I didn’t set out to build a brand with a mission.

Chic & Stone started simply — with my hands. I collected Petosky stones and other semi-precious stones from all over the world and turned them into jewelry. That creative pull grew into custom signs, and eventually into t-shirts. I’ve always loved making things that feel personal — things that tell a story.

In the middle of building all of that, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I thought I beat it.
I didn’t.

When it came back, everything changed — not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. I learned very quickly that cancer isn’t just a medical experience. It’s a quiet, isolating one. It affects your relationships, your identity, your sense of self, and the people who love you — often in ways no one talks about.

That’s where Raw Pink came from.

You know the pink ribbon — the glittery version with flowers and butterflies. Raw Pink is not that. It’s the fighter behind the ribbon. It’s the color of skin burned raw from radiation, the bruising around ports and IVs, the skin under bandages where you’ve been cut open, stitched up, and told to keep going.

There are no butterflies in that pink.

Pink is supposed to remind you of being a girl. But when your estrogen is stripped from your body, when your hair changes, your weight shifts, your voice changes, and you don’t recognize yourself anymore — “girl” feels very far away.

I didn’t plan on sitting across the living room from my husband in silence, both of us carrying this in different ways. I didn’t plan on realizing how much goes unsaid — especially the parts women carrying pink ribbons rarely talk about. The after. The anger. The grief. The identity loss. The reality that cancer doesn’t magically end when treatment does.

Raw Pink exists for the women behind the ribbon — the ones losing hair, sleep, patience, control, and sometimes themselves. The ones who need permission to cry, to be angry, to laugh darkly, or to admit they’re not okay.

This isn’t about performative positivity.
There’s no pressure to be strong here.
And there’s no pretending this is pretty.

A portion of proceeds from Raw Pink goes back in real ways — helping women with wigs, head coverings, surgical necessities, and comfort items that actually improve quality of life during treatment and recovery.

And if you’re in the thick of it — if you don’t have the money or energy to support anyone else while you’re just trying to survive — that’s okay. Truly. You’re not failing. You’re fighting.

If you need help, guidance, or just someone who understands, you can reach out. We can keep everything anonymous, and you’ll reach a real person who knows that this fight doesn’t end when treatment does.

Chic & Stone is still about creativity.
Raw Pink is about truth.
Both exist to give back — with honesty, heart, and purpose.

You don’t have to carry this alone.

Thank you for being here — whether you’re supporting, surviving, or somewhere in between.