April 24, 2014 By 9 Comments

Let’s Do This…Together!

Our family’s hearts have been slightly captivated by Swaziland in southern Africa.  Specifically our carepoint, Ngungwane.  We help sponsor three siblings there and I had the chance to meet two of them and visit with their family at their house last November.  And God willing Josh and I will be going again with a team this year too.

While I was there I so enjoyed meeting and hanging out with all the staff, but Amy and Steve…the staff who work directly with Ngungwane…we’re especially helpful and you could see their great love for all the people and kiddos who work and come to the carepoint each day.  It was a privilege to meet them.  We had the opportunity to discuss big and small goals for Ngungwane too.  One of the smaller goals was to purchase tables and chairs for the building on site.  Ngungwane now has a preschool teacher who comes regularly to the carepoint to teach the smaller kids, but they have no tables or chairs.

I recently contacted Children’s HopeChest and asked for more details on how we could help make this happen.  They got me the additional details we needed.  Good metal tables are going to cost $50 each.  And each sturdy metal based chair is going to cost $12 each.  The wish list Ngungwane requested was 5 tables and 30 chairs.  When you do the math that’s a total of $610.

Our first step towards the tables and chairs was a big Noonday Collection show.  Friends and family and a lot of you guys made purchases and we ended up getting a ton of free stuff.  A ton.  $704 is kind of awesome.  Can you imagine how much fun I had picking out all the items.  It was crazy fun.

So here’s the deal.  I have the biggest Noonday Collection thank you gift giveaway just for you guys.  For every $10 you donate towards the tables & chairs, I’ll add your name to this “Thank you for donating” giveaway.  Every dollar…every single donation made…will go directly to Ngungwane to help purchase the tables and chairs.  If we raise more than needed, well then, hot dog and Ngungwane will just get extra money for additional items they need at the carepoint right now.  Seriously.  We can totally do this.  Think about what $10 can do.  A lot.

We’re going to collect donations for 2 weeks and then one lucky person will be drawn on Thursday, May 8th to receive the best “thanks for donating” package ever which includes all of the following items:

Get ready…cause this is really, really good.

Clementines Laptop Case $42

Lines and Stripes Catch All $142

Patchwork Clutch $38 (in purple)

Beachcomber Scarf $56

Nahuala Rectangle Trays (Set of 3) $36

Blushed Necklace $42

Del Mar Necklace $78

Honeycomb Necklace $38

Golden Trio Necklace (no longer available for purchase)

Annie’s Feathered Earrings $32

Bone Carved Leaf Earrings $30

Modern Angles Earrings $46

Athena Cuff $34

Bloomed Trio Bracelet $28

Galaxy Wrap Bracelet $48

Safari Stack Bracelet, Salmon $14

Are you swooning like I am?  For reals.  I am completely giddy about the fact that we’re going to mail all these items to one person to say “Thanks for being generous.  Thanks for donating.  Thanks for being totally rockin’ cool.”  This is going to bless someone’s socks right off.

It’s a win/win.  The craziest, most fun fundraising giveaway…all to help supply 5 tables and 30 chairs to some sweet kiddos in Swaziland, Africa.  No longer sitting on the floor to do their work, but hanging out and learning in their own little chair at their own table.  It’s just a good good thing.

Here’s how to donate:

1)  To donate through Paypal or credit/bank card just use the snazzy little DONATE button in the right side bar all the way at the top

OR

2)  To donate by check GO HERE and let me know how much you would like to donate and I will send you the additional information you need.

Remember, for every $10 you donate, we’ll put your name in this Thank You gift giveaway that many times.  So $10 = 1 Your Name  $20 = 2 Your Name.  And so on and so on.  I kind of think you should just go straight for the $100 donation for your name 10 times 🙂  Come on, you know you want to.  #peerpressure

Maybe you can’t swing $10 right now…no worries.  You know what you can do…Share.  Share this post on Twitter and Facebook and Pinterest and Instagram and email it to all your stylish friends and family.  The more we share, the more people see how crazy cool this giveaway is and hopefully that means the more donations we will receive.

There you have it.  The world’s most awesome “Thanks for donating” giveaway ever known to man.  These are sure to be the sweetest tables and chairs ever purchased.

Thank you for reading.  Thank you for donating.  Thank you for sharing.  I cannot wait to see what God has in store.

