My Fuel For Inspiration

I am so honored today to have Ahndea May from HeirBloom be featured as the guest blogger for April on our series Design = Passionate People.
Her personality and drive for life is infectious.  Let her journey inspire you to dream and to "Design the Life " you want.

My Fuel For Inspiration ~ Ahndea May

When I think of "Design" I instantly become inspired to create and when I say create, I mean no limits, no boundaries. No one telling me I can't or giving me rules but just me looking at something allowing what is within me to be reflected in "real life".

I have always been a "creative" as we are called, even as a child I loved to sing, write music, do crafts, draw, there was something about it that calmed my soul. Life has it's ups and downs as we all know, and for me I lost my dad at a young age of 14. During that time of sorrow and confusion, I began to use creativity as my outlet for these feelings and truthfully that is where the healing began. I think this is the core of my passion to be creative.

There have also been others in my life that have motivated and inspired me, like my Yia Yia! Yes, my grandmother was 100% Greek and boy did she have STYLE! The kind of style that came with a sense of confidence and assurance of her inner beauty and strength.

She would doll up me and my sisters and take us around town so proud and introducing us to anyone who would listen. She passed away last July and how I remember her will always be her long jet black hair with her purple beret, dangling cross necklaces, pointed glittered nails with a ring on every finger, a fitted velvet purple suit with black 2 inch heels! And, yes, she was wearing this at 89!

Once she passed, she was also a jewelry collector and as we went through her home, I was able to find thousands of pieces of vintage jewelry that she had worn over 50 years worth. I felt I had to do something with this gift and so was born "HeirBloom". 

The idea of taking something old, something new, something you. They are silk flower brooches, hair pieces, coat pieces, etc. and each one is made with a vintage jewel. The cool thing is, it doesn't have to be one of my heirlooms, but I can custom make anyone an HeirBloom with their own family jewels, you know the ones that sit in a box and collect dust.  

So, that is my story of inspiration... and it doesn't stop there. I am a mom of three with TWINS on the way! I am a stylist, which allows me to work with photographers and style models and families for portraits etc. I love making people feel beautiful! I have an etsy shop for my HeirBlooms but mostly do custom orders directly with clients. I use my pieces in a lot of styling and photography as well, which I feature on my blog 

http://ahndeamay.blogspot.com/ 

My encouragement would be to find a source in your life that will bring fuel and passion to your design and run with it!

http://heirbloom.etsy.com/

http://thehillsarelivin.blogspot.com/2011/02/heirbloom-review-and-giveaway.html

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!