Inspiration with... Claire Mischevani

A mere five days before I got married, my sister and I went to the British Bridal Exhibition and we both fell in love!  Beautiful, hand-sewn, embellished belts caught our eye, swiftly followed by the truly elegant bridal designs of Claire Mischevani.  In a word, breath-taking.  But the real clincher for us was meeting Claire herself - clearly talented, as well as one of the warmest and most inspirational entrepreneurs either of us had come across.  We were both touched and inspired by her story and so wanted to share it with you....  And for the bride-to-be, a visit to the gallery at ClaireMischevani.com is highly recommended!

Tell us a little about you/your enterprise/your mission...
I am Claire Mischevani, a British Fashion Designer who has been designing for 10 years. I have my head office in Shrewsbury, Shropshire and a showroom a few minutes from Sloane Square in London.  I design bespoke garments for private clients, including celebrities and I have stockists for both my wedding dress and fashion collections.

What is your vision of your best life? 
Just to get the perfect work/life balance, as it can be difficult when running a thriving business.  I am so happy that the business has grown so much, but I wish that I could spend more time with my family and friends.

Can you tell us about some of the challenges/obstacles/fears you've faced and how you've tackled them?  
In the beginning I was faced with all sorts of obstacles, mainly stemming from lack of experience. I also found it difficult to find skilled workers, which is key to a business such as mine. I have always learnt valuable lessons from facing challenges directly and not shying away from them, it makes you a stronger business woman. You just have to learn from your mistakes.

Have you ever thought you had everything planned, only for life to show you an alternative?  
Yes, this happens all the time, but I believe that things happen for a reason and you just have to deal with what life throws at you in the most positive way possible. I have always found that if ever I go against my instincts/gut reaction then things tend to go wrong!

Has there been a 'defining moment' that has changed your life/your view of life?  What has been the nudge in the right direction for you?  
My nudge was when I was working as a lawyer and not enjoying it.  My Grandmother passed away and it just made me realise that life was too short to be unhappy at work, so a couple of days later I handed in my notice and left.  I have never spent a minute regretting my decision and that was 10 years ago and I still absolutely stand my decision to leave my job and felt it was the best decision I could ever have made!

If you were to look back and offer advice to yourself, what 3 pearls of wisdom would you share? 
1. Always go with your instinct.  2. Take advice from people who have been in your line of business. 3. If things go wrong, do not give up.  Dust yourself off and do it better next time.

What book, piece of music, blog, quote or person inspires you the most? 
I take inspiration from so many different forms of media including films and magazines, that I could not name one in particular - I find new inspirations every day.

Goals: just a few more....

Well not goals as such -  here are the qualities in my life I want to create this year, all cut and pasted to my vision-board.  Ta-da! I shared some of my aspirations for BasilBe with you (here) and now here's part two, my intentions for the other areas of my life....

Nurturing: When life is running full-steam ahead, I often (guiltily) feel that, when it comes to time with friends and family, there is little fuel left in the tank.  What company I must be!  The irony is that it's the people I love that are the biggest priority in my life.  As a nurturer, this year I want to make sure I'm living this value - making sure that the time I spend with these peeps is jam-packed with energy, my full attention and little touches to show I care.  Project Quality Time is on!

Nurturing #2: Are you sensing a theme here?  We're on the lookout for a new home and, much to Jack's disdain, I'm definitely one to be ruled by my heart.  My ideal home is light, airy and welcoming.  Comfortable elegance.  The deal-breaker is it has to have plenty of space to entertain.  I love being the hostess!  

Elegance: My role models and heroines ooze elegance and it's one quality I'd love to bring into all areas of my life: home, work, wardrobe.  

Freedom: Maybe it's the Aries in me but I've been (accurately) described as "fiercely independent" in the past.  A tad extreme.  This year, I want to tone down my independent streak and, instead, try to create a sense of freedom - be it in channelling my creative energies into my plans for BasilBe (as I talk about here), keeping my free time just that - plan-free - and letting my heart take me where it will, or keeping my mind open to new possibilities this year.