Happy Thursday!

UPDATE:  To donate using the Donate button you do not have to have a Paypal account.

1.  Click on the Donate button in the right sidebar all the way at the top.

2.  Then find the area on the bottom left side of the donate page that says “Don’t have a paypal account?  Use your credit card or bank account (where available) Continue”  (see picture below)

3.  Click “Continue” and make your donation using your credit or bank card.

Hope this helps and clears up any confusion for anyone.

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April 1, 2014 By 1 Comment

Last Chance…You Rock!!!

Hey everyone…double post day here…because I totally forgot tomorrow is the final day we can place Noonday orders for our show to help get free goods to help raise the funds for 5 tables and 30 chairs for the kiddos at the Ngungwane care point in Swaziland, Africa. #runonsentence  It’s purposeful shopping at it finest.  A win, win.

Here’s how you can order:

1.  Go to www.rebeccadaniels.noondaycollectioin.com

2.  Fill your cart with lots and lots of goodies.

3.  When you check out choose Rebecca Daniels as your ambassador and put Laura Kelley as your trunk show name.

4.  Finish checking out.

5.  Celebrate with cartwheels and high-5s and fist bumps that you bought awesome items and helped support women and families around the world.

Thank you for being awesome and kind and generous!

Happy Tuesday evening.

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March 28, 2014 By 3 Comments

2K-Hooray!

Ya’ll are crazy kind!  And I have all these crazy kind friends too.  And I want to hug everyone and give them high-5s and fist bumps.  Last night = so so fun!!!!  The Noonday party was off the charts fun and I laughed so hard and told lots of embarrassing stories and bought the most fab jewelry and computer case EVA!!!!!!!  I’m going with lots of explanation points in todays post.

We brought in a little over $2,000 in sales last night which means we are going to be able to get some pretty awesome free goodies for our tables and chairs fundraiser.  So thrilled.  Buuuuuut, if we get to $2,500 in sales, we get even more goodies.  You guys, we can totally do it.  Think birthday gifts and anniversary gifts and “happy spring” gifts and just because gifts and “treat yo self” gifts.  I’m even adding to my order because I totally forgot about a few gifts I wanted to get.  We can do this.  We can blow these sales through the roof…we can help empower woman and families all over the world and we can raise enough funds for 5 tables and 30 chairs for kiddos all the way across the world in Swaziland, Africa.

We have until Tuesday to get all our orders in.  Here’s how you order:

1.  Go to www.rebeccadaniels.noondaycollection.com

2.  Shop around and put 5 bazillion items in your cart 🙂

3.  When you go to check out select Rebecca Daniels are your ambassador and type in Laura Kelley or Brea Freeman for the trunk show name.

4.  Finish checking out.

5.  High-5 yourself for not only being awesome, but for now being fashionably awesome and purchasing with a purpose.

That’s it.  Easy as pie.

Last night was incredibly fun and I loved seeing all the items in person.  I was actually a little surprised at what I ended up buying.  Here were my purchases:

Brightly Wound Bracelet in Coral

Galaxy Wrap Bracelet

Navajo Wrap Bracelet

Rubik’s Bracelet, Jade

And Clementine’s Laptop Case

And I plan to wear them all together…minus the laptop case…because that’s how my wrist’s like to roll.

Thank you for caring and being kind and generous and thoughtful and geez, I just like you guys.  Thank you for being straight up awesome!  Have an amazing weekend.

Happy Friday!

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March 27, 2014 By 1 Comment

Hey, Hey, Hey

We had some wonderful items sent in again for the March craft classes.  Thank you again so much to each of the ladies who sent in such lovely items.

Lil’ Hoots Boutique is an etsy shop that just opened in January and sells a variety of things including wreaths, digital prints, jewelry, chalkboards, and photo props! The shop owners Carrie and Shelby are both moms and middle school Language Arts teachers who love creating and crafting! When they aren’t playing with our sweet little boys or grading papers, they are creating fun home decor and other unique items. They love chevron, chalkboards, burlap, bunting, owls, and color!!! They also love making custom orders!  You can check out their Etsy shop here and their Facebook page here.

Dobee Designs is run by Sara in Australia.  She makes a wide variety of adorable items and sent in bookmarks and earrings for the March classes.  What, what!!!  Sara gives a portion of each purchase to My Refuge House.  My Refuge House is a home, located in Cebu, Philippines, that provides holistic care intended to enable the trafficking survivors educationally, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally to stand on their own again.  You can also find Dobee Designs on Facebook here.  As always Sara, you are too kind.

