We have been on the go non-stop. It feels like we rarely sleep in our own beds…and Ashley hates not seeing her daughter everyday of her life. Luckily, we absolutely love what we do! It’s the only reason Ashley’s able to leave her precious little face. We returned last week from an amazing week-long trip to our factory in Mexico. While we make our Stella Valle line in the USA, we’ve been so fortunate to find a perfect jewelry factory in Mexico to help produce our Women Warriors by Stella Valle line. We had no idea what to expect when we hopped on the plane to Mexico to check out the factory. Our husbands thought we were absolutely nuts for going to the middle of Mexico by ourselves—I think they forget we were Army girls :P The trip turned out to be extremely productive, and we continue to learn so much about how our jewelry is produced.

We’ll let you in on some little known facts on Stella Valle jewelry making. First, all of the pieces are designed on computer software and then 3-D printed as part of the mold development process. That’s right, we use the best high-tech equipment so that each piece comes out just perfect. Secondly, the pieces are plated in 14K Gold and Rhodium. Most people don’t know what Rhodium is—it is a natural metal that is more expensive than silver, doesn’t tarnish, and doesn’t wear easily! Thirdly, each of the crystals in every piece are hand set. It was absolutely crazy to watch the factory employees set the 134 teeny tiny crystals in the Aspire Bracelet. Can you say, patience?! Finally, during the final packaging step of the process, the pieces get the white glove treatment. The employees handle each piece with white gloves as they check, clean, and place each piece in a box ready to be shipped.

We had such a blast hanging out with the factory owners and their entire family. It was really neat to meet another family that had built their business from the ground up. The factory has been producing jewelry for over 30 years and now has over 600 employees and produces over 500,000 pieces of jewelry a month! Almost everyone in the family has a management role in business…We not only learned a ton about how our jewelry is made, but we also learned a ton about business and gained a few new role models, too!

Our factory visit definitely reminded us how much tender, love, and care goes into making each piece! Next time you put on your favorite Stella Valle piece, remember that dozens of people have handled it to make sure its just right for you!

Lot of Love,
The Stella Valle Sisters
 

These days we are spending a lot of time out of the office, while still working, of course. We thought we’d share a few outfit inspirations for keeping it casual…and cool…while working out of the office! These looks are also perfect for your weekend wears!

If you haven’t noticed, denim is in for Spring. It is absolutely everywhere in every silhouette possible, from jumpsuits to jumpers to culottes and everything in between. We mixed up our denim with rips, stripes, and a romper. Don’t be shy when it comes to denim—it’s super easy to be daring with denim because the fabric is casual and timeless. It’s also completely cool to mix denim colors, like Ashley did. She is wearing a Cloth & Stone striped denim top and Asos bleached ripped boyfriend jeans. She added just a little bit of umph with black patent Christian Louboutin pumps. Denim goes great with silver and pearls. Ashley chose the silver Brussels bracelet, the silver Russia ring, and two silver The Year 2070 rings- one as a midi ring and one layered on the Russia ring. She also wore The Year 2060 mirror earrings and a single English Bazaar earring.

Paige chose a Paige denim romper…fitting, right? She paired it with black leather booties to make the short suit appropriate for Spring. The Year 2080 Lariat necklace adds drama to the romper while still keeping it casual. She wore a Belgium bracelet and stacked Rio de Janeiro rings to finish the look.

Girls, it’s time to get out of the office and get your denim re-mix on! Show us how you do it using #SVStyle.

Lots of Love,
Ashley & Paige
The Stella Valle Sisters
 
 

Seen on Ashley:
 
Brussels Silver bracelet
Russia Silver ring
The Year 2070 rings
The Year 2060 mirror earrings
English Bazaar earrings

Seen on Paige:
 
The Year 2080 Lariat necklace
Belgium bracelet
Rio de Janeiro ring

With Spring in full swing, we thought it might be useful to share some Spring runway styles made street-style friendly. While we absolutely love hitting our favorite fashion shows, we know that it can be difficult to take those high fashion trends and make them wearable. We pulled our favorite looks from the Spring runway - fringe, gingham check, and baby blue - to show you how to style them. Gingham is a classic print, but this year it was freshened up with larger patterns on cool silhouettes. Ashley found these adorable Finders Keepers harem-like gingham pants. The best part about these pants is that they are fashion-forward, but so comfortable. She paired them with another spring trend, baby blue. The baby blue t-shirt and French Connection blazer gives the pants a softer look. To accessorize the outfit, Ashley wore the Eday front-back earrings,The Year 2051 bracelet, The Year 2052 bracelet, The Year 2053 bracelet, and Rio Del Mar rings.

Fringe is in! Paige’s fun-side couldn’t resist this trend. She loves the way this dress from Nasty Gal moves when she twerks- I mean twirls :P She’s not that nasty! Paige amped up the dress with our Latvia Lip collar,The Year 2053 bracelet, The Year 2050 bracelet. Her shoes were color-blocked black and white BCBG heels. The sunnies are blue mirrored Wildfox Couture.

Let’s see your Stella Valle Spring style, ladies. #SVStyle

Lots of Love….and warmth,

The Stella Valle Sisters

Ashley:

Eday Earrings

Rio Del Mar Rings

The Year 2051 Bracelet

The Year 2052 Bracelet

The Year 2053 Bracelet

English Bazaar Earrings
 
 

Paige:

Latvia Lip Collar - Contact us for Special Order

The Year 2053 Bracelet

The Year 2050 Bracelet

We’re gearing up for travel season. Actually, I am writing this blog in Istanbul, Turkey- so I guess we aren’t just gearing up, we’re traveling! Fortunately, this trip is for fun. Next week, Paige and I will be on our way to Mexico for a week of work. It seems like this business requires a lot of travel, but we don’t mind because we enjoy getting to see unique places around the world— and the best part is, we get to do it together! On our travels, we find inspiration for our collections, we learn about other cultures, we meet new interesting people, we enjoy the various cuisines, and we laugh a lot!

When we travel, we want to look cute, of course, but we also want to be super comfortable. A lot of times we like to bring layers, so that we can adjust for the various temperatures. We both hate being cold, so even in the spring and summer, we tend to wear close-toed shoes and something that covers our shoulders. Typically, we are scurrying to meet someone as soon as we arrive, so we also want to look fashionable. This trip is no different. Ashley chose a comfortable, but breathable outfit from one of our favorite sites, Asos. The culottes, by Vila, are a hot trend right now- and they are perfect for that transition from cool weather to warmer weather. The matching top makes the outfit look put together. It just so happens that this shirt is perfect for the Futuristic Flashback Lariat Necklace, The Year 2080. The necklace really goes great with any button up. On her ears, Ashley kept it simple with The Year 2062 cube earrings and added a single English Bazaar Earring on her right ear. While these ear crawlers come as a pair, you can also wear them as a single earring. They look great in the second hole with a stud in the first hole. She also wore The Year 2071 cube ring and two The Year 2070 triple square rings, one as a regular ring and one as a midi ring, all in silver.