Success: This is the year I'm going to spread my wings.  I'm a dreamer but often lacking the courage to go. for. it.  I'm pushing the doubts aside and channelling a little self-confidence.  I'm determined to make this year a success.  

From low point to dreaming big: 2012 intentions

Resolutions: been there, done that.  And failed.  Big time.  Setting such strict resolutions in new year's past has simply set me up for failure - I just don't have the willpower to avoid that off-limits piece of chocolate, to stick to that unrealistic exercise regime I set.  Ask me what my goal and intentions are, on the other hand, and you can be sure I'll be busily making plans, to-do lists and day-dreaming of the outcome.  Better still, make it visual and it becomes an even more appealing destination (I've talked of my vision boards here and here).


On this, the second day of a new year, I thought I'd share my intentions for BasilBe.  This in itself is a goal of mine - being brave enough to share my ambitions and future plans for this, my creative space in the world, putting aside my fear of other people's opinion.  And, with a deep breath, I'll begin...  (Get comfortable, it's my longest post yet!)

The back story...
To set the scene, I'm going to re-wind two years.  I was 31 years old and, by this point, had been working hard for 8 years in the corporate world - I'd had successes, I'd progressed, I'd definitely had high points to celebrate, on paper my CV was looking good but I was running on empty.  It felt a struggle, it didn't excite me anymore, it didn't fit me - the real me.  I had had a stomach-full of being pushed to be more assertive, more single-mindedly ambitious.  I didn't want what was promised, I didn't want to become what I needed to be (or needed to pretend to be) to succeed in this environment.  And, without me realising, this toxic air started to choke me.  What started out as a feeling of being lost and frustrated, turned to despondency and, ultimately, took a toll on my health - physical and mental.  The low point, and ironically the turning point, was a 5am visit to A&E: as ridiculous as it may sound now in the cool light of day, I was having chest pains, struggling to breathe and I was sure I was dying.  Diagnosis: anxiety attacks.  


It was the smack around the face I needed to finally admit to myself something I'd known for a long time - this way of life didn't fit me.  Something needed to give.  It turned out, the thing that needed to give was trying to fit my life into a perception of what was expected, the expectation of what a "good girl" should be doing with her life, of how "sorted" I should be at this ripe old age.  My life had been on automatic pilot since I left university - using my degree by getting a "good job" and working my way up the corporate ladder.  My wake-up call had shown me that I wanted my life to stand for something different.  I'd learnt that I get a feeling of joy and a sense of reward by nurturing people; channelling my creative energy sets my heart on fire; having a sense of freedom to share the view from my lens on the world gives me enormous satisfaction.  This is the real me.


Fast forward a year and BasilBe was born.  I'd been in the shadows and come out the other side and I wanted to share my learnings with other people: life doesn't have to feel like a struggle, you don't have to take the path well-trodden; you don't have to become someone else to succeed.  You already are.  Sorry if I'm getting carried away - maybe Judy Garland's quote may put it more eloquently: "be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else."  Through BasilBe, I set out to share inspiration of people living their best lives, stories, quotes and pictures that have inspired me and so, hopefully, could inspire someone else.


To the future....
So what's next?  My intention for BasilBe hasn't changed - it still is that space for me to share inspiration, to speak to that knowing in each of us that we deserve to live the life of our dreams, and to share my own journey on that mission!  What has changed is my dreams for what it can become....


Dream One: I want BasilBe to have a sense of community: Back in 2009, I felt completely lost, a failure and that everyone else was super-confident and free of the fears/doubts that tripped me up.  In being willing to share this personal experience with others, it seems I wasn't alone at all.  Aside from my amazing family and friends, it had all felt a little taboo and it would have been great to reach out to others, to read about other people's experiences and how they learned to live their best life.  I dream that BasilBe could become a positive community where like-minded individuals can share their own experiences and inspire, motivate and support each other.


