Today I'm delighted to spotlight this beautiful gem of a lady, Jackie Cambron. When I initially reached out to Jackie concerning this interview, I found her persona to be bubbling over with sweetness and humility. She was obviously beautiful on the outside, but I soon learned that she was just as beautiful in spirit on the inside. Jackie shares with us about juggling the rigors of being a wife and stay-at-home mom to a toddler, while also doing double duty as an interior and wardrobe stylist and editor-in-chief of a lifestyle blog. She really opens up about how she learned to accept her love of fashion and nice things as God's gifting and manner in which He endowed her instead of confusing it with being superficial. Jackie also talks about, while she absolutely loves being a mom, how in the beginning her full-time responsibilities thereof, left her missing the career in real estate and visual merchandising, that she so loved. Ultimately her blog provided a platform in which to express her creative love and helped her to regain her passion. After taking a look at her images below, it's evident that creativity, love and passion flows into every project she sets her hands to, as witnessed by the beauty they posses. I'm honored to share her story below.
Tell me a little about yourself what do you do professionally and about your blog.
Hi everyone! I'm 29 years old (30 in July!) I was born in Lima-Perú and moved to Miami when I was 18. I have a degree in Marketing and Fashion Design and my passions include styling and decorating. My specialties are: homes, wardrobes, parties, and all things babies! I used to work in the Real Estate industry and as a Visual Merchandiser for two different companies. After having my little girl my husband and I decided that I would stay at home with her until she starts going to school. It was tough in the beginning knowing that I was not gonna go back to work and do what I love for a few years but God gave me the peace and the courage I needed to take that big step. Almost two years ago I decided to keep my passions alive through "My Tuilerie Box by Jackie Cambron". This is a lifestyle blog where I get to share most of my personal interests like the ones I mentioned above and one of my main goals is to help, inspire, and motivate women to do what they love, to listen to their hearts and to be unique like God created us to be.
How do you manage and a maintain balance in the different aspects of your professional & personal life along with your relationship with God?
I would love to start with a short story.
When my mother-in-law introduced me to Jesus and I became a Christian, I started studying the word of God and reading books to help me understand what my purpose was. Immediately after I felt a little guilty for liking fashion and even nice things. I associated that with being "superficial" especially when I went shopping! I came to the conclusion that God has created us with certain gifts and different personalities for a reason! I was totally confusing the word "superficial" with what I call now "a taste for the art of fashion and style". Our God is purposeful! He is the God of the universe and He loves to strengthen our abilities and expand our potential so that we can serve Him more effectively! One day everything made sense to me and only with His help and direction I learned the perfect balance between the things of this world, my career and my family. I realized there is nothing wrong with being fashionable while being a believer. Being fashionable is not about revealing our bodies but revealing our personalities. I think the "world" portrays Christian woman as boring and plain, however, we are unique and made in His image! We are all his representatives (2-Corinthians 5:20) and I know the Lord doesn't have any problem with women that want to feel confident and beautiful if we are also clothed with strength and dignity while keeping our integrity (Proverbs 31:22, 25 ESV). If fashion and style is what you like then don't get discouraged, use also your gifts to reflect who you are in Christ! I wanted to share this verse with you: “She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple."
Proverbs 31:22-23
In this verse He describes a woman that fears the Lord. At that time linen was a very expensive fabric because it was very hard to process and some Egyptians used it to wrap dead bodies as a symbol of wealth. Today the modern linen is still an expensive fabric and produced in small amounts. So, I don't think the Lord has a problem with us wearing pretty or even fine things as long as we make Him our focus and not let these things own us.
Only with His help and direction I learned the perfect balance between the things of this world, my career and my family. I found the perfect balance prioritizing and dividing my time so I don't get too caught up in one particular thing. Every morning as soon as I wake up I pray, and read my devotional. I really enjoy my quiet times with Him, but as any mother knows those "quiet times" sometimes are pretty rare. I simply take advantage of each moment I have, no matter how long or where it is. Mornings with good contemporary worship music are very important to me! I love to start with "How great is our God" by Chris Tomlin. After the Bible, worship music also reminds me of how much He loves us and that I am never alone. I also love how those songs inspire me and motivate me to accomplish whatever is on my to-do list while feeling His presence.
Additionally, I like to plan my blog posts every Monday and I set deadlines for myself so I can distribute my time more efficiently without interrupting all the activities with my daughter, my husband and the church. I really enjoy going to bible studies during the week and to share stories with other believers, that really helps me grow in my faith and my trust. In the past I've met other women at Bible studies that had the same appreciation for fashion, home decor, styling etc and they have always been great support and we always held each other accountable.
What advice can you give others who have interests in what you do, what type of direction would you give them?
My advice to anyone is to trust Him and let Him lead you because God's leadings are usually consistent with the person he made you to be. Whatever you do do it with love and integrity and set Christ as part of your everyday life so we can constantly produce the fruit of His spirit to the world which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I heard this the other day at church: "Know who you are, know where are you going and why are you here".
What’s been your greatest accomplishment thus far?
