Real Mom: Gorjana + $100 giveaway

 I’m really excited about this weeks Real Mom! Meet the face and the name behind the ultra popular jewelry line, Gorjana. Seen on celebs and found on popular sites like Shopbop, Revolve, and Zappos, Gorjana and her husband Griffin have created a name for themselves in fashion! Gorjana is a believer in giving back and donates proceeds of her work to three main causes: Children | Hunger | Enviroment. We are huge fans of Gorjana and desire to help others.

Please welcome Gorjana Reidel…

Give us a little background on you:
I am the President and Creative Director of gorjana & griffin. I was born in Serbia and moved to Canada at the age of 7. Then at 13, moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where I finished High School. I was not an army kid, just had a very ambitious dad, who always was seeking the better in life. I then went to ASU (Go Sun Devils!) and got my degree in Marketing. After graduating college, I moved to California, where I have lived since. I currently live in Laguna Beach with my husband and two kids, Tristan who is 7 and Sienna who is 3. We also have an apartment in NY so we get to go back and forth experiencing the best of both coasts.

Tell us how Gorjana came to be:
I always knew I wanted to design or create something, but jewelry was really something I fell into. I grew up designing clothes for my dolls or sewing them sweaters, so I thought that I would end up in apparel. But life takes you on a journey and you just roll with it. I worked at Neiman Marcus out of college and then worked for a smaller jewelry designer in Newport Beach. I learned the how to make jewelry and realized how much I loved doing it. My husband and I decided to give it a shot and do this on our own. He is an amazing sales person so we were a natural fit. We started this thinking it was just a fun way to survive and now 10 years later we have a successful business. There have been a bunch of twist and turns along the way, but I would not trade it for anything. I feel so lucky to be doing what I do and the fact that my husband and I get to do it together is huge bonus.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
The first thing I do is kiss my daughter because she is usually the one that wakes me up. She likes to sneak in my room and rip the covers off my face in an attempt to surprise me. She is the cutest thing to wake up to.

Favorite snack?
Something sweet, I try to go for fruit but chocolate usually wins.

What is you’re number one beauty item?
This is a hard question because I am obsessed with beauty products, but I would have to say my Nars tinted moisturizer is something I can’t live without. I am not a fan of make up usually because I can feel it on my skin, but this one is so weightless and it always gives my skin a great glow.

Describe your style:
I like to say classic with a twist of downtown and boho. I love to wear different things and have fun with my wardrobe, but there is a certain sensibility and approachability to it that stays constant. I never go too trendy or too in one direction. As I get older, I know what looks good and what I can wear. The most important thing for me is that I feel comfortable and good about myself.

What has surprised you most about motherhood?
Probably that I love it so much. I was never a kid person growing up, never really babysat or had any interest in kids. I knew I wanted my own some day, but had no idea how much I would love them. It has been the best and the most rewarding thing I have done.

Favorite way to stay fit:
This is a constant challenge for me because I get bored really easily. I have tried so many different things and have found a few favorites that I love. The Bar Method has been something I have done for the past 3 years and I love it. I leave every class feeling so energized and they recently just launched Bar Method online, so you can stream videos at home, which is great when I don’t have time to get to class. I try to do yoga a couple of days a week and have recently started to incorporate hiking in my weekly routine. There are so many beautiful trails around Laguna that makes the hike so serene, you forget you are actually working out. When I am in New York I hit Soul Cycle, its my go to in the city.

What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
That my nickname in high school was G-Funk. I loved my rap music (still do), from Dre to 2Pac to Wu-Tang, I rolled around like a gangsta girl, at least that’s what I thought. Looking back its pretty hysterical, but I guess most of us have a funny phase or two to reflect back on.

Most embarrassing moment:
When I moved to Canada from Serbia it was a huge transition for me and everything was so different. In Europe, girls don’t wear bathing suit tops until they need to and really even when they do its totally cool to go topless. Well right after we moved my family and I went to the community pool for a swim. I remember I was so excited and jumped right in the pool. As I was floating there, I started to take in my surroundings and noticed a girl my age in a one piece. I thought “how weird… why is she wearing that, she must be old or something”. Then as I kept looking around, I noticed that all the girls were wearing either one pieces or bikinis. I remember at that moment just wanting to go underwater and not come up. But I got out with only my bikini bottoms on and pretended that everything was totally cool as I walked to my towel. I wrapped that towel around me so fast and made my way back to the locker room. You can bet I made my parents take me bathing suit shopping right away.

How do you spend a typical Saturday?
I like to start my day by going to the Laguna Farmers Market. I usually get my fruits and snack for the week down there. My son is 7, so we usually have some sort of sporting event that follows, soccer, basketball or baseball. Then a typical afternoon is spent either going down to the beach or taking the kids swimming at their grandparents. The weekends are completely family focused and we try to do as many fun activities with the kids that we can fit in.

Favorite quote:
Forgiveness: giving up all hope for a better past.

XXO

Lisa

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