Hattitude Jewellery

Sunday October 13th, 7:51pm will be a moment to remember forever. Through heart ache there comes joy. Heart ache that I wouldn't wish on anyone, has instantly been evaporated with the birth of our daughter. What a journey we've been on to get her. Hazel we've waited almost 3 years to hold you in our arms my dear sweet little nut. I love you more then I thought possible. Every cliche is true. Surrogacy is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life. Helena is an angel. To go through what she went through to give us Hazel Grace Forage, there are no words.

It's true what they say. #Forestbathing does wonders for the soul. It boosts confidence, increases energy, decreases anxiety, reduces stress and brings about a state of relaxation. This summer has been pretty stressful for us. There's been a lot happening behind the scenes that has taken a toll mentally on us, factors outside our control and this last weekend was such a beautiful escape. It's pretty amazing that as soon as we strapped our canoe down from @temagamio...utfittingco all our stressors melted away. It was so nice to unburden our minds with all the things happening around us for the 4 days while we were out in nature. It happened so naturally. Maybe because on trip we're so busy cooking, doing the dishes, lighting fires, collecting wood, paddling, setting up camp, tearing down camp, hanging hangs, moving sites, away from technology, there's not time to think of anything but surviving. Even going to the bathroom in the woods is an effort! I highly suggest resetting your brain if you can and get out into the deep forests. It's hard to describe the peacefulness of a quiet mind unless you experience it. See more

This weekend I cried a lot. I was a hot mess. We spent a lot of timing shifting our home office and making it into our bedroom so it can be beside the future babies room and I was just sooo emotional. I cried putting out my nephew's old change table for our daughter to use. I cried when my other sister in law offered to sew her neice's curtains. I cried painting our bedroom knowing her bedroom would be next. I cried when Tristan made me breakfast in bed saying this'll be on...e of the last sleep-in/breakfasts in beds just the two of us for awhile. I think this new mama is making room in her heart for this new wee one coming. This weekend was also the first weekend I got really nervous. I felt very overwhelmed that this little tiny thing is going to be with me forever. And then of course I cried about that. I can't believe it's been almost 4 years of trying to get here and now it's only 37 more days till we meet her. See more

After hanging out with my 3 year old nephew, it just reinforced to me how much our society needs the inclusivity, acceptance and body positivity movement for ourselves and the younger generations. I said me to my nephew, Wes "make sure you have the treadmill clip on, cause I fell on it when I was little and that's how I got two scars on my knees" his response "yeah, that's how I got the scars on my knees too." Kids are sponges and they hear, do and want to be just... like their fav adults. So let's keep changing the game and keep stepping it up for the future of our children. No more belittling ourselves. No more negative self talk. No more hating on the lumps and bumps WE ALL HAVE! No more letting our scars or other "skin abnormalities" get in the way of wearing cute dresses and the swimsuits we want! P.S. the face painting/makeup was a whole ceremony and game Tristan and I made up on the spot to get him to eat his dinner. He was the 'King of the Taster club' and he was initiated into the club with every warrior stroke of paint. See more

We throw baby showers, why not start throwing business showers!? . Baby showers invites have started arriving in the mail for this fall. A lot of our friends and family members are having babies this fall alongside Tristan and I. I think I counted up 8 all due within a few weeks of eachother! . We have baby showers to set up new parents for their new journey, so why shouldn't we do the same when someone is starting up a business? What do you think, should we start mak...ing it a thing? Let's start setting up young entrepreneurs up for success! Imagine the awesome world we would live in?! Maybe it wouldn't be so scary to jump in to the entrepreneurial world and start a biz if we had the support of a community behind us to get started? Funstans marketing office.

It sure is a good thing I look good in blue My kidney stone hardships don't end here my friends. Here is the rest of tale. . In case you hadnt noticed a lot of my to do lists have some test or appt on them. I've been trying to book all my yearly appts, I have 17 specialists, before baby girl arrives (not included all the kidney appts!) THE BAD NEWS... The kidney lithotripsy blasts didn't work . I begged them to get me a surgery appt before my baby girl arrives in the next few weeks. I want to be recovered and able to focus all my everything on her as soon as she breathes this side of the world. So Tristan and I do our business best today. If it means taking phone calls on the 410 hwy and fielding sales calls from a hospital parking lot, that's our life in this season of time! Maybe there's a business in travelling hospital desks for busy business owners to take and go anywhere, in their car, on the go train, the hospital waiting room..... Look for a problem my friends, then solve it. If you need help, come to @funstans digital marketing for your one-stop-shop all things digital marketing! Want to rank on the first page of Google, we build it with rich SEO strategy. Want to find more customers to purchase from you on instagram, we stratigeize to find the right followers. Need visual branding packages curated for your brand and instagram feed to coordinate with your content and strategy.- Yep, we do that too with our sister company @lilygraceimages. Want an engaged email list that purchases your products. We do email funnels! Do you need fresh new eyeballs on your amazing content? We create and split a/b test different campaign objections to make sure your Facebook ad is reaching your bsuiness and money goals! Sometimes this is life, beautiful, messy, wouldn't have it any other, challenging, way life.... Thankfully there were no google vdeo chat calls in my hospital blue gown today See more

Test yourself: Can you tell the difference between real & elevated food photos?

People ask me all the time "how do you do everything?! Where do you find the time to run multiple businesses and everything else?". It's a pretty simple answer I give them. HIM. Tristan keeps our household running, calms my anxieties (entrepreneurs life is NOT easy. the highs are extraordinary but the lows are crippling) he keeps food in our cupboard and veggies in our fridge (for the days we don't have time to cook, we use @mealinajar for a healthy convenient fast-food alter...native) I loathe grocery shopping and he makes our meals (healthy and yummy ones too!) He also gets my butt to the gym to keep these new lungs thriving. Tristan takes care of my mind and body so I can take care of a lot of the business side of things. That's not to say he doesn't have a role in @funstans marketing. He's so creative, like INSANELY creative. He blows my mind sometimes and comes up with the best ideas for content for our clients. He's a brilliant copywriter and SEO expert. We definitely don't have the traditional domestic roles in our relationship. I'm super curious to see where we grow now that we're going to be parents! My ambitions and goals have changed over the last few years. I can't wait to see us fulfill these new roles as parents in our non-traditional relationship where we support and love each other in the best way we know how. Thanks for going on this wild ride with me Tristan. I love you. 87 more days till baby girl is here.

