Inspirational Women Series #3 - Sarah McBrair

This month, in the spirit of meeting new people, I'm excited to highlight Sarah McBrair.  I had the pleasure of meeting her at the Young Designers Market in New York City this past summer.  We sat back to back selling our wares to locals and tourists alike.  And mid way through, I noticed her lovely jewelry - very classy.  So being a bit nosy, I leaned over to introduce myself and from there we started chatting.  It was exciting to hear about her endeavors as an entrepreneur doing something she really love.  As I continue down the road to my dreams, it is just the inspiration you need to be surrounded by.  When you follow your dreams, you always need advocates, trustworthy partners and true friends.


Can you tell us a bit about your business, Love of Pretty?

Love of Pretty is a unique, handmade, fashionable gemstone jewelry company. We specialize in “Design Your Own Jewelry” working with women to create custom pieces of jewelry. We take pride in hand-picking our materials and designing perfectly pretty pieces.

The purpose of  the brand is meant to be an easy way to make women feel pretty and give them an easy new look.

What inspired you to launch your business?

I was a marketing professional in the corporate world for seven years and knew I always wanted to do something for myself.  After designing jewelry as a hobby and passion for many years, it just clicked as the right business for me.

I have always loved to help my friends accessorize.  I love to base designs off of people’s personalities. The “Design Your Own” component of my business is my favorite. It is easy to find the perseverance and motivation when you choose an avenue you naturally love! Even when I am watching movies or just out an about I just stare down people’s jewelry…I can’t help it.

Why do you love doing what you do?  

It is the feeling I get when I see a customer’s eyes light up or have such a genuine reaction to the way they look when they try on a piece of jewelry they love is another one of my favorite parts of this whole experience.

I was recently at a holiday show in Old Lyme CT and I met a woman who you could tell just needed a little pick-me-up. She tried on a chunky pearl and citrine necklace.  When she looked in the mirror she smiled and her whole face lit up. It was the perfect necklace for her.  Right away other women looking at the jewelry made remarks about the necklace “That looks so pretty” or “that necklace was made for you” it’s moments like these that I get such a rush and feel so satisfied that I am genuinely helping women feel their best, I love it!

What challenges did you face in the beginning?

Everything took longer then I would have liked. When you start a business you want all your ideas up and running right away.  I have learned now everything takes time….but is worth the wait!

How do you define success?

Success is happiness. Being happy in your current position and reminding yourself all the time that is the most important thing in life.

What is a typical weekday like for you? 

Write a blog, post a Facebook update, sprint around New York City to find new materials, design new jewelry, take photos, send out orders….repeat!

When you are not running around…What do you do to unwind? 

My husband Brad and I have a three year old Gold Retriever, 'Russell', I pretty much give him all my attention!  We take two to three walks a day….well when it’s nice out.


Thanks Sarah for being an inspiration to those of us out there who are starting a business, are growing a business or dreaming of it!  Thank you for sharing your Spirit!!

Love of Pretty is starting a December “Holiday Helpers” campaign.  We design, we create, we gift wrap, and we ship directly to you! Enter “LOVELOP" at checkout for a special 10% off your entire purchase www.loveofpretty.com. 

A Day in the City with ‘Super Eco Girl’…

It’s an absolutely gorgeous Saturday and I’ve started the day by finishing up a juicy murder mystery on my Kindle before heading out the door just before 9am.  Along with my purse, I always carry a spare cotton bag to carry any of my day’s purchases (I just hate all those plastic bags…).

Today I have quite a list going – “to do’s” of which several will become “ to - didn’t really have time for that on this beautiful sunny day” before long.  But first, I’m headed only a few blocks away where several vintage and thrift shop stores line the street.

How lucky I am to have great vintage and thrift shops.  These are not the old, dusty shops that feel like you’re rummaging through your grandmother’s attic.  These shops are clean, neat, even some with trendy décor.  Racks are full of dresses, skirts, many well know designers such as DVF; gently worn, that are great to get another few years use out of. 

After raking through hangers of clothes from the shops in my neighborhood, I’m ready for some lunch.  Never a shortage of places to eat, but a favorite of mine is Caravan of Dreams.  The food is all organic, vegan and kosher certified so I know no pesky chemicals will enter my body today.  I order a glass of the sangria and the Caravan Burrito which is oh so yummy!

On TV, in magazines and other media I often see the "top 10" tips to being green or eco-friendly…and rarely do I see or hear “natural or organic eating” on the list.  Eating natural, whole foods and avoiding processed foods, is a key factor in helping the environment.  Why?  One example is chemicals used in farming and food production.  Many chemicals cannot be disposed of, leaving residue or traces in our drinking water, our produce and our animals. Heavy topic but in short eating whole non processed foods can make you feel energetic and healthy as well as helping the environment.

Last week, I was at this party wearing my new (lightly used) favorite top and some awkward individual’s can of beer tipped to far forward onto my sleeve.  So off next to the dry cleaners….

Many organic and natural dry cleaners have popped up in the last year.  Why did they start appearing? Well, interestingly the major synthetic chemical used in dry cleaning is linked with several side effects such as irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat.  It can also cause dizziness, headaches and nausea.  So due to more public scrutiny and the EPA watching, the industry has started to look for safer, less harmful ways to dry clean.   It turns out that California plans to phase out the major synthetic chemical used called perc by 2023.

And how fast the afternoon has come and I’m a little spent - looking for a nice bench to park on for a bit.  Many parks hide in and around the pavement of the city.  I walk past this small neighborhood one and find a small little quiet area.  It's lovely - surrounded by lush plants and newly planted tulips and other spring flowers.  I take out my Kindle and try to find another great murder mystery to start….

Welcome to Spirit for Living!

Thank you for joining us! Spirit for Living is an exclusive line of women’s daily and active wear that is made just for you, and we want to use this forum to talk to you about things that matter to you!

Everything we do at Spirit for Living is based on a few key principals:

• Bodies are best when living an active life.
• Clothes should be designed for comfort without sacrificing style.
• Natural fabrics are best for your body and the environment.
• Love for the earth and for each other are keys to happiness.
• Lives of women around the globe can be improved by supporting healthy lifestyles and philanthropic efforts.

Spirit for Living specializes in bringing you clothes that will become your favorites. Things that you can wear anywhere - the office, the gym, playing with your children (or acting as their chauffeur!) or even a casual night out.

Affordable and beautiful clothes to highlight your SPIRIT.

But beyond the clothes that you wear, we want to support you in the life that you lead.

So here on our blog we will offer up tips for healthy living and ways to juggle and balance your busy lives. We will talk about the benefits of natural fabrics for your skin, the environment, industry, farmers and agriculture. We will talk about the charitable organizations that we support and we will highlight women who are doing things that inspire and amaze us.

We will post something here every month and we look forward to interacting with you on our Facebook page as well.

Our fall line is complete and filled with naturals and organics – cozy fabrics perfect for the cool weather that is just around the corner. We will be open for ordering on our website in August 2010 so stay tuned for our website launch and special promotions for our first customers!

Keep checking back, we look forward to an exciting future with you!