SoulMakes + StillBrave

You may have already seen this amazing collaboration we are doing with our good friends at StillBrave Childhood Cancer Foundation, but I wanted to take a moment and tell you all a little more about StillBrave and how this amazing project came about...

In January 2009,'Tattoo Tom' (President and Executive Director of StillBrave) lost his daughter, Shayla, to childhood cancer. After Shayla lost her battle with Hodgkin's disease, Tattoo Tom founded the non-profit organization, StillBrave.

Shayla's Story (Read the full story here...)

"When the doctors gave me the news that my daughter had stage 4 Hodgkin’s disease I had to dig really deep within my soul. I had to become braver than I ever thought possible... I had to have a really tough conversation with a very scared 16 year old girl. I wound up purchasing two sterling silver “feather” bracelets from an American Indian art store near the hospital, a small feminine bracelet for Shayla and a larger one for myself...

I gave her the bracelet I had bought for her and I put mine on at the same time, again I talked about the wind and about feathers and how fate had blown the two of us together.

I promised her 3 things:

1.That I would wear my bracelet until the day she was cancer free.

2.That for every single night she had to stay in the hospital I would stay with her.

3.That as long as she stayed brave, so would I.

“Am I still brave Dad?” she whispered softly in my ear.

I placed my hands on her face and looked deep into her eyes; my baby was tired and she had fought so bravely for so long...but she was so very tired... she was still brave alright but as I looked into her eyes I began to realize something: this whole time she hadn’t been staying brave for herself, she had been staying brave for ME!! 

A few days later my daughter Shayla lost her battle with childhood cancer. She fought hard and she fought bravely."

-Tattoo Tom

Tattoo Tom has been a good friend of mine for several years now. I watched Tom go through the loss of his daughter, Shayla. I watched him mourn and share his grief with friends, I watched him grow through this experience and I watched as he became a warrior, fighting childhood cancer in any way he could. I was amazed and so proud when Tom started StillBrave. StillBrave’s mission is to provide non-medical, supportive care to children with cancer, and their families in the Washington, DC Metro area. StillBrave is committed to supporting the families of children battling cancer in any way they can. They are helping with the simple day to day needs that are often overlooked during hard times. They provide gas cards, grocery cards and similar items, as well as working to educate, counsel and bring joy to those afflicted and their families. I am beyond honored to be working with such a wonderful foundation. 

A while back, when SoulMakes was just getting started, Tom asked me about a custom bracelet for himself. He wanted something very unique and suited to him. For whatever reason, we didn't reconvene on this until recently. We ran into each other and he noticed a braided leather bracelet, full of charms on my wrist. He asked if I could make him one just like that, but with only two feathers. What a brilliant idea, inspired just at the right moment.

Tom and I share a very kindred appreciation for feathers and all the beautiful meanings they hold. For thousands of years, feathers have been awarded by many as a sign of respect for great accomplishments. Often those of bravery, like conquering an enemy at war. They are a symbol of strength and wisdom. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the StillBrave logo is two feathers, and the SoulMakes logo is two feathers. I made the custom bracelet for Tom and something magical happened. We hadn't planned on it being anything other than a one time design, but we got such a reaction from our friends and supporters when we shared pictures of it in our respective circles. So the StillBrave bracelet was born. SoulMakes is donating 50% of all purchases from the StillBrave collection. I couldn’t think a more perfect design to represent the StillBrave cause and I could not be more excited to lend a helping hand. 

We saw an overwhelming response within minutes of announcing our new partnership a few days ago.  We had orders from all around the East Coast, as well as international! It was really quite heart warming and awe inspiring. 

Stop by the shop and check out the StillBrave collection!
Find out more about how you can involved: here

Love,

MacK Mars

---

Healing Crystals

Fall is a time of year when I need a lot of healing. I always enjoy the initial change of seasons, the cool breeze after a hot, humid summer and who doesn't love watching the leaves change colors, from green to bright red and orange. There is something so cozy about all of it. But inevitably, after all the leaves have floated away, the dark & dry days get to me. It's around this time that I find myself drifting towards these beautiful, healing crystals. 