Dream Two: I would love to use that "nurturing" part of me to help people get to the truth of their passion, their purpose, so that they can live at their fullest, happiest potential.  Apologies if this is all sounding a little hippy-dippy BUT I've felt the emptiness of ignoring the whispers that told me I had it wrong and it's not a good place to be - if I can help just one person avoid this 'low' and prompt them to find their own higher ground, I would be one happy girl!  I'd love to build on BasilBe as is to become a place with tips and tools to help people to discover their unique sparkle and live their best life.


Dream Three (aka "the biggie"): They say everyone has a book inside them and I've often felt the urge to get pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and get writing - the stickler has been I've not known what to write about.  My biggest discovery of 2011 was finding my voice, finding the thing that inspires me to keep posting on this blog, good days and bad.  I'm getting that tingle in my tummy that says I'm onto something that sits right with me.  I dream that 2012 is the year that the book inside of me is born.

And there you have it.  I'm bravely sharing my intentions and hoping I get a few more nudges in the right direction.


Wishing you a wonderful 2012 - the year of your best life.

Image: One

Q&A Inspiration with... Jenny Blake of Life After College

I can still remember the girl in the year above me at school that I looked up to -  "a good all-rounder" I think the teachers called her, and confident and popular to boot.  A role model.  Fast forward twenty years and Jenny Blake is one of my grown-up equivalents.  With proven success in the corporate world at Google, Jenny took a courageous leap onto her own path to, in her words, "live big" and LifeAfterCollege.org is the result.  Speaker, author, coach and yoga teacher - Jenny tells a little more below...


Tell me a little about you/your blog/your mission!


I blog at LifeAfterCollege.org to help others "Wake up, Live Big and Love the Journey" through a mix of my own personal experiences and practical tools and templates. I recently made one of the hardest decisions of my life - I quit my job at Google after five and a half years to build my own business as an author, speaker and life coach. I was terrified that I'd end up in a van down by the river, but I'm thankful to say that so far, 5 months in, I've broken even. Finally, I love dogs, dancing, music, travel, and cupcakes :) 


What is your vision of your best life? 


In my best life I'm waking up every day, going for a run, reading with a nice, warm cup of coffee, taking and/or teaching yoga class, reading more, and doing meaningful work (not busy work, and not stressing over the small stuff). I feel like I'm closer to that vision now more than ever, so I'm really trying to focus on enjoying and expanding every moment, and remembering to express my gratitude for my life. 

Can you tell us about some of the challenges/obstacles/fears you've faced and how you've tackled them?


My biggest obstacles are usually internal, I can be my own worst enemy. For a while it was the thought that I'm not smart/pretty/original enough, then when I would succeed, I'd have fears that it was all going to come crashing down at any moment. I'm a highly sensitive person prone to over-thinking and anxiety, so that's why exercise and yoga are so important for keeping me balanced. 

Have you ever thought you had everything planned, only for life to show you an alternative?


Absolutely! I thought I had landed my dream job when I was working at Google. I bought an apartment, bought a car, and was working in Career Development. And yet, something was missing from my life. I started to feel over-worked and unhappy. Little did I know that those feelings were planting the seeds for me to soon quit my job, rent out my house, and move across the country from San Francisco to New York to pursue the roller-coaster of self-employment. I left the corporate ladder and the "American Dream" I had created behind in order to live a life of freedom and spontaneity. 


Has there been a 'defining moment' that has changed your life/your view of life?  What has been the nudge in the right direction for you?


I had a terrible case of "book block" and even though I had a first draft of my book written in 2008, I couldn't bear to look at it or see it to completion...for SIX months. I felt horrible - like I was watching my dream die on the vine. Then I decided to "act as if" and attend a local Speaker's Association meeting. While there, I met Michael Larsen, the author of the book How to Write a Book Proposal, and he gave me his copy. I realized it was time to get back on the horse and at least TRY to pitch my book idea to literary agents and publishers. That set me on the course I'm on today, where my book eventually was published by Running Press (after 27 rejections from other publishers) in March of this year. I learned that when something is meant to be, spontaneity and opportunity WILL work in your favor, but only if you meet it halfway with your own conscious effort. 

