A few weeks ago I had the privilege of doing a business profile on a dear friend, Hope Handschuh.  Hope has been an independent jeweler for Premiere Designs Jewelry for almost 8 years now.  I must admit, I’m not what you would call a jewelry-lover by any stretch.  But I bit the bullet & went to one of Hope’s shows that was to benefit an organization that fights human trafficking.  Can I say, “WOW!”  I was blown away by the ease at which Hope made it look to be put together, polished, finished??  Even in a t-shirt & jeans!  The jewelry isn’t cheap, it’s quality.  And being in the quality photography business myself, I value the quality of products a LOT more these days.  I want something that’s gonna last through drops, bumps, spills, and being yanked on by small children.   The pieces I’ve gotten from Hope definitely fit that bill.  And I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS get compliments on the set whenever I wear it.  And if you know me, you know I wear it a LOT!

If you don’t like reading, then watch the 5-minute video below.  I took a few hours over at Hope’s house to capture a taste of what she does in her business.  And for those of you readers out there, go below the video for some detailed info on Hope, her life, her family, & her business.  Oh yeah, and some PHOTOS!

Meet Hope!  A loving wife to Josh & wonderful mother to four beautiful children.  Hope has been with Premiere Designs Jewelry for almost 8 years, ever since her oldest son was 6 months old.  Why jewelry?  As Hope says, it’s fun to play jewelry with other women, making them feel beautiful, while at the same time bringing in extra income for her growing family – Josh & Hope have just added Eliana to their family through adoption & hope to do the same to with another son this summer.  With four children to clothe, feed & care for, you & I both know it almost always takes more than one income these days.  And over the past 8 years, Hope & Josh have added 40 women to their group of independent jewelers, helping them achieve their financial goals as well.

And as I have known for a good part of my life, Hope is a social butterfly! She thrives on being with & around people, and being a jeweler for Premiere allows her to meet & interact with so many.  And she’s darn good at the jewelry thing too!  I mean, man, she got ME to wear jewelry!  I almost feel under-dressed when I leave without my one set…my bling bling!  Take a look at a few of the combinations of jewelry Hope put on her lovely sisters in about 15 minutes!  She’s amazing!

Why am I doing this business profile?  Well, I thought the same question when I started thinking about this idea late last year.  What do I want to show?  Why do I want to do this?  Well, here’s my incohesive thought process.  I’m a wife.  I’m a mother.  I’m a small business owner.  How do I get more name recognition?  How do I get my name out there?  How do I get hired?  How do I get people to know what I’m capable of?  How do other women, wives, mothers do what I am trying to do?  Then it hit me…just ask them.  And so this idea, this vision, of featuring women who own a small business, who run families, who are a busy & sometimes scattered as I am, was born.

I hope you enjoyed this little taste of Hope’s business.  And I hope even more that you’ll just consider having her for your next girl’s night, super bowl party, wedding shower, etc.  She’s amazing, quick, knowledgeable, and will make you feel beautiful.  And men, ahem…a special day is coming up where you might want to give your women some bling!!!!  Call Hope (443.994.7937).  She’ll bring over some pieces for you & your male friends & help you pick out what’s best for your woman.   You will not be disappointed – I guarantee it.

These are three of the lovely ladies that I had the opportunity to walk the Annapolis Mall with on Saturday night.  All of them are women & mothers of high schoolers in our church’s youth group.  On Saturday we had a scavenger hunt at the Annapolis Mall for our youth.   And while they were scouring the mall looking for little clues, these ladies & I had a chance to just walk for an hour, chat, window shop, & enjoy one another’s company.  It was a really sweet time.  Thanks Kim, Tricia & Kara for letting me tag along!