Paige also chose a cool but comfy silver crop top and matching culottes from Asos White Collection. The collection has really cool, but affordable minimalist clothing. The strappy black leather shoes are nine west and the bag is a custom italian bag we designed. She paired the outfit with all silver pieces. The Egypt Eye earrings glam up the whole oufit. Since her hair is pulled back you can really see how adorable they are! She also wore our Brussels bracelet and stacked Rio del Mar rings, Rio de Janiero rings, and The Year 2070 rings.
We hope that you have the opportunity to get your Spring Break on, too! It’s a nice way to celebrate the end of the winter! We’d love you to share your travel style and tips with us using the #SVStyle or with a comment below.
To safe travels…Lots of Love,

Ashley & Paige
The Stella Valle Sisters

On Ashley:

The Year 2062

The Year 2071

The Year 2080

The Year 2052

English Bazaar Earrings

On Paige:

Rio Del Mar Rings

Brussels Bracelet

Egypt Eye Crystal Stud Earrings

Rio De Janeiro Ring

As you’ve gotten to know us over the years, it’s probably no surprise that we would share a wedding dress given we share just about everything….Yes, that’s right we transformed Ashley’s wedding dress into Paige’s dream wedding gown with the help of an expert tailor! The transformation idea started when all the Dellavalle sisters and our mom, Linda, set out looking for Paige’s wedding dress. Unfortunately, the day ended in disappointment. Paige didn’t love a single dress she tried on. All of the sudden, Ashley said, I have an idea (she usually does, given our entrepreneurial minds like to problem solve in creative ways)…”Let’s take my wedding dress and transform it into Paige’s dress!” After all, the wedding dress just sat in Ashley’s closest since her wedding 5 years ago. It would mean so much to her to watch Paige walk down the aisle in her dress.

At that moment, we began to put our designer heads together trying to figure out how to take Ashley’s high neckline dress and make it into the deep v neck vintage inspired dress that Paige was dreaming about. The first step was taking it to the seamstress at the bridal boutique where all of the Dellavalle sisters got their wedding dresses to see if this was even a possibility. The seamstress said, “Before we start cutting let’s make sure we can get those wine stains out.” Ashley never dry cleaned the dress after her wedding. It sat wine stains for 5 years! Two thorough dry cleans later, the dress looked new, and we were confident we should move forward with the transformation. However, there was one more problem we had to tackle – we needed matching lace to make the sleeves. So Paige set out to no where else, but the garment district in NYC searching high and low for a lace that matched. After hours of searching, she found one that would match just fine after the beading was done. Then, miraculously our seamstress just happened to find the exact lace of the dress left over from another project she had worked on. We were starting to feel like this was fate!

Paige went into her first fitting and the dress was near complete. With minor tweaks to the sleeves and the request for a little bit deeper v, we were confident this dress was going to turn out gorgeous!

The vail was easy as it was the vail that all the Dellavalle sisters wore on their wedding day. Something borrowed is always easy in our household of 4 sisters!

For Ashley, it was just as special as she imagined watching Paige walk down the isle to marry Johnny in same dress that she married Jason in. And for Paige it was amazing that Ashley would be so willing to allow her to cut her wedding dress. It’s just another bond that we will share! Who knows, maybe we’ll transform the dress again one day when Viviana is ready to marry!

Lots of Love,

Ashley & Paige

So this week, we decided to bring you along on a day of meetings in the fashion capital of the world, the one and only NYC. When we have the chance to get out of the office, and meet with editors, buyers, and other entrepreneurs, we have so much fun! We hop in and out of cabs, from one beautiful building to another spreading the word about Stella Valle. We love it!

The best thing about being in fashion is that you can pretty much wear anything you want to meetings… But, we always like to look the part. We wear clothes that compliment Stella Valle’s style and the jewelry. We also make sure that we “go together.” We absolutely hate clashing going into meetings. We typically do a little bit of outfit coordination the night before.

On this particular day, Ashley had plans that night, so she wore a red Zara jumpsuit with a black BCBG blazer over. She killed the blazer for her night on the town. She put a black leather bow Kate Spade belt around the waste of the jumpsuit to give it some shape. She completed the look with handmade vintage shades, and her Marc Jacobs black work tote.

Ashley and Paige chose to wear all gold jewelry today. It just seemed to compliment their looks best. Ashley’s ears were graced with the Edinburgh earrings. She wore the Los Angeles lip bracelet to ring hand chain. She fittingly wore the famous NYC cuff to top off the look.

Paige got sassy with a kitschy skirt by a really cool Australian designer named Alice McCall. Her perfect white blouse is Ann Taylor. She finished the look off with cream mules by BCBG and her Celine bag. I have to say, the best thing about that bag is the size. You can fit a boatload of jewelry in it!

Paige chose to wear the “negative” of Ashley’s NYC cuff in the form of the NYC Skyline necklace. She complimented it with The Year 2052 square bangle on each wrist and 2 Croatia Checkered rings- one as a regular ring and one as a middie ring.

Before we head into our meetings, we typically take a selfie (okay, or 3 or 4) to share our day with all of you. The most important advice we can give when dressing for an important day on the job, is to feel confident in what you are wearing. There is nothing worse than going through a day in which you need to feel your best, being conscious about what you are wearing. With that being said, don’t be afraid to be yourself in the office, without being inappropriate. It will allow your personal brand to shine through-so take selfies and shine on sisters!

Lots of Love,

The Stella Valle Sisters

On Ashley:

Edinburgh Earrings

NYC Cuff

Los Angeles Lip Hand Chain

On Paige:

NYC Skyline Necklace

The Year 2052 Bracelet

Croatia Checkered Ring
 
 
 

You all have asked for it, so we’ve taken on yet another outlet to share our lives and style with all of you. It is an honor to announce that we are launching our very own style blog called Stella Valle Style. It’s all too often that fashion bloggers become designers, well why not designers turned bloggers. While we’ve been blogging about our fashion and entrepreneurial journey since the company’s inception- and will continue to do that- the Stella Valle Style blog is intended to show you how you can style Stella Valle jewelry in your everyday life.
We’ll be taking our photographer, the amazingly talented Lauren Cowart (www.laurencowartphotography.com) on adventures in our everyday lives—to the office, to meetings, on dates, and everything in between…we’ll show you how we wear our Stella Valle pieces to every occasion and so can you! In addition, we plan to shoot some of our favorite fashionable ladies that we meet along the way and share how they like to style our jewels, too. We hope to inspire you to style your Stella Valle pieces in many different ways and throughout your personal adventures in life! When you aspire to inspire others with your style, share your looks with us via social media using #SVstyle !
For our first post, we really wanted to depict the quintessential Stella Valle Style. We picked our go-to pieces and wore some of our favorite clothing designers to showcase what Stella Valle style is all about. Our style is similar to our jewelry. We like to mix masculine, structured pieces with feminine details. We just love the juxtaposition of these looks. Our style portrays our personality and demeanor- after all, isn’t that what personal style is all about.
Ashley is wearing her new black and white BCBG Max Azria dress. We both love BCBG because it’s affordable but also very high quality and modern. She put the dress with a pair of Tibi shoes she had in her closet, and Stella Valle’s own black-mirrored handbag. Her sunglasses are Tilton from Nordstrom.
And now for the jewels… Most days we mix gold and silver; we don’t discriminate. Ashley has on her new favorite earrings in the Futuristic Flashback Collection, The Year 2061. They are front back earrings with a cube stud in the front and a rectangular mirror in the back. The best thing about these earrings is that they are actually 2 pairs of earrings in one—sort of a day to night look. The cubes can be worn alone, and then when you are ready to spice up the look for night, just throw on the rectangle mirror on the back and you are ready to shine! On Ashley’s wrists are a mix of pearl pieces from the F World Collection and geometric pieces from the Futuristic Flashback collection. She is wearing her own The Year 2050 hexagon bracelet engraved with her daughter’s name, Viviana (you can customize your own bracelet upon request), which she rarely takes off, a silver square bracelet called The Year 2052, and gold Belgium pearl bracelets. On her hands, she wears The Year 2070 ring in gold layered with a Rio De Janeiro gray pearl ring.
Paige is wearing a matching white crop top and pants by Lavish Alice D and a fuchsia pink duster jacket by Asos. Her shoes are Aldo. She wears Ashley’s Ray Ban aviator sunglasses. Yes, we share everything, including sunglasses. For jewels, she is wearing the versatile East Hampton earrings. Just like Ashley’s earrings these can be worn two ways. You can wear them as Paige has, with the front and back hexagons. Or you can wear just the front hexagons for a simpler look. She is also wearing the gold Czech cuff, The Year 2050 bangle, The Year 2051 bangle, and a Belgium bracelet. Finally, she keeps the fingers simple with a silver The Year 2071 ring worn as a middie ring. If you haven’t tried one, you must! It’s all the rage right now! Typically the sizing for a middie ring, is 2-3 sizes smaller than your ring size. So if you wear a 6 ring, try a size 3 or a 4 middie ring.
We hope you loved our first Stella Valle Style post… look for our posts on Thursdays. If you’d like to get the posts to your email, sign up at the bottom of our website for emails.
We are so excited to take you along on our style and life adventures with us. If there is something you’d love to see us try or style, please just let us know. You can email us at [email protected]. As always, we love to hear from you!
Lots of Love,
The Stella Valle Sisters