If you were to look back and offer advice to yourself, what 3 pearls of wisdom would you share?


Don't be so hard on yourself, and release judgment of others. 
Express gratitude often. 
Don't sweat the small stuff. 

What book, piece of music, blog, quote or person inspires you the most?


Martha Beck is an author and one of my personal idols.  She wrote the books Finding Your Own North Star and Steering by Starlight, which I recommend to every single person I know! I love quotes too - one of my favorites is "action is the antidote to despair" (Joan Baez). 


Image: One

YOU can be that change....

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Mahatma Gandhi

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{Go girl} How do you say no?

Christmas time.  The excitement of social gatherings galore.  The pursuit of perfect gifts for your nearest and dearest.  Feeling inspired to at least attempt getting creative in making your own Christmas pudding/mince pies/mulled wine (insert as applicable). Perfecting the appropriate sentiment in dozens of Christmas cards.  Oh, and the art of making your home a cosy, welcoming space to entertain and, given half the chance, relax on those wintry nights. 

Is it just me, though, or does the pace take just a little of the enjoyment out of it? 

Stop. 

What do you WANT to do? 

WHO do you want to share it with? 

Make your choice to spend this oh-so-precious time how YOU want to spend it.  For me...
... finding and decorating a real Christmas tree.  Ahhh, the scent of fir-tree and hot mulled wine, I can smell it now!
... entertaining our fabulous friends this weekend with a little festive shindig.
... family times to celebrate Christmas and bring in the new year.
... a make-my-heart-soar carol concert is definitely on the must-do list.
... plenty of I'm-too-old-for-this traditions (you're never to old to put out a carrot for Rudolph are you?)
... my first Christmas as a wifelet!

Image: One

Q&A Inspiration with... Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge

Christmas has come early for me as I have one of my biggest inspirations, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, here to share for our Q&A Inspiration this week.  A former freelance journalist and contributing editor for House & Garden, New York Home and In Style, Grace started the design blog in 2004.  It now has, she says in her first book Design*Sponge at Home, a daily readership that would fill New York's Madison Square Garden.  While I'm smitten with her enthusiastic, 'have-a-go' attitude that comes across in her writing, I'm in even more admiration of her encouraging, altrusitic spirit.  She's keen to share the platform - Grace has established D*S Biz Ladies, a series of national meet-ups to support budding design enthusiasts, and founded the Design*Sponge Scholarship to assist art and design students in pursuit of their creative endeavours - their best life! 


Tell me a little about you and your blog...

Both my blog and my life (which are pretty intertwined these days) are about trying to live the most fulfilled, creative life possible.

What is your vision of your best life?

A balance between personal and professional- and enjoying both so much that you occasionally lose yourself in either.

Can you tell us about some of the challenges/obstacles/fears you've faced and how you've tackled them?
My biggest challenge is knowing when to take a break. I struggle with it a lot and find the best cure is to surround yourself with people you trust who remind you (and force you) to stop every now and then to appreciate what you have and what you do.

Have you ever thought you had everything planned, only for life to show you an alternative?
Yes, never more so than in 2011. It's been a difficult year for me, but it's been an exercise in embracing life's ups and downs and really, truly remembering it's a journey and not something you have "figured out" right away.

Has there been a 'defining moment' that has changed your life/your view of life?  What has been the nudge in the right direction for you?
My defining moments are usually negatives that turn into positives- moments where I regret a decision I made or see something happen that I never want to have happen for me. I find I best define myself and my life by knowing what I DON'T want more than what I do.


If you were to look back and offer advice to yourself, what 3 pearls of wisdom would you share?
Take a break. One day your optometrist will tell you that you have the eyes of a 60 year old. You can still stop that.

