Hats, Hearts and Jewels

I decided to create my website around hats. They seem to fit so many personalities, from fun and casual to alluring and seductive. A woman has to be confident to wear them, embracing her own style and loving herself enough to pull them off. Hats are more than accessories; they are statements, reflections of our mood, our confidence, and our ever-changing identities.

After every photoshoot comes the process of selecting the perfect images, refining and editing until they align with my vision. As I sift through the photographs showcasing my jewelry designs, there it is—my chest scar. A lasting remnant of my long and difficult battle with breast cancer.

For a moment, I hesitate. A photograph may capture a glimpse of our personality, but it’s never the whole picture. I am a real person behind Duck River Pearls, and I want you to know me as I truly am—imperfections and all. The reality is, we can always photoshop away our external flaws, but unless we learn to love ourselves as we are, with the same confidence from whom we were designed after, we fool no one. Beauty is not found in erasing our perceived imperfections; it shines through the authenticity of our spirit. No matter how much we strive for timeless elegance, our most captivating allure emanates from within.

Our character, much like the full jewelry box of life experiences, is multifaceted. Just like hats, women wear many roles—each reflecting different seasons of life. From youth to womanhood, from single to married, from raising children to facing childlessness, from independence to selfless caregiving. With every phase, we shift and grow, our experiences shaping us, sometimes in ways unseen in a photograph. Beneath the brim of every hat we wear, we carry the silent weight of our joys and struggles, our triumphs and heartbreaks.

I want each of us to experience abundant love, to grant ourselves—and each other—full grace and mercy. Every journey we walk is valuable, each moment a precious jewel we hold close to our hearts. I wish for us a lifetime of laughter, the power of unwavering character, true happiness, and a spirit of gratitude. May we walk through life with courage, embracing every role, every challenge, and every transformation with confidence.

So, I encourage you: delight in life. Wear every kind of hat that speaks to your soul. Express your true self unapologetically. And most of all, grow well, my friend. Grow beautifully. Grow in the assurance that you are cherished beyond measure. You are a jewel—scars and all.