On Ashley:

The Year 2061 Earrings
The Year 2050 Bracelet
The Year 2052 Bracelet
Belgium Bracelet
Rio De Janeiro Ring
The Year 2070 Ring

On Paige:

East Hampton Earrings
Czech Bracelet
The Year 2050 Bracelet
The Year 2051 Bracelet
Belgium Bracelet
The Year 2071 Ring

Did you all catch the Grammys on Sunday night? While we love all of the awards shows this time of year, we think the Grammys really takes the cake because the performances are always so captivating and the fashion is both fun and glamourous. We fell in love with the looks worn by Chrissy Teigen, Gwen Stefani, and Taylor Swift. Not only are these ladies fashionistas, but they are also very talented and beautiful people! Chrissy wore a long form fitting white gown with sexy details by Emilio Pucci. This dress was so fabulous because it had just the right amount of skin showing to keep it sexy but not sluty. It’s definitely a fine line…that she walked with ease. The silhouette hugged her perfect body in all the right places. You got it going on Chrissy!
Gwen Stefani, a fashion designer herself, rocked a black embellished jumpsuit by Atelier Versace made exclusively for her for the event. We love when stars go bold in something other than a gown- and we are huge fans of jumpsuits! They are so classic but stylish. Gwen finished the look so nicely with her hair pulled back and a nude lip rather than her signature red lip. It kept all the focus on the amazing outfit. Way to rock it Gwen!
Last but not least, Taylor Swift, always one of our fashion favorites on the red carpet, wore a unique gown by our all time favorite dress designer Elie Saab. The ombre teal number fit like a glove, and again, showed off just the right amount of leg. While some criticized the strap detail around the shoulder, we thought that it was adorable and added a little unexpected flair. Somehow Taylor always looks flawless on the red carpet. Taylor, you know how to dress girlfriend! We are looking forward to seeing more red carpet looks during the Oscars, but that’s all for now!
Lots of Love,
The Stella Valle Sisters

We’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging because we were in paradise (aka St. Thomas) for Paige’s wedding. Now that we are back and settling into real life, we’d love to share with you some of the season’s latest jewelry trends- according to Rachel Zoe…You’re going to have to wait on the deets from Paige’s wedding—photos and video are still in the works, but coming soon. Wink wink. Until then, just know it was magical!

So back to these jewelry trends. We love Rachel Zoe, we follow her blog Zoe Report, and just the other day she released the top jewelry trends of the season. Since we agreed with her trends, and just about every one of her style choices, we picked a few SV pieces that you can grab to get with the trends! Our jewelry is right on trend! The first is ’70’s glam. It was all over the runways for Spring. I hope you didn’t throw out those bell bottoms you wore in High School. I kept a few of my favs, and I am definitely going to break them out! These statement Stella Valle earrings are the perfect way to rock the ’70’s glam trend.

Dainty- the second jewelry trend- has been around for awhile. Dainty pieces are super easy to wear everyday, but can add major impact if layered! The Stella Valle Flying High Necklace is a top seller! Its unique shape and design mean that you don’t really need to layer it to have major impact.

We’ve loved Art Deco from day 1. One of our first collections, Nonnina Deco, is all deco inspired pieces. We chose the super trendy Gladys bracelet to feature today. The piece can be worn a number of different ways—up your wrist, down your wrist, up your forearm, down your forearm- and will definitely catch everyone’s eye. If you want to wear a modern deco piece, this one is for you! If you want a more classic piece check out all of the other pieces in Nonnina Deco- you won’t be disappointed.

You may have those perfect statement earrings in your jewelry box, but if your looking for something new and different that will spice up even a t-shirt and jeans, check out the Samoa SV earrings. The black and white crystals give them just the right amount of bling. The SV metal logo balances out the bling and makes them a little tougher. While you might think statement earrings are only for those fancy occasions, we beg to differ. These are everyday earrings…embrace them that way and you will be so happy you did!

The Fourth trend is geometric. This is another staple motif of Stella Valle. One of our favorite geometric pieces is the Croatia Check Cuff. It’s bold but classic. It goes with everything. It says geometric like no other. To look like wonder women just add one to both wrists!

Finally, oversized pendants are rocking Spring looks. These necklaces are super easy to wear, and look good on just about everyone and every body type. You can’t go wrong! Our Napa necklace is another fan favorite. It’s simple but modern and bold. It looks great with a white button up (another Spring trend). Or you can wear it with a plain shirt to give it a little burst of personality. Any way you wear it, people will notice!

Well ladies, we hope you can take part in a few of these fab jewelry trends this season. Hey, if Rachel Zoe says it’s in, it’s in! So get in!

Lots of Love,

The Stella Valle Sisters

Make- Up

We love this glam look, perfect for bringing in the New Year. The berry lip is a top trend of the season. We use Sephora’s Luster Matte Long Wear Lip Color in Mulberry. Once dry, it stays on all night, so you’ll have no worries sipping champagne and kissing when the clock strikes midnight

On the eyes, bronzy hues work for every eye color. We can’t live without Urban Decay’s Naked Eye Shadow pallet. False lashes are also a must. For New Year’s, you can go a little bit more dramatic. Try Make-up Forever in 108 Allison.

Hair

Fancy hair dos can be difficult if you aren’t a hair stylist. Why not trade in hard-to-do styles with an easy-to-do up do that focuses on a beautiful hair piece. Taylor shows you how!

This piece is by Deepa Gurnani from ShopBop.com and goes for $400. There are more affordable hair pieces out there that won’t break the bank. Forever 21 has a slew of options that are a few bucks a piece- can’t beat that, especially if you only plan on wearing it for one night!

You can pull off this look by creating a side part. Usually the part should start at the outer corner of your eye. Slick your hair down into a sleek low pony and add the sparkly headband- boom, a New Year’s Eve do that is sure to please!

Nails

We typically aren’t huge fans of sparkly nails, but New Year’s is definitely the exception—and how can you not like this shimmery but simple look?!?

A nail salon can definitely make this happen, but you can easily achieve it at home too! We love Deborah Lippman polish. The base of the nails is called Sarah Smile, while the sparkle is Boom Boom Pow. You can also try a silver glitter if that matches your look better!

Jewels

Stella Valle jewels make the perfect addition to every New Year’s Eve get up, especially the pieces with mega sparkle. We’ve picked a few of our favorites to spice up your outfit, but there are definitely tons of others out there that will look fabulous!

The earrings are Cayman Checkered Earrings in Silver. These add so much personality to any LBD. The Catherine Necklace, a Stella Valle Sister favorite, has hundreds of Swarovski Crystals on the chain fringe. This necklace is a favorite of Lori Greiner, too! It would look great again any color or with a deep V neck dress! Finally the Mabel Earrings will liven up your look. Wear these with your hair pulled back to show off their magnificence! You’ll be sure to get noticed!