Time is more valuable than money. Don't worry about paying bills- worry about enjoying what you have around you now.
Invest in your friends. They are your family away from home and worth every second of time, energy and love you have.

What book, piece of music, blog, quote or person inspires you the most?
I go back and forth between inspirations, but this quote has been special for me lately (it was originally written to me in a middle school note):


"Barn's burnt down- Now I can see the moon." -Masahide.


It's a good reminder to me that sometimes things that seem terrible can reveal something even better or more beautiful.

Image: One

{Nurture} Go on, spoil someone today...

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

- Maya Angelou -

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Q&A inspiration with... English Mum

With a saunter around Becky Wiggins online home EnglishMum, there's evidence a-plenty of the self-professed nurturer at work.  Recipes for soda breads, cinnamon buns, slow-roasted pork and the odd cocktail or two, sit alongside straight-from-the-heart accounts of her home-life and travels.  Home economist, blogger, wife and mum, and deservedly short-listed for the Red's Hot Women Awards, I'm delighted that Becky shared a little about her best life for the spring-cleaned Inspiration Monday!

Tell me a little about you and your blog...

I'm a mum to two teenagers and very proud wife to a pilot.  I work as a home economist, recipe tester and developer, but my blog seems to be taking up more and more of my time! We live in the home counties with a very disagreeable cat and a slightly neurotic greyhound.  I'm very much a home body and you'll find me in the kitchen, usually.

What is your vision of your best life?

I think I'm more or less living it!  As I get older it seems to me that it's less about how much money you make and what material things you have and more about being comfortable in your own skin and happy.

Can you tell us about some of the challenges/obstacles/fears you've faced and how you've tackled them?

We moved to Ireland a few years ago because of my husband's job.  It was tough leaving my family and friends and, although we settled, we missed home.  Recently we've moved back and I'm the living embodiment of the phrase 'home is where the heart is'.  I'm back where I belong!  Sadly we've had to leave our beautiful home behind, but it's made me realise that without the people you love, it's really just bricks and mortar.

Have you ever thought you had everything planned, only for life to show you an alternative?

All the time!   We'd just bought a house and were quite settled when the hubby's job came up in Ireland but we coped, and lived there reasonably happily for a few years.

Has there been a 'defining moment' that has changed your life/your view of life?  Or a series of events?  What has been the nudge in the right direction for you?

I don't know about a 'defining moment', but when my husband lost his job in Ireland he had to come back to the UK without us to find work.  We lived apart for a few months and it really made me realise that what I wanted was to be a mum and a wife, and everything else was secondary.  I'm a nurturer!  Once we were back together, everything fell into place - my blog's continued to grow in popularity and I'm loving my life now.

If you were to look back and offer advice to your younger self, what three pearls of wisdom would you share?

Don't worry what other people think of you. It's important just to be yourself. If they don't like you, they don't like you.  You should never try to change to be what somebody wants.

Cherish the people you love.  It's so easy to take our family and friends for granted, and having lost some of those really dear to me, it's made me really conscious of keeping in touch and making an effort.

Don't stay in a job that makes you unhappy or because it's what somebody else wants.  Pursue something that makes you happy!

What book, piece of music, blog, quote or person inspires you the most?

I have a friend called Erica, who writes a blog called littlemummy.com.   She's an incredible entrepreneur and is really inspiring.  She's also a great sounding board when I feel my life's going a little off track. She always seems full of creative solutions.

Friday Digest: Links to linger over this weekend

One: Wow, you're set for a glamorous life if your first birthday invitations are as decadent as this...
Two: My inner magpie is lusting after this Santi Rom jewellery
Three I'm hoping for a little me-time this weekend to write
Four As you might know, I adore all things art deco so this chair is meant to be mine
Five We're travelling to see my lovely in-laws this weekend.  To earn daughter-in-law points I feel I should be taking something like this...
Six Pippa Lord's take on the modern age "housewife" is a breath of fresh air.  I aspire to be as perfectly imperfect as her
Seven I adore these dreamy hand-embroidered covers by Rachell Sumpter for childhood classics such as Little Women, The Wizard of Oz and Wind in the Willows

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{Take action} How can you "be amazing" today?