Things not to say to an Intended Mother (IM) or someone going through adoption, or any other non-traditional path to parenthood. "You're so lucky you don't have to give birth." I've cried so many times over this and cringe when someone says this to me. Yes, I won't give birth, but I wouldn't wish this journey on anyone. It's not very lucky. Fertility struggles are heartbreaking. We've been planning and trying for a family for almost 4 years. I didn't choose not to give b...irth. If I could I'd be carrying my baby girl and birthing her into this world. This isn't a path where one is 'lucky.' The countless hours, months and years of heartache coupled with dissapointment will never make up for "not having to deliver our daughter". "Well at least you won't be eating for two." I would gladly eat for two if it meant I got to carry my child, if it meant she got to be with Tristan and I. I would gladly 'eat for two' if it meant less tests, less heart breaks, less money, less procedures, less paperwork, less worry, less stress. If it meant that Tristan and I didn't have to pass a test and pour our hearts out to psychologists to make sure we would be fit parents to proceed forward. If it meant we didn't have to go to countless doctor appts for the last 4 years, if it meant we didn't have to put our most personal wish into the universe through a video and rely on the kindness of a stranger, I would gladly eat for two if it meant none of that had to happen. At the end of the day when someone is upset about something, just listen... don't say "well at least...." even if your intentions are good, which they probably are, don't try to diminish someone's pain with a comparison. Just listen with an open heart, take note, and hold their hand. See more

Hi there! Tristan and I have 3.5 more months till we get to meet our little girl! YES for those that don't follow me on instagram and haven't heard the news (@hattitudejewels) We are SO excited to be having a little girl! She's gonna be one little fashionista! We can't wait to meet her in October! It's been such a long journey and will be a full 3 years of fertility struggles once we finally get to hold her in our arms. We are just so so so grateful she is almost here!... As we were cleaning out the future babies room this weekend, we realized it needs a hefty paint job and some fixing up! I also found a few boxes of old bridal jewelry, old chokers and other necklaces. Today at 4pm EST on my insta stories I'll be doing a 'purchase by donation' where you can go and give a donation to purchase any of the 30 necklaces being put up. Since I started working full time at @funstans marketing, I only put out Hattitude collections twice a year when I feel like being creative so I'd love to see all these old pieces of jewelry go to some great homes. HOW IT WORKS 1. 50% of the funds will go to the charity Cystic Fibrosis Canada (a cause near and dear to my heart) and 50% will go to painting the babies room. 2. Send me a message on the stories with which necklace you'd like. 3. Include in the message how much you'd like to donate $5,$10, $20, $50 etc. You'll see the original price labelled beside the necklace. 4.If you can't pick up the necklace in person from my home, shipping in Canada is about $10-$15. Good luck and thanks for playing the game with me on insta stories @hattitudejewels! The stories are up for 24 hours. Good luck grabbing the one you love the most! Have a fantastic day! - Hattie

It's a jewelry GIVEAWAY PARTY over on my Instagram page @hattitudejewels!Win a piece of jewelry cause I'm giving away 10 today to good homes! . Here's The story, I found two old boxes of jewels while I was cleaning out the 'closet'/room we're turning into our babies room and I want to give them away to good homes. Ever since I transferred to doing Funstans marketing full time the jewels from three years ago need to find some homes! . I'll be doing a draw for 10 pieces today.... This afternoon, later in my stories at 4pm EST I'll be doing a 'donation by purchase' for 30 more pieces. . For the Insta stories, 30 pieces of jewelry, how it works is, Give a donation and 50% will go to charity and 50% will go towards painting our babies room and filling in the plaster holes . Here's the rules to WIN 1 of the 10 pieces! . Here's the rules to WIN! . 1. Comment which one you hope to win 2. Tag a fashionista friend so she/he can win too 3. Make a wish so you'll win! . . *Giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram and not available to Quebec or Hawaiian residents. You'll be responsible for shipping if you can't pick it up in person* See more

Today is my 9 year lungiversary. I sit here with tears in my eyes as 9 years ago there were so many struggles. Too many struggles for a 22 year old girl. Sometimes I still can't believe the hell I crawled through to stay alive. 9 years ago I was tied up to oxygen tubes, IV poles, 12% lung function and my doctor told me I probably wouldn't make it through the weekend. 9 years of living life, as life was meant to be lived.... 9 years of loving fiercely, travelling endlessly and breathing deeply. If you have a moment today, take a deep breath and send a positive vibe or thought out to organ donors everywhere and their families. You can sign up to save a life when you're gone at www.beadonor.ca. They're saving lives and changing families and giving dreams back to those who thought all was lost. Forever grateful to my friends and family who rallied around me that summer 9 years ago and also saved my life mentally. Thank you donor. Forever grateful for these magical lungs that have breathed in and out thousands of times. Thank you isn't even enough for what you have done donor. For allowing me a little more borrowed time here on this beautiful earth to meet the love of my life. He's the best thing that ever happened to me. I can't wait to the meet the next love of my life. She's coming this October. See more

I almost didn't buy this dress. I literally said to my mom in the shop "can I buy this?...look at my legs though..." her response "of course you can, get it. it's gorgeous." I'm sure glad she didn't miss a beat and told me to buy it. It's the first knee length dress I've bought in years. I still caught myself peeking at my legs in the mirror this weekend whenever I would walk past thinking "well how bad is it?" ... To which I would counter correct immediately, "no one's l...ooking Hattie", keep walking and if they are looking, they're probably just thinking "cute dress, wonder where it's from?" A giant Happy birthday to this mama bear who gave me all my confidence, love of fashion and colour. She seriously was a rock star and so often the first words out of her mouth when I was growing up was "oh who cares Hattie, you'll never see these people again". Changing the way we think of scars, skin and society standards helps if our parents are kind with how they talk and think about themselves. I get a lot of my confidence from the way my mom carries herself. I know as a grandma she's gonna rock being confident and loving herself around our child so her grandchild can gain the confidence to enjoy their life. Retraining our mind is hard. Learning to love something we thought was a disfigurement is hard. But learning takes time. Nothing happens over night. #LoveTheSkinYourIn #MySkinMyWay See more

