Julie Diers, the granddaughter of Georgia Blackaby. Many of you will remember Georgia as one of Portales finest ladies. Bruce and Georgia owned and operated the Ford dealership for years. Then later Georgia opened Jeans By J in Portales. Georgia was very active in Altrusa Club and the local Chamber of Commerce. Her keen business insight was evident in the selection of goods and level of service that was offered in her shop.
Her entrepreneurial spirit is carried on by her Granddaughter.
It was so much fun to visit with Julie and share memories of her Grandmother and the clothing store. I have so many fond memories of Georgia; she could always find just the perfect outfit for me! It was like shopping with a friend every time you walked through the doors of Jeans By Jay. I remember Julie as a beautiful little girl in running in and out of Jean’s by Jay – with her entrance anyone could see the love and pride on Georgia’s face for Julie.
Julie now lives in Vermont with the love of her life and spends her days making natural skin care products, which she sells on-line. Out of a love for lavender, she just started blending and mixing up all sorts of fun and soothing products. In talking with Julie it occurs to me how much like Georgia she is as she humbly talks about this amazing array of products and the company that she has literally “made” from scratch. Julie says “I just fell into it” but I know that hours of hard work and her heart and soul have gone into creating these beautiful products.
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Bumble & Co. began with an inspired belief that we surround ourselves with beauty and experience a space of serenity + healing. Julie’s passion + spirit shows in all the products she creates….natural products that nourish the skin + the senses.
Cultivating + sharing the beauty of nature through skincare. I was raised by my beautiful grandmother she, as her mother before, was ahead of her time in caring for her skin – avoiding too much sun, eating well, and always using fine oils and creams to cleanse, hydrate and nourish. I watched and learned her skin care regimes as a child and was taught the importance of doing the same for my own skin. As an adult, I was intrigued by the positive effects of natural oils, butters, botanicals & extracts and took it uponmyself to learn as much as I could about caring for my skin as naturally as possible. By combining this intrigue + my ever expanding knowledge of natural skin care with the belief we surround ourselves with beauty to create a space of serenity & healing, I founded Bumble & Company – Naturally derived artisan skincare effective in nurturing the skin, the senses + the spirit.
When did you go to live with your Grandmother? What age?
I was 12 years old when I went to live with my grandparents. They were adoring grandparents…..I was a very lucky girl to be surrounded by so much love.
Give me a few favorite memories of her:
Everything I remember about her is a favorite memory…..from her amazing laugh, her terrible pot roast, to her BIG love of sports. Everyone loved Georgia. She had a way of making everyone around her feel special. She was a beautiful lady that made everything around her beautiful. One of the most vivid memories I have was of the day she told me the most important thing I would ever learn about LOVE: “Find someone you can’t live without, not just someone you can live with, for there are much worse things than being alone.” How right she was. Sure, it took me 40+ years to find him, but the wait + all the time alone was SO worth it. A wise woman she was.
What was she like?
Strong + brave. Kind + selfless. She was not just the woman that raised me, the woman I admired and respected more than anyone…..she was also my best friend. Loyal, generous, funny, smart + sassy. Beautiful inside and out. In my eyes, and I know, in the eyes of many, she was an angel. She gave me someone to look up to…..to attempt to emulate. If I could be but a mere fraction of the woman she was, I would feel I succeeded. She taught me to be strong + independent…..if not a bit stubborn. She loved me and guided me like no one else could have. I could not have asked for a better upbringing, a better life, a better grandmother, or a better friend.
Favorite memory of growing up in Portales?
Some of the best memories I have revolve around the clothing shoppe my grandmother owned for 30+ years. I grew up in that store. Many people that would become life-long friends were loyal customers thru all those years. I of course have precious memories of childhood friends that I miss dearly. While I love living in a greener, cooler place, I certainly miss the amazing New Mexico sunsets….and tumbleweeds. I actually miss tumbleweeds.
What took you to Vermont? And what is it like where you live now?
Cliff note version: I fell in love. Soon after we met, we moved to Vermont because coincidentally, we both always dreamed of living here. Now, here we are and we love it. It is beautiful, peaceful + slow paced……plus, the people are lovely. We live in a quaint picturesque village tucked in the trees, right on a river. Nature in all its beauty totally envelopes you here. We feel as tho we are living a fairytale. I couldn’t be happier.
Best thing about what you do now?
I get to create….for a living. I do what I love + love what I do. I get to work for myself and my creations make people happy…..what could be better than that?
Worst thing about what you do now? Worst thing about what you do now?
The climb to success can be steep. It has been trying……I have been tested many times over in the last few years. You take your knocks, hopefully with style + grace, and you get back up and you do what you have to do to get to where you want to be. I will get there, even if I have to crawl + scratch my way.
Accomplishment that you are most proud of?
My company. It is an accumulation of many years worth of blood, sweat + tears. I am proud of it….and I think Georgia would be proud too.
The climb to success can be steep. It has been trying……I have been tested many times over in the last few years. You take your knocks, hopefully with style + grace, and you get back up and you do what you have to do to get to where you want to be. I will get there, even if I have to crawl + scratch my way.
Favorite Quote or Life Mantra?
“When something bad happens, you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.”
To see more of Bumble and Company –
http://www.bumbleandcompany.com/
