The importance of date night
28 February 2019
So recently, it's been a bit of a tough time for Mani and I. Work, money, having young kids and everyday stresses of life can make you drift apart a bit if you don't maintain and work on your marriage. It's a hard balance to get right, but like anything good in life, you have to work at it. Kindness, compassion, compromise and quality time are a few of the key things to making sure you keep connected to each other.
Friends suggested we start doing a weekly date night. One week I cook and Mani chooses a movie and the following week he cooks and I choose the movie. We have each had a turn now and it has been amazing. For me, having a meal cooked for me is something I deeply appreciate - as would anyone who does most of the cooking in one's household. (I don't mind cooking at all - it's just nice to have a break once in a while!). And also taking a night off from technology (cellphones/ipads), sewing, blogging, working and just sitting on the couch together after a lovely meal is a great way to relax and unwind in each others company.
So last week Mani cooked a delicious Chickpea Curry and we watched A Star is Born. Obviously - by the end of the movie, I was sobbing - for those of you who have watched it you will understand. Right? It is a freaking AMAZING movie and I would watch it again.
So this week when it was my turn I started to think what I would cook - to be honest - I had no idea what to do and I wanted to do something different. Then I remembered my friend Natalie had shared a post about her friend who had started curating seasonal snack boxes of delicious food, delivered to your door. So I ordered a box (ours was plant-based), paid for it and it was personally delivered to my door by Gabi of Beuno Boards. And it did not disappoint. (To note - I did check with Mani that this adhered to the date night code since I would not technically be cooking and he obliged!)
While Mani put the kids to bed, I draped a blanket over our coffee table in the lounge, lit some candles and printed off this date night quiz for us to do - super fun!!. We then enjoyed some very tasty food - fresh fruit, beetroot hummus, bread, crackers, nuts, veg rice paper rolls, date free chocolate peanut balls, fresh olives and dried fruit. It was the perfect amount of food and really was such a treat. At R350 including delivery I honestly think you can't go wrong! Gabi also offers a classic board which includes cured meats, olives,cheeses, bread, fresh fruit and crackers with a dip.
And in Gabi's words; "Simply put, Beuno Boards has been an idea for over a year. This is the way my family & friends eat when we're together: really good produce, lots of "everything" and mostly whole foods. It takes courage to keep food simple while still expecting loads of deliciousness from it." Such simple but wise words - and I can safely say that Gabi has started something amazing here!
And...if you fancy one for this weekend for a special date night or a treat just for you, a picnic with friends or supper on the beach - pop Gabi an email gabi.beunoboards(at)gmail.com and mention this blog post and you will get 10% off your box! Easy peasy! Now, go and book some quality time in your calendar with someone you love. It is so important.
♥♥♥♥♥
This post is not sponsored and all views are my own.
Conversations with Creatives: Natalie Jepson
25 February 2019
I decided to start this series to inspire others by sharing the stories of some of the woman who I admire in the creative industry. Creativity comes in many different forms and we can learn so much from each other. I hope you learn something from each of these amazing women and find yourself nodding along when you read through these posts.May these words help you along your creative journey and that you find others who can cheer you on.
♥♥♥♥♥
I found Natalie via my friend Keri Bainborough (who was featured in this series last week). She is an online & retail manager by day and started RitualKind as her passion project. She recently launched her brand new website which is stunning. I bought a smudge stick from her - my very first one - and I can confirm that by partaking in a ritual of self-care it has given me space to accept myself and manifest my goals to the universe. Let's see what she has to say...
Thank you so much Natalie for sharing your story and for inspiring us all to believe in ourselves and take time for self care rituals.
♥
I found Natalie via my friend Keri Bainborough (who was featured in this series last week). She is an online & retail manager by day and started RitualKind as her passion project. She recently launched her brand new website which is stunning. I bought a smudge stick from her - my very first one - and I can confirm that by partaking in a ritual of self-care it has given me space to accept myself and manifest my goals to the universe. Let's see what she has to say...
Can you tell
me a bit about yourself and what you are doing at the moment?