Becca of Ruby Lou Writes sent in fantastic prints for everyone.  Becca not long ago started doing hand lettering and fell in love and enjoys gathering inspiration from all over.  I was so excited when she sent in a package full of prints.  They were fun and beautiful.  You can check her Etsy shop out here.

As always, there were also key fobs, Timbali Crafts and Noonday Collection as well.  Everyone needs a key fob and you know Timbali and Noonday have my heart.

And speaking of Noonday…tonight we’re having a Noonday party at our house from 6-8.  You guys I can’t tell you how big I want this party to be.  I want our house filled with woman…I want internet orders from all over the world.  If you are local please come, bring a friend and shop.  Noonday’s new line is crazy good and here’s the deal:  I really, really, really want to turn our Noonday goodies into 5 tables and 30 chairs for our Ngungwane carepoint in Swaziland, Africa.  You can read my post on it HERE.  When you host a Noonday party the more items people buy, the more credit you get to purchase items for yourself.  What we’re going to do is take those items we get on credit and turn around and share those with you guys while raising funds for tables and chairs for Ngungwane.  So the more you purchase the more items we will get to turn into money for these tables and chairs…$610 to be exact.  And if we raise more, then Ngungwane will just get extra.

If you can’t make the party, you can also purchase online at www.rebeccadaniels.noondaycollection.com  When you check out just select “Rebecca Daniels” as your ambassador, and type in Laura Kelley and/or Brea Freeman for the Trunk Show name.  This way our show will get credit.  We can shop with purpose and not only help support woman and families around the world, but also buy some tables and chairs while were at it.

Not kidding…I’m over the moon excited about tonight.  Awesome goods and food and people and drinks and no children…what, what (insert raise the roof hands).  Bring yourself and a friend.  It’s sure to be fun.  Shoot me a message if you need more details.

Have an awesome day.

Happy Thursday!

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March 24, 2014 By 3 Comments

Six Hundred Ten

Last November I went to Swaziland, Africa to meet all the incredible people and kids at our care point Ngungwane through Children’s HopeChest.  Ngungwane is something Josh and I introduced to our previous church and we have sponsor kids at the care point and are still very much connected to this country and all their amazing people.  I really want to go back this year and am working on getting a team together to make this happen.  Excited to see what God has in store.

You can read my posts from Swaziland HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

While I was there I had lots of opportunities to talk with Amy and Steve who work directly with Ngungwane about some specific needs at the care point.  There were several big projects and then they also mentioned needing tables and chairs for the on site building.  This building is used for all types of things, but they now have a preschool teacher coming to the care point 4 days a week for all the littles and they have no tables or chairs.

While in Swaziland, one of the things I felt God really impressing on my heart was just what all He could do through open vessels…flawed people…sinners…who simply say “yes” or “okay God”.  We want to be those flawed, but willing vessels.

We’re having a Noonday party this Thursday, March 27th at our house from 6-8.  Here’s the deal…I talked with CHC this week and Ngungwane’s wish list for the tables and chairs would be 5 tables and 30 chairs.  Each table is $50 and each chair is $12.   That puts us right at $610.  These are good, metal tables and chairs which will last them for a long time.  When you host a Noonday party the more items people buy, the more credit you get to purchase items for yourself.  What we’re going to do is take those items we get on credit and turn around and share those with you guys while raising funds for table and chairs for Ngungwane.  So the more you purchase the more items we will get to turn into money for these tables and chairs.  It’s a win/win.

I would absolutely love to fill our house with women from all over.  I would love to meet you and chat and purchase with purpose together.  Noonday is an absolutely incredible company and there new spring line is off the charts.  So if you want to have a fun girls night come and hang with us and bring a friend.

We’ll have food and drinks for you as well.  So mark your calendars, call your friends, send me a message if you need more information and get ready to have some fashionable fun while helping change the world.

Happy Monday!

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November 21, 2013 By 552 Comments

Giveaway Day {because today is a good day}

**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**

Ahhhhhh!  You guys are crazy awesome and kind and thoughtful and THANK YOU!  Thank you for such incredibly kind words yesterday.  I cannot truly express how much I appreciate them, but it’s a lot!