I'll admit I'm no expert on the subject, what I know about crystals comes from my own experiences with them and a bit of reading over the years. It's no coincidence that I find myself, with little thought, decorating our home with pyrite, after all it's an energizing stone. If you're like me, the lack of sunlight at this time of year can be really draining, pyrite is the perfect remedy. I seem to naturally gravitate towards using crystals in my jewelry designs as well. We have some really gorgeous new necklaces handmade with these amazing stones, captured in a macrame style weaving. These creations were definitely inspired by the season! I'm really loving the citrine pieces. Citrine is a bright and joyful crystal, bringing light to many aspects of life. It is known as the "success stone" because it brings good fortune and luck to it's owners. You can read more about each of these beauties in our shop! We also have some stunning new wall hangings coming soon, handmade with larger citrine and rose quartz crystals, these beauties are adorned with feathers and shells. We can't wait to show you our home decor section (also featuring dream catchers!).

Have a beautiful day!
Love,
MacK Mars

---

Day Dream Believer

I'm feeling so grateful and so blessed today! Every now and then it's good for me to share about it, because I certainly never imagined that one day my dreams would become a reality. So this is for all of you soul searching wanderers out there, no matter where you are in your life, believe in your dreams. There was a time when I had no real direction, no clear ambitions, I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. But I always knew that I was being guided by a Power Greater than myself, it was in my surrender that my path became clear. Certainly, there have been times throughout this great adventure that I've felt lost, scared or even a little overwhelmed, but I just kept going through the motions. There's that nagging notion that if I'm slightly uncomfortable or I don't understand what's happening then I'm not ok. It's not true. The truth is, I can't see into the future and I'm not in control, so I quit playing the role of the director. I trust that I will be given as much strength and inspiration as I need on a daily basis and I know that I am worthy of having success in my life. All my needs are being met easily and effortlessly today, I simply turn them over to my Higher Power and do the footwork. I'm a little bit in awe of the wonderful journey that SoulMakes has taken us on. I am a daydream believer!

I hope you're all having an amazing week & keep on dreaming!
Love,
MacK Mars

---

Love Yourself

As the warm months are winding down to an end, I thought it'd be fun to share a couple of outtakes from our summer look book, Americana. Shooting this book was definitely a highlight of the season for me. I'm gonna get real for a second; I am incredibly shy, self conscious and believe it or not I spent most of my life hiding my body. Two years ago you couldn't even get me to smile for a photo. I didn't appear in any of our early look books, so it was a really big deal for me to the only "model" in this one. 

My journey to self confidence didn't happen over night, it has been a spiritual, emotional and physical path for me. I used to have some pretty bad habits, a big part of feeling good about myself has been abstaining completely from certain activities (i.e. drinking, smoking etc). I also started exercising regularly a few years ago and as my work outs gradually gained momentum my diet naturally changed to more healthy options. When I began to take care of my self and nurture my body properly, the way my Creator would have me, I began to feel differently about myself. That was a good beginning, but I also had to stop all the negative self talk. I am lovable no matter what my head tells me. That is something I continue to work on every day. Each morning I start my day with prayer and meditation, I release whatever negativity I may be feeling and remind myself that I am a beautiful child of this Universe. I listen to my inner voice and allow myself to be guided by Love and Trust. The peace that I feel in my life is growing richer every day. Of course, I'm not perfect, I have bad days (I've had a few this week and that's ok), the important thing is that I continue to practice these principles regardless.

SoulMakes has been a huge blessing in my life, it has given me a sense of purpose that I didn't have before. It has allowed me to connect with others and to share creativity. Having a successful business has definitely worked wonders for my self confidence. My heart is full of gratitude for this amazing journey! 

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive and loving throughout our adventure and I hope you all are loving yourselves today!

Love,

MacK Mars

---

Content With Silence

"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence."

