It's been my outlet to heal, to create and to express myself.

I am beyond thankful for your love & support along this fun little journey of mine. Throughout the years we have been able to donate over $10,000 to over 10 different non-profits. How cool is that?! I am still trying to figure out the exact number we have donated. College Ceci didn't really ever feel the need to document how much we donated so that's been fun trying to search emails and find receipts from 2012-2013.

All in all, if you have made it this far in reading, I want to say thank you. From the very bottom of my heart. Thank you for supporting me and my dream, and watching Little Pieces of Hope grow while I do too. 

Thank you.

_______________________________________________

Now the good stuff. I wanted to share a few of my favorite photos throughout the year. Now like I said, some may have terrible instagram filters, but they show off a memory nonetheless.

 

These are the infamous feather earrings that started it all. My sweet Mom was kind enough to let me sell these in her shop in Spicewood, Texas.

 

Then came the long necklaces. Here are a few of my first pieces that I sold in college. 

 

This was one of my very first trunk shows in Colorado - I had my friends over and we raised funds for the local chapter of Red Cross - This was during the High Park Wildfire of 2012

These are a few style shots from the very first store that made a wholesale purchase from me! Thank you Cotone!

Over time trunkshows became a regular thing for me - Here is one of me at Langford Market by UT Campus in Austin, TX. Either from 2013, or 2014.

Fast forward a few months, and soon bloggers were wearing my stuff and featuring Little Pieces of Hope on their social media outlets. Ivana Revic (pictured above) was one of the most influential people who wore LPOH. She made the LPOH buffalo skull ring the "it" item for over a year! There are more bloggers photos over here (although I have to admit I haven't updated this page in years!)

After college, I decided to make LPOH my full time job. Meaning I had to HUSTLE for that money. Thankfully, Jensen (pictured on the left) helped get me into a few boutiques around Fort Collins, Colorado. This is me and her meeting for the first time!

The WISHBONE bangle that helped connect me to the dreamers over at Free People where I was able to be a part of a few photo shoots and even photograph a few things of theirs myself. Probably the thing I am most proud of!

_______________________________________________

Of course, I could share about a hundred more photos, but I thought I would attempt to pump the breaks. 

Thank you again for all the love and support over these last six years. I am beyond grateful and feeling blessed beyond belief. As a way to show my appreciation, I have made everything in the Little Pieces of Hope shop 30% off for the weekend. ENJOY!!

What's in your Tote?

Recently, Little Pieces of Hope came out with a new and improved design of our LPOH Tote Bags. As a well known "bag-lady" (borderline bag hoarder), I thought it would be fun to do a little blog series of how many ways you can use your new LPOH tote. 

As I may have mentioned before, I can never have enough bags around me. I use them for all sorts of occasions - post office runs, grocery shopping, or even in this case an after work barre bag. 

Things I manage to stuff in my tote

Tank // Nike

Sports Bra // Underarmour

Leggings // Underarmour

Footies // Mod Fitness - Austin, TX

Yoga Mat // Dick's Sporting Goods

Juice // Juice Society - Activated Lemonaide

How do you use your Little Pieces of Hope tote? Share your picture on Instagram and tag @littlepiecesofhope

Progress Update: Charity: Water

We just received a progress update on our latest Charity: Water fundraising campaign! Take a peek at the video below to see how your donation was able to help empower women, and change lives in Ethiopia.

I can't thank y'all enough for the continued support and fundraising. Not only are you helping give a little piece of hope towards those in need, but you are allowing me to live my dream every single day. So for that, I thank you!

Tee // El Cosmico - Marfa, Texas

Jeans // Madewell 

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - Elsa Necklace

Outfit Deets

Top // Whorl Boutique (Denver, Colorado) - Wooden Ships Sweater

Shorts // Urban Outfitters

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope - Shiva Trident Necklace

Ring // Kendra Scott

sidney necklace

Little Pieces of Hope // Sidney Necklace 

Madewell Jeans // High Riser Skinny Skinny

Tee // Beehive Austin, Texas

jacob necklace

Since my inspiration behind the  Summer 2015 line was Texas and the South, I named every piece from the collection after something, or some place near and dear to my heart...or in this case some place that is on my bucket list for Summer.

May I introduce to you the Jacob Necklace, named after Jacob's Well in Wimberely, Texas. One of my favorite things about Summer in Texas is exploring new swimming holes around the area. Jacob's Well has been on my radar for years, but I just haven't ever taken the drive to see it for myself. Looks like this is the year to change that!

Sources

Picture 1 // Picture 2  // Picture 3

Working hard to bring you the Little Pieces of Hope Summer 2015 collection by next week! Here's a little glimpse of my favorite piece, the Pace Necklace. It can be worn 5 different ways! So get ready!! 

Outfit Details

Denim Vest - Urban Outfitters - Similar one here

Tank - Target 

Dress - American Apparel (cut off the sleeves)

care package

With y'all's help we are able to send our very first care package to our Adopted Soldier! Here is a little glimpse of what's inside.

_____________________

-Hygiene Products: Qtips, Baby Wipes, Wet Ones, Gold Bond

- Snacks: Emergen-C, Nutella, Beef Jerky, Gum, Reese's 

Above all things, our Soldier tells us Reese's are his absolute favorite. It was extremely difficult not to open these for myself after buying ;) 

Other: Playing Cards, Helmet Light, 100 MPH Duct Tape

_____________________

If you are interested in being apart of our next care package there are many ways to help!