Now this is my kind of bar!  I love this photo from the anniversary edition of the delicious Rue Magazine with the non-too-subtle reminder behind the bar.  (I want me some!)  Ok, so it's Tuesday, not my favourite day of the week.... for me, it's all too easy to groan at the sound of my alarm clock, fuel myself with coffee before "getting through" the day ahead with, already, one eye on my sightline to the weekend.  Not a great way to spend the 52 Tuesdays in the year hey?!  But maybe this Tuesday can "be amazing"....  I'm going to make this my Tuesday PB.

... Cutting back on the caffeine
... Making my to-do list manageable (as opposed to humanly impossible!)
... Taking some time to chat to people I cross paths with rather than losing myself in work work work
... Noticing all the little amazing moments throughout the day

Have  an amazing Tuesday x

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Friday digest: links to linger over this weekend....

My round-up of un-related things that have caught my eye this week....  Have a happy weekend x

One: It's November, it's officially hot chocolate season...

Two: Time for an impractical dresser to get practical with these 'Joan of Arctic' boots found by the gorgeous Dilly Dallas

Three: What's your tech set-up? Design Sponge's round-up has me gadget-crazy

Four: Jewellery lust at Pink Wallpaper

Five: Please may I have a library like this?

Six Is it too early to start contemplating my Christmas wish-list?  A little blue box, perhaps?Seven For the love of stripes.  I adore this original art found at Aphro Chic

{Inspiration} Not one qualification but living the life!! How?

I can't say I fit in with the cool crowd at school.  I tried too hard to be able to carry off the required 'school is for geeks' attitude.  Neither did I set the sports teams on fire.  And, while I did well at school, I certainly wasn't the straight A student either.  This meant I was inconspicuous somewhere in the middle.

I must admit I never even considered doing anything but working hard and "applying myself" at school.  I was a good girl.  So I never quite understood the kids in my year that adopted the laissez-faire attitude with one eye on the end of the school year, the freedom that beckoned (that scared the bejeesus out of me) at the end of it all.  In short, it was drummed in to me that exam results, education, qualifications were the be all and end all.  And I've never questioned that.

Then I read Chris Guillebeau's frank and bare-all admission that he holds not a single qualification to his name and I was forced to open my mind.  What, not one?  And he's achieved so much?  I was in sudden admiration.

As I pack to spend a weekend at a coaching course, I had to stop and question why I was doing it.  This time it is for a big, fat selfish reason - I want to.  But I can't honestly say other 'qualifications', for what they're worth, have been motivated by the same reason.  For the most part, I think a qualification, a bit of paper, has been for everyone else BUT me.  To prove something to everyone else.  "Look, I can do this.  This bit of paper says so!"

And so I am in full admiration of Chris Guillebeau.  It must take a serious amount of guts to NOT take the easy option and conform.  He took the leap and trusted he would fly!  In his case, around the world...... Not a bad life for a school drop-out eh!

Image: Quint Buchholz

{Inspiration} A life of purpose

What's the difference between a job and a 'living'?  Is your 9-5 your purpose?  Or a regular income?  Browsing the lovely Unstitched blog this morning, I discovered this video by photographer Louie Schwartzberg.  Now this is a man with a purpose! 

He describes his love of photography and nature which has seen him enjoy a 35-year career immersed in time-lapse photography.  The video above is a culmination of his work - it is not just a showcase, it has a very clear message, a purpose.  The account from the young girl and the elderly man is really moving - tune it at 3 minutes 44 seconds to watch this.  It's definitely worth a few minutes of your time ....

