Hi, I’m Gabrielle!

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The Long:

Hey, Look at you reading more. You must be pretty cool 😉

Growing up as an army brat, I was always creating something to express myself to cope with the constant moving, I was always into one craft project or another, creating something new, or designing jewelry and clothes. Being the oldest of 5 girls, my mom always kept our hands busy in playdoh, drawing with all of the things, or sewing anything and everything. If there was some kind of craft or activity, I was probably doing it. And I loved every minute of it. 

As an introvert, as most creatives are, I am constantly looking for ways to express myself without having to actually speak to people all of the time. Growing up sewing and making jewelry were a large part of my creative identity. They will always hold a special place for me because they both give me a place to explore and interact with the world and be whoever I wanted to be. Clothes and jewelry are how I show myself to the world. Being creative has always given me a voice.

When I first started teaching myself to make jewelry, I had no idea how big a role it would play in my life as I navigated throughout my life. When I got my first set of jewelry pliers from my dad, my life changed forever. And not in a dramatic way like in the movies but in such a way that the quiet girl in the back of the class was given a way to express herself without saying a word. I was given an opportunity to create something that people liked and I was able to wear my art freely. 

Creativity and design are my therapy. Staying up late to finish a piece or waking up early in the morning with an idea to create something are constants in my life. If I was having a bad day, I would sit at my bench and just play with some wire and beads and nothing would matter anymore. 

That little girl still lives inside me today: the girl with the sewing bobbin earrings and horrible (horrible) cropped gaucho pants lol Creativity and design have always lived within me and made me feel free and continue to be a part of my story today…

Fast forward some years and I’m still the creative dreamy-eyed girl from the back of the class rocking her sewing bobbin earrings, however, I thankfully swapped out my cropped gaucho pants for leggings and dresses. 

I graduated from THE Virginia State University (Hail State!)

I survived a pandemic in 2020 that helped me to re-clarify what I valued in life. It helped me to realize that I had become complacent in so many things and somehow lost myself in the hustle and bustle of my life. 

Long story short, it was time to get uncomfortable. 

My desire for creativity and design had been placed on the backburner.

Fast forward and I come to you today as a creative with a passion for all things design. Since I was a kid, I’ve always known I’ve always wanted to do something creative. Whether it was starting a magazine, becoming an image stylist, designing and working on store displays, designing and making jewelry, having my own clothing line, or being a graphic designer. Creativity and design have always been in my spirit and a large part of who I am. 

While I realized with time that some of these things weren’t exactly what I wanted to do and that some of these dreams still apply, there has always been a constant: I love to design and create. It’s ingrained in everything that I do: The way that I dress…the food I cook…the way I style and organize my space…the music I listen to…the jewelry I design and wear. 

I started this blog as a love letter to creativity and to share with the world my story and document my creative journey. Thanks for joining me as I design and create my way through this life I’m living…curating a place where life and design intersect. 

So to play off the words of one of the greatest movies of all time, Brown Sugar as the Common song “I Used to Love Her” plays softly in the background:

To creativity: I used to love you, I still do, and always will.

Stay Creative!