Why Hawthorne & Jade?
Updated: Aug 3, 2021
Hi, I’m Rachel! Shelly and I get a lot of questions about how we came up with the name Hawthorne & Jade, so we’ll break it down for you in this blog post.
First, it might help to know that Shelly and I have fully embraced what many of our friends call a true Millennial living situation. We live in the same house--Shelly and her family live upstairs, and my family and I occupy the “lower flat”. We decided to do this a couple of years ago to [1] save money and [2] be able to better support each other as our families grew. When people learn about our living situation, we either get skeptical, puzzled looks or reactions of pure envy! But, as two young women navigating life in today’s society, we have finally learned to ignore others’ judgements and do what is right for us. And this works for us.
Now that you have some much needed background information, let’s dive in.
Why Hawthorne?
This one is easy -- we live on Hawthorne Drive. Shelly has lived in this house for about 15 years off and on, as it used to be her grandfather’s home. Shelly and her family moved in when she was in high school to help her grandfather as he got older. Now, she is raising two little boys, William and James, in the same house. For Shelly, this house represents family.
As for me, while I haven’t actually lived in this house for 15 years, Shelly and I were best friends when her family moved in, so I used to spend a lot of time here. Fast forward to today, and this house is the first home that my husband and I have known as a married couple.
While this house on Hawthorne Drive has a special meaning for us as individuals, we now have a shared memory that makes us cherish this home even more: this is where Hawthorne & Jade Design Co. came to life. What started as a wild idea has now blossomed into an exciting new career path for us to explore together.
Why Jade?
Hawthorne & Jade Design Co. was born as an opportunity for Shelly and me to find more harmony and balance in our lives. Jade has several meanings associated with it, but for us, it represents a fulfilling life.
Also known as the "dream stone", jade helps you see your true self and shed any negativity that is holding you back. Thus, we took a chance to breathe new meaning into our lives and pursue our passions, together.
What we know as jade is actually two separate stones: nephrite and jadeite. Nephrite is referred to as “soft jade”, and jadeite is more rare and known as “hard jade”. These two stones have different compositions, densities, and crystal structures, but both are exceptionally tough and equally valuable. We like to joke that Shelly is the nephrite and I am the jadeite of our Jade. I tend to have a harder exterior, while Shelly exhibits a more caring demeanor. However, although nephrite is considered the softer of the two, it is actually more resistant to breakage. Shelly is one tough woman!
Well, there you have it! Now that you know a little more about who we are, let us show you what we can do. We look forward to working with you in the future!
Do you want to learn more about the H&J vision for your home? Get in touch with Rachel and Shelly at hello@hawthorneandjade.com.