I had a best friend, Erin in high school - we were actually on the cheerleading squad together (did i just put that in writing?). She convinced her parents to take me in when things got tough for my family. We both went to separate colleges and started different lives, but it's like nothing changes when we get back together or speak on the phone. We pick up right were we left off.
Last year during Covid shutdown (like late March 2020), I was having a bad day. I found myself out on a walk in the early morning, crying. Everything was shutting down, I was losing business, my digital editor got Covid and was in the hospital, I couldn't see my mom....it was all hitting me at once. I sat on a bench looking at the harbor and a rainbow appeared. My tears dried and I became determined to not let myself spiral in this state. I vowed at that moment to help people...to pick them up with a good attitude, to take photos for them, to build websites, to basically be a cheerleader for anyone who needed it!
While I was walking along that path home, I called Erin. Erin started a jewelry company a couple of years back and decided to launch cotton t-shirts as her new product. She flew to Peru, met with women owned business, designed her dream t-shirt, spent her savings, ordered her first BIG shipment hoping to get them into the 'already promised' stores and BAM....COVID.Â
She was depressed. Her mom had JUST lost her fight to cancer - her mom was her everything.Â
"I've got you Erin!" Send me one of everything you have and I'll put together photoshoots showing your amazing t-shirts and jewelry. You can run social media campaigns and stay afloat!
So during covid, I managed to safely organize models, outfits, hair and makeup and photograph everything outdoors. Erin Gray Designs gives back a portion of sales to cure childhood cancer.
Of course one of my shoots had to involved horses! Enter Emit - a rescued mustang from the BLM in Oregon...his new home is at Durell Vineyards, in Sonoma. Ellie and Nina were more than willing to get all dolled up (after all who was wearing makeup at this point) and model with Emit for Erin Gray Design. We hope Erin will get out here in 2021 to meet her models.
To find Erin and her amazing products:Â https://eringraydesign.com