It's funny, when I was asked to be apart of the magazine shoot for @thekitca I thought "how amazing" and I was honoured to share my story so more women can start to change the way they see their skin. And I also immediately thought how can I do more? How should I be showing up more? I finally love my body and everything it's been through. I truly have been given a gift and saved by a complete stranger. I see life through the eyes "it's just too damn short" Ask me to... do something and I usually jump head first into things. I was totally cool with showing up in a deep V bather with some serious side boob action which my parents said was a tasteful "Sunshine girl" ha! but when it came to posting about my scars on my own Insta feed I feel like an imposter, was I worthy to do that? Why did I think that I would be seen as an imposter?.. I thought.. who am I to tell women to love their bodies and own the skin their in?! Who am I to tell women that those ripples on their legs are perfect marks that fairies would probably glitter with sunshine if they could. Who am I to tell women that, who cares if there are holes in our chests, scars in our arms and dark lines down our legs. I've had PICC lines, chest tubes, surgery scars and medicine induced scars. These scars on my legs here, actually just started appearing one day almost like magic. I say magic now but in that doctors office I cried as week after week they shimmered and ran and raced farther and farther down my legs attacking my once "societal standard" beautiful legs (but that's another post for another day). So here's to these magical ripples that appeared as a rare side effect that look like angry stretch marks, that made me hide in maxi dresses for years. Here's to scars that tell our stories, and spread their light and give us confidence in rare forms! Here's to the skin we're in and to wearing shorts after years of not! #MySkinMyWay

What is the significance behind your scars? These scars literally saved my life. I have a scar that goes across my bra line from a double lung transplant almost 10 years ago, as well as more scars all over my body related to the surgery and other medical conditions. When you have a scar, people ask, ‘What happened? What’s the story?’ Conversations like these build connections between us. The article is live from a couple weeks ago on @thekitca and @gilettevenus! Link in my profile @hattitudejewels to read the whole article by the talented @jillianvieira. #MySkinMyWay

So this week I stood in another bathing suit in front of a photographer, a stylist, a journalist, an editor and some other cool people and had my scars photographed. I was asked to be apart of a Gillette Venus and @thekitca collaboration. It was for an editorial shoot for body positivity and how our society should be changing the narrative on our body's scars, because they are our battle cries! They are our stories, our freedoms. Mine have literally saved my life. I will... trace each stretch mark, each IV scar, every surgical incision, chest tube scar, every rippled skin or diabetes device and tell my children how hard I have fought and how precious this beauty of a life we are given is. They will know my battle cry and my scars will roar for me. My children will breathe deep down into their lungs and know... scars are beautiful. See more

If you want some retail therapy, make sure you know where your clothes are coming from. Shopping from local designers who are hand sewing it themselves and designing is the best way. Or save clothes from the landfill and go to a thrift store. Fast Fashion department stores need to end.

Tristan and I are speaking tomorrow at @project_social_ panel! All about Insta stories and marketing and what we do everyday for our @funstans clients and how you can do it for your own biz too! Video and marketing go together like ice cream and maple syrup or for you more traditional people, peanut butter and jelly. Do you have a solid stories blue print? when it comes to Insta stories? Get in on the 7 day Insta stories challenge and learn so many tips and tricks from @...funstans! LINK in profile . Dress by @ceremonybridalstudio Design by @shannonbellisle See more

Picking out some earrings for Tuesday morning's outfit... Which one is your fav? 1,2 or 3?

I work out four times a week with some pretty intense classes at Riverdale Fitness Mill but I still woke up sore in my abs and shoulders from hauling our 3 year old nephew around on my back and shoulders and playing football with the 10 and 11 year olds! There is nothing like running around for an hour with a little human attached to you. We got to hang out at Villa Caledon Inn with some of my favourite humans and I got to see Tristan light up around our nephews. He is goi...ng to be just the BEST dad. We are 21 weeks pregnant and forever grateful to our surrogate, H, for bringing this beauty of a life into the world for us to care for. Half way there till we meet sprout! See more

I'm headed to see Aladdin today with my nephew's while rocking some of my new spring collection of jewelry! What do you think of these cutie earrings? www.hattitudejewels.com

Everyone needs a creative outlet, something that feeds their soul and nourishes their spirit. For me, creating and designing jewelry is my creative outlet. Last month I was hospitalized for a week with a chest infection (personal stress and low immune system do not go well together) and failing kidneys with a kidney stone. It brought up a lot of old emotions from going through my double lung transplant 9 years ago. I think I had a couple attacks of PTSD? It was HARD bei...ng back in the hopsital and sick. So when I got home I needed to recharge and find some passion again through an outlet. I started designing and filling my head with colourful spring florals of jewelry. I made so many pieces they don't all fit in my jewelry box, so even though I don't do #Hattitudejewels full time anymore, I'm releasing a spring/summer 2019 collection! All the pieces are one of a kind and the first batch release is now live on my site! www.hattitudejewels.com See more

Spring has sprung! Now that I don't do Hattitude Jewellery full time anymore since I started Funstans Marketing, I now adore creating jewellery for the pure passion and pleasure of it. There's so much less pressure and I think that reflects in the release of this fun and colourful collection that is full of life! After spending a week in the hospital last month, I needed a creative outlet to bring back some warmth to my soul. This collection was just the creative passion I needed! www.hattitudejewels.com to browse more!

