Laura V. Quinlan glided into my life with her trade-mark thousand-watt smile, accompanied by an infectious laugh that changed the laws of how work gets done. She knew how to live life to it’s fullest everyday. I will never know if Laura did this because she knew her fate, or if it was just another beautiful gift handed to her by her maker. Whatever the case may be, I was blessed the day I greeted her in my office, for an interview. She wanted a new challenge: to work in the beauty industry with me. I was drawn to this beautiful spirit and knew she was the right fit. She surprised me with her forthright honesty when she said, “Before you hire me, you need to know that I am a breast cancer survivor, and though I am in remission, I still think you need to know.” Her open candor is one of her many strengths. She came to work for me the next day.

We worked across from one another, sometimes for as long as 14 hours straight. For the next six years we developed a life-long friendship and shared stories of our children, our love of fashion and even figured out ways to  solve the politics of the nation if only we were President! One horrible afternoon Laura called me to tell me her cancer had returned, that it wasn’t good. We embarked on alternatives to beg this cancer away. I bought Laura a CD of dance music and told her to play it and scream out the words because I heard that makes health issues go away. When the less invasive holistic methods failed to bring results, the decision for chemo began again. Every friday at 10 am we were sure it would work. The love for Laura was so strong, everyone was pulling for her. From hospital staff to friends, family and neighbors. It was impossible not to.

On November 12, 2010, Laura lost her battle. On a Friday morning, surrounded by her three boys, her husband, her family and friends, Laura’s journey came to an end. My life will never be the same without her, yet so enriched by what she had so freely given me. I am dedicating this website to my dear friend Laura. This was our shared vision, a venture a long time coming. In honor of her memory and the lives she touched while here, 5% of all sales will be donated to breast cancer research in her name, to find a cure so others may escape her fate. In this way, her legacy will continue to touch lives, as she has certainly touched mine.