Jess Lively

  This week I’m thankful for… giving myself a break. I had quite a few intentions and deadlines fall short in November and I’m actively allowing myself to not feel bad about them. You know how I wanted to thank people every day in November?* I did it for two days. The two days before [...]

  As I type this post I have to do the following in the next twenty minutes: write this post, put makeup on/do my hair, take the puppy out, and leave for my monthly business mentorship meeting. Needless to say, I’m typing coherent sentences as quickly as possible. Lately, this has been my life. I [...]

  As December quickly approaches, I’ve started to mull over my intentions for 2013. I don’t usually write my future letter to myself until the week before New Years but I like to contemplate those intentions early. It’s also nice to reflect on how far I’ve come this year and look at what I’ve done well (work) [...]

  Help! I have been working with Franklin for the past three weeks and I have gotten 25% of what I normally get done. I thought that since I work from home that I would be perfectly suited to having a little pup by my side. But the truth is that he chews everything he [...]

  Tomorrow’s Wish I Knew Wednesday will be a fun one. I’m going to be covering when it’s a good idea to celebrate! So often this aspect of business is overlooked and it’s definitely important in many ways (which I’ll describe in more detail tomorrow). If you’d like to get the email, simply sign up by [...]

  When Mr. Lively and I moved, I was hitting the CL pretty hard. One of my scores was a yellow and green bamboo desk for the guest room. As you can see it had great bones but the color story wasn’t quite my jam. So I went to town with paint. Which meant last week before our [...]

  Over the weekend our extended families came into town to celebrate our marriage and elopement over Thanksgiving, a cocktail party on Friday, and a dinner on Saturday. Though I never expected to have such an unusual wedding celebration three months after the ceremony, the weekend could not have been more perfect ending to our [...]

  This Wednesday I am taking the day off from dishing out business advice and instead offering an added bonus for those who sign up for consultations or one-on-one workshops with me between Black Friday (11/23) and Cyber Monday (11/26). If you’d like to get the email, simply sign up by clicking on the image [...]

  Though Jess LC has closed it’s doors, the ladies at Ampersand Design Studio have added three of our collaboration prints to their shop! Purchase here just in time for the holidays.   via

  Over the weekend Mr. Lively and I were frantically finishing the apartment for both our extended families which are coming into town this week to celebrate our elopement. People start arriving tomorrow (so things will be light on the blog over the next few days). With Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, a cocktail party on Friday, and a nice [...]

  When it came to decorating the back hallway I knew it needed to be practical. With the back door right across from our bedroom we would eventually be taking Franklin out that way often. To add quick access storage I turned an Ikea bathroom towel rack into a coat organizer. We now have hooks [...]

  This year I have learned many lessons. It was outwardly my most transformational year and inwardly I made similar progress as well. One lesson I’ve learned over and over each month is that having “it all” in my career is not a recipe for happiness. I received many emails and compliments while I was juggling Jess [...]

  Over the summer I got a fantastic injection of new pieces into my wardrobe. But as the weather dropped I found myself gravitating to the same favorite items again and again. Rather than do any major shopping in order to feel inspired by my closet, I opted to track the tops I wear. After I [...]

  Tomorrow on Wish I Knew Wednesday I’ll be talking about how product and service businesses can use Small Business Saturday to help stimulate sales for the holiday season. If you’d like to get the email, simply sign up by clicking on the image below. This email list is also where I announce upcoming workshops and other BWI updates. [...]

  Yes, yes, I have been talking a lot about Franklin and raising a puppy over the last week. It’s honestly because he’s been a huge new part of my life which is currently taking up a lot of my time, attention, and intentions as we get to know each other and establish a routine. [...]

  Over the last week Mr. Lively and I have gotten into some not-so-great habits. When Franklin is acting up, which is pretty often at this point, we have started to refer to him as the Little Jerk (and other non-wonderful names) amongst ourselves and our friends. I also joked a few times about how [...]

  This week I’m so, so, so thankful for the teamwork and rhythm that Mr. Lively and I have created when caring for little Franklin. As I’ve mentioned, I’m big on individualization and we’ve found a good balance. Since I’m the morning person in the relationship, I have been in charge taking Franklin out anytime after [...]

  I thought that by picking the sweet puppy who gave us kisses and didn’t bark we were hitting the puppy jackpot. I thought that he’d sit quietly on a bed next to me while I worked happily chewing a bone. That he’d be our faithful companion and woo everyone with his cute looks and [...]

  Now that Jess LC has ended, I have decided to pre-retire. In fact, I’ve smooshed the word together and shortened it to: pretiring. Why am I pretiring you might ask? And what does it mean? I am pretiring because I am now at a point in my career where I’m no longer balancing a [...]

  Tomorrow on Wish I Knew Wednesday I’ll be discussing how to raise your rates. This is a topic I cover often when consulting and at Business in the City (which is next Wednesday). It can seem tough to do, but it is often necessary over time for a variety of reasons. If you’d like to get [...]

Today I’d like to introduce a dear reader and jewelry designer, Jen Moulton. I invited her to share her story which encourages us all to trust our instincts, especially where our health is concerned. Thanks, Jen, for your bravery and for sharing your story.  Last year, my 25th, was one of those years that you [...]

  Over the weekend Mr. Lively and I added to our little family. (Benjamin) Franklin Lively has now entered our lives and our home. The first 24 hours were a big adjustment for us all. But we are starting to get into the swing of things and today is his is first day “on the [...]

  This week there is a lot to be thankful for. Primarily in the Jess LC arena. I would like to dedicate today’s Thankful For post to everyone who has supported Jess LC over the past fourteen years. The “stylish” ankle bracelet design that started it all… I would like to thank the fateful women [...]

  As we close the Jess LC shop tonight at 6p CST I think this sweet, sweet email from a dear customer sums up all that I’ve hoped to accomplish over the past 14 years.   Jess & company - What a bittersweet moment it was this evening to carefully unwrap the blue tissue encasing [...]

  download full-size white wallpaper here Last month the free wallpaper for October slipped away from me. In the bustle of the move it got lost in the shuffle. But today I’m back with a new quote just in time for a thanks-filled November. download full-size flower wallpaper here And of course, I have another option for [...]

  Now that November is upon us, I definitely have the holidays in mind. Partly because Mr. Lively and I are hosting our extended families for a huge Thanksgiving weekend. It’s going to take a few weeks of prep for the four nights of entertaining… starting very soon. But beyond the logistical aspects of this [...]