-Ansel Adams

Love,

MacK Mars

---

Whimsy & Love

(Sources: Spell Designs, Kivari, Pinterest)

We are embarking on the most wonderful journey, planning our wedding! (Don't worry this isn't going to turn into a wedding blog spot.) Trev and I have visions of a magical, bohemian day outdoors in the warmth of the summer sun. We imagine all our favorite decor;  feathers, lace, leather, dream catchers, sea shells, turquoise gems & twinkling lights. Our own little world of whimsy, creativity and love, a SoulMakes wedding! We plan on hand making most of our decorations, maybe even our invites and of course, I'll be adorned with SoulMakes Jewelry! I'm so in love and so inspired by this amazing event in our lives, I've been designing lots of gorgeous jewels to walk down the isle in. I have no idea what dress I'll be wearing, but I do know it wont be a conventional wedding dress. I'm loving the dresses in the collage above, from Kivari and Spell! We have a whole year to plan and we've only just begun. We're feeling so excited and so blessed! I'll be sharing our wedding musings with you every now and then and please feel free to leave us any suggestions on wedding blogs, decor, dresses, etc. We'd love hear from you!

Hope you're all having a beautiful week!

Love,

MacK Mars

---

Happy Fourth of July

Jewelry by SoulMakes

Sweater from Free People

Postcards & souvenirs from around the country

Happy Fourth of July! This year I'm feeling especially patriotic. On our cross country road trip we've seen everything from mountain tops to waterfalls, lush green fields to dried up deserts, red rocky terrain and anything in between, I am feeling so grateful to live in such a gorgeous country! This place has such a grand variety of beautiful landscapes and I feel more connected to it than ever. I'm so inspired by all the amazing sites we've seen on our adventure. I couldn't be more excited to honor this country. 

This year SoulMakes is celebrating freedom with 25% off site wide! USE CODE: FREEDOM

 Sale ENDS 7/5/13

Hope you're all having a wonderful day and Happy Fourth of July!

Love,

MacK Mars

---

Camping Survival Kit

We'll be on the road for a few weeks in the South Western States. We're keeping hotel stays to a minimum. We have friends to stay with scattered across the country, but we're also hoping to get lots of camping in. We've got our tent, stove, lanterns, sleeping bags etc all packed up! We'll be stopping at camp grounds for overnights as much possible, we could not be more excited! Here's my camping survival kit:

-Soul Makes Day Dreamer Necklace to bring me sweet dreams at the camp site

-Soul Makes Amethyst Oracle & Amethyst Garden Fringe Necklace. This gorgeous stone will bring us good vibes and it will help us sleep sound at night, Amethyst is known to help relieve insomnia. It is a natural soothing stone and it is also the stone of sobriety.

-Good ol' Burt's Bees to protect my lips from nature & hand sanitizer

-Rope & fire starting supplies

-Sketch book & pens

We are so ready for this amazing adventure! Hope you're all having a beautiful week and please, PLEASE leave suggestions for cool spots to visit, photograph, eat, etc (main stops in Austin, Grand Canyon, Santa Fe, Denver) We'd love fro you to share! 

Love,

MacK Mars

---

Insta Lovin

 (Pics from Sarah Loven, Gypsy Lovin Light, Roots and Feather wearing their favorite SoulMakes jewelry)

We're feelin' the love this week on instagram! Lots of beautiful friends sharing their photos of how they style their favorite Soul Makes jewels! We so enjoy seeing these gorgeous pics! As a special thanks we're holding a giveaway on instagram only, be sure to follow us so that you can enter to win! And don't worry if you don't have insta, there's more where that came from!

Instagram: @SoulMakesJewelry

Hope you all are having a beautiful week!

Love,

MacK Mars

---

The Lake

Trev and I went to this gorgeous park for my uncle's birthday party. It had hiking trails, big pavillons for gatherings, a nature center, and a beautiful lake complete with paddle boats. It was great to spend time with my family and snap a few pictures.

I'm falling in love with photography all over again. I put my camera down for a while and concentrated on other art forms, but SoulMakes has brought me back to it. Most the pictures you see here on the blog (aside from the ones of me) were taken by me. Photography is not like riding a bike, I forgot a lot of basic camera knowledge and of course, with the rate at which technology improves things have changed. But it's given me the opportunity to learn so many new and wonderful things about the art of taking pictures. It's not hard for me to find wonder in almost every situation, every place, no matter how mundane it may seem. From an early age I was taught to look for the beauty in everything, especially in the things I felt lacked it and I'm so grateful for that vision. When I look around at the world I see art and my camera helps me capture it. 

Hope you're all having an amazing week!

Love,

MacK Mars

---