{Inspiration} @DKNY PR GIRL

If you're a Tweeter you're sure to have heard of one of its most prolific, tell-it-how-it-is and, until recently, enigmatic personalities: DKNY PR girl.  After two years of brand-building tweets, and with an army of 350,000+ followers, @dkny this week revealed her true identity.  

While the fashion and Twitter world seems to be all a-flutter at this revelation, it has been one of DKNY PR Girl's (or should I say Aliza's) most recent tumblr posts that has got my attention.  In it Aliza's talks of her pathway to today: of a Neurobiology and Physiology student that eventually made her name as SVP of Global Communications for Donna Karan. 

I devour stories of people finding their passion, be it a single-minded desire from childhood, an epiphany or a slow awakening, I want to hear how people discovered their 'thing'.  Often, though, it seems on reading these that it leads to a life-changing, 'throw in your cards' scenario that I find it difficult to relate to.  It's not that I'm lacking gumption, far from it - it's just that the rational, good girl in me suggests that life isn't always as rosy as that.  I'm a girl with responsibilities so this maverick behaviour is a little far-flung for me.

What I loved and admired about Aliza's story is the realism, the sheer hard work and determination, and the gutsiness she clealry has in (very bravely) deciding that the medical world wasn't for her ... and believing something in the fashion and magazine world was.  Without a clear direction, but with a boat-load of intuitive sense and a keen-ness, she (along with a side serving of luck) found her footing in the publishing and fashion world.  It's funny how Lady Luck intervenes at the right point though isn't it?!

I know DKNY PR Girl is heralded as a role model for wannabe PR girls but I'm not one of them (been there, done that) - for me, she's the poster girl for gutsiness, going after what you want and then working some elbow grease in making a success of it. 

In the spirit of Aliza, grab a large coffee, sit back and enjoy her story here.

My talented family #1: An exquisite wedding cake

This week I'm sharing a few special moments from our wedding - particularly special as I'm showcasing the wonderful talents of some pretty fantastic people.

First up is our wedding cake made by my mum.  It's difficult to find the words.  It really was a breathtaking work of beauty and a true reflection of all the time, energy and love she threw into the mixing bowl.  Mum 'got' the look of the wedding from the off and came up with this wonderfully elegant design which included intricate, decoupage-like flowers on the top and bottom tiers, art deco-style trim and, of course, a little sparkle.  Oh, and those flowers on the top - they're not real flowers.  They're hand-crafted sugar icing roses.  So, to our super-talented mum we say thank you from the bottom of our full hearts.

 I love that she snook our sparkly initials into the design...

 Mum's intricate handiwork...

 Cutting the cake.  It felt like a crime!

People were wow-ed that these beautiful roses were handmade

And here she is, my mum.

"Hide not your talents.  They for use were made.  What's a sundial in the shade?"

- Benjamin Franklin -

{Inspiration} Dream a little dream...

Source: One

{Inspiration} Italian#1

So, I'm not sure I've shared before that I'm a smitten kitten for all things Italian - the food, the wine, the culture, the (swoon) language. It's the place I want to holiday, the style I want to emulate, the vivaciousness I aspire to... So today, I plan to bring a little Italian into my life with a little time for il dolce far niente - the sweetness of doing nothing. I feel relaxed already ...

Photo: One

{Words to live by} Helen Keller

Photo: absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot

{Inspiration} My big-little bro

There are some people that see life in technicolour.  Do you know what I mean? They see life as one big canvas and are the first to step up and start throwing a load of colourful paint at it - the more colour the merrier.  My brother Andrew is one of those people.


He's always been the creative type - one of my clearest memories of him is as a little 3 or 4-year-old, sat drawing and colouring with his tongue out (sorry Anj!) - and so it doesn't surprise me that he's developed the most amazing talent in photography many years later.  He has a natural instinct to capture the most beautiful and individual pictures that you can't help but feel drawn into.


I'm so proud that he's established a platform to showcase this talent - check out BoxBroadie on flickr.  


Photo: "Brick art" by BoxBroadie