Every time I find myself experiencing a difficult moment, I always wonder why people say "Inspiration is everywhere" yet no matter how hard I look, my world only seems to reflect a dark shade of hopelessness. Now don't get me wrong-- these aren't always my sentiments. My outlook is usually pretty positive as long as my life is. But when things start to get tough? Well.. I'd be lying if I said my optimism still reigned.
For months I had turned into a manifestation of all the stress and negativity I was experiencing. I was the worst version of myself, but I couldn't find the motivation to become any better. Then one morning, when I woke up and realized I didn't want to go on like that anymore, I decided to make big and small changes to my lifestyle so I could improve my mindset. And in a desperate attempt to ground all the shifts and transformations happening, madeformisbehaving.wix.com/site was born as a means to remind myself to stay positive all throughout my troubles.
But even though my blog was already a pretty good outlet to bring back inspiration into my routine, I still sometimes found myself in a situation where the existence of my site suddenly seemed inconsequential. Staying firm amidst the struggles I faced in real life became nearly impossible, and I began longing for post-it signs with my favorite positive quotes to be stuck all over my body as reminder not to give up again.
So one day, when I found a certain Instagram store during my daily procrastination sessions, I knew it was a sign from The Big Man himself. "Here," I felt Him whisper to me as I scrolled through the page in awe. "Since post-its would ruin your outfit anyway."
Sam's Lil Hands is an online shop that creates only the most unique personalized and handstamped cutlery, jewelry, and leather goods. But what actually caught my eye was their absolutely gorgeous collection of handmade cuffs that bore customized names, dates, song lyrics, or-- you guessed it-- positive quotes chosen by their customers.
I wanted a visual and portable representation of all the things I needed to constantly remind myself of, and I finally found a way to do just that without sacrificing my style.
For this collaboration, Ms. Eliza Blabagno Inco-- the wonderful owner of the store-- was kind enough to send me 2 personalized cuff bangles and a thick brass ring which, after trying on, not only complimented my skin tone but also gave all of my #OOTDs a classier and polished look.
The brass bracelet is a beautiful blend of zinc and copper, while also dubbing as an auxiliary for gold. I had "Let Go and Let God" printed on it as a personal note to consistently hold on to my faith especially in times where I feel I no longer have the power to change anything.
The aluminum piece is not only lighter in terms of color comparison to sterling silver, but also in regards to it's weight. You might think that this would make the material flimsy, but it's firmness despite my various attempts to distort the shape proves just how stable it actually is. And coincidentally, this characteristic makes it a perfect match for the "Unbroken" phrase I got printed!
(It also has a special place in my heart because of it's hypoallergenic feature-- my extremely sensitive skin is beyond thankful.)
The brass ring is a thick 1-inch beauty that completely ties the two other accessories together. If you're looking to purchase a piece as a way to imprint a special name, date, or line then I highly encourage you to do so. It's not often one can immortalize important aspects of their life in the most stylish way possible while still keeping their wallet happy. That's definitely an opportunity worth seizing if you ask me!
But if you're only after grounding the color scheme of multiple cuffs you might have bought, I recommend having a tiny shape printed on the center just to give it a little more personality.
(I think my mini heart is absolutely adorable, don't you think?)
I honestly cannot stress enough how much I adore these products. I mean, who would have expected to find, a.) affordable jewelry in classic and rich tones of rose gold, pure gold, and silver, b.) a fashionable and completely work-slash-school appropriate way to immortalize your favorite things, and c.) a humble, passionate, and kind owner behind all of it? It's a perfect hit!
This all just makes me question why it's taking so long for people to discover this terrific bling boutique already and give it the recognition it so-rightly deserves.. I mean, come on-- if I were a jewelry miner, finding this shop would no doubt be my Eureka moment.
But on the other hand, goldmines are always the hardest to find.
For more information on Sam's Lil Hands:
Click here to visit their Instagram store.
Click here to visit their Facebook page.
