Featured Boutique: Nair & Bjorn

"Helping rescue animals one accessory at a time," reads the tagline in Nair & Bjorn's Etsy shop. How does that not tug at the heartstrings? The tugging doesn't stop there. Dogtag necklaces with messages such as, "If I had a dollar every time my dog made me smile, I'd be a millionaire;" a bracelet that sweetly declares, "The best times of my life are measured in dog years;" and a silver necklace inscribed, "The road to my ♥ is paved with paw prints." Portions of their proceeds even go to no-kill shelters. All part of their adorable "Rescuewear" line. (Heartstrings pulled.)

Nair & Bjorn's "My Dog Does This Amazing Thing" Necklace - One of her (and my) favorites!

Antique Gold Square Bezel Earrings, worn on HBO's show "Veep"

Nair & Bjorn's shop also glitters with an array of beautiful gemstone, pavé, druzy and Swarovski crystal pieces. Some of these lovely creations have even been seen on television shows, via The Artisan Group, an exclusive entertainment marketing organization made of up hand-selected artisans, including us. Their Antique Gold Square Bezel Wire Earrings with Clear Swarovski Crystals (right) were worn on Season 4, Episode 6 of HBO's "Veep."  Their Just for Luck 24 K gold plated Wishbone Necklace with Herkimer Diamond was featured on Fox's "Bones," and Ruby Drop Necklace (below) was used on "The Vampire Diaries" Season 6 Finale. (So exciting!!)

Let's get to know Kimberly, the talented lady behind Nair & Bjorn, and her very noble cause.

Ruby Drop Necklace, seen on The CW's "The Vampire Diaries"

Business Name: Nair & Bjorn

Date Business Opened: Late 2010

What Do You Sell: Handmade accessories and donate a portion of the proceeds to no-kill shelters

Etsy Shop Link: nairandbjorn.com

Tell a bit about yourself. I have a B.S. in Hotel/Restaurant Management and a Business minor from Cal Poly Pomona University. I have always loved animals and love to create!

How did you get started with your craft? Any specific inspiration? We were walking our dog, Nemo in our neighborhood on Valentine’s Day and found a stray dog. We placed an ad in the paper and put up flyers but nobody came forth to claim him. We kept him and named him Mowgli. He is my inspiration for Nair & Bjorn and he is a cancer survivor too. 

What’s the story behind your business’ name? Nair is my married last name and Bjorn is Nordic for Bear which is my niece’s family name. I wanted something that sounded like a designer name.

What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products? Customer satisfaction and helping rescue animals are my top priorities. I try to create unique and stylish items that give back while focusing on providing exemplary customer service.

Do you have any particular rituals when you create? None, really. I usually may find a certain piece that I like to include in my design and work around that.

Paws are the Key to my Heart Necklace - so sweet!

Talk about your three favorite pieces in your shop. My favorite pieces would be the Herkimer Diamond Earrings (below), Ruby Drop Necklace seen on The Vampire Diaries and My Dog does this amazing thing Necklace (both shown above).

What do you like best about having your business? Meeting new people, working with and helping animal rescues and being my own boss.

When/where do you come up with new designs? Usually, on a weekly basis depending on what my schedule is like. Creating new designs is my favorite aspect of my business.

Do you ever suffer from "designer's"-block? If so, what do you do about it? Knock on wood, so far I haven’t yet.

Herkimer Diamond Earrings, Gifted to the Stylist
 at "The Bachlorette" 2014

Any new projects/designs in the pipeline? Yes, working on a few new designs to gift stylists of tv shows through The Artisan Group and also, finishing up my own website and working on items to collaborate with a celebrity stylist’s clients.

What's the best piece of advice given to you about running your business? I think it has to be from my Dad. Growing up, he used to tell us to try to be our own boss and I have been able to actually fulfill this.

What do you enjoy doing in your off time? Spending time with my 2 rescue dogs Mowgli and
Nick and my husband and just relaxing.

What would people be most surprised to learn about you? That I play the piano and have since I was 4 years old and I was a softball pitcher and pitched for our high school softball team.

Pave My Heart Necklaces - love, love love!

What is your favorite food/favorite restaurant? I love Mexican, Italian and Japanese food. My favorite food has to be Chips and Guacamole. One of my favorite restaurants is Sushi of Naples in Pasadena, CA and Maggiano’s.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? I love Julia Louis-Dreyfus and would like to see her as the lead.

A big "Thank You" to Kimberly for her time! Make sure to check out Nair & Bjorn and start shopping to help support her wonderful cause!

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Etsy Shop: www.NairandBjorn.etsy.com

Email: nairandbjorn@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NairandBjorn 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nairandbjorn @nairandbjorn
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nairandbjorn/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nairandbjorn/ @nairandbjorn