Today, today is going to be grand…I can just feel it.  So lets rock it out with an awesome giveaway.  While on my trip I met with Julie, the sweet lady who heads up Timbali Crafts.  I totally loved hearing her speak about all the amazing woman who are apart of Timbali Crafts.

Every Thursday around a 100 woman in Swaziland, Africa gather at a central carepoint and cut all their fabric for the week. They then go home and sew.  They sew for purpose.  They sew to help provide for their families and it is truly a beautiful thing.  These woman not only sew, but they also help feed kiddos at the surrounding carepoints every week.  They work hard and their work is good.  They are truly impeccable woman.

Not only do they get paychecks for the items they sew, but they also have an opportunity to set money aside each month for savings and at the end of the year, whatever they have set aside Timbali matches.  They are doing some fine work and I am always on the lookout for companies just like this.  Companies who are legit and honest and doing what they say they are doing.  They are providing jobs…they are empowering woman in Swaziland.

So let’s get to it.  It’s definitely a good day for a giveaway.  Winner takes all.

Here are the details of each item:

Revised Sling Bag.  I bought one for myself and haven’t quit carrying it yet.  Roomie and durable and well made.  Pockets on the outside and inside with a stellar Swazi made tree button.  This is a must have for sure.

Wristlet.  It’s adorable and light weight and perfection.

Padded Kindle Case.  These are not available on the website just yet, but I had to snag one while in Swaziland.  They are padded and colorful and so well made.

Timbali Headbands for Education.  These are actually made by Swazi girls working to pay for their school fees.  All proceeds go towards ensuring the girl has an opportunity for education.

Bird ornament.  Every year I buy the kids a new ornament.  My mom did this for me and for one of my wedding gifts it was all the ornaments she had collected for each of my 20 years.  20 priceless ornaments just for me.  So now I do the same for the wee Kelleys.  This year they each got a Timbali ornament and I am in love with them.  Harper got a bird, Huddy and Sol each an elephant and Amon got a giraffe.  They are over the top adorable.

Thrown in the Timabli mix are two Swaziland jewels.  We went to a candle and soap shop there and it was so stellar.  Watching them work was an honor.  It is truly a craft.  Everything was so well made and I fell in love with the soaps.  They are so clean and fresh and from all natural ingredients and smell out of this world.  So I brought a bar home for one of you guys 🙂

And these two beautiful necklaces were made by the kindest go-go at our Ngungwane carepoint.  The work she has poured in to these is unreal.  She asked me to advertise…so here I am…advertising.  I would love to help this sweet woman in some way…we shall see what God may have in store for her.  But until then I can send more of her hard work out into the world.

Alright.  There you have it.  Lots of goodies to mail to one winner.  Lots of love and hard work.  Lots of admirable women and a company who stands for justice and empowerment.

Here’s how you enter:

Please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

Entry #1  Go check out the Timbali Crafts website and tell me something you’d be stoked to purchase.

Entry #2  Go “Like” Timbali Crafts on Facebook.

Entry #3  Share this giveaway with your friends on your personal Facebook status or Twitter.  You can use the Facebook and Twitter button at the bottom of this post or just copy and paste the link at the top in your status or tweet bar.

Entry #4  Become a subscriber to the ole’ blog.  Check out the “Email Subscription” to your right in the sidebar…enter your email address, hit the subscribe button and boom…you’re done.

Again, please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

Giveaway will end this Monday, November 25th at midnight and I will announce the winner in Tuesday’s post.  Goodies will be mailed directly to the winner.

Thanks for entering and helping to spread the word about an amazing company and group of Swazi women.

Happy Thursday.

**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**

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November 7, 2013 By 8 Comments

Swazi From My Phone

A South African sunset for my birthday.  Kind of the perfect gift.

Rhinos and Cape Buffalo at our lunch stop…this is Africa.

They said it’s the world’s best ice cream bar and now that I have partaken, I most definitely concur.

Handmade candles.  Absolutely gorgeous and vibrant with color.  I wanted to take up residence.

Ginormous cabbages and the sweetest little carriers.

Joy.  It’s pure and beautiful.

Thankful for technology that has come to Swaziland in the form of solar powered water pumps.  Crazy amazing.

Lunch time cuties.

