My Ideal Day

The topic this week for Listmania at Home Life Simplified is a good 'un:  Ideal Day.  So I started to imagine what mine looked like...


My husband, Astronaut Mike Dexter wakes me up with a kiss after a refreshing eight hours of undisturbed sleep.  Somehow, I've become a 'morning person', and I can't wait to start the day.  Mike is off to save the world again, and he promises to name a new constellation after me in his spare time.

Mike looks remarkably like Japanese movie star, Hiroyuki Sanada. 

After a hot shower and delicious breakfast of fresh juice and croissants (I can eat these because I woke up at my ideal weight) it's time to find something to wear.

Decisions, decisions.

Then it's off to work.  I'm really looking forward to getting to my new office.  It's such an inspiring place to be.

I love my girly office.

My goodness!  I'm swamped with new orders for my wedding stationery.  It's going to be a busy day but I know I can get everything done because I no longer get distracted during the day by Facebook or the stupid Sparkle City game I downloaded on my phone.  That's all in the past.  I'm focused, driven, successful.

Not only do I make amazing progress with my orders, I have time to work up some new, totally amazing designs.  My e-store is growing, the server never crashes and it's time to start thinking about hiring staff and expanding.

After a fulfilling day at work I return home and throw together something for dinner.  I've discovered that I'm something of a genius in the kitchen.

Jamie Oliver is jealous.

I also eat Mike's dessert since he's away saving the
world and I won't gain any weight on my ideal day.

After dinner and a video chat with Mike (the world has been saved again thanks to him) I write a few more chapters of my novel.  It's going really well and I have a feeling it's going to be a bestseller.

Time to curl up with a good book and a warm cocoa before another eight hours rest.

What a wonderful, completely fictitious, ideal day I've had.

Deb

Marmalade Likes...

In this entry I want to bring your attention to a few other Australian small businesses that I like and recommend.

First up is The Eleventh Flower, a Melbourne based floral design business.  Floral designer Rose creates amazing arrangements for weddings, events, corporate needs and gifts for special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays.  

She's a clever gal, our Rose.  And a mixed bag of contrasts.  She's a jeans and Chuck Taylors kind of girl with a strong dash of Martha Stewart and the quit wit of Dorothy Parker.  It makes for some very creative results.

How beautiful is this?

Snowberries...wow.

Okay, now she's just showing off.

So, if you're in Melbourne and need a dazzling and unique arrangement check out The Eleventh Flower.  You can also find her on Facebook here.

Next we travel to the rural Victorian town of Euroa.  Euroa has three claims to fame:  

1. Cricketer Merv Hughes was born there.
2. Ned Kelly robbed the National Bank in 1878.
3. Fabulous small business Sew N Sow is located there!

Inspired by a love of the simple life, owner Michelle takes gorgeous fabrics and transforms them into handmade hats, market totes and gifts.  

Sneaky peek time:

Chevron!

Bicycle print bucket hat?  Yes please.

Little Sweet Dreamers...aww.

You can't see it in the picture but those Sweet Little Dreamers have a pocket in the front for special treasures, or can be used as a Tooth Fairy Pillow.  In fact, nine out of ten tooth fairies recommend the Sweet Little Dreamer for the safe-keeping of lost teeth and subsequent funds transfer.

My 3 year old nieces have the Sweet Little Dreamers.  When Niece #1 wants to have a lovely dream about chocolate factories and new sparkly shoes she has Mum or Dad write the dream down and places it in the pocket.  Niece #2 keeps a shiv in hers.  

You can follow Sew N Sow on Facebook, through the blog or just go straight to the Etsy Shop.

Last, but by no means least is Pink Poppy Makeovers.  Makeup artist Rachel does bridal makeup and runs group and one-on-one workshops.  I attended a workshop a few months ago and had a great time and learned quite a lot.  They're a great idea for anyone wanting to freshen up their look for a new job, or for an alternative idea for a Kitchen Tea or Hen's Party.

The products Rachel uses, Motives