I don’t know about you all, but as we were shopping for others this holiday season, we’ve been scoping out what we were going to get with our Christmas $. These days, our Mom and Dad are over trying to pick out things for us, so we know a white envelope with cash will be under our tree. We’re always thankful for it, for a few reasons. Although Mom and Dad are both very stylish in her own right, we keep up on the very latest online, and they aren’t in tune with our newest favorite fashion sites. We also love the deals you can get after all the gifts are bought…You just have to act fast! Finally, we are always looking for those pieces that can be worn now, but also can be worn into the Spring. We’ve been keeping our wish list on our favorite shopping app KEEP! Now all we need is the cash, and with one fell swoop (or click) we’ve purchased the items we’ve been eyeing to spend our Christmas money on!

So here’s what’s on the list: 1. These adorable white slip-ons with a metallic silver tip from one of our most shopped sites, ASOS….and for only $66, these will be way worth the $$. 2. A stand-out white and black striped sweater that can definitely make its way into the wardrobe on cool spring days and nights. We found this one on revolveclothing for $88. Another piece that will be worn to the max. 3. Linen metallic gold shorts from JCrew for $69.50. Here they are paired with a cozy cream wool sweater - I can totally get down with that look. As the weather gets warmer, these would go great with a casual tee. 4. We never fail to put sunnies on our wish list because we can never have enough. The Leith ‘Oversize Glam’ Cat Eye Sunglasses from Nordstrom, are so classic but on-trend, and who can beat $34 for these beauties? Seriously, deal of the century. 5. Metallic Gold ‘Camden’ Vans. Since they went out in the mid nineties, we never thought we’d actually say we wanted vans, but these lace up shiny ones are perfect for the sneaker trend going on right now. We can’t get enough comfy but stylish shoes —the bonus, these are way affordable at $50 a pair! So if you have a few minutes to browse the web while sipping on your drink of choice, take a minute or 2 to pick out some well deserved and affordable pieces that will work through the Winter and Spring. You’ll be happy that you did!
Lots of Love,
The Stella Valle Sisters

We helped the soon-to-be Mrs. Walker kiss her single days good-bye with a fun filled weekend at the spa and a night on the town before hosting 20 of her closest ladies at an intimate 4-course lunch at one of Paige’s favorite Italian restaurants. Before the brunch festivities started we grabbed a quick picture with the most important ladies in Paige’s life- Our other two sisters, Lindsay and Kate, our Mom, Linda, and me, of course. The ladies were seated at one long table at the request of Paige. She wanted this set up for her wedding, but her soon-to-be husband talked her out of it. The tables were garnished in all white roses, a nod to her wedding colors and style. Kate assisted with the opening of the beautiful gifts. She loved everyone of them, but a few that stood out were the hand made scarf, mittens, and throw by our lovely Aunt Denise, and the bracelet from Paige’s late friend Jess’s mom for her to wear on her wedding day! We can never have an event without a Stella Valle Sister pic. We are so absolutely thrilled for Paige’s wedding in just a few weeks. Location: St. Thomas… I know, I know, It will be rough! Stay tune for inside the I Do’s! Last but not least, Paige’s future husband-to-be stopped by at the end of the women’s only event to say hello…and of course help carry all of those gifts home! They make such a gorgeous couple, don’t you think?!

Lots of Love,

The Stella Valle Sisters

It’s Thanksgiving week—and when I reflect on what I am most thankful for, my daughter Viviana is VERY high on that list. So I thought I’d share her nursery with all of you.

It took me a long time to decide what I wanted the nursery to look like, but one thing I knew I didn’t want- one of of those super cheesy trendy baby rooms. I wanted it to be girly, but a little different than what everyone else does. Instead of hitting Pottery Barn for every piece of furniture and detail, I sourced the ideas and items from all over the place. It turned out to my exact liking!

I built the room around a pure silk Persian flora and fauna rug that is one of my prized possessions from Afghanistan. When I was buying the rug, I never envisioned it would eventually be the statement piece in my future daughter’s room. I absolutely adore the colors in it for a girl’s room – a pinky peach, a deep maroon, a sunny yellow, taupe, and minty green. While my husband swears that the walls are pink, I know that they are actually Fruit Shake, a Benjamin Moore color I discovered in my Elle Décor magazine, and couldn’t resist! I mixed this color with rich gold accents to make it a little bit more grown up.

The crib is indeed Pottery Barn-a debacle the original crib I ordered from Restoration Hardware, led me to this one. I did get the gold mirror above her crib from Restoration Hardware.

About the lighting…after several purchases, that didn’t work out, I landed on this vintage German chandelier I found on eBay. When I (I mean my dad and hubby) finally got it up and working, and it fit perfectly in the room, I knew it was the one.

Other details in the room include the curtains which are pure white panels with ball fringe from Country Curtains. The picture frames with adorable photos of Vivi are hung from the ceiling with old curb chain…And the wooden rocking horse was passed down from Jason’s mom– it was the absolute perfect finishing touch to the room!

Lots of Love,

The Stella Valle Sisters

…And so it continues - the blog series, At Home with Ashley. This week, Relax with Ashley!

My favorite spot to relax in my home is my bathroom. Okay, I know that sounds weird, but it’s because I have this weird obsession with baths. Paige actually introduce me to this relaxing ritual and it’s been a life changer. She indulges in baths quite often too… and always loves a good long bath when she comes and visits me!

We recently renovated our guest bathroom. I thought the bathtub would be nice for the baby, but it ended up that I’d spend hours in there while I was pregnant. Now, I only get to indulge in a bath every once in a while because I don’t have much extra time with Vivi…

Why do I love baths so much? There is something so soothing about a candlelit room, the sound of the water flowing, and warmth of the water. I like to let the entire room fill up with steam so it feels like I am in a steam room! It’s a time where I can think and reflect and do nothing else but sit there and soak.

So about my bathroom. Staying with the period of the home, we bought the vintage cast iron claw foot tub from a salvage shop called Second Chance in Baltimore (Google it!). I won’t get into it here, but it is one of my favorite places to shop for things from my home. The vanity and medicine cabinet are Restoration Hardware. The floor is Carrera marble basket weave. I designed the space—and all the work, besides the plumbing, was done by my talented hubby for fun!

We hope you’ve found the perfect place in your home to sit back and relax! Where is it?

Lots of Love - from our relaxing place to yours!

The SV Sisters

Hey guys, We are going to take a bit of an intermission from the “At Home with Ashley” blog series to talk behind the scenes at QVC—mostly because we can’t talk about all about me (Ashley) when it’s Paige’s Birthday week. Happy Birthday Paigey! Love you! Instead, I thought we go behind the scenes (BTS) at QVC with Paige, Lori, and me to give you the inside scoop on one of the most amazing retail operations going! WE LOVE QVC!

Of course, we were introduced to QVC by our fabulous business partner, Lori Greiner, aka “The Queen of QVC”. Many people ask us what Lori’s relationship is with QVC. So here it is- Lori has been selling product on QVC for over 17 years. She has over 150 patents for products, most of which are shown through the network. She doesn’t “own” any part of the network, but has made her fortune through her sales there. As with any new venture, we did our due diligence on the Q. We found out that some of the most well known and prestigious designers sell on the Q, and we wanted to be one of them. Lori presented the opportunity to collaborate to design a line of what she calls women’s empowerment jewelry to the millions of viewers that watch QVC on a daily basis…and so we did! And it became a complete hit for the QVC viewers, selling out during our 8-10 minute segments almost every time! We are now bringing this affordable line of stylish jewelry we named Women Warriors by Stella Valle to our website. Check it out in time for Veteran’s Day, when it launches on Nov 7th Also stay tuned for more of the SV Sisters on TV that evening.