My full-time
job is pretty diverse! I am an Online and Retail Manager with a strong focus on
customer service, interaction and customer based brand building for a local SA
based Company. In RitualKind news, I have just launched my new website and I
am too excited!
How did
RitualKind come to fruition?
I had been
dreaming up creating a side hustle with a strong holistic focus and decided
that I wanted to start making and creating something local and beautiful with
meaning. A friend of mine and I had chatted about smudge sticks and she made
one to help clear the energy in her home.
I was immediately drawn to
smudging and the spiritual meaning. After I lost my dad I found myself in a
place of self neglect and struggling to carve out time to heal, focus on
self-love and ultimately just found I had fallen in to the patter of being
INCREDIBLY hard on myself. I needed to shift focus and find a way to create
something to heel myself and others. RitualKind was born from the need to
release and find ways of creating space for ones self through ritual and self
kindness. It was my shining light that unlocked all the creative energy I had
been holding back and really allowed me to find flow with nature, intuition and
tapping in to my own feminine energy.
What does a
typical day look like for you?
I am up from
about 5am - compliments of our cat :) I start the day outside always, barefoot
with a cup of chaga tea or coffee, currently giving the celery juice a go when
I remember to buy celery! The 40min drive to work is usually spent listening to
podcasts, voice notes or music. I get to work by 7:30am followed by a quick
catch up with one of my friends at work and we usually take a walk and grab a
coffee and chat before we start the day. The phones, email and work day starts
from 8am and its a flurry of coordinating, custom queries, assisting in the
retail space and working on projects. Home time is 4pm and again its podcast in
the car ride home - helps with traffic! I am a big fan of hydration so I am
always attached to a bottle of water that I carry around, I use my car rides as
a good time to get my daily hydration in if I have slacked during the day.
Once home,
its time with my kitty, usually rolling out my yoga mat, having a swim and then
working on RitualKind and planning the month ahead. The weather is so good so I
am pretty much outside first thing in the morning and the minute I get
home. I love cooking so being in the
kitchen and making dinner is usually some me time to switch off - but I do have
days when cooking is not my favourite! I am human!
When my
husband gets home we will usually spend some time catching up outside, eating
dinner and relaxing a bit. Ending the night off we either read or watch series
before bed.
For me,
morning and evening time outside is my meditation time. I try be present and
relaxed in my space and generally use the time to switch off and just be and
enjoy nature. I am always trying new rituals, my latest one is using body oils made by my
friend Kate from Heart Tree Natural. In the mornings I use the Happy Balance
body oil to lift my mood and assist with hormone balance and in the evening I
use the Mind unwind body oil to help me relax before bed. I try and add bits of
self-care in to my day.
Tell us
something you have learnt from having a side-hustle.
You have to
believe in yourself and back yourself 100 percent, even on the days when you
think you can’t and don’t want to, YOU have to back yourself. Most importantly
you just have to jump right in and DO IT. I am a planner and love it when the
stars align and everything is perfect, but running a side-hustle has taught me
that sometimes you just have to keep on taking a leap of faith and jump right
in, again and again, otherwise you never put anything out there.
What gets
you out of bed in the morning?
In other
words – what is your “WHY”?
We have one
life and one chance to make the most of it. I always feel ready to start the
day when I tap into gratitude and remember that I am fortunate enough to have
food on my plate, a roof over my head, a job, love, care, kindness and the
ability to feel a range of emotions and experience everything from moving my
body to travelling to beautiful places and engaging with incredible people. Most
of all, that I am a living breathing healthy human and I never want to take
that for granted.
Favourite
place to go for coffee?
Ah without a
doubt Starlings Cafe, Chardonnay Deli and Dalebrook Cafe!
What does self-care
look like for you?
