RO's World

 We believe teachers are trendsetters, many of whom love to play with textures, colours and shapes. One such trendsetter is our very own gorgeous customer and teacher by day, Hannah.  When we first met Hannah we just couldn't go past this amazing lady's impeccable taste in skirts; consistently wearing all the colours of the rainbow, paired up so beautifully with our jewels.

Hannah is a devoted mother, a huge support of her community, and has the most eloquent way with words. We just LOVE Hannah's style and how she expresses herself in her own distinctive way. 

We had a little chat to Hannah just after she jumped in front of our camera at our latest customer photoshoot.  

RO: Tell us a little bit about yourself...

Hannah: I wear many hats that I constantly juggle in an attempt to find the ‘just right’ balance for both my family and for me. Primarily I identify as a wife and mum at this stage in my life. While I am a teacher, I no longer teach full time as my husband travels extensively with his work and we have 3 Primary school aged children who keep me very busy when I’m not in the classroom. I am also the P&C President of my kids’ school and love being able to support the school and the children.

RO: How would you describe your style? Is there a defining moment that helped shape your awesome style?

Hannah: My style, I think, is a bit of a mash-up of classic lines, bright colours and florals. I honestly believe the biggest contributor to my style has been my own mum. She has always taught me the value of classic clothing and dressing for what suits my body rather than for what is in fashion. This has been an invaluable lesson for me as 7 years ago I was diagnosed with a condition called Lipoedema that means I have to wear medical compression tights every day! I’ve always loved skirts and dresses, but now that I wear compression, skirts and dresses are my every day wear!

RO: Have you always loved colour?

Hannah: I have always loved colour, especially when I look back at photos from the 1980’s, but I haven’t always worn a lot of it. For many years my teacher wardrobe was dominated by black, grey and navy. When I was a SAHM my ‘uniform’ consisted of denim and black with occasional pops of colour. I trace my love of bright colours back to when I was dealing with the mental and emotional impact of wearing medical compression. It’s not a lot of fun to wear tights through a Brisbane summer, so I needed something to make me smile and distract both me (and others) from my somewhat unusual ‘accessories’. Wearing colour, and in particular Ruby Olive colour, was the perfect answer!

RO: What do you love about Ruby Olive accessories?

Hannah: My 6 year old son asked me today, “Mummy, why do you love Ruby Olive so much?” After assuring him that I do love my children more than my Ruby Olive accessories, I explained to him that my RO makes me happy. It might sound a little superficial, but when I put on my RO, I feel like I’m putting on an essential part of my ‘armour’ for the day. On days when I’m feeling down, the bright colours remind me that life is more than this. On days when I have a difficult meeting or a challenge to face, I love that I can use my RO to help me ‘power dress’ and walk with confidence. In the school context it never ceases to amaze me how RO will often serve as a conversation starter with children, parents and staff! Once someone comments on my RO, the conversation is sure to flow from there!

Hannah wears Contrast Flat Disc Necklace & Garden Party Tipped Ring

RO: Why did you say YES! to being a RO superstar model?

Hannah: I was both shocked and honoured when Skye approached me about having some photos taken wearing my RO. I’m not sure why I said yes. I think it probably had something to do with seizing the opportunity to do something extraordinary. Besides, who doesn’t want to play dress ups with jewellery! I have to say that honestly it was completely outside of my comfort zone as, like most mothers, I am usually the one behind the camera. I loved it, awkwardness and all, and especially the opportunity to spend some hours behind the scenes at RO HQ with my fellow ‘RO superstar model’ Sue, and the beautiful women who make it all happen.

RO: What does being part of the RO Community mean to you?

Hannah: This is where the true beauty of Ruby Olive shines. I adore my RO accessories, but my heart for RO is found within the RO community itself. There is no telling what stories, anecdotes and hilarious selfies will be shared, but in amongst the light-hearted banter, the RO community encapsulates the beauty of what happens when women support other women. We share our celebrations and our struggles, we share our loves and our dislikes, we learn from each other about different cultures and customs from around the globe and, most of all, we have each other’s backs. This friendship, love and sisterhood is what sets Ruby Olive apart for me. We come from all over the world, we have vastly different lives and ambitions and yet, though a common love of RO, the bonds of friendship have formed and we support each other, learn from each other and build each other up.  

RO: What are the top three things, or 'rules' you choose to live by?

Hannah: I found this surprisingly easy to answer, which was a shock to me.

- The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

- Living BIG: Boundaries, Integrity, Generosity. This is from ‘Rising Strong’ by Dr Brene Brown. I love her work and how she encourages us to live wholeheartedly and to practise compassion and empathy.  

- “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” CS Lewis.

RO: Last but not least, if you were to introduce RO to a person who's never heard of the brand before, what would you say to them?

Hannah: It is not uncommon to have someone ask me about my RO jewels. When that happens, I explain to them that I love my jewels, I adore the colours, I can’t get enough of the styles and how RO makes me feel, but that it’s the faces behind RO who make it what it is. I find it so incredibly unique the way that Skye and her team invite us so generously into their RO tribe. They seek input and feedback, and yet they are so genuinely interested in the day to day wellbeing of their RO sisters. There are plenty of jewellery and accessory brands out there, but the loyalty that exists among RO devotees is there because of the passion, love and generosity of Skye and her beautiful team. They, and the beautiful group of women who are part of the RO sisterhood, are what has set RO apart.  

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This year I celebrated Australia Day on the 25th of January and I was lucky enough to be in the company of an amazing group of ladies. 