My greatest accomplishment with my blog has been finding my purpose again but in a different way than what it started out as. Something that started as a hobby is turning into a rain of blessings and opportunities that are helping me to grow spiritually and as a professional. Great projects are coming up and I can't wait to share them with you!
Tell me about any challenges you’ve faced. How you endured and what keeps you wedded to what you do?
One of my biggest challenges was to balance my time between the blog, my daughter and my husband. I know it seems easy to number them but trust me, it was hard in the beginning because I was used to doing everything alone and without any distractions. I started my blog when my daughter was about eight months. Since she required so much attention I started feeling a little frustrated knowing that I was not going to have enough time to myself. Also, doing the things I liked now required a baby sitter or help from a family member. However, I didn't want to miss any moment next to her since the Lord blessed to me be there with her. I now had the opportunity to be able to stay at home watching her grow everyday without any financial responsibilities to worry about! I also knew she was only going be a baby for a short time and I needed to take advantage of every moment. That is when I decided to be a mom and a wife during the day and a blogger by night (between the hours of 7-11pm). Photos were always taken on the weekends and sometimes during the week when I had help. She is turning three in April and time flew by as she became a confident and independent beautiful little girl. I am glad I stuck to the decision of staying at home for her first 2 years. I now feel I have plenty of time to do what I love while she is in classes or hanging out with dad.
She is the one that keeps me motivated to do what I do because I want her to feel proud of her mom and one day whenever she is old enough I would love to share and teach her everything I've learned in life, passing my legacy on to her.
What about fashion do you love most? Are there any new trends or concepts in fashion that’s piqued your interest as of late?
I love all things fashion! As a fashion designer I love that how the fashion industry gives us the opportunity to explore and create our own style. I love how it challenges us to be who we are and to make our imaginations fly high!
When it comes to fashion, I honestly don't believe in rules as long as what I am wearing looks good, makes sense and makes me feel comfortable and confident. However, I do appreciate trends! One of my favorite trends this year for Spring-Summer are the banker stripes and the single shoulder cutouts!
Do you have any particular designers/stores/brands that you just love and even prefer when actually shopping for clothes? If so, tell me why these in particular are your go-to?
Difficult question! There are so many amazing designers but I'm gonna name three that I admire a lot. John Galliano because of his feminine, original designs and classic cuts in most of his collections. Stella McCartney because her designs are always classy and full of personality. The third one will be Tori Praver, I admire that woman! Not only because of her laid back beach style and her beautiful bikini designs but also because she has a heart of gold, she is such a dedicated mom and she always reflects positivism and love in everything she does.
When it comes to places where I shop regularly I would say Revolve, Sole Society, Nordstrom, TopShop, Asos and Nk-ad because they have very easy websites to shop online (all of them have an app right now which makes it even easier), they always have my sizes in stock and they are on point with the latest trends.
Is there anything you will not wear even if it's considered haute or on trend, especially due to your beliefs and how you represent yourself as a Woman of God?
One of the things I would never wear are transparent tulle shirts and Pum-pum shorts. I generally try not to wear anything too revealing, because I don't want to be what makes someone else stumble. I'm sure there are more but these things immediately come to mind. I feel I represent myself as a woman of God by showing love to my family, friends and people in general. And by being obedient to Him and humble to accept wise teaching and applying it to my greatest potential. Finally by being selfless to my family putting their needs ahead of my own. I am a woman that submits to God 100% and his Word is my standard of life, His Word is my guide to walk in wisdom, dignity and strength. I am definitely not perfect but I know who I am in Christ.
I have a witty style question that I like asking all you stylish gals of faith, “What’s Your Style Innuendo” (the way you would like others to consider or view what your style is without you even saying a word when they see you)? Now, how would you describe your overall style (lifestyle)
I would say that my style innuendo would be natural-classic and a little bit of boho-chic in the Summer. I love clothes that are practical and comfortable yet stylish. I also prefer minimalistic makeup and accessories in every look depending on the occasion. No matter what, I try and stick with the trends that go with my personality and lifestyle.
I would describe my overall lifestyle as a very active yet calm/chill and organized. I never like rushing in anything, I like to take my time when I have to do something or to make a decision.
I love and enjoy the routine I have from Monday to Friday with my family, with the blog and friends. I'm always creating, learning, planning and of course enjoying my alone time with God every single day.
This blog series is about not only highlighting careers, businesses and accomplishments, but transforming style from the inside out, therefore, how can one transform their style and faith in a positive, progressive manner, and maintain without compromise?
Keeping God first has transformed my life. He is the focal point of every day. One of The most important things to me is having clear what my intentions are in everything I do and to trust him. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
Every time I feel pull into something I know is not part of his best plan for me I pray because I know he is more powerful than any pull I could be feeling.
Beautiful flatlay and off-figure styling by Jackie!
What’s next on the horizon for you, your blog, ministry etc?
What's next for my career is to open my own online boutique and to go back to The Real estate world as soon as my daughter turns three. I am also planning on keeping my blog and to be able to incorporate it with my weekly activities. Again, those are my plans but let's see what God has in store for my family and me. His plans are always better than mine! :)
Please connect with Jackie by visiting the following links:
IG: @jackiecambron
Website: www.jackiecambron.com
Contact email: Jc@jackiecambron.com