Self-care
for me is really being kind to yourself when you want to indulge in all the
doubt, and all the conditioning we have had in our lives that hold us back from
putting in the time to provide space for who we really are and what we really
need. It is breaking the cycle of self -negative talk and giving in to a
greater sense of self-worth and value. It is listening and tapping in to my
intuition and honouring what I need, If that is half an hour to catch up on
admin, a quick home workout, an ugly cry in the car, reorganising my cupboard,
swimming in the sea, taking 10 min to paint or read, it all comes down to
really tapping in and understanding that you are worthy of time that is focused
on you and what you need in that moment. It is allowing myself to be free of
notions that hold me back and prevent me from being the best version of myself.
It is investing in my health, wellbeing and spiritual self as much as I
possibly can. I could go on and on ;)
Favourite
Instagram accounts at the moment?
@Ogiyogini
Website link www.ritualkind.co.za
Instagram - @ritualkind
Other social media sites you hang out on?
I am currently loving Pinterest! (Natalie Jepson) or
(RitualKind)
Thank you so much Natalie for sharing your story and for inspiring us all to believe in ourselves and take time for self care rituals.
♥
Gatherings
22 February 2019
I wanted to have a page where I have all my gatherings in one place - it something I am so proud of and something that brought me such peace and joy! I'll give you a bit of background...
When I was on maternity leave with Jack back in 2014, we lived in a beautiful village on the outskirts of the Cotswolds in England. The summer of 2014 was honestly one of the most happiest times of my life. I had a new baby, it was a warm summer and everything just felt good. I started creating photos on instagram and made so many online friends whom I am still in contact with now.
Inspired by Instagram and all the beautiful images I was seeing everyday, I decided to go on a walk everyday and gather any fallen leaves, nuts, berries, sticks, flowers and make them into images. I clearly remember going for a walk with Jack in the carrier, he would fall asleep and we would get home, I would put him in his bed and then I would rush downstairs and arrange the gatherings into images and take photos sometimes as quickly as possible because I knew he would be waking up any minute! Other times I would do it while he was in his highchair having a snack or playing contently. (Not something that happened that often!!).
When I fell pregnant with Harry and then moved to South Africa I lost the routine of gathering and then got back into it and lost it again. I am not a consistent person and I learning that this isn't a bad thing!! I ebb and flow like most of us!
Anyway - so I want to try get into gathering again and sharing an inspirational quote with it once a week or even once a month so I will see how I go. In the meantime, here is my collection of Gatherings. I hope they bring you happiness and inspiration!
If you want to collaborate in any way or want to buy some framed prints - pop me a message!
When I was on maternity leave with Jack back in 2014, we lived in a beautiful village on the outskirts of the Cotswolds in England. The summer of 2014 was honestly one of the most happiest times of my life. I had a new baby, it was a warm summer and everything just felt good. I started creating photos on instagram and made so many online friends whom I am still in contact with now.
Inspired by Instagram and all the beautiful images I was seeing everyday, I decided to go on a walk everyday and gather any fallen leaves, nuts, berries, sticks, flowers and make them into images. I clearly remember going for a walk with Jack in the carrier, he would fall asleep and we would get home, I would put him in his bed and then I would rush downstairs and arrange the gatherings into images and take photos sometimes as quickly as possible because I knew he would be waking up any minute! Other times I would do it while he was in his highchair having a snack or playing contently. (Not something that happened that often!!).
When I fell pregnant with Harry and then moved to South Africa I lost the routine of gathering and then got back into it and lost it again. I am not a consistent person and I learning that this isn't a bad thing!! I ebb and flow like most of us!
Anyway - so I want to try get into gathering again and sharing an inspirational quote with it once a week or even once a month so I will see how I go. In the meantime, here is my collection of Gatherings. I hope they bring you happiness and inspiration!
If you want to collaborate in any way or want to buy some framed prints - pop me a message!
♥♥♥♥♥
Conversations with Creatives: Keri Bainborough
14 February 2019
I decided to start this series to inspire others by sharing the stories of some of the woman who I admire in the creative industry. Creativity comes in many different forms and we can learn so much from each other. I hope you learn something from each of these amazing women and find yourself nodding along when you read through these posts. May these words help you along your creative journey and that you find others who can cheer you on.
