Effortless Style Blog

Today’s featured lady is the one and only Loren Hope. Loren designs beautiful jewelry pieces that are handcrafted here in the U.S. Her baubles have graced the ears of many fashion bloggers and I got to sport a pair myself a couple of weeks ago when I treated myself to a pair of her sunburst studs.

I hope you enjoy a peek into Loren’s day and even get a sneak peek into her upcoming Fall line for 2013!

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Wake up at 7:30. Shower, get dressed and head to the kitchen. My husband and I try to make a point to juice every morning. This morning it is a mix of carrot, apple, dandelion greens, swiss chard, and yellow beets. I chug it down as fast as I can because it’s extra “beety” tasting today. Juicing can be very time consuming so Aaron and I have an agreement: I chop the veggies and make the juice, and he cleans the juicer. We gather up our dog Lou, grab our packed lunches and we are off to the office.

My husband Aaron and I work together so on most days we ride together to the office. I always admire this giant mill building (that’s been converted into lofts and commercial spaces) off I-95 in Providence on the way there. So much industrial history this city has. We usually talk about what our goals are for the day and swing by the neighborhood Dunkin Donuts so I can get an iced coffee. (We are new to Rhode Island as of February and had no idea that Dunkin Donuts is practically a religion up here. There is literally one every quarter mile!)

It’s around 9:00AM and I’ve walked into the office, made sure the dog is settled with food and water, and it’s time to fire up the computer and start checking emails. I picked up a copy of Marie Claire at the drug store on the way in after one of our stores shared a photo of our Clara Earrings in the magazine on Instagram. Yay! Time to tackle any pertinent emails, and do some social media.

11:00AM Aaron and our shipping manager Lucia work alongside one another pulling orders for our wholesale accounts and for our website. To keep things sane and to keep from getting overwhelmed, we work on them separately. We just moved into our new space in February (when we moved to RI from NC) so it’s definintely a work in progress (hence the mirror on the floor. I’m planning on hanging it in between the two windows but it involves hanging it on brick and I have not been ready to take it on.) Our studio/office is in an old wool mill and I just love the space. The huge windows offer tons of natural light and the high ceilings make it feel airy. It’s very important to me as a creative to feel inspired by my surroundings. I love the fact that we are occupying a building that was once a beacon of American manufacturing and are able to put it to good use by doing the same.

2:00PM After lunch, I take a few phone calls to get quotes on packaging and review the box samples we’ve received. We are in the process of ordering custom boxes with our new logo we launched earlier this year. Aaron brings me a tray full of cuffs that have just come back from plating to inspect the finish and I give him the thumbs up. Off they go to be stone-set. Beside me at my desk, Lou takes a nice long nap, and all of us snicker to ourselves as her snoring echos in the mill space. Lou, our pointer, is always up to something and is certainly a distraction at work at times but a happy one. When I’m having one of those days, she always reminds me to lighten up and have a little fun.

2:00-4PM Time to work in some design time! I am a little embarrassed by the disorder of my design area but it is what it is! As many random stones, settings and parts that are all over the place, I actually have a good idea of where everything lives on this 5ft by 5ft square project table. I have tried cleaning it and organizing it many times but it always ends up like this again.

4:30 Just finished putting together a prototype for fall. I was so happy with how they came out that I caved to my temptation to sneak peek them on social media and immediately upload them to Instagram. These still have to be plated but I’m thinking about wearing them to a press event in NYC next week!

I wrap up the day and we head home together around 5. We usually take Lou up the street to the dog park to get out some energy. Pointers are very energetic and if she doesn’t exercise she takes it out on us by behaving badly. Once we get home (around 6:45) I make an antipasto plate for Aaron and I to share with some wine. We kick our feet up and try to wind down. This has always been an evening ritual. Here in RI there are gourmet Italian food markets on almost every corner, I find myself ordering Prosciutto di Parma by the pound probably a little TOO often. Note to self: find a local gym! I head off to bed around 11pm and check my email and social media before I go to bed. My phone is also the first thing I check when I wake up in the morning. Not a good habit, but one I’m trying to work on! Every day is a little different and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m new to this New England thing, and as a girl born and raised in the South, it’s been quite an adjustment. I was able to wear short sleeves TWICE this week and am so glad it’s finally warming up (it has been over 80 degrees back in NC for about a month now). Aaron and I are both excited about the summer months here. I foresee day trips to Newport, exploring the local hangouts and an abundance of fresh seafood. And that my friends, is a day in my shoes.

Thanks so much for having me!

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A big thanks to Loren for participating in our In Her Shoes series. I’m a big Rhode Island fan so hopefully I will get to eat some antipasto with Loren her hubby and Lou during one of my summer trips.

As an extra special treat Loren is offering all Effortless Style readers a special 10% off code! Use code EFFORTLESSSTYLE for 10% off from now until May 10th! Happy shopping.