So let me take you 30 miles west of Philadelphia to 84 acres of what is the QVC HQ, also called Studio Park. Paige and I were blown away by the massive size of the place…but I guess it shouldn’t be that surprising considering it’s a $8.6B company! Every time we pull into QVC at Studio Park my heart starts to race with excitement. We’ll be on live TV in just a few hours. The last time we arrived, we took a few photos in the front of the studio. Photo 1, is of Paige and I with the US flag and UK flag, because our pieces are sold on QVC in both countries! We enter the building, go through security, and meet Lori in our green room. We always catch up quickly about life, talk about our upcoming show, and meet our host for the evening. We like to touch up our make up together and share tips. Lori loved my Makeup Forever High Definition Foundation and Pro-Finish Powder, so I tested it out on her (Photo 2). She of course had her assistant snap a photo of the packaging so she could pick some up! It makes your skin look flawless on camera About 15 minutes before the show starts, we get “miced” up to enter set. The cameras roll 24/7, 364 days a year (they take off Christmas) at QVC.

Once on set we watch Lori pitch her other products until we are in the queue to present next .This past show, I was on air, so Paige snapped a few photos of me just prior us going live (Photos 3 & 4). Then it’s game time (Photo 5)! We always get a few butterflies in the stomach before the cameras start rolling. It’s the adrenaline we get from going on LIVE TV. The 8 minutes on air goes so fast. The host and Lori do most of the talking, and we are there to support! Our job is to just tell a little bit about our line and the story. There are TV screens that show you what the viewer is seeing, and you have an ear piece in to hear everything that is going on. Once we’ve completed our segment, we run to find out how many pieces we’ve sold (if we didn’t completely sell out)! We always wait for the entire show to air to do an after action review with Lori. We talk about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and how we can improve for next time. We are typically really tired from all the excitement from the show and we head straight home to bed! GOOD NIGHT!


Lot of Love,
The SV Sisters

‘Tis the season to wrap up in a cozy blanket, light the fire, and stay in! This week, we are kicking off a blog series called “At Home with Ashley” The series will take you inside my home to give you a peek at the design details and my life. This week we’ll explore my kitchen. I’ll give you a favorite recipe of mine that will knock your socks off!

My husband Jason and I purchased our 1935 built home 3 years ago, and we have since completed a substantial renovation — all designed by us! Growing up with a father that built custom homes for a living gave me an eye for all things luxurious in the home. I’m a sucker for high-end details and custom features to make it to my exact taste! I love home design. Let’s put it this way, if I weren’t a fashion designer, I’d be an interior designer!

Hey guys! Happy Hump Day! Hoping to show you some #PrettyinPink finds to get you through the rest of your week. Maybe you can even pick up a few of these over the weekend and enter our Instagram contest, #PrettyinPink to win the Linda Ring (see contest rules below). Paige and I are loving this pale pink that has been all over the runways and the streets of NY—even for Fall. And there’s a bonus—it’s the color for Breast Cancer Awareness. The Ted Baker wrap coat is so chic for fall and winter. Instead of putting on your old black wool coat, try this updated look in pink. You’re probably thinking but it doesn’t match everything. We think this pretty pink color can act as a neutral and will even look fab with that red dress you got for the holiday season. We are also majorly crushing on Tibi these days. Their designs are stylish, feminine, and super wearable. This matching crop top and aline skirt are just darling. They would be perfect for date night, a night out dancing with the girls, or night at the symphony. Go monochromatic and accessorize the outfit with Mac’s Angel Lipstick—the perfect pink shade and Stella Valle’s Linda Ring—the bonus is that you will be giving back to the National Breast Cancer Foundation in support of breast cancer research. NOW STOP SURFING THE WEB AND GO GET #PRETTYINPINK so you can win our Linda Ring!

Lots of Love,
♥
The Stella Valle Sisters

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Stella Valle is proudly supporting this important cause. Breast Cancer has affected so many women and it has directly affected Paige and me. Four years ago, our Mom, Linda, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The news was a nightmare, but our mom fought through. I think we all knew she would. She is one of the toughest but sweet women in this world. She’s an unselfish dedicated mother who gave up a career and everything she loved to raise her family. We interviewed our Mom to tell her story about Breast Cancer and spread the word to get your annual mammograms, as early detection is critical to surviving!

I know we promised our fav NYFW looks last week, but things were so busy at our tradeshow (and then we both caught bad colds) that we didn’t get a chance to write. Better late than never! We thought we’d share our top 5 looks - although it was really hard to choose just 5 - from the ready-to-wear collections for Spring Summer 2015. So here we go…Look #5 hails from Misha Nonoo, a relatively new designer that refers to her woman as the ‘naughty square’. We were particularly keen for the metallic fabrics she used with interesting but sleek silhouettes. Metallic is in for the spring. Our Spring Summer 2015 collection dovetails this look well. Look #4 of Versus Versace, was inspired by Donatella’s love for rock and her desire to do a collection of her very own. We are a huge fan of the greek key detailing throughout the pieces. Look #3 is a white geometric dress from Cushnie et Ochs, known for their body con dresses. The inspiration for the collection was Cleopatra and they sure did capture her exotic spirit. Look #2 from one of our favorite new designers Jonathan Simkhai was inspired by shattered glass. Keeping with his use of mesh and modern patterns, Jonathan always makes pieces that are ultra flattering to the modern woman. Huge fans! Our TOP look is from the amazing Alexander Wang. The sporty but futuristic collection accessorized with sneakers was surprisingly ultra sexy. Wang’s pieces perfectly compliment our Spring Summer 2015 Collection called Futuristic Flashback, which will hit the streets in January 2015. Look for it on our site and in many new stores then! We hope you enjoyed the Fashion Season! Till next week…

Lots of Love,

The SV Sisters

New York Fashion Week is in full swing…and we’ve jumped right in! Not only is this a time for us to see amazing shows by the world’s best designers, it’s also a time for us to mingle with others in the industry. We’ll save our favorites from the runway for next week’s blog. We’ve met the most amazing people and friends over the past 5 years as we’ve grown Stella Valle. Most of them make their way to NYC or head out on the town during Fashion Week. At the E!News Party, we hung out with our girls Mashup Nicole (if you don’t know about her SIRIUS XM show already you should!) and Taylor from the Wake Up With Taylor Sirius XM show! Both are amazingly talented women that can talk for hours on end. It’s incredible. Paige is going on air with Taylor talking fashion, life, and business -You’ve got to listen to their hilarious conversation tomorrow AM. We also met for the first time the super popular senior fashion editor of Marie Claire, Zanna Rassi. She was the absolute sweetest! And we can’t forget to mention our run in with Alicia Quarles, the E!News Host. She is so gorgeous in person and oh so kind too! And can we talk about some other fabulous women we met up with while they were in town— bloggers Alina and Diana of Fabulous Muses. These international fashion blogger beauties are as down-to-earth as they are gorgeous. We are head over heals for their funky but sophisticated style— it doesn’t hurt that they dig our jewels They run around the world posing and sharing their fashionable lives with the world- what an amazing job, right? We are so excited that they are SV fans. If you haven’t already, follow their blog, fabulousmuses.net. You’ll get some great ideas for styling your Stella Valle jewelry! Be sure to tune in next week when we reveal our fav looks straight from the runways! Until then…

It’s hard to come up with words to describe our experiences during our day at the White House. We were invited to speak on a panel along with three of ABC Shark Tanks’ Sharks -Kevin O’Leary, Damon John, and Robert Herjavek (We missed our Sharks Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner!)- about Veteran Entrepreneurship as a part of a White House Initiative called Champions of Change. It was such an honor spending the day at the White House celebrating two of our passions- Veterans and Entrepreneurs! We are so glad that we could share this fun packed day with you! Stay tuned for the ABC Shark Tank Special featuring Veteran Entrepreneurs!