♥♥♥♥♥
Today on the Conversation with Creatives series is Keri Bainborough. I first came across Keri on Instagram and was immediately drawn to her strong spirit and how comfortable she was in her own skin. She is an honest woman who is a fierce believer in being kind and supporting woman. Let's see what she has to say...
You recently
started a podcast – which I know a lot of people would love to do too – any
tips for getting started with that?
Today on the Conversation with Creatives series is Keri Bainborough. I first came across Keri on Instagram and was immediately drawn to her strong spirit and how comfortable she was in her own skin. She is an honest woman who is a fierce believer in being kind and supporting woman. Let's see what she has to say...
Can you tell
me a bit about yourself and what you are doing at the moment?
Hi
there! I’m Keri and I’m a mom, a writer, a bit of an entrepreneur and, of
course, a creative (as we all are!). At the moment I’m working on a number of
projects, including curating a community of sisterhood through my moon journal
business, La Luna La Femme, creating and hosting my podcast, Walking with Wildflowers, writing and sharing about my vegan
lifestyle over on my blog, We Are The Wildflowers, writing an online course for new moms
and putting together a small ebook of meals for vegan kids! I have also written
a vegan guidebook called A Guide for
Wildflowers
for newbie vegans, which is available for purchase on my online shop, along
with the La Luna La Femme monthly moon journals. Oh, and I’m
studying behind the scenes too. This feels like a lot now that I’ve written it
down - but that’s just the way I roll. I like to have a finger in every pie.
What does a
typical day look like for you?
We’re
usually up at about 5am with out little girl - she is an early bird like her
mum! We have coffee in bed and then head downstairs where my husband and I take
it in turns to cook breakfast and feed Imogen whilst the other one goes for a
run or to gym. Then Immy is either off to play school for a few hours (which we
also take in turns as she has not settled in by herself yet) or we have child
care so that we can do some work. Then it’s lunchtime - I try to make Immy
something healthy from scratch every day, as she has a big appetite at
lunchtime and I like to cram in as many good nutrients as I can while she’s
hungry! In the afternoons, there is a lot of napping and Peppa Pig watching on
Immi’s side whilst we do more work. Sometimes, we will take Ims out to the
beach or the nature reserve or go for a swim to expend some of her energy
before dinner at 6. Dinner is usually quick and easy food like veggie burgers
and chips or pasta. Bath and bedtime for Immy starts at about seven and after
she has gone to sleep, we pretty much pass out on the couch, bloody exhausted!
In between all of this, a lot of dish washer loading, vacuuming and gardening
happens too.
What gets
you out of bed in the morning? In other
words – what is your “WHY”? (Apart from
a toddler who is up at the crack of dawn!!)
Human
connection. For me, that’s what it’s all about. I love creating and nurturing
that connection through words and images. I have a deep desire to change the
world and help others live a life free from unnecessary pain. And I just really
want everyone to be happy in their own skin and to be kind teach other. (Oh,
and if everyone can stop eating animals, that would be awesome too.)
Can you tell
me more about your vegan journey?
I’ve
been vegan for aaaages now! I think I’m in my fifth year of avoiding animal
products whenever I can. I’m not perfect, sometimes I “slip up” and eat or buy
something with a trace of animal product in it, and I’m open about that.
Veganism is not about perfectionism and unforgiving vegans who try and pretend
that it is just damage the good vibes for everyone else. I know that for a lot
of people, Veganism is a big deal, and a major topic of conversation and
argument, but for me, it’s common sense. You know, in the beginning, I used to
wake up in the morning, and the first thing I would think is, “I’m vegan”. It
was my first thought, because, yes, initially, it was such a massive lifestyle
change, especially for a steak-loving farm girl married to a chef and
restauranteur like myself. But honestly, it’s second nature for me now. There
is nothing left to discuss or argue. The proof is in the pudding. It is now a
fact that we now have only twelve years left to reverse the effects of climate
change and the number one ways we can all do that, every single day, is to fly
less, be vegan and have less children. If you’re educated and privileged enough
to know why eating vegan and living a vegan lifestyle is the single best thing
you can do for our planet, then there really is no excuse as to why you
shouldn’t be vegan, or at least eat a vegan diet 90% of the time. Having said
that, I also know how hard it can be initially to go vegan or plant-based, and
what a mind-fuck it is at first - that is why I wrote my vegan guidebook and
it’s also why I will soon be offering my services as a vegan mentor for people
wanting to make this amazing change to their lives.
