Women Who Rock: Nicole Rice of Sweet {Jolie}

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think my favorite part of blogging is being able to connect with so many amazing women. These are women who are killing it as business owners (we're talking major #girlboss babes here), they are wives, mothers and they also manage to give back and find ways to help their community as well. It never ceases to amaze me how these women manage to do it all- it really is inspiring.

When I connected with Sweet Jolie and we first started talking about doing something together for the blog I was immediately excited. I've followed Sweet Jolie on Instagram for a very long time so I was very familiar with their incredibly cute and stylish clothes - not to mention I've been obsessing over their photos forever because I always wondered "where are they taking these photos?!". After meeting Nicole (above) at her home (where her store is located in her basement) I can tell you two things:

1) The clothes are even cuter in person (which I didn't think was possible!). I'll elaborate on this in a minute

2) She takes all of her photos in her home!! It's her home that is that gorgeous and well styled and beautiful! It's just ridiculous. I feel like I can barely keep my home looking semi-presentable with James, Herman and myself living there but Nicole, her husband (who tried to convince me that Sweet Jolie was named for him- nice try Ken!) and her three children live there; not to mention Nicole operates her business from her home and it is immaculate! #housegoals

DETAILS: Wearing this gorgeous chunky knit cardigan and this cozy waffle knit tunic - borrowed from Sweet Jolie

Nicole has the full Sweet Jolie shop set up in her basement. While much of her business is online (and she ships internationally), she does offer private in home shopping times (which are kid friendly!) along with setting up "store hours" where you can pop in and shop away as you would at any other store.

DETAILS: stunning lace trim top (for real, I didn't want to take it off!) borrowed from Sweet Jolie!

Now let's go back to the clothes. I've found it can be hard to find a small shop that you want to support who carries clothes that are good quality, cute and have accurate sizing. I can't tell you how many items I've purchased from other online shops in a size M that wouldn't fit a child!! I've even taken to ordering a size XL in tops (I'm usually a S-M) that still don't fit. It can be incredibly frustrating and disappointing. So, when I turned up to Sweet Jolie I was THRILLED to find out that the sizing is ACCURATE and the clothes are amazing quality!! Over her almost 5 years in business, Nicole has built relationships with independent designers who carry high quality pieces, many of which are run by women, just one more reason she's such an incredible girl boss. Plus she's adding new items to her shop daily!

DETAILS: Hi-Lo Tunic c/o Sweet Jolie - I LOVE this piece so be warned, you'll be seeing me wear this a lot!

I had a blast trying on so many different tops, cardigans, vests and dresses and I'm officially on 'Team Sweet Jolie' now. Another big reason I love Nicole and Sweet Jolie is because of her work giving back. Nicole started the 'Love Project' to give back to the community. In her first charitable campaign she selected WIN house as her charity of choice and in this year ahead, has plans to work with other charities as well. When she told me that she not only made her home a drop off location for donations but that she also donated 100% of every purchase of her Love Project tees, I knew that she was definitely a Woman Who Rocks. Read HERE for more info on the Love Project and to stay tuned for her upcoming charitable campaigns.

DETAILS: Ombre tunic (check out this color combo) // Wool Blend Vest - borrowed from Sweet Jolie

To say thanks to you all for reading along and because Nicole is so great, we've teamed up to offer you a $75 Gift Card for your chance to pick up a few of your own Sweet Jolie pieces.* Head over to IG for your chance to enter.

For bonus entries, visit the Sweet Jolie site and let me know in the comments below which piece is your favorite! Good luck!

*Contest open to Canadian/US Residents