Back in the day, when Paige and I were wearing Fatigues on a daily basis, we couldn’t wait to get into “real clothes.” Now we can’t wait to get back into our old looks. Designers like Valentino and Michael Kors are using camo print and military inspired colors to amp up their pieces. What’s even better…? These looks are trending now and they rarely seem to go out of style. We love matching the camo pieces with unexpected colors like bright red, rose pink, or neon green to make them more feminine. Our pearl pieces from the F World also give these pieces a modern, but girly feel. We chose the East Hampton Front to Back Earrings as the perfect addition to the outfit. You’ll definitely catch us in running around NYC in camo – some might even be the fatigues we actually wore while in the Army!

Share your military inspired looks with us using #fatiguestofashion

I can’t believe Fall is around the corner. While I love spending time at my beach house in the summer, Fall means I am back to hitting the streets of NYC in my favorite Fall trends. Contrary to the typical Fall colors, ice blue is going to be huge. It’s got such a cool crisp vibe. I like pairing the color with black and white hues to keep it cool. Tibi has some really amazing ice blue pieces. This motorcycle style jacket in unexpected blue wool is so chic. It would look adorable paired with the Asos black and white pleated skirt – pleats are super in for Fall — and some short boots. I virtually live in black leather boots during the Fall. These Jimmy Choo over-the-knee biker boots can be worn with just about any outfit to give it an edgy vibe. Rag and Bone has the perfect black leather backpack to pair with the boots. I know both are a bit of a splurge, but oh so worth it! Finally, no outfit is complete without my Stella Valle jewels. The Egypt Eye Studs will be a staple — I love that they can be worn day and night. Bracelet stacking continues to be a trend this season. Our Stella Valle Belgium bracelets are perfect to add into your stack or wear alone. These are a favorite among fashion bloggers, too- another must-have for Fall.

…It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Nope not Christmas, Fall Fashion Season! We’ve been thumbing through the September issues of our favorite fashion magazines earmarking our favs for this Fall! There are so many amazing trends, so we each picked a few. I am loving that camo and Army green are in once again this season. The Army green Karen Millen dress is luxe but slightly rugged given the colors — and it fits like a glove! Speaking of rugged, torn boyfriend jeans are all the rage this season. I love that there are so many ways to wear them. My favorite is to pair them with a tee, a blazer, and a killer pair of heels. When I think of fall, I think of that rich burgundy color of these Narcisco Rodriguez pumps. The crossed strap adds just the right amount of extra style while remaining classic. Backpacks are making a come back. I am dying for an MCM bag, and this backpack is functional – for my new life as a mom — and super stylish. Can you say diaper bag? One of my very favorite pieces in our F World Collection is the Czech cuff. You can practically wear it with everything. It’s sleek and so on trend — a definite must-have for Fall!

We share everything! Besides our “splitskis” of meals, we even share our ideas for what to wear for our next big meeting, interview, or something on TV. We usually create a private board on Pinterest (our fav for sharing inspirations) and pin all things we love. That’s usually followed by a FaceTime call where we let the other sister know that we created a board for this event and we want to know what the other one likes best or what they want to wear. Check out our “next big event” board on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/stellavalle/next-big-event/pins/ that we shared publically for you all to see what we are thinking about wearing.

Can you guess what these styles will be worn for…? Stay tuned;)

We may have just begun the coldest winter we’ve had in years in NYC, but you’re not letting that dull your sparkle and shine! Break out of the winter blues with some shiny metallic hues. Our favorite metallic for the winter months is silver! Try pairing silver accessories like this Anabelle Ingal tote or Jeffery Campbell flat with white for the perfect winter wonderland look. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in an outfit that has too much metallic going on. Keep it simple by wearing a silver handbag, shoes, or jewelry. Pair your silver accessories with light grays or off-whites to complete the winter wonderland look, all black for a modern look, or go for a saturated jewel tone like wine or emerald for a classic look. If you’re feeling daring try a silver pair of pants like these from JBrand with a chunky light-colored sweater or cropped fur jacket to balance the bold look. However you chose to shine this winter be sure to top it off with some stella valle pieces. We love the Gladys Bracelet for the winter wonderland look! The winter wonderland look is the perfect way to stay warm and fabulous this winter! Metallics are a great year round option, but they are extra fun in the winter. Spruce up your go-to winter looks with some silver jewelry from stella valle!

Dear stella valle family & friends,

Happy New Year!

WOW—What a year for stella valle! As we reflect back on these past 12 months, we are almost in disbelief of the progress we’ve made. We can’t thank you all enough for your continued support and riding along with us on this crazy journey. Our years of hard work really started to pay off in 2013…but it seems like the more we grow, the more we work. Thankfully, we love being entrepreneurs and designers! Enjoy reading our recap on 2013 including some of our most exciting moments and a sneak peak on what’s to come for 2014!

Our debut on the season finale of ABC’s top rated TV Show Shark Tank was nothing short of incredible. We were thrilled to secure an investment from mega moguls Lori Greiner and Mark Cuban. This past year we’ve gotten to know our business partners well and both Mark and Lori have taught us so much about business. They are confident that stella valle’s future is shiny. We have many opportunities in the works and we look forward to announcing them with time.

We designed our first piece of jewelry with Lori, our Aspire dog tag bracelet. We launched the bracelet on QVC in November. We were elated to sell out thousands of units within minutes of airing. Don’t worry, if you tried to purchase it and missed out, we will be back on QVC on January 3^rd at 10pm EST to feature the Aspire bracelet once again. With many more designs in progress with Lori, we can’t wait to continue our amazing partnership with QVC and bring more beautiful stella valle jewelry to the entire nation.

Our partnership with Zindigo has been nothing but amazing. It has been such a pleasure to work with a start-up that is on the cutting edge of technology. Zindigo is the first company to develop e-commerce within the Facebook platform. Yes, you can buy stella valle right from Facebook! You can even open your own stella valle Facebook store where you get paid if your friends buy stella valle from your store! Zindigo also created our beautiful new website - we absolutely love it! You can enjoy the fun, creative drag and drop feature which allows you to see the accessory you designed from our Create Yourself collection on the site.

The excitement continued as stella valle went international this year with multiple Canadian stores carrying our line. With lots of preparation in 2013, we are preparing to introduce our Fall/Winter 2014 collection at the upcoming high fashion trade show, Coterie, in February. We look forward to gaining new retailers from around the world. Our new collection is one of our favorite collections thus far because it’s ALL handmade in NYC and it’s super unique!

Some personal news that we can’t keep a secret anymore…the stella valle family is growing—Ashley and Jason are expecting a baby in the New Year!…And Paige is soon to be Mrs. Walker with her engagement to Johnny. We are so excited to welcome these new additions to our stella valle family.

Thank you again to our hubbies, Jason and Johnny, for listening to us every day on Skype, our parents who never stop helping us without a complaint, our sisters and brother-in-laws who are always there to assist, our business partners Lori Greiner and Mark Cuban (and teams) for believing in us and stella valle, our extended fam and friends for your support, and last, but surely not least our amazing friends, fans, and customers—thank you.

Stay tuned for more stella valle on TV in 2014… in addition to QVC!

Wishing you all a HEALTHY, HAPPY, and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR! CHEERS to 2014!

Lots of Love from the sv sisters,

Ashley & Paige

Are you looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? Stop by one of our Holiday trunkshows at your local mall to see our collection.

From your friend, to your sister, to your mom, we have the perfect gift for everyone! Find everything from subtle glamorous pieces for everyday wear to bold pieces perfect to dazzle at any Christmas or New Years party.

Jewelry is one of the most caring and intimate gifts you can give. Show that special person in your life you care by giving them a truly unique piece of jewelry (or two)!

While you’re at one of our trunkshows don’t forget about yourself! Sparkle and shine in style at any occasion with stella valle jewelry this holiday season.