NEW PIECES - Part 1 launched https://www.hattitudejewels.com//spring-summer-2019-collec

Nothing like a warm welcome home from hopsital hug from your pets. While the team has Funstans marketing under control, I'm trying to remember that it's okay that I feel tired this week and am sometimes found on the couch in the afternoons having a snooze with my pets. I'm still on antibitoics after last week's hospital visit, which are making me sleepy *BUT* while I fall off to dream land I've been getting inspired. Thinking about a jewelry collection inspired by @gameo...fthrones. I find jewelry making has become a fun hobby again, instead of my main biz and is more of a creative outlet for me these days. Very theraputic. Swipe left to see some of the inspirational pieces I pulled for house Targaryen, the Iron throne, the Lannisters, Sansa Stark, Mother of dragons, the Night King, dragon glass and so many others! Would you be into this type of collection? I also felt inspired and of course am crafting some fun summer time goodies, sparkles, florals and unicorns to be had! ha See more

I never have to worry about "will you catch me if I fall"with him. This amazing human always catches me. He selflessly put his life on hold to bring me meals and company in the hospital this week. Driving down every day through horrendous traffic. He held our whole life together this week while my kidneys decided to start failing. There is nothing like spending the last week in the hospital to make you appreciate ALL the small things in life The chickadees singing their s...ong outside. The quietness of your own apartment. The darkness as you fall asleep, no IV or hallway beeps or lights. The breathing of your partner as they drift off to sleep. The sun peeking through the bedroom curtains in the morning. The smell of your husband's homemade dinner. The sunshine on your face while you lay outside with your sister in law and brother. The tiny blue flowers sprouting on the lawn. And of course the anticipation of GOT tonight. This last week was extra tough. I'd gotten used to being "healthy" and had left hospital life behind me for so long. I'm so incredibly grateful to science, universal health care and doctors and nurses who are the most amazing humans. So happy to be home (even if it is with a 24 cm stent inside! ha) If you're curious I saved a highlight of hospital 2019 to my highlights. Go hug your fav people. Hospitals are sometimes necessary but definitely not the most fun place to be. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the messages. I had hundreds and they got me through the tough and long days in the hospital reading them all! See more

Listen to this for a minute. YOU being here, living, breathing, dreaming and doing is legit a miracle. You are almost an impossibility. Ever feel like you made a mistake? Ever get inside your head too much. Here's why none of it matters except memories, laughter and making the most of every single moment. If light were travelling at a speed of 300,000 kilometers per second it would take 93 billion years to travel from one side of our galaxy, the milky way (there's at... least 100 billion galaxies in the universe) to the other side. Can you even fathom that?! 93 BILLION YEARS! 13 billion years ago the universe was formed and 4 billion years ago the earth was formed. These are some huge mind blowing stats... but wait for it... We are all such a unique gift when you think about it. We're so tiny in the grand scheme of things and so incredibly lucky to be here at this moment, at this second in time, out of trillions of seconds. Each day is a single amazing gift that is crazy to think it's happening. We cannot even comprehend how large the universe is... So take a deep breath, forget that fight you had with your spouse, that dispute with your customer, or that angry driver on your way to work. Slow your role and enjoy today. You are almost an impossibility that you exist. Savour it. See more

Hands up if you've ever run a Facebook/Instagram ad?Okay... now double tap if it has not worked for you or you've felt frustrated by ads manager? I had 3 people ask me yesterday about them personally setting up Facebook/Insta ads and it all ended in "I'll never take on another FB ad again!" or "i feel like i just wasted 4 hours looking/creating my fb ads" Sometimes you just gotta outsource things. Facebook and Insta ads is one of them my friend, especially since... you're most likely throwing away a lot of money with funnels and ads that don't work! If you're curious, let me walk you through our sales funnel that my clients recieve when we work together. I created this sales funnel from YEARS of research, trial and error, tons of educational courses and experimenting. The cool part about my sales funnel is you won't see it by googling or any blog posts, because I created it! What's included in the sales funnel? Swipe left to see the frustration behind people creating their own ads and keep swiping to see everything I offer in phase 1 of the sale funnel! If you want to start making more money and make sure your business is hitting the 7-10 touch points it takes before someone purchases, DM me! See more

Oh ma gosh. This jet lag business is serious dudes! Our 2 week vacation turned into more of a 3 week vacation... 1 week post of recuperating. Wishing I was back on the island making peace and shaka signs instead of feeling like a truck ran me over. Totally understanding why they use sleep deprevation as a torture technique.... We taught my nephew's the shaka symbol yesterday. The 3 year old couldn't quite bend his fingers right. His shaka turned more into this , a point. lol See more

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to get there" -Maya Angelou I've fought through hell and back to get where I am today. Pain and sadness makes way for the light and beauty. Sometimes there really does have to be some dark days to get to all the good stuff and appreciate it. Whether you're suffering from a chronic illness, fertility struggles, business worries or straight up heart ache, I got you friend.... Lean into the sadness, don't feel guilty for the worry. We can choose to come out of this stronger. We are allowed to feel sadness, hurt, anger and pain. Sometimes pain can turn us hard and bitter, but so often it can lead to some of the most soulful humans. They know life is fleeting. Learning to lean into the pain can change your outlook on the simplest things. Embrace every moment. Our universe has 100 billion galaxies inside it. We only have right now. See more

These beautiful souls are finally here! My favourite humans celebrating life together somewhere that it's NOT -30 degree weather. So grateful for this second chance at life. Living the most of ever single moment. Grateful for parents who have walked through hell and back with me. Grateful for the gift of breathing easy, family who can laugh easily and most of all pretty darn grateful my husband loves his in-laws as much as I love them.

Once a pack horse. Always a pack horse. From Toronto to Oahu, love this dude that will carry my $#*t. Swipe left to see him in his glory last summer @hattitudejewels

When you have wild flowers in your hair, you know it's going to be a good day. Also when you see 20 humpback whales, hike 25,000 steps, go swimming in the ocean, drink a mai tai and eat off a food truck. Pretty pretty prettyyyyy good. (Said in the voice of Larry David)

Why Hawaii? It's been a dream to come here for YEARS. Before my transplant I couldn't do much. Confined to the hospital walls, doctor appts, lab work ups travelling was an after thought. A luxury I couldn't fathom while I was doing everything just to breathe and stay alive. After my transplant I really wanted to travel. I was finally free of doctor visits, oxygen tubes, vials and pokes and prodes. Finally free to wander. I lived in Vancouver 18 months after my TX and t...ook Tristan along for the ride. I can't believe I asked him to move to Vancouver with me after 6 weeks into dating. I also can't believe he agreed and didn't think I was a nut case! #TrueLove Oahu is the farthest I've ever travelled. Being confined to oxygen tubes, meant flying longer then 6 hours with my oxygen tanks left few destination places available. Also it gave me incredible crippling anxiety to be away from my clinic and doctors incase anything should happen. Hawaii has been a dream for so long. The freedom to fly and travel for 13 hours is something so many take for granted. Being constricted for years to a finite time in the air, after TX now means the possibilities are endless. Thank heavens for the gift of life. If you're not already an organ donor, take a couple minutes and tell your family your wishes after you're gone. It only takes a minute to sign up, www.beadonor.ca and you'll be changing someone's life forever. See more

