Southern Style – …on the B.L.

Lucia Gold || Ally Seed Bead || Elida || Ally Gold

I love style, fashion, accessories, etc. I have since I was a little girl when I would go shopping with my mom and grandma in New Orleans. As I have gotten older, my style has evolved through the years. I have received so many compliments and questions about what I wear through the year and a half I have been blogging. Bookish Liaisons was started with an all encompassing lifestyle thing in mind, so now I’m dipping a toe into something else I love!

I met Paulina Tobon of Luca Love last spring, and I fell in love with her business and bracelets. I love that this blog and my social media has allowed me a platform to advocate for causes I am passionate about. When I decided to this step, I immediately thought of Paulina. I wanted to make my first style post special. Luca Love, a small, local, female ran business, is exactly where I want to start. I decided to take the plunge because Paulina is from Colombia, and her business does a lot of good in Colombia. I just read the Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras, who is a Colombian author.

I have a really simple, understated, and easy sense of style. I may be fancy, but I like fancy to be quick and affordable. Bracelets have always been the bane of my existence. I love them. I want them. I hated wearing them because they’re impossible to put on by myself. Not anymore! Luca Love bracelets are super easy to put on because they cinch. They’re also incredibly cute. I have four in blacks and whites because they go with everything.

Not gonna lie, I wore them every day when I was on vacation in Colorado. I received so many compliments. They’re just enough sparkle without being distracting.

I could tell you about Luca Love myself, but I decided to do a little Q&A with the founder Paulina!

Short Bio
My name is Paulina Tobon, and I am the creator of Luca Love Bracelets. I graduated from the University of Houston Bauer Business College. Currently I spend most of the year in Houston, but I travel to Colombia often. I love to be outdoors and have a dog obsession. I also enjoy music, reading, and practicing a healthy and fit lifestyle.

What gave you the idea to start Luca Love?
The idea for Luca Love started after a study abroad in Southeast Asia with the University of Houston. I was working on a microfinance project that helped families in need through business. I always had a passion for travel, philanthropy, artisan work, and entrepreneurship. After the study abroad, I learned that I could mix all the things I love while creating a career at the same time.

Why bracelets?
I have always had a bracelet/accessory obsession. Every time I traveled, I bought bracelets and artisan work. I love the concept of wearing something that tells a story, has a message, or a meaning.

When did you start this journey?
To be honest, in a weird way, I think I started this journey a long time ago. I’ve always been a dreamer. As a little girl I would always come up with business ideas and different ways of creating things I could sell. After I graduated from UH, I knew where my heart belonged, and I haven’t stopped since. Luca Love started in the summer 2015.

How did you come to the name Luca Love?
Luca Love was named after my uncle Luis Carlos. I took the first two letters of his initials to create the name. He dedicated his life to helping others. My uncle made a huge impact in my life and many others. The name was the perfect fit.

I know part of your business is giving back to your community. How do you do that? What inspired you to do so?
We give back to the community through opportunities of employment to low-income Colombian women and through education. Luca Love sponsors a free English program to a rural community in Marinilla, Colombia. I believe the way I was raised has a lot to do with it. My family always taught me the importance of giving back and helping those in need. I remember my parents would sponsor kids in need with their education. My uncle who was another father figure to me also lived his life in service for others, and it’s something I always wanted to continue.

As a woman and a Colombian woman in the United States, was starting your own business?
I was born in the US, then moved to Colombia, then back to the US, and I think the cycle is never ending. I like to say I live in both places. I was never intimidated to start a business because of my gender or race. I believe they are my strong points. I was more intimidated by the fears of uncertainty. Was my business idea strong enough to make a living off of? Was I dreaming too much? Was I crazy for believing I could make an impact? Was the market going to value my product and mission?

I sure hope you say no, but I have to wonder. With the current political climate, have you experienced any change in your business or how people treat you?
Sometimes we do receive comments like, “You’re in America you need to make jobs here,” but we explain that Luca Love goes beyond borders and believes in creating bridges of opportunities. Plus, aren’t I an American along with my US sales team?

What impact are you hoping to have in the U.S. and in Colombia?
I just want all of us to understand how much of an impact we each can make when we join forces. We are global citizens. We all have so much to offer in our own unique ways. I want people to celebrate and embrace their differences and at the same time realize we have so much in common. I specifically want to fight against stereotypes and ideas that are destructive to our growth as a nation and as individuals.

Your family is in Colombia and a huge part of the business. Has it helped your family grow closer?
Extremely. Conversations are now beyond feelings of distance and saying “I miss you.” Having a business has also taught us the importance of clear communication, personal growth, and development. It has made us so much stronger.