So when you head out to your local Bloomingdale’s this holiday season to get some shopping done, be sure to stop by and say hello! You can see us at Bridgewater Mall in Bridgewater, NJ on December 7th, 8th, 14th, and 15th, King of Prussia Mall outside of Philadelphia on December 19th, and Short Hills Mall in Short Hills, NJ on December 21st and 22nd. We will also be featured at Henri Bendel’s Flag Ship store in NYC December 11th-17th on the 3rd floor from open to close.

We can’t wait to see you there!

The much anticipated premier of our jewelry on QVC is almost here! This Friday, November 22nd at 8pm EST tune in to see our bracelet sparkle and shine on your tv screen.

stella valle is going to be airing on QVC right in time for the holidays! We will be debuting a great gift idea. Our aspire bracelet is a collaborative design from us and our Shark Tank mentor, Lori Greiner, exclusively for QVC.

The aspire bracelet is the perfect gift for a friend, family member, or yourself! We chose to design around the word aspire because it represents striving for excellence and reaching your dreams. This bracelet serves as a daily reminder that you can attain your dreams. The bracelet is also made out of paracord which is a nylon cord that was originally used in the suspension lines of US parachutes in WWII. This cord is still used today in the Army due to its durability and strength (tid-bit: its breaking point is 550lbs!). We chose to use the paracord because it stands for being strong-willed and having strength.

stella valle prioritizes inspiring people to greatness! Each individual is capable of reaching their dreams if they are willing to put in the work and never give up.

Look at us, we never thought a few years ago that we would be here, sharing with you all our passion on QVC. We hope that our aspire bracelet will serve as an inspiration to you—Aspire to Inspire! 4 days and counting:)

Veteran’s Day is a day when most of us reflect on what it means to be American as we thank our veterans for their service. As former West Point Military Cadets and U.S. Army Officers, we know all about serving our country. Now we’re serving our country in a brand new way, with our high fashion jewelry line made in America.

We live in an era of an ever changing economy where many of the items we purchase, even from American brands we have grown to love are produced overseas. In 2013, it is rare to see an American brand that is able to produce their jewelry in America at an affordable price.

We hope to be part of a movement to start bringing high fashion back to America. If buying American products is something that is important to you, we assure you that our Celebrate Seaside, stella valle Strong, and new Futuristic Flashback collections are made here in the good old U.S. of A.

So today, we urge you to get out there and say thank you to a veteran and to support a local All-American business. There are still companies that are All-American and mean it, we know because we’re one of them!

Check out some of our military inspired items here! http://bit.ly/198kF5Z

Fall is our favorite season for fashion. We love the darker tones of burgundy, mocha, and emerald… And who doesn’t love cozy sweaters and a pair of leather boots, right?! This fall we really fell in love with some of the quirky casual pieces that are easy to wear, but super stylish and oh, btw, go amazing with our military-inspired stella valle strong pieces. This fall, leopard is the new black. We’ve always been huge fans of animal prints for fall—so this year we will be right on trend (in our minds animal print is always in). We are also totally crushing on the upcoming animal trend. Pairing the animal pieces with funky metallics, which are on the cutting edge of the trends, is so unexpected. To finish your look, layer up on sv strong pieces– a few of our favorites are the daring leader earrings and the edgy strength necklace.

Our trip to Yale to speak to 280 MBA students about our leadership and business experience was a huge success…and what an honor it was! Professor Tom Kolditz, a retired Brigadier General and the 12 year Department Head of West Point’s Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department, asked us to come speak to his students after recognizing us on Shark Tank. We both studied under Professor Kolditz as Leadership and Management Studies Majors. Given Professor Kolditz’s 26 years in leadership roles on four continents and the opportunity to speak with some of the world’s most promising and brilliant young leaders, we jumped at the opportunity. We kicked off our trip with a dinner at the Study Hotel’s Heirloom restaurant, where we had the opportunity to chat with Professor Kolditz and 2 bright second year MBA students, Priscilla and Brett. We took this opportunity to understand the structure of the class and how our segment fit into the rest of the lecture. After dinner, we studied a bit and then headed to bed early for an early rise the next morning.

Despite the rainy morning, in true Army girl fashion- instead of taking a cab- we decided to trample about a mile through the streets of Yale’s historic campus, to get to 52 Hill House, home of Yale’s School of Management. Once at the school house, an old mansion converted into classrooms, we made our way to the lecture room at the back of the building. Students packed the large room, for the 1st of 4-80 minutes lectures. We have to admit, we were a bit nervous to give our very first lecture to MBA students. When it was our turn to present, Professor Kolditz played a short clip from our segment of Shark Tank and then it was game on. The clip eased our nerves. It reminded us of the success we had already had— it gave us the confidence that we could provide some insights to these young business men and women!

During the presentation, we discussed the Army’s leadership principles and values and how those leadership principles and values influenced us and our company’s values. We explained that stella valle’s values- Know yourself, Be yourself, Better yourself, Perfect yourself and Create yourself— are not just values we hope to inculcate into our company’s culture, but values that we hope to share with our customers. The idea that the company’s value permeates the brand and our products is evident in our first collection, the Create Yourself Collection. Creating yourself is about following your life long dreams despite your background or others’ expectations of you. However, to create yourself you must also know yourself, be yourself, better yourself and continually perfect yourself. This maturity, will allow you to truly love what you do with your life.

The students overwhelmingly connecting with us and our story. When our presentation was complete, and Professor Kolditz opened the room up for Q&A, we didn’t have time to answer all of the insightful questions. As contemporaries of the students, it was clear that they wanted to understand what drove our success and how our values impacted that success. After 4 sessions with some pretty difficult questions from the students, we were understandably a bit tired…and we were ready for a dirty mar (aka dirty martini) to celebrate!

We headed off to a relaxing dinner at the famous Union League Café on Chapel Street. We debriefed on our experience and enjoyed the amazing food before crossing the street to Insomnia Cookies for our last taste of Yale — and those cookie sandwiches with ice cream between were one delicious last taste!

I have a weird obsession with maps, so my Alviero Martini bag is my fav for fall. Plus, practically no one carries this luxury line in the US- I like being different. So what’s in that bag?

• Sunnies, okay, so Ashley has had these authentic pilot aviator glasses for years and I decided that they were pretty cool—we like being twinsies
• I’m a woman on the go, and Stella, my french bull dog, goes everywhere with me. I must bring her bones for the car rides.
• You’ll rarely catch me without nail polish on. I’ve been known to throw it on while driving to meetings in NYC
• iphone, yep, never leave the house without it
• “Roadies,” aka sugary candy like Sour Patch Kids are a must to keep me going when I don’t have time for lunch
• stella valle cards, I go through these like I do my candy
• Stila liquid eyeliner, I can never wear enough
• The bullet stella valle pieces are so hot right now. They are so on fall military trend! My favs are the Energy ring and Power Earrings

My newest purchase for my fall stella valle adventures, the Marc Jacobs Goodbye Columbus tote. So what’s in that bag?