We had a scare this week with baby. We really won't be able to breathe easy until baby is on this side of the womb. Our surrogate, Helena is an angel in human form. She is the most amazing human one could ever meet. Her soul radiates goodness. You can tell not only from the words she speaks, but the way she interacts with her husband, the way they stare at eachother, embrace eachother and hold one another's hands across the table. The way she raises her children, validates ...their dreams and holds them in such high esteem. She is truly a gift from an incredible place. We are forever grateful to her for taking care of our baby for the first 9 months. After an initial scare this week, we got to see the babies heart beat and he/she is one strong determined babe. The relief we felt when we saw the flicker of the heart. Indescribable. They grew eyelids and nostrils this week. I wish there was an app for intended parents and surrogacy journey. Maybe, Helena, Tristan and I will have to create one ha Thank goodness baby is still holding strong. #OurSurrogacyJourney See more

I feel this pressure to let my clients know that I will still be working and taking care of business as usual even during my paternity leave. My businesses are my babies too! Tristan and I don't have the traditional relationship with the stereotypical gender defined roles.I don't think I've cooked a meal in 7 years? If left to my own devices I make stove top popcorn or cheese melted on crackers. I'm so proud to be busting down barriers with Tristan and knocking stereotyp...es on their butt. Proud to have a partner who's "man enough" to change the narrative on relationship roles in the 21st century. I hate the feeling that because I'm a woman some people think I'll be taking months or a year off from work once our baby is born. We're starting the process 7 months before baby is due to stream line things so we both can take a little time off without our clients losing out on quality, leads or sales. We've been onboarding a part time contractor to help us with the ins and outs of the biz for the next 7 months and beyond, so our clients will be loved and taken care of during the early days of babies arrival. See more

Last family day as just the two of us. We slept in till 10am, skipped breakfast, worked out after lunch, went shopping for our Hawaii trip and did everything for us. My heart explodes whenever Tristan holds a baby. Our friends made this cutie patootie and I can't wait till we have a babe to join this little munchkin at the lunch table too. Tristan is going to be the best dad. He's an amazing husband and crazy fun uncle. I can't wait to see him step into this new daddy role. He's so incredibly caring.

Does creating a sales funnel or sales process seem overwhelming and totally messy? I'm creating some freebie work booklets over at @funstans and I want to hear from you! COMMENT BELOW What do you find the hardest in your biz when marketing online?... What to post on social sites? How to creatively say the problem you solve? and sell it? Understanding analytics? Google, Insta, FB ads? How to post effectively to Insta stories? How to increase engagement? Create engaging captions? How not to sound cliche? Finding the right hashtag strategy and commenting strategy to attract your ideal client? What exactly a digital marketing plan is? What's a sales funnel? What's a sales process? How to create a content calendar? See more

Only 10 more days of bundling up... then Oahu #hawaii for 2 weeks. It's been a total dream to go to Hawaii for YEARS. We finally pulled the trigger last fall when we saw an incredible seat sale. Who would have guessed it would become our baby moon?!... I cannot wait to finally feel warm again. See more

FACEBOOK ADS. It's slowly becoming my favourite topic and a hot conversation over @funstans. Our clients are getting in to them too! They're hiring us to implement a sales funnel strategy AFTER customers click on a targeted ad campaign. We've got to nurture those leads. Remember it takes 7-10 touch points before someone purchases from a brand! The smaller the customer target and more niche, the better your results will be with a Facebook ad when working with a smaller budg...et. If you're playing around in ads manager and creating different ad sets for the audience's, Start by asking yourself what shows are your potential customers watching? What influencers are they following? What podcasts are they listening to? YES you can target an audience based on all of that! That's how you'll find your next customer targeting the right audiences is just as key as having wicked ad copy and content. It's a fun part of the job testing out different audiences to see which one converts and who's the most interested! Have you tried Facebook ads before? What's you're biggest fear or struggle with them? I'm thinking of hosting a workshop for biz owners where we create a cold lead ad campaign and test three ad sets with different audiences. See more

@hattitudejewels I've thought of this moment a thousand times for a thousand minutes. As soon as the nurse uttered the words on the phone to me and Helena (our amazing surrogate) "you're going to have a baby. Congratulations" a weight had been lifted off our shoulders and it was as if the last few years didn't even matter anymore. All the years of pain, of heart ache, of dissapointment, dissapeared in an instant. We're having a baby. It's really true. Sometimes I still can...'t believe it. Our arms and house will soon be filled with a tiny little one. One of my best friends kept telling me for years "that baby will come when they're ready. Everything happens for a reason". This little bean sprout was meant for us at this moment in this point in time. There are no words to describe the powerlessness that comes from fertility struggles. The ache when someone else posts a pregnancy announcement or the tears in the grocery store from seeing pregnant mamas (yes I've randomly burst into tears). The heart ache we have known is something you don't wish on your worst enemy. To all of my friends still waiting to get your 'phone call'... I am sending you all my love. Miracles do come true. And there IS happiness at the end of the long dark tunnel. There will be lighter days. I am thinking of you. #OurSurrogacyJourney #BabyForageComingOctober See more

ALL THE FEELINGS! Honestly if you guys new all the things happening you would be FREAKING OUT right along side me. For now, I'll share one exciting thing a day this week. I seriously think this month will go down in history as one of my favourites of ALL time. . After over a year of dreaming, planning and a WHOLE hell of a lot of work @lilygraceimages website is now live!!!! I'm honoured to be working on this new biz venture with @shannonbellisle who has become one of my de...arest friends and closest confidantes. . @lilygraceimages is a lifestyle stock imagery site for the modern entrepreneur who craves more time in her life. Stock images that are real, raw, gritty and filled with shadows to make your business have more sales! They're what consumers want to see on blogs, shops and Instagram feeds. . If you're needing images to help you with your content curation head over to @lilygraceimages site to start browsing! See more