Let me introduce to you our very clever artisans in the Philippines. 

I’m incredibly proud and consider myself so very lucky to have these women as part of the Ruby Olive family.  These are the women that help bring my ideas and concepts to life.  They are the women that are responsible for every single part of our manufacturing process.  They hand mix all my crazy colours, they hand make all my wierd shaped molds, they hand pour the resin into the molds (including my quirky requests for organic looking swirls), they hand sand every bead, they hand drill each component and they hand polish and hand string each and every piece (wow, that’s a lot of hands) to make the jewellery you proudly wear.

These ladies are the most giving, sweet and beautiful women, who certainly love a good laugh.

When I was thinking about this post I initially was going to post pictures of the ‘HOW’, such as detailed videos of our making process, but after some thought, I realised the most empowering and most meaningful part of our process was definitely the ‘WHO’.

After all, it’s people that matter most. 

The people at every touch point > beginning, middle and end. 

The clever people at the beginning who make for us.  The amazing people in the middle who work with us. The fabulous people at the end who buy from us. 

It’s because of YOU > supporting ME > that enables US > to support THEM. 

And that means an awful lot to me. 

So, I wanted to say a huge heartfelt  THANK YOU!

Thank YOU for helping me support these amazing women, which in turn helps THEM support their own family’s future. 

If you're an Instagram user, you may have found yourself in a land of endless scrolling... I think we've all been there. It can be easy to get caught up in the seemingly endless world of colour, creativity and entertainment that's right at your fingertips. One fine afternoon, we found ourselves in the land of the endless Insta scroll, but this time we struck gold. Pure, solid, sparkly, gold. You see, all of this scrolling led us to a gorgeous Belizean-Latina lady named Connie, or @cloudsincolor  (on Instagram). Connie instantly gave off an effervescent feel; she seemed like such a carefree and colourful soul. We fell in love with her style and Instagram feed, so we reached out to say hi and basically ask in a really non-creepy way if we could be friends. Cut to Connie looking FABULOUS in our jewels, and us wanting to share her story and celebrate her colourful creativity with the Ruby Olive community. Read our interview with Connie below.

RO: Tell us a little bit about yourself...
CC: I am a color-enthusiast living the rainbow life in sunny Southern California. I have a passion for colorful and fun style! I find dressing in bright happy colors brings me such joy, that I have begun sharing that joy on social media and it has allowed me to connect with so many fellow-color lovers.

Connie wears the Contrast Striped Edge Earrings in Multi

RO: What does your average day look like?
CC: Saturday is my favorite day of the week. I get so much done and always find time to see my family and friends. On a typical Saturday, I get up early and prepare to photo shoot content for the upcoming week. Some weeks I have specific ideas to photograph and other times I just venture out and hope for something good to pop up! I start by styling a fun colorful outfit with my favorite accessories and then before I leave the house I put on the perfect shoes to finish the look. I always take a few options along with me in case something works better for a particular moment. After running around town all morning, I can be found shopping at vintage stores or relaxing with my friends in LA’s vibrant nightlife.

RO: If you could do anything in the world, what would it be and where?
CC: I would be a fulltime creator here in Los Angeles. In a dream world, I could make a living bringing all the wild ideas floating around in my brain to life. I would have no limits to my creativity and I could collaborate with other creatives and artists. First on my list would be a line of hats and dresses followed by home decor.

RO: How would you describe your style? Is there a defining moment that helped shape your awesome style?
CC: My style is pop-vintage-rainbow-kitsch with a focus on fun and classic lines. I slowly began transitioning my wardrobe from neutrals to color by incorporating statement hats and accessories. That led to colorful rainbow hair and I kept going until I finally felt like myself. Now, I can incorporate high end pieces with a novelty bag, in the shape of a flamingo and that works for me. My only rule of thumb is, if something doesn’t make me feel good and confident I don’t wear it.

RO: Have you always loved colour?
CC: Yes! My Caribbean upbringing was always filled with insane amounts of color. From the food to the architecture, the influence of my Belizean heritage is where my love of color began.

RO: While we’re on the topic of colour, I need to know… how many different colours has your hair been?!
CC: I’ve had every color in the rainbow and there still seems to be so many more options to explore. I always come back to pink somehow but I’m in a very blue and purple place right now.

Connie wears the Carousel Bubblegum Necklace 

RO: What’s a favourite hobby of yours?
CC: Sewing. I love making my own clothes and designing textile prints. I have a background in costume design so when I can’t find something I make it!

RO: Tell us something we’d never guess about you?
CC: I’m a trained classical singer. I still sing a great deal and I’m so thankful my husband enjoys it.

RO: What makes you happiest?
CC: Feeling comfortable in my own skin. Self-love makes loving others and life in general so much better!

RO: What do you love about Ruby Olive accessories?
CC: Color and texture! Every piece is as colorful as it is polished with a smooth soft texture that feels great to wear all day. Finding colorful accessories that exude elegance is no easy feat.

RO: What would you pick as a go-to Ruby Olive piece and why?
CC: Hands down my go-to piece is the Carousel Abstract Stripe Necklace. It works for each part of my life and helps me bring a little pop of color to every outfit. I wear it to dress up a casual sundress or to add a playful element to my business looks. It’s such a versatile accessory and it’s always a big hit when I wear it.

We'd like to give a HUGE big thanks to this gorgeous woman for letting us into her world and giving us the opportunity to learn a little more about her. I have no doubt that Connie will make her mark on the world in a big, colourful way. Check her out on Instagram here: @cloudsincolor