1. Buy some Little Pieces of Hope jewelry! 15% of proceeds benefit our Adopt A US Soldier care package

2. If jewelry isn't your thing, but you would like to make a donation, check out our Etsy listing here for our AAUSS Donations. 100% of these proceeds will go to the care package

3. Write a letter. It's said that letters are the best part of a care package. Soldiers like to hear what's happening back in the States. They believe these letters are little "hugs from home". If you are interested in writing a letter, feel free to email me! 

4. Or if you live in Austin, and are interested in buying a few items for our Soldier, again feel free to email me, and we can coordinate what items are needed and a drop off date

Gemma Necklace

The Gemma Necklace can do no wrong in my book. There are about a million ways to wear it, and a million ways to style it. You can wear it alone for a more simplistic look, or even layer it up with other necklaces for a more textured look.

The Gemma Necklace is 100% customizable to your style preference. There are 4 different mala bead options, and over 20 different tassel colors to choose from. Not to mention you can wear with just about anything. 

Take a peek below for some of my customer favorites!

@awildcoast - Silkwood Mala beads with Burnt Orange Tassel

@theblackedout // Sandalwood Mala Beads with Cream Tassel

@Seven__seas // Sandalwood Mala beads with Cream Tassel

_____________________________

In case you missed it, here is a previous blog post on how to layer your Gemma Necklace

// Sandalwood Mala beads with Black Tassel

beverly necklace

// The Beverly Necklace //

Top: Beehive - Austin, Texas

Dress - Brandy Melville 

Bra - Urban Outfitters

LPOH Monday Madness - Wyatt Necklace

Today's Little Pieces of Hope Monday Madness discount is for the Wyatt Necklace! This necklace is one of my favorites from the Spring 2015 Collection. It is not only multi-textural, but it also is adjustable, so you can wear at any length you desire! 

Usually the Wyatt Necklace retails for $92, however today is your lucky day as it is selling for only $75! So get to it, and get shopping! No discount code needed. Just add this item to your cart, and you are ready to save yourself some extra cash ;) 

weekend essentials

Weekend Essentials 

<> Swimsuit Top // Stone Fox - Available at Still & Sea

<> Swim Bottoms // Lisa Lozano - Available at Still & Sea

<> Hat // Forever 21 

<> Necklaces // LPOH Gemma Necklace & Gigi Necklace

<> Juice // Juice Society - Activated Lemonaide 

^ Best Juice EVER! It's Toxin Eliminating, & Cleansing

As always, when shopping with Still & Sea online feel free to use the Little Pieces of Hope exclusive coupon! Type in "LPOH10" before checking out, and save yourself 10% on your next Still & Sea shopping spree!

Jensen Body Chain

         Photos from Aka Layers Blog

The babe who we named the Jensen Body Chain after! Not to mention she is also the cutie behind our Little Pieces of Hope Wishbone Collection. Read more about Jensen's journey with ME/CFS here.

For more outfit details, and photos take a peek at Jensen's original blog post, Sunday Funday!

lpoh monday madness + waylon necklace

Today's LPOH Monday Madness discount is for the Waylon Necklace from our Spring 2015 Collection. Usually this item retails for $92, but is marked down to $75 for today only. (Since I got a late start on this post, this offer is available until Tuesday (March 17th) 5pm CST.)

Usually Monday Madness discounts are for items from previous collections, however this time around I figured I would spice things up a little and offer a mark down for BRAND NEW item. I promise this is not a Monday Madness you will want to miss...because it more than likely will never happen again!

Outfit Details

-Tee // Free People 

- Denim // Madewell 

-Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope

If you are interested in seeing more outfit posts, feel free to follow me on FPME // cierra_adele

a glimpse of what's to come

The Spring 2015 Collection is only days away! Here is a little teaser of what's to come ;) 

Outfit Details 

Cardigan // Free People 

Top // Urban Outfitters

Pants // Madewell 

Necklace // Little Pieces of Hope 

Stay tuned for February 4th, as the rest of the LPOH Spring Collection will be released! 

The Sunday Collection // Inspiration

For each collection I like to put together my version of a Little Pieces of Hope "look book" for retailers, as well as customers, to get a better feel of the Collection as a whole, and to see what inspired me throughout my designing journey.

For Spring 2015, I was inspired by my favorite day...Sunday. To me Sundays are meant for living. Whether living is sleeping in and staying cozy in bed all day, or waking up early and going on adventures, it's up to you! Each Sunday is different for me, but consistent in the sense that it's a day for the little things in life.

"Someone once told me to always live for the little things in life. Live for the 5 a.m. sunrises and the 5 p.m. sunsets where you'll see colors in the sky that don't usually belong. Live for the road trips and bike rides with music in your ears, and the wind in your hair. Live for days when you're surrounded by your favorite people who make you realize that the world is not a cold, harsh place. Live for the little things because they will make you realize that this is what life is about. 

This is what it means to be alive." - (A.Y)

After surviving the Winter months, I wanted to make the Spring Collection light and airy. The majority of the pieces are meant to be worn alone in hopes to focus on the simplicity, and details of each item. A Little Pieces of Hope approach at minimalism, if you will ;) 

I'm hoping to officially launch the Sunday collection on February 4th, so keep an eye out!

_______________

Sundays are for living // Sundays are for the little things

What do Sundays mean to you?

_______________

All pictures from slides are taken from other sources

Slide 1: Picture 1 // Picture 2 // Picture 3

Slide 2: Picture 1

Slide 3: Picture 1 // Picture 2 // Picture 3 // Picture 4

Slide 4: Picture 1 // Picture 2 // Picture 3 // Picture 4