I often feel
overwhelmed with all the things I want to do, achieve, start, accomplish and
then don’t because of time constraints – how do you make the time to work on
your business?
I
wish I had the answer for this… I feel like I am always fighting the clock -
especially since becoming a mum. The days fly by and I usually only get one or
two things ticked off my to-do list. It is getting easier as Imogen gets older
and doesn’t need me to be present 24/7, but yes, it is something I struggle
with. I guess the only way to deal with it is to stop beating myself up, accept
it is what it is, and to just get started on the most important things that
need doing every day first. This unfortunately means that I get my admin done
first (because survival) and that my creative processes, such as writing, have
taken a major back seat, which I am very sad about. But every now and then
(usually in the inner spring and summer seasons of my menstrual cycle), I will
be blessed with a big burst of creative energy and will stay up until the wee
hours of the morning writing and working on my projects. I kinda live for those
moments these days! I never appreciated them fully when I was childless, so
there really is a lot to be said about how becoming a mother forces you to stop
being a procrastinator - which I totally used to be.
Ah,
the podcast! I just love this new medium of communication. It’s the new
blogging, isn’t it? People don’t have time to sit and read long blog posts
anymore, but they can listen to a podcast whilst exercising, or communting, or
cleaning their house… I do a lot of podcast listening when washing dishes! As
for getting it started… I just kinda did it! And I did it without too much
thought, as I’m the kind of person who if overthink about something too much, I
will never start it. I read a couple of blog posts about starting your own
podcast (Lucy Lucraft has written a great one), and once I found out how to get a host
(you need a hosting site for your podcast - most people use libsyn.com) and tinkered around a bit on Garage Band, I simply
used my Voice Note app on my phone to record my first episode! Now that I’ve
finished my first season and seen the numbers and found that people besides my
mum are actually listening to my podcast, I’m hoping to be a little more
“professional” with my second season - maybe organise a few sponsors, actually
line up my guests for interviews and use an actual real life editor to help me.
But I would say my number one tip for starting a podcast is to just do it! Put
it out there and see what happens.
Favourite
Instagram accounts at the moment?
@LaLunaLaFemme - yes, it’s run by me and @Amy_Keevy, but I do just love the amazing
community of like-minded and strong women we have created with this account.
@yoga_girl - always! Rachel makes me tear up every
day.
@tribedemama is amazing for empowering women and
mothers and featuring other accounts which do the same.
@verylacey - ah, she is just a dream. In my next
life, I want to come back as Lacey. She is such an inspiration to me.
@underthehood_podcast - it’s all about menstruation,
motherhood and female empowerment - topics I love, obviously!
@the_green_dietitian - Jessica is an amazing vegan
nutritionist in Cape Town and I love her practical, no-nonsense approach to
vegan health. Her five minute meal posts are some of my favourites - great
inspo for a mama like me with not much time to cook dinner!
@bryni - she’s a dear friend and one of my very
first fellow vegans! Her pictures are just so dreamy and I am very envious of
her wonderful Instagram husband, @keanebalt.
When is your
next event/gathering/workshop?
I’m
not sure yet - but La Luna La Femme will probably be holding a new or full moon
gathering in March - sign up to our
newsletter
to keep on top of our latest news and events!
Website link
www.wearethewildflowers.co.za
Podcast: Walking With Wildflowers
Instagram - @keribainborough and @lalunalafemme
Other social media sites you hang out
on?
Review: The School Readiness Box by Panda Post
13 February 2019
Panda Post was started because of a passion to empower parents and caregivers to help them make learning easy and fun for children. Started by a teacher who understands the importance of learning through play-based activities - Nina provides themed boxes of carefully curated items to help your child reach their full potential and have fun at the same time.