Do you go back to Colombia often? For work, fun, or both?
I go to Colombia at least once a year and definitely a lot of both!

What is something people don’t know but you want them to know about Colombia?
Colombia is more than Pablo Escobar and cocaine. Colombia is a country filled with beautiful passionate people. Despite our rough history we believe in a better and brighter future.

What has been the best part of owning your own business?
The people we’ve met along this journey, and the impact we’ve all made on each other. The stories we’ve heard, the opportunities we’ve received, and overall the connections made with amazing people from all kinds of backgrounds. Hands down.

What advice would you give to young women wanting to start their own business.
To love the process. Sometimes we are so focused on that end result that we don’t enjoy the journey. The journey is not easy. It is a lot of hard work, and you come face to face with a lot of fears. You have to overcome those fears and doubts in order to keep growing. Also, celebrate the milestones! Acknowledge how awesome you are and boost up that confidence. You are capable of great things 🙂

Anyways! I will be hosting a giveaway with Luca Love tomorrow through my Instagram, so keep an eye out for that. I absolutely enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about her and her business journey. I hope you love it as much as I do!!!

Luca Love
Facebook: Luca Love Bracelets
Website: www.luca_love.com
Instagram: @lucalovebracelets
Instagram: @paulina.tobon

I actually visited Bald Head Island, North Carolina over Memorial weekend. I took so many pictures around the island for my Bookstagram. Between the fact I loved the island immensely and all the pictures I took, it is very easy to write about the lovely little island just South of Wilmington.

Bald Head Island is home to Old Baldy Lighthouse, a vast swamp, gorgeous wildlife, and a lovely collection of houses. It can only be reached by ferry, an expensive but worth it ferry. On the ferry, you see islands and gorgeous houses, which epitomize the North Carolina style with windows overlooking the sea and sprawling front porches. Sailing into Bald Head Island’s harbor, the lighthouse is visible past the trees and buildings. Along the coast you’ll see beautiful houses, beaches, and wildlife stretching behind. Right off the ferry, there are restaurants and a few shops lining the harbor.

Walking off the gang plank, I made a beeline for the lighthouse. On the way, the first thing I noticed was the utter lack of cars. No cars. None. The people got around by way of golf carts, bicycles, or their feet. The houses lack garages. At first, it’s disconcerting, but then I noticed there are miniature garages tucked into the tree line by the houses to accommodate the golf carts. I love the absence of cars. Golf carts have a quiet hum, unlike the rev of car engines. It provides a quiet background, allowing the sounds of nature to permeate the soul and calming the inner chaos life imposes.

The lighthouse is a towering structure dating back to 1817. It was an active lighthouse for over a hundred years between 1818 and 1935 bearing witness to the civil war. It is the oldest standing lighthouse in North Carolina. It takes a few minutes to climb to the top, but it is worth it. Climbing stairs until the very top, you have to climb up a short ladder and through a narrow hole. The top is a 360 degree wall of mirrors looking out onto the ocean and the entirety of the island. Below you can see the church steeple poking out through the thick tree tops. It’s hot at the top of the lighthouse with very little air movement, but the view is worth it.

There is a beautiful bridge crossing from the harbor over the swamp to the lighthouse, a quaint church, historical places, and houses surrounded by trees. Unfortunately, Nicholas Sparks and his movies have put the image of North Carolina in everyone’s minds. I’ve spent some time in North Carolina over the past few years because my best friend is stationed there in the military. I had never seen the North Carolina Nicholas Sparks depicts until I wandered around Bald Head Island, and begrudgingly I understand why he writes so obsessively about the state… It’s beautiful and serene. As ridiculous as it sounds, the post office even subscribes to this calm North Carolina aesthetic.

It is amazing how happy and welcoming the citizens of Bald Head Island are. Everyone smiled and waved at everyone else. It was like being home in the Midwest but on steroids. It’s how genial I image the North Pole to be on Christmas Eve. The island is populated with older people who have decided to retire there, vacationers, and those who spend holidays in their houses on the island.

I fell in love with every aspect of the island. Every spot is a reader’s paradise. The sounds of nature help you get lost in your book if you can pull your focus away from the natural beauty surrounding you. There are so many beautiful spots to cozy in with a good book. The church has a beautiful front garden with benches shaded by trees; it’s what I’ve always imagined the secret garden to look like. There are spots overlooking the harbor and simultaneously the swamp with views of the lighthouse and everything nature.

I didn’t have enough time sufficiently explore the island, but I think I could spend weeks walking around acquainting myself with this beach side community. Someday, I hope to rent a house for a month on the island to read, write, and wander. A girl can dream.