At any moment we could be swallowed up by a star that turns in to a black hole. Seriously. Surround yourself by women (or men) who rock. Reach out to people on this marvelous little app and start a connection. Grab a coffee date. Get out of your pajamas for an afternoon and have a tea. I'm so guilty of never getting out of my PJ'S. Surround yourself with others that are ALWAYS uplifting you. Make sure you're having fun and hanging out with people who make you feel... awesome. Life's too short for toxic ones. These two beauties are some of my favs. The one on the left is my biz partner for @lilygraceimages and we got some sweetttt news happening tomorrow! See more

Anyone else put off doing the household stuff (laundry, dishes) to opt for writing another blog post or new email campaign?? Just me?! I've been working like crazy on all of @funstans sales processes and funnels that laundry and tidying up has taken a back seat! It's funny that we spend so much time doing these things for others, I hadn't taken the time to create our own sales process and funnels for Funstans Marketing. Anyone else relate to putting marketing their own ...biz on hold while you do client work? The last year and a half has been all about growing our biz, networking and cold pitching clients, it's finally fun to have a bit more time to be update our own blog and starting our own email list with the latest marketing trends. My favourite blog post so far is "why I'm okay that I don't have 10,000 followers" and also "how to rank on the first page of Google!" -Submit a site map for your rich SEO blog posts. I just learned about this and was super stoked. No more waiting for 6 months for Google to crawl your site naturally to rank, you can submit a site map search and google will get to your pages faster. You obviously still need a killer SEO strategy but it'll help submitting it! I'll be releasing this blog post tomorrow over on @funstans. Stay tuned! See more

The first side hustle I ever started was selling lemonade when I was 8 years old on the side of the street at my cottage. Even back then I was thinking about what my competitive edge would be.. so I didn't sell lemonade... I sold Gatorade to all the beach goers. We cleaned up that day. I started my first legit business (license and all) when I was 15 years old. With a highly supportive set of parents I was unstoppable. My dad sat down and wrote the business plan applicat...ion with me for a small business grant. Little did I know (and him) he sparked the flame of entrepreneurship inside of me forever. I've always been one of those people that when someone says "this should really be a thing" my instant response is "well let's make it happen. How can we breathe life into this idea and create a business from it". My mind is so hardwired for business opportunities and marketing platforms. Who knew at 15 years old my parents would be setting me up for my life's career, being a serial entrepreneur. . PS if you haven't signed up yet, it's not to late! The free 17 page guide on Insta stories challenge is happening all week. Seriously if Insta stories isn't part of your 2019 marketing strategy, you're gonna get left behind. Link in profile over at my main biz Funstans. See you in the challenge! #FUNINSTASTORIES See more

Um... today was bonkers. Usually I freaking love snow storms. I work from home and can settle in, enjoy the pretty scenery, go for a snow fall hike... but today I got stuck for 3 hours (should have only been a 30 minute drive) in the worst freaking blizzard of my life... obviously me being an anxiety ridden person... panic followed. I'm not a strong driver. I don't do it very often. This may sound super... none feminist or weak or lame or whatever... but I've always had fr...iends, or boyfriends, (now husband) or family who would drive. I didn't drive on the hwy until I was 25! I never owned a car and always worked from home so didn't really need to drive much... so you can imagine getting stuck in today's blizzard resulted in some serious panic attacks. I'm the type of driver who turns on her google maps so google can tell me which lane to go into. During the THREE hour drive home, my windows fogged up, I didn't know how to de-ice my wind shield wipers, how to un-fog my windows.... utter panic ensued. Alas I'm alive, I made it home. My eyes hurt from the cold. But I did gain new found confidence in my driving skills, learning to de-ice windshield wipers, and un-fog windows like a champ. My leg does hurt after three hours of stop and go traffic though. Moral of the story.. stay safe out there babies and if your windshield wipers get ice on them... use your washer fluid like mad. See more

We're transferring beer today. Tristan does most of it. I'm there for moral support... probably dancing in the background or wrestling with our dog. We always seem to have some sort of fermenter sitting in our living room and every other weekend a bunch of crew lining our kitchen walls, stirring pots, pouring yeast, writing notes as they make a new concoction. My drink of choice is more of an old fashion. but I do love a good craft beer especially if there's some sort of to...ur involved. We've been on beer tours all over the world. My favourite one though definitely has to be to the Chicago beer tour from an ex lawyer we went on in 2012. The OG, @chicagobeerexp. To this day it remains one of our all time favourites! Do you go on a certain type of tour when you travel? What is it and where was your fav? Comment below Tell me! See more

I stayed up till 2am last night reading (not this book) Artemis the same guy who wrote #theMartian. I am freaking loving it. I haven't been sleeping very well. my mind is RACING. Tristan and I are pivoting our Funstans business and updating all our pricing (don't worry if you've already locked in your contract with us, pricing won't change). This has me tossing and turning with so many ideas as we reassess our business process and sales funnel for our own biz! usually we s...pend all day focused on clients sales process. Woah side rant- ha This book was okay.... Plot 3/5 Characters 4/5 Theme 3/5 readability 4/5 I like what this book was about. Struggling modern day Mennonites having to move to Toronto and 'westernize' themselves. It features a 14 year old year girl and I quite liked learning about such a different culture that I haven't experienced. #HattitudeReads See more

um.... does this photo even need a caption? I spent blue Monday this week playing with puppies.

