I’m so excited to design a line of denim again! I’ve always loved the washes and the different tints that denim can hold and become. It’s crazy to see a plain swatch/leg of denim and then treat it and see what you come out with.

I love bells and whistles on jeans. The “Janis” and the “Motley” are my two favorites by far because they showcase two different spectrums of my personality: the hippie that I have always been and the rock and roll girl I have become through Gypsy Soule.

Speaking of being a hippie, I feel like denim connects the wearer to nature. After all, it comes from a plant. The process of creating denim is as amazing as it is simple. The cotton is harvested, cleaned and then taken to a denim mill. The bales of cotton are in one end of the mill, and, as you walk through the mill, these compact bales go from being turned into thread, to woven into denim, and finally, resulting denim is dyed. At one end of the mill, there’s raw cotton, at the other, fresh indigo fabric, ready to be made into something fabulous.

And I love doing fabulous things to denim! Bleaching jeans is one of my favorite things to do and I have always done it—for years—to trick out my jeans so they didn’t look like everyone else’s. Plus, I think it goes back to starting with one thing and creating something new out of it with some scissors, crystals, studs and bleach! The prototype for the “Motley” sample that we sent to the factories was actually created by hand in my kitchen and laundry room with all of those tools!

Growing up on a ranch, jeans started out as a uniform for being horseback, they could stand up to all kinds of punishment.  Although, I am not gonna say I only wore jeans to ride – I might have been guilty a few times of wearing pajamas and shorts to cruise the pastures in. You should have seen the look on the cowboys faces! But I digress, back to Denim! The more I wore them, the more I tricked them out, whether I was on a horse or not, so they would stand out and be unique. That’s what we tried to do as we designed our Gypsy Soule denim line. We gave you basics, but with premium denim and treatments. And then, with our original fashion sense, we wanted to give you something no one else had, something that would really set our clientele, and us as a brand, apart from the rest of the jeans in this world.

I’ve loved watching the trends over the years, from high waisted, to ’70’s bell-bottoms, to dark trouser dressy jeans. It’s fun to watch the jean evolve and the styles recycle. In a sense, you see it with jeans more than anything else. I love that, in this day and age, denim is so versatile that it can be considered dressy or casual. Want dressy in the Gypsy Soule line of denim? Go with the “Vogue,” which can be paired with a fur coat and high heels and worn out on the town. Want a casual hippy kinda day? Well then our “Janis” is the answer for you!   Wear it with a tank and Gypsy Soule boots or flip-flops, just kickin’ around all day.

Now, I’m not prejudiced—I like denim in shirts, denim vests and, of course, the denim jacket—you ought to see the denim section in my shirt closet! So stay tuned – because you never know what will turn up next in our denim line.

–Amy

Forever young. Is that we’re all trying to be? Striving to keep that youthful glow? If only I could still be a size 5? I think the allure of youth, and youthfulness, is about more than pure vanity. Yes, being young and slim and toned and beautiful is desirable, we all want that. But, another thing about youthfulness is how you felt back then: energetic, ready to take on the world, tireless. We could go 100 miles an hour, get a little rest, and be ready the next day to hit it again. Who doesn’t want that? Because, with age, all that fades—I’m not saying it disappears, it just, well, fades.

Whatever your battle with yourself, it might be that it’s okay. We all have them! I have lots. I think if I would just work out a few more minutes or stop having one more glass of wine! Well, heck, with stress, kids, work, more stress, age and all the BS that comes with life, we all need some boosts here and there. We don’t stay a size 5 and along life’s highway, we collect a few more character lines on our face.

I have some things I’d like to come clean about: Yes, I’m vain and I like to look as good as I can. I know I’m aging and I’m fine with being 40—especially since it’s the year of the unicorn and all! But, I’ll fight aging as gracefully as I can. I think if you want a facelift, or you just need a facial to make yourself feel better, that’s your own business. I’m not one to judge! I take great pride in the effort I put into my body and myself. I have one life on this earth, until I go to Heaven and become a beautiful, perfect angel!

So, I’m coming clean on all that I do. I believe in “work” and “maintenance,” in other words, surgery and treatments.

Yes, I do Botox every 90 days and have for the last four years. I think I might start doing my crows feet now, but we’ll see. Yes, I have the cracks between my mouth and nose filled and, wow, I love the big change. Plus, it lasts for almost nine months. It’s an ego boost for me.

Envy Medical Day Spa

Yes, I’ve had the girls done—just make things fit a little better up top!

Yes, I’ve had lypo. After I had Jaylee, I couldn’t get that last bit of weight off my belly. And, yeah, it hurt like hell. However, if you work hard you’ll keep it off. BUT, without the hard work, it will come back just like before!

I get my teeth cleaned every 4 months. I get them whitened as often as they’ll let me. I floss almost twice a day—chickies, I’m serious about this!

Wright Family Dentistry

The one thing that makes the most difference in how I feel is the bioTE pellet I’ve been using (www.biotemedical.com). It’s a little testosterone pellet—derived from plants—I get implanted in one of my buns every six weeks or so. It makes me feel like I’m 29 again! I’m calmer, I have more energy, I can see a difference in my workouts, it helps a ton with my migraines, and it really helps heat things up behind closed doors with the hubby!

But the most important thing I do for myself—unlike the bioTE, this is something I consider a mental benefit rather than physical benefit—is unplug. It’s downtime SouleSisters! I work out three to five days a week, that’s time I take all for myself. Also, whether it’s time with Joel, the girls or my horse Prince, this time recharges my soul and brings me deep fulfillment. This unplugged downtime releases me from the stress in my life that threatens to drag me down.

Whether you think this is all wrong, unhealthy or too vain, just know that it’s different for everyone. Work every day on what makes you feel good about yourself. Look for things that reinvent you or give you a new outlook on life, look for change and challenge, look for something to be excited about. Do the work to live life to its fullest. Own it and own who you are. This is your life, so live it, ladies!