Handmade soap which is completely rad.  I bought several and I’m going to share a bar with you guys.  #swazigiveaway  Love the hands by the way…I want these in my house.

Silliness and laughter and smiles are most definitely cross cultural.

These kids are infectious…take up residence in your heart…completely invade…and it’s wondrous.

And the world’s most perfect placemats exist in Swaziland.  Who knew.  Handmade and outrageously gorgeous.  One of these may be in the Swazi giveaway too.  #rainbowloveforever  #gottashare

It’s been real.  I’m thankful and blessed.  Tonight I head back to Tennessee and the 5 people I adore most.  Swaziland, I’ll be back soon.

Happy Thursday!

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November 6, 2013 By 3 Comments

Empowering & Self-Sustaining

Each day just gets better and better.  I take that back…they have all been equally amazing and incredible and humbling and it’s just a pure privilege to be here.  I wish I could stay much longer, but I’m also ready to see Josh and the kiddos.  It’s been a whirl wind of a trip and just as the other days, today floored me as well.

Today we visited other more developed care points.  And really it’s kind of crazy how God can use His people and their resources and move them in a certain direction, formulate a plan and then execute that plan.  These care points were all different and awesome in their own way.  There sat giant play grounds in the middle of Swaziland and schools and strawberry plants in a green house and solar powered water pumps and a church building and gardens because people cared and wanted to come along side their sisters and brothers in Christ…because they want to spread God’s love and build relationships.  It was incredible to see how God has plans and He’s going to fulfill those plans using His children to support one another.

We’ve been supporters of CHC and AIM, but honestly, the stakes have been raised with this trip.  I have seen these people…these families in action and I’m in awe.  All of the staff work their butts off to empower and love fearlessly the people and children of Swaziland.  I seriously cannot put into words how amazing it was to watch them in action…the care point coordinators, the drivers, the go-gos, the discipleship leaders & teachers and the ground staff coordinators.  It takes a lot of people, but they are certainly doing God’s work…and doing it well.

We were able to visit their farm today and I was totally impressed.  I had read quite a bit about it before the trip, but was personally very excited to see it in person.  Jumbo, AIM’s ground coordinator here in Swaziland, seriously blew my mind.  It was so much, much more than I ever imagined.  The farm is huge and awesome and everything Jumbo told us further reminded me what this whole thing is about.  Empowering and self-sustaining.  300,000 cabbages…now that’s a crap load of cabbages.  There is also maize and beans and rose geraniums.  This farm isn’t even three years old yet and it’s already self sustaining and providing 21 jobs to Swazis.  They feed the kids at the care point and families in the communities, they sell food and the oil from the rose geraniums plants.  I had never even heard of rose geraniums, but serious research and thought has gone into this.  So big, so awesome, so well thought out and planned…It was incredible.

Last night we got to hear from Julie who heads up Timbali Crafts.  She works with around 100 women who are go-gos or cooks from the care points.  They sew all sorts of beautiful bags and head bands and Christmas ornaments and kindle cases and zipper pouches and aprons and pillow covers and placemats and seriously, I bought a ton of gorgeous items.  And extra to share with you guys in a giveaway when I get back.

I loved hearing her talk and hearing her passion for these woman.  I love that she is working and be led by God to help give these woman opportunities to have a job…to be apart of a business and earn money and feel as if they have even more of a purpose.  She is helping empower these woman and it’s crazy beautiful.  Please check out their site and purchase…Christmas is coming…For realz.  And head over and like Timbali Crafts on Facebook and then tell your friends.  Gorgeous stuff made my gorgeous woman.

This is one of the things I love about this group…they’re trying to work themselves out of a job and spreading God’s love and His name while they’re at it.  They’re pouring into this nation of children and people.  They’re helping to provide jobs and modeling what a family should look like.  They’re helping meet needs and teaching skills and discipling and literally linking up arm and arm with the Swazi people.  I feel like I’m not even doing it justice…I feel like I’m falling so short in explaining the depth and magnitude and the beauty of it all.

I want to stay just a bit longer, but I’m also anxious to get home and unload the week…my thoughts and ideas and where God has my heart and all the what ifs and what nows.  What do I do now?  I don’t want this time to have been for nothing…I don’t want my heart to have gone unchanged or unscathed…I don’t want to not act.  I already text Josh and told him I’m ready to de-brief.  I hope he’s ready.

Happy Wednesday!

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