I REALLY did not want to go for a hike on Saturday. It was -25 out and I really didn't think my body (more my mind!) could handle it. Tristan is always pushing me outside my comfort zone. He's the best thing that ever happened to me. He said to me "if you can go running on the hottest day of the summer this year, (it was +36) you can go for a hike on the coldest day". I made it. I survived. and I built up so much more confidence in myself! Imagine if you could build up confid...ence in yourself and take that over to your business? I know as a biz owner it's hard to step outside your comfort zone. It's hard to let someone else into your business and allow help on the marketing side, or the admin side, or the accounting side. I like to push my Funstans clients outside their "norm". Together we create sales funnels with Facebook ads and email campaigns for awareness/aquisition customers (people who have never heard of you) retargeting customers (people who have heard of you a few times), and loyalty offers (where you'll make the most money from people who have bought your product before). Today take a leap and step outside your comfort zone. Sign up for the FREE 7 day Insta stories challenge. I promise it'll help boost your confidence so you can start using stories as a marketing tool for 2019! It's gonna be so integral to the success of your business and staying relevant in this fast content consumed world. https://www.hattitudejewels.com/pages/links See more

You ever have one of those days that you just never want to end?? Today filled my soul with so much goodness. Being around a tribe of women who challenge me, inspired me and are like minded is one of the best feelings. One of my goals for this year was to do more hobbies, crafts and other fun experiences JUST for the pure joy of doing it. Not for a business venture, but really just for the love of doing something. I feel like so many times my brain is just hard wired to see a business opportunity, instead of just enjoying the experience. Then going after said biz venture. Today was all about enjoying the experience of making french onion soup. This year I want to do more colouring, painting, sewing and even start creatively writing again. What hobbies are you planning on doing this year just for the pure joy of it?

hi! Holy, wow. This Instagram account @hattitudejewels grew to over 4000 people! I remember when I first started out and thought holy if I ever get to 1000 fans I will be forever grateful. It's nice to remember where you came from, and acknowledge the hard work. Sometimes I forget that not everyone on here might not know my story. That I probably haven't had coffee with every single person on here , so here's a little intro post! I'm Hattie! Short for Harriett. I had a ...double lung transplant at the age of 22 (almost 9 years ago, WOAH!) due to a chronic lung condition, called cystic fibrosis. I met my husband one year after my transplant. We've been together for 7 years. I met him 1 week after I had my last chemo day. Yes, I had lymphoma cancer. A side effect of transplants sometimes. When I met him, I still had an IV PICC in my arm and was still super frail. He looked past all that and we fell in love at a backyard BBQ campfire at a mutual friend's house. We're still good friends with those friends to this day. I love overalls. And vintage items. I like to stand out from the crowd and hate following trends (another reason I started @funstans marketing was to help my clients stand out from their competitors) I started my jewelry collection so that brides could have an alternative on their wedding day to the traditional accessories. My motto to my brides is "not your grandma's pearls. Unique, conversation starter accessories that are one of a kind for your wedding day." PS today is the last day to get 20% off everything in my website. SALE20 is the coupon code. Introduce yourself to me if we've never met in person! I love this app for connecting to people! See more

I've never had an actual "boss". I've worked for myself since I was 15 years old. This must be why I'm controlling and bossy. I started up 'Hattie's house of beads', turned You've Got Hattitude, turned Hattitude Jewels, with the government summer mentorship program for young entrepreneurs in 2003. I was the youngest participant at the time they had ever accepted! I fell in love with marketing and applied to university two years later for marketing management. I've been br...eathing marketing and hands on experience in the business world for 16 years now. I love that there is always something new to learn, which is why I started @funstans. After a year and a half of owning a digitial marketing biz, I love still having the creative outlet for my jewelry. I'm having my once a year sale. There's not enough room to store all the jewels, so please take 20% off every single piece of jewelry on my website! YES even the bridal jewelry! Tag a bride. Use discount code SALE20 at check out. I'm still in shock that some of my prettiest statement earrings and this bow vintage necklace are still available. Browse the website for the full collection. www.hattitudejewels.com See more

I went to public school with Chester Wilson This is heart breaking. Please donate $20 if you can. He has lost his leg in the tragic Ottawa bus accident last week. He was on his regular way home from work. They are trying to save his other leg. He's currently on a breathing machine, intubated and in an induced comma. Sending healing thoughts to his wife, and family members.

I read a really great article tonight that just reinforced to me, RANDOM MARKETING IS NOT SMART MARKETING. Promoting your services on random groups or Facebook pages. Boosting posts here or there for no real reason. Slapping a promoted ad campaign together at the last minute, without even installing the Facebook pixel OR converting to business manager to run the ads. This is not smart marketing. I think it's also a huge waste of your time, efforts and resources as a busines...s owner. Are you targeting people who have never heard of your business? Cold leads? Or are you targeting people who have engaged with you on Instagram or Facebook? Warm leads? What are you going to do to nurture those cold leads once they land on your website? Are you going to nurture the customer relationship? Build their trust so they'll buy? Slapping Facebook ads together without a clear sales funnel and a solid nurturing plan won't get you any sales. Gone are the mad men ad campaign days. Consumers are smart. We are programmed to think everything is an ad, so we click delete, exit, and swipe to get away from it. NURTURING YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENTS and building relationships is the only way to attract new clients. Swipe left to see my funnel Tristan and I use for our Funstans clients. See more

BIG NEWS ALERT! I'm having a sale in my jewelry shop! This sale usually comes around only once a year. I don't have enough storage space in our apartment for everything. I'd love to see these vintage inspired, one of a kind jewels go to awesome homes! ... Everything in the online shop is 20% off! *some of the stuff is already on sale, so take an additional 20% off! Use discount code SALE20 at checkout to save some ! Happy shopping! Sale ends Sunday Jan 20th at midnight www.hattitudejewels.com

I was scrolling through my Instagram feed the other day and three years ago I found a post stating that one of my goals was to help other entrepreneurs market their businesses. At that point in time, I was full on into wedding mode with my jewelry, doing the circuit of wedding shows, styled shoots etc, so to read this is super cool to know this is the path I'm on. I don't remember putting that out into the universe but here we are three years later and I've been working... on @funstans digital marketing biz for a year and a half! There's something to be said about putting your goals and dreams out into the universe, Here's mine for 2019. learn to meditate (I worry and overthink things too much) read a business help book (I Only currently read fiction) take a creative writing class sew a pair of pjs launch @lilygraceimages create an entrepreneur road map for people who have no idea where to start... Aka getting on Google business, registering a domain name, setting up Google analytics and Facebook pixel, conducting market research, creating a minimal viable product to test See more

