Meet Julie Hemsky: Jewelry Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Hemsky and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Ask yourself, does it bring you joy? I think that’s one of the most important questions we need to be asking ourselves and on the regular. If what you do brings you joy, pursue it. Even if it doesn’t turn into a full time career or a business. If you truly enjoy doing something but have other things on the go in terms of career / work, then try to continue with it and perhaps turn it into a hobby. Bottom line, anything that brings you joy and makes you happy is usually a great sign to keep going! If it doesn’t, it will become more of a burden than anything and that to me is the number one sign it’s time to stop and reevaluate. I really believe that the energy we give out when doing anything affects everything. 

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Brand A lot of people ask me how I came up with the name ‘Jugar N Spice,’ and in all honesty, the name came about rather naturally. Since I can remember, people have been saying “you’ve got spice, Garcia.” and thus: ‘Jugar N Spice’. I made the decision to use this innate spicy-ness and try to express it in every collection and in every piece. Jugar N Spice was branded in 2011 and is a growing web-based company, currently operating out of Dallas, TX. This company continues to flourish from my imagination, my passion for self-expression through jewelry and an unrelenting desire to make affordable luxury pieces accessible globally. Every piece is inspired by the places i’ve explored and the places I hope to explore one day. The result is a blend of styles that i feel better represents a person’s unique personality better than any one style ever could. All of the materials are personally sourced to ensure that they meet the brand’s standards for quality, individuality and style. The bulk of the designs you’ll find are one-of-a-kind, hand-made, and unique; including the custom fine-gold pieces and engagement rings that are created upon request. Connecting with customers through jewelry is such a large part of why I love what I do, and continue working at it every day 🙂

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Dallas is such a cool city with amazing things to offer and I still feel I have so much yet to discover! One of my favorite ways to start the day over the weekend is to grab a coffee and take a stroll down Katy Trail. It’s the perfect place to people watch, pet some cute dogs and maybe even grab a drink when you make your way down towards the Ice House. For lunch, head down to Highland Park Village and sit at the Honor Bar patio. Take a stroll if you fancy a little window shopping afterwards and be sure to stop by at Bird Bakery for a snow bird ice cream coffee or one of their delicious desserts. One of my favorite places to enjoy a coffee or wine outdoor is Royal Blue Grocery, that place is awesome! Deep Ellum is one of Dallas’ treasures. I love walking around there to check out it’s super unique shops, speakeasys, donut places and their graffiti art. My favorite sushi restaurant is there, it’s called Nori. If you haven’t tried it, take my word for it and go! I recently discovered my favorite new drink in Dallas and it’s called the Emmerson at Georgie’s on Knox / Henderson area. You choose a spirit, it’s made with cucumber water, some herbs….and…in a bubble! You pop the bubble and smoke comes out from your drink, it’s the COOLEST thing, please try it. Bet you can’t have just one! My all time favorite places to dine in Dallas are The Beverley, The Charles, Uchi and Town Hearth. You are guaranteed good vibes, amazing food and great cocktails! Ps. The Beverley has the best key lime pie I’ve ever had in my life. No joke, the best.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, my biggest shoutout has to go to all my customers. It’s because of them that I kept at it, kept getting excited about creating new things, kept being encouraged to continue on. They’re my biggest support and inspiration, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can’t describe into words the feeling of seeing one of my pieces on some one, knowing they love it and enjoy wearing it… that to me, is my purest drive to’ve continued Jugar N Spice. Another huge shoutout goes to my siblings and closest friends who right from the beginning saw the potential much before I could. One in particular is a friend who owns the coolest boutique in a city in Canada where I was living at the time. She kept asking me to recreate pieces I had just made for myself for fun for her boutique to sell, and within a short period of time I found myself doing it full time! My website launched shortly after this demand / growth and I honestly wouldn’t be here doing this today if it wasn’t for her love and encouragement. Thank you Fay. Last but never least, my husband. Who always gave me the freedom and space to pursue in life anything I desired. He’s my rock and my support and always helping me with little things that make such a big impact for Jugar N Spice.

Website: JUGARNSPICE.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jugarnspicejewelry/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jugarnspice
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JugarNSpice/

Image Credits
Photography by Paige Greener