Good news for Kim Livingstone, an Armstrong native living with her husband and two kids in Fort St. John, who hasn’t been out of Canada since 2011.
Her passport showed up in time for the family’s upcoming trip to Los Angeles, where Livingstone’s home based business will be featured prominently during the Academy Awards weekend.
Livingstone owns and operates Sand and Stone Jewelry, and she has been invited to showcase her products at the pre-party luxury gifting suite at the Millennium Biltmore in L.A. Saturday (Feb. 25).
“Fifty companies from around the world and various industries are selected to showcase at this red carpet celebration and I am one of them,” said Livingstone, who graduated from Pleasant Valley Secondary School in 2000.
She has to gift 160-to-200 items for the Oscar-nominated celebrities, who will have a personal shopper check out the products. If they’re purchased, the celebs will use social media to praise and promote the products.
“This is probably the coolest invite to a show I’ve ever gotten,” said Livingstone, who was invited to show her wares at the Emmy Awards three years ago, but could not make the trip.
After meeting her husband, Garrett, Livingstone started Sand and Stone in the basement of their Fort St. John home when she was pregnant with her son, Declan (also have a daughter, Memphis), as a way of making Christian stamped jewelry presents for family and friends.
“I forgot about it for about six months, until I found a gold jewelry cross (that I have to this day hanging off my rear view mirror as a daily reminder) on the floor of my daughter’s bedroom,” said Livingstone. “To me it was a sign that it was something I needed to pursue.”
Today, her products are shipped around the world to shops in London, Africa, across Canada and in her hometown at Armstrong Flower Shop.
Sand and Stone, she said, has been “100 per cent a complete blessing from God.”
“It’s by God’s grace that I am able to make these beautiful pieces,” said Livingstone. “My hands that have been able to work for 16 hours a day when I need too, the stories of love and loss that I get to hear and pray over as I make their gift. Stories that are now a part of me, they and the work I do is something I will never take for granted.
“I feel blessed to have the gift to create. And I am proud to show my kids that you can start something small, work long hours and as hard as you can, and it can take you places you never thought possible.”
Livingstone isn’t sure how her company got invited to the Oscar weekend, but plans to ask around during her stay. One thing she thinks is cool is she’ll get to meet 49 other vendors from around the world.
You can find out more about Livingstone and her jewelry at www.sandandstonejewelry.com.