The latest box to launch, The School Readiness box was a huge hit in our house. It has been put together to guide you, as a parent, for your child's big leap of Grade R to big school by helping them with the necessary skills to help them cope with the academic demands of Grade 1. It helps you to boost your child's pre-reading, pre-writing, early numeracy, gross motor and emotional development.
Harry (3) joined in on the fun too and loved taking part. The boxes are aimed at ages 4-6 years old but most of these activities can be made appropriate for younger kiddos.
Included in the box is:
- A4 Sketch Pad
- Tripd Grip Junior Pencil
- Junior Scissors
- Glue
- UNO
- Alphabet Puzzle
- Follow the Dots
- Wooden counting sticks
- Set of Wooden Dominoes
- Cutting activities
For example, after we lined up the sticks to practise counting, Jack then made different shapes with them as well as made a little man figure. It is so wonderful to see him using his imagination - I often find that with a bit of guidance at the beginning allows Jack to then go off and make up his own game with the same items.
I was so chuffed when Jack sounded out each letter and matched it up to the relating item when doing the alphabet puzzle - something he has obviously been practising in class in Pre-R.
The biggest thing for me about this School Readiness box is the ease of having it delivered and it all being organised and curated for you. The guidebook gives me ideas and understanding and it is an easy activity to do with the boys when we need something to keep us busy in the afternoons or on a rainy weekend PLUS we are learning! Its a win-win.
Learning through play is vital at this young age - and I thoroughly enjoyed myself as well - seeing my boys learning and watching them grow is something I am so grateful for.
Follow Nina on Instagram - @pandapostlearning for loads of inspirational tips for learning through play, new products and a host of services that Nina offers!
Panda Post are offering my readers 15% off The School Readiness box until the end of February! Just use the code GATHEREDBYCLAIRE on their website and grab yourself a box and get involved with your kids learning and have fun at the same time.
The Little Banner Company
5 February 2019
As you all know I LOVE creating, making, sewing, baking and sharing this all with you lovely people.
The Little Banner Company was started to fuel my creativity, share inspiration and spread colour around the world. I have really been thinking about what I feel my purpose in life is and I keep coming back to creating and inspiring. These two things make me so happy.
Hopefully my products can do just that. They are perfect as a gift for a teacher, a friend, a mother, a baby or your child's room, classroom or even YOURSELF!
Products include customised wall banners, bunting, little accessories such as wands, tooth pouches, piggy banks, gift card wallets and birthday crowns. I can also make custom tote bags and seasonal products.
Check out my website and if you fancy 10% off your order then sign up to my newsletter and you will receive a coupon code to use at checkout!
♥♥♥♥♥
Conversations with Creatives: Lorin Galloway
4 February 2019
I decided to start this series to inspire others by sharing the stories of some of the woman who I admire in the creative industry. Creativity comes in many different forms and we can learn so much from each other. I hope you learn something from each of these amazing women and find yourself nodding along when you read through these posts.May these words help you along your creative journey and that you find others who can cheer you on.
♥♥♥♥♥
This week I am chatting to Lorin Galloway - a very talented lady in the design industry. I met Lorin via Instagram and meet up with her monthly face-to-face at TogetherTuesdays. Lorin is a brand strategist and designer by day working from her sunny home studio in Cape Town, alongside her handsome and wild 2 year old son. husband, whippet and 3 hens.
With a degree in fine art, and deep, twisted roots in print media, she loves the hand-created element of her work and enjoys getting her hands all sorts of dirty. The inspiring and brave souls she gets to work with on a daily basis are widespread, spanning many time zones - seldom her own.
Through guidance, strategy and design, she helps them share their stories in a refined and compelling way, allowing them to feel confident in every marketing effort and draw in the right crowd.
When she's not at her desk, she is usually running round the garden with her son or preparing food in the kitchen, or simply being taken by the small, seemingly insignificant moments and trying her best to capture those stills in her heart forever.
What are you doing at the moment?
