How I Ended Up With My Own Collection of Rugs

It’s no secret that my life has taken some unexpected twists and turns.  Some have been unwelcomed.  Others have exceeded my wildest expectations.  And SOMETIMES I have found both aspects equally intertwined.

Here’s the story of how I ended up with my own Simply Southern Cottage collection of rugs from Orian Rugs that was unknowingly birthed during my greatest season of pain.

To tell this story, I must take you back to 2008, when my now ex-husband and I moved out to Tooele (pronounced TOO-ILL-A) County, Utah about thirty minutes west of Salt Lake City.

It was a great adventure.  We both began new jobs.  Him as an asst plant manager at a hazardous waste facility and me as an educational sales rep for a leading software company.  My job required weekly travel to other states and his schedule was often grueling requiring long hours and some travel.

When we relocated out to the far west desert, we bought a stupid, expensive house (because keepin’ up with the Joneses you know *face palm*) that sat on five acres of fenced horse property.  So OF COURSE, we had to get horses to go on our property, Roo and Goldie.  (And let me tell you, he and I knew NOT THE FIRST THING about taking care of horses *insert another face palm*).

But lucky for us, we met the Gearo family in our little church and they had horses and were also our down the street neighbors.  The Gearos were also transplants to Utah and took us under their wings.  They welcomed us with open arms and provided a much-needed sense of family that we lacked living so far away from ours.

But despite loving and knowing the Gearos so much, when our marriage fell apart, they had NO idea.  In fact, no one, other than my parents and one close friend, knew the heavy burden I carried.  We would show up at church with smiling faces and interact with everyone as if we didn’t have a care in the world (can I insert another face palm here?) and yet my world was crashing down around me.

The Gearos loved us so well.  When we were away from home, they would come down the street to take care of Roo and Goldie.  Their teenage daughter, Joy, was the sweetest and was always eager to help.  Joy was such a treasure and I could see a spark in her even at a young age.  I remember one night (just a few days shy of receiving life altering news from my now ex-husband) we hosted a youth dinner in our home.  Joy was there along with her brother and about fifteen or so other teens.  It was such a lovely evening.  We actually spent a great deal of time outside with Roo and Goldie and admiring the view (of the Great Salt Lake).

And friends, that sweet teen girl, Joy, is the reason why I now have a collection of rugs with Orian.

Fast forward to 2010, my now ex and I moved away from Tooele County and to Texas.  (I thought to rebuild but that’s a story for another day.) And sadly, just a few shorts months after moving, it was confirmed that my ex was still deeply embedded in the throws of an affair and I filed for divorce.  My parents begged me to move home to Louisiana, but I insisted on staying in Texas and DID stay for six total years UNTIL I audibly heard the Lord call me home.

By this time, sweet Joy had all grown up, graduated college and ended up as the marketing director for….. you guessed it… Orian Rugs.  Once I finished the renovation of my cottage and started posting about it online, Joy reached out and asked if I would consider partnering with Orian to style rugs in my home and share about them on my platforms.

“Who me?” I asked her.  I could hardly believe it when she and other brands/magazines started to take notice of my work.  I was FLOORED.

Joy shipped me several Orian Rugs and I styled them in my home and on my porches.  Orian, because of Joy, was one of the first companies I ever partnered with for a social media campaign.  They believed in me, my message and the work I was doing.

Because Joy is SO amazing, she eventually ended up leaving Orian (on good terms) to pursue other opportunities, but the team at Orian stayed in touch.

 

They even produced a web piece on me several years ago.  You can read that here.

Then, last fall, I began the 2022 Project House with Cottages and Bungalows and American Farmhouse Style magazines.  And lo and behold, around the same time, I got an email from Julie at Orian (the new Joy) asking if I’d like to participate in another collaboration effort.  I promptly told her about the Project House and put her in touch with the magazine and they immediately signed on as one of our rug sponsors.

But it gets better!!! A few months after that, Julie emailed and asked if I’d be interested in creating my very own rug collection with them. And let me tell you, I FLIPPED OUT.  WHAT. IN. THE. WORLD? Y’all when I think of rug designers, I think of people like Martha Stewart, Bunny Williams, other world-renowned interior designers.  Not little ole me…. A former teacher, divorced girl from Louisiana.  I am not an interior designer, have no formal training…. I just create spaces that I love that exude cozy, warmth, peace and joy.  Despite my efforts to convince Julie I had NO IDEA what I was doing, she came right back with how they would hold my hand, help me and make the process as smooth as possible.

And that’s exactly what they did. (More on that soon.)

And, well, here we all are y’all. Simply Southern Cottage rugs are now available for pre-purchase on Amazon and will ship to your home or business on September 30^th.  (AND the prices are currently marked 20% off through the end of the month!) If you purchase prior to September 30th, please enter your order information and request to join this private FB group here.

So the moral of this story is….. You absolutely NEVER know who you might interact with today, that can be directly responsible for altering your life down the road.  Sweet Joy. Never did I dream as she fed my horses as a teen, that she would facilitate the launch of my brand into major retailers.

Once again, I have to scream it from the rooftops.  Redemption is real and my story is living proof.