• Sunnies, I don’t leave home without them. I love my authentic pilot aviators by AO
• Nothing that a little Advil can’t take care of. It’s always within arms reach
• Moleskin Notebook, for capturing the world around me through writing and sketching
• iPhone, how did I live without this thing for 20 some odd years
• MacBook Air, it pretty much contains my life- designs, calendar, inspirations, photos…
• Food is always on my mind, the next best thing to fill my tummy when I am on the run is a Luna Bar
• My Sephora travel brush keeps my fly-aways from flying
• Stella valle Cards, I just met a Shark Tank fan at Union Station that recognized me from the show. Def had to give her a card
• The gloss, I carry at least 5 or 6 lipsticks and glosses. I like to change it up often, but Victoria’s Secret glosses are amazing
• No joke, I have 3 sv pieces in the bottom of my bag—I add pieces to my outfit throughout the day. I am obsessed with the Strength necklace and Patriot earrings

When we were approached by the Fashion Director of Zindigo (previously the Fashion Director at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus), after the Coterie trade show last February, we were blown away by this fashion technology company that had figured out how to sell products on Facebook. Not only that, they were going to use the technology to allow social media users from around the globe the opportunity to partner with luxury brands and designers to open their own free, fully merchandized social boutique! With the power of billions of social users and a collection of exquisite handpicked brands, we couldn’t resist the offer to partner with such a cutting edge fashion technology company! We thought, “Zindigo is literally revolutionizing the world of retail”

Last Monday, Zindigo took Malibu by storm, hosting a beach party at an exclusive beach house…and stella valle was one of the featured brands during the event. Our jewelry was presented front and center, along with Zindigo Brand Ambassadors Rachel Heller and Scott Disick. Stella valle was huge hit among the press and fashion bloggers that attended. We’ve already received tons of requests to feature stella valle on well-known bloggers from around the world!

To learn more about joining Rachel Heller and Scott Disick as stella valle Brand Ambassadors visit http://marketing.zindigo.com/stella%20valle

We can’t wait for you to be stella valle entrepreneurs just like us….take our word, it’s so much fun! #CREATEYOURSELF #svstrong #lovewhatyoudo #stellavallebrandambassador

Ashley and Paige are getting ready for some down time in the sun. Take a peek at the things this design duo can’t live without on their travels!

Ashley Jung and Paige Dellavalle, Co-Founders, Stella Valle.

Strength and beauty. The two aren’t mutually exclusive as sisters and stella valle co-founders Ashley Jung and Paige Dellavalle prove. After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, the enterprising duo sought to build a creative and exciting life for themselves outside the world of combat and fatigues. They soon realized that their extensive mechanical training and technical knowledge could be applied to jewelry design and in 2009 they launched their glittering collection of baubles. Their aesthetic is a bold interplay of masculine and feminine - think hard lines and edgy spikes accented with dazzling crystals in a rainbow of pretty hues. We recently caught up with Jung and Dellavalle to discuss some of their top habits, from the importance of hard work to the pitfalls of dark chocolate.

What’s the one habit you have that changed your life for the better?

Hard work! We grew up as competitive swimmers. Swimming is one of the most demanding sports. Even though we hated early mornings, we were up before school for practice and then we were back in the pool afterwards. The training was grueling, but our discipline and hard work paid off with free college educations. The discipline we learned as competitive swimmers also prepared us for the hard work that was required at West Point and in the Army. In creating and starting our brand our “hard work habit” has been essential to our success! Almost nothing good, comes without sacrifice, dedication and hard work-it makes everything that much sweeter!

What’s the one habit you have that’s not so great?

We talk to each other on the phone about 5-8 times a day. We chalk it up to “taking care of business,” but our husband and boyfriend get really annoyed with our around the clock discussions! We will admit that we are a little bit addicted to building our brand!

What’s your naughtiest habit?

We love junk food! We grew up eating pizza every Friday night with our family. We also love sour candies and dark chocolate. We workout extra hard to keep off any extra pounds from the junk food.

What’s your secret (or not-so) style habit?

We are bargain shoppers so we love to shop on sample sale sites, like MyHabit, and at stores that sell clothes at discounts. We are definitely not name brand junkies. We love finding an adorable dress by an emerging designer or not-so name brand. We are firm believers that style is about confidence in yourself and what you are wearing, not who you are wearing.

What’s a habit you wish you had?

We wish we had the time to get into relaxation exercise, like yoga or meditation. We are constantly on the go, trying to run every aspect of our business, from designing to sales to PR to manufacturing. Sometimes it is difficult for us to find time to relax with our crazy schedules, but we know it is super important to recharge your batteries every once in awhile. We probably need to invest in some yoga mats for our offices!

What three habits should every woman should adopt? What three habits should every woman break?

ADOPT

1. Goal setting and self-reflection - Set aspirational goals, create a plan to achieve them, revisit them often to understand what you can do to improve and don’t forget to treat yourself (to perhaps a new stella valle piece) if you’ve achieved one of your goals.

2. Being Confident - If you don’t love yourself, no one else will either. Confidence makes you so much more beautiful.

3. An addiction to stella valle jewelry - Every women needs at least a few pieces!

BREAK

1. Smoking - It is so horrible for your health, skin, teeth, nails and breath!

2. Tanning - We all love a nice sun-kissed glow, but skin damage and melanoma are no joke. We love bronzers and good self tanners!

3. Making excuses - We believe in making it happen!

Almost a month after the bombing at the Boston Marathon we are still trying to make sense of the tragedy. How could 2 men commit such a horrific act—killing men, women and children and injuring hundreds? We will probably never be able to understand those people, but what we do know is how proud we are of the people of Boston- the first responders, law enforcement the surgeons, the families, the runners—all who acted quickly and with resolve to help their fellow Americans.

The Friday after the bombing, Paige and I were trying to put things out of our minds for a few hours while we were preparing for a night that we had been waiting for almost a year—the airing of our episode on ABC’s Shark Tank. We were in NYC at the Dream hotel, hosting a viewing party with our closest friends, family, business partners, and press. Five minutes before the episode was scheduled to start, Paige and I looked at each other and held up 5 fingers. But at 2 minutes, we realized that the news would preempt our debut on Shark Tank. Our brave law enforcement tracked down and captured the bastard terrorist just 15 minutes before. We couldn’t be more disappointed that we wouldn’t have our day in the spotlight (at least not then) but we also couldn’t have been happier that we caught the terrorist. As veterans, we’ve seen one too many friends injured and killed by Terrorists. We served our country to protect us against this! This hiccup wasn’t going to get the best of us.

After a few nail biting days, Paige and I received the news from ABC, that our episode would air as part of the 2 hour Season Finale Episode on May 17th starting at 8pm EST. The end –result couldn’t have been better. We truly believe that things happen for a reason! In this case, it looks like things went our way!

Look for us on the Shark Tank Season Finale Friday, May 17th at 8PM EST ☺ We can’t wait! Be sure to mention us on twitter using #svSharkTank

Visit stella valle on Thursday, April 4th and Friday, April 5th at Bloomingdale’s in Soho, NY and White Plains, NY. Take advantage of Bloomingdale’s Friends & Family Sale on all stella valle merchandise! See you there.

We’ve been so busy getting in touch with our new customers and following up on orders since the end of our very first Trade Show- Fashion Coterie, that we forgot to write and tell you all how well it went! First of all, We had a BLAST! One of the most fun and rewarding things about our work is talking to people that absolutely love our pieces…and we met many many new stella valle fans. Retail buyers called our line a “breath a fresh air”… when you walked around and looked at other jewelry designers, we were completely different. We are edgy, girly, and fun all at the same time. There is nothing else out there like it. Buyers were really in love with the new Spring 2013 collection that debuted at Coterie and will be available for sale on our website starting this weekend—Check it out, we think you are going to LOVE it too!

During the show, we broke into new territory- literally. We landed our first international store. Stella valle will be sold in Canada at a store called Sisters on Huron. Pretty appropriate for our line! Besides our venture internationally, we had a number of other really cool stores, stylists, bloggers, and sample sale website buy our line. We even had 2 Steve Madden Shoe designers purchase pieces.

We can truly call our first trade show a success! We can’t wait to go to the next one to continue to expand- we are looking forward to the day when you can get stella valle at just about every cool boutique and department store around the world!

February is very near and we can feel the love! We wanted to share with you some of the things that we love-pretty flowers, adorable frenchies (pretty much all dogs), high heels, bright lips, cute clutches, a great dress, and most of all some amazing stella valle. What do you love?!