Right now, I’m wrapping up some business admin, writing some IG captions and updating some
old blog posts. We’ve just had lunch and Finley is asleep so I’m using this quiet time to get some
heavy-concentration work done!
What does your typical day look like?
6.00 wake up, make coffee and check my meal plan calendar for the day while Finn is with
Richard lounging in bed
6.15 bribe Finn to pack his bunny and shooshie away and take off his nappy with helping me
make breakfast.
7.00 the 2 of us eat breakfast together and listen to some music
7.30 get dressed and ready for the day
8.00 Violet arrives and I make her breakfast and coffee
8.15 do what I didn’t get a chance to do earlier to get everything sorted for the day.
8.30 usually by this time I’m making my way to my computer to check and reply to emails and do
my recurring tasks, like stats, accounting, budget, marketing.
10.00 start prepping lunch and work in between it cooking
11.00 we all 3 eat lunch together and enjoy conversation around the table
11.30 I head back to my computer to dive in to client work
12.00 Finn goes to nap
14.30 I collect my niece from school in the neighbouring suburb
15.00 carry on with client work and have any scheduled meetings or calls with potential clients
16.45 close everything up, put my computer to sleep and take Violet to the train station
17.00 outside play until Richard gets home from work
17.45 start making dinner while Finn and Richard play golf outside
18.30 we’re trying to eat dinner with Finn now he’s a bit older so we’d usually do it around this
time
19.15 bath and bedtime madness
20.00 if I didn’t get to make dinner earlier, this is when I start but if we did, then this is when
Richard and I can start switching off for the day and enjoy some time alone together. Or Richard
studies and I potter around the house.
22.30 Usually head off to bed around this time and Finn joins us anytime between 11 and 1.
What gets you out of bed in the morning - what is your "why"?
Helping entrepreneurs gain much-needed clarity and connect with their brand, their essence and
their audience makes me excited! I love being able to guide them through a process of discovery
and help them understand that strategy doesn’t have to be difficult to understand or implement.
And then I adore being trusted to take their story and craft designs that speak to it, to their
audience, in way they could never have imagined. Turning their vision into a real and tangible and
refined brand that they feel confident in and aligned with, that gives me life!
Tell us something you have learnt from working for yourself.
That you are capable of learning and growing far more than you ever imagined. You’re able to
find the strength to travel through the dark, lonely and anxiety-filled days and you’re able to see
and share the joy as you travel through the days where work is abundant and your soul burns
with passion for your work and your clients or customers. But also that you desperately need
someone to share the journey with. Someone who will lessen the pain of working alone, who will
help you nurture ideas and vision, who will believe in you and challenge you.
Favourite place to go for coffee?
I don’t actually have a favourite go-to place. Right now, I’ll go anywhere that has large (but also
enclosed) areas that allow me 5 minutes of undisturbed sipping.
What does self-care look like for you?
Right now, self care looks like taking 10 minutes to indulge in a skincare routine every day,
meal-prepping and planning and stocking the freezer for the nights I just can’t imagine cooking
and practising patience, understanding and forgiveness within myself when I haven’t met my
expectations of myself.
Favourite Instagram accounts at the moment?
Oh my gosh, so many! I always get frustrated when people use this question or #followfriday to
share accounts that already have thousands of followers. Guys, they have enough! Let’s help
someone shine, too.
@wemakethings for all things handmade! Run by my friend, Danielle, and her family of makers,
expect to see pottery, crochet, 3D printing, woodwork and painting.
@ourstorytime Huma is an author living in London. Her stories are lovely and she speaks openly
and beautifully about difficult issues or race and gender inequalities.
@morganrapp designer of October Ink, mom of 3 and pretty real about all things mom life and
working! Expect to see cute baby photos and gorgeous interiors.
@tamsitam designer and stylist for Tapestry. Love her account for all things mom-life and
working from home. And just generally seeming to be superhuman in her ability to still run her
business and service clients and be fully booked with 2 littles!
Thank you Lorin for sharing your story with us.
You can find her website over at freckleddesignstudio.com and her instagram account @freckleddesignstudio.
Check back next week for another conversation with creatives story!
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