If you are here from the ambassador blog train, welcome!  I’m excited to join this train of world changing women once again to bring awareness and excitement around our new fall 2014 line!  If this is your first stop, visit precious Ethiopian adoptive mama, Shannon’s giveaway from yesterday  and visit Emily’s later today!   I absolutly am in LOVE with the new line and think you will too!  I want to share a few of my favorite pieces from the fall line, and give away one of my favorite new pieces from our Rwandan group that I’ve come to love so dearly.  I hope you see through these images, that these women are just like you and me.  They have joy, they cook dinner for their families, they entertain their neighbors, they have a love and passion for their children, they have deep passion for what they do which in turns gives ME great passion for what I do.

“the moment” for me on the #StyleForJustice trip was the first day we pulled up to the sewing co-op.  I was the first one out of the bus, and I couldn’t wait to put my arms around those sweet women who I sat across the living room with three years ago.  Words fail me to tell you how welcomed and loved I felt to walk into their studio and their lives.  Triple kisses on the cheek followed by a long hug made my heart feel at home.  Tears filled my eyes as I thought of the hundreds of customers I have back at home who proudly wear their items, and are exposed to their stories at my trunk shows.  With shaky hands and pounding heart I told them that they gave me purpose.  Their passion + purpose in their work, only gave me more passion and purpose in my work to be their ambassador.

last week was such a crazy, god-authored week.  all the emotions from our #StyleForJustice trip came back up.  I’m a delayed processor, and so there’s so many more “nuggets” to come from that trip.  but watching this short film about our trip made it all so real and tender again.  seeing the faces of my Rwandan friends on the video, hearing the shakiness in my voice and seeing the tears in my eyes.  it’s all real.  my passion for Noonday Collection and the over 2,000 artisans in over 10 countries around the world is only grown deeper.  more fiery.  [is that a word?].

that first day at the co-op that I spoke of above, was one that dreams are made of.  this is what I wrote that day:

“Standing in front of our Noonday Collection sewing co-op today, was a brave friend of mine, who through tears, told our seamstresses how much of a dream fulfilled today was.  A day she has been dreaming of, hoping for, and 3 years ago wasn’t sure it would be a reality.  The picture she painted was of all our artisans, and ambassadors holding hands around the world and lifting us up.

If I could bottle up the joy and pride that exuded from every single one of our seamstresses today, I would.  I would do anything for you to have been there.  To feel the warmth of their hugs and genuine thanks on their lips. I wish you could have been there to hold my hand as I was holding back my own happy tears.  This is why I do what I do.  These women.  They inspire me, empower me, and are the reason I spend hours every week loading + unloading a car full of samples, driving to a friends houses’ and telling their stories.”

in honor of these joy filled, amazing women, I’m giving away one of their beautiful products:

the ruffled make up bag, made with love in Rwanda

a Rafflecopter giveaway

enter between now + monday at midnight to win!  ps – if you aren’t already follow the ambassador style challenge on instagram this week with the hashtag #noondaystyle for ideas of how to style your new fall pieces!

shop my faves and the rest of the line here!

photos by Paige Knusden