Hi I'm Hattie! Im the lead digtial marketer at @funstans marketing which I run with my husband Tristan who's the copywriter and SEO officer. I created jewelery in the wedding industry for 15 years but now I help other businesses market online, rank on the first page of Google and convert leads from Instagram. whenever Tristan and I travel without eachother we always bring back craft beer from the local breweries in the small towns we visit. Tristan has even turned our atti...c into a home brewing room. I love that we've got some bottle shops opening up right in our own town. How cute is this place from @goodlotbrewey. Tristan and I have been toying with the idea of hosting a hike through the Caledon hills with a local craft beer tasting and cook out experience as something fun to offer our town! What do you think? Would you dig that type of experience? See more

No mortgage. No kids. What else is there to do but travel? Last year we made a promise that our priorities would lie in travelling every other month, 2019 is shaping up to be the same! Life was made for living. Life was made for collecting memories. Life was made for experiencing. 2019 2019, you're starting off right. We pulled the trigger and were headed to Oahu. Hello hawaii. We'll see you February 25th! #OahuFunstans.

I never used to choose a word of the year. But this year it feels right. I chose two words to guide my year for 2019. The first being one I'm working on to get to the second. Gratitude and Present. . I am so grateful to be able to run my own business, and have a mind that is enept for it. I'm grateful to have welcomed my husband into this entrepreneurial life and started a business that allows us to work together. I'm so beyond grateful for the 21st century healthcare... and science. We have come so far and I'm so lucky for the extra years doctors and scientists have given me and my family. I've started writing down a gratitude journal every evening. I want to become more present for 2019 and beyond. Not so worried and always ruminating or over thinking. 2018 is the year of being present, having more joy and acknowledging more gratitude. Do you choose a word of the year to centre and focus your life, biz or career? See more

2019 reads... this should take me till March What are you currently reading Have you read any of these? I'm currently reading The Hate You Give. The book is pretty intense so far. The main character is constantly switching back and forth between her two worlds, the poor mostly black neighbourhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school she attends. The book starts with the opening chapter as she witnesses her childhood best friend get shot at the hands of a police officer.

I totally forgot to announce the winner of this beautiful necklace on Christmas day! I'm totally that person that doesn't even know what day of the week it is when my gym @riverdalefitness closes down for holiday hours. Once my routine is all out of whack, I'm useless! Head to my stories to see the winner. Any one else thrive on routine and totally lose it when it goes out the window?!

After 12 months and over 25 clients I'm so proud of where our @funstans company has grown to! Our first full year working at our own digital marketing company is in the books! Tristan was able to quit his other job full time and he's the official copy writer and lead SEO officer. Watching him thrive in this new entrepreneur environment has been so much fun. He's so insanely creative and comes up with the BEST facebook ads so that our clients stand out from the busy crowd an...d attract way more leads! If you know me you've probably seen my style over the years. You know I like to stand out and make a statement. I love making my clients stand out from the crowd too and make an online statement with unique marketing campaigns. I'm the social strategist and analytics woman behind the Funstans. I love numbers. I like Google analytics and figuring out the latest and most strategic way of gaining new leads and sales through social media. Strategizing email sales funnels with high open rates is always a thrill! I know #nerdalert. I like numbers a lot...I think I got it from my dad the electrical engineer. Here's to 2019 and growing our businesses even more. We're opening up 4 more spots to new clients in the new year. If you know a brand or small business owner who wants to stand out, attract new leads, grow their sales and make 2019 their year, send us there way so we can see if they're the right fit! Bye 2018! See you soon 2019! See more

I first fell in love with photography 7 (8?) years ago when we moved out to Vancouver. I wanted to be able to capture all the beauty out there and I always felt drawn to the creative side of photography. I bought my first $800 camera in BC and still have it! Its become a cool hobby of mine and has come in handy when shooting product shots for myself or my Funstans clients. I've also had the privilege of documenting some of my best friends through the years. I've known... Niamh (known to my family and me as my Swin, - summer twin) for the last 16 years. Here they are two years ago when they first got engaged I took some photos and they were patient models as I tested out the manual mode! And here they are now with their new babe, Rowan! Proud to say I'm shooting in full manual mode AND it didn't take 3 hours this year to get the shots. #BetterWithTime See more

Christmas to me is when I get to feel NO guilt for reading during the day time. Normally I'm riddled with guilt if I read all day when I should be doing client work, sending emails, going to the gym, heading to boxing, cleaning the house, doing dishes.... You know it's a good Christmas break when you finish a book in 2 days, staying up till 3am even though you're hosting Christmas dinner.#HattitudeReads. This is one of my favourite books of the year. #AnOceanofMinutes ...is a dystopian theme book with a dash of romance and a sprinkle of time travel. I hope you're taking this holiday season to do what feels right for you. To do what YOU need this season to be for you. If it's sitting up till 3 am reading a good book, enjoying some family time or a quiet night in. Merry Christmas my lovelies. Thanks for always supporting me and cheering me on. I'm cheering you on back. See more

My 31st birthday was two days ago and normally I would have been fretting that when I was growing up the life expectancy of someone with cystic fibrosis was 30. You see I'm the type of person who lives in a heighten state of worrying. I worry and have indecisiveness about almost everything. Right down to what to order on the menu. I'm pretty sure this heightened sense of worrying stems from almost dying 9 years ago. #doublelungTXSurvivor I've been told these fears and ...worries are totally warranted given everything I've been through. But sometimes it can be pretty exhausting to live inside my head. So I'm changing it. I want to live for the day when I'm just at peace. 31 is the year of recognizing these worrying and anxiety ridden tendensies and trying to be present, by creating a more peaceful mind and live in the moment. I'm slowly learning to fill my days with gratefulness and live moment to moment without the overarching state of worry. My birthday wish this year was filled gratefulness for the year ahead. Learning to live in peacefulness and gratitude. See more

Huge thank you to everyone who took the #ShopYourThree campaign and supported local stores and makers this holiday season! You guys are incredible and I'm so grateful to all my customers this year. I hope you all love your one of a kind pieces of jewelry! Merry Christmas and happy holidays! And to all my Caledon people I'm still doing local pick up happening tomorrow and the 24th! Message me to grab some gems. Every person who purchased a jewelry item this season is entered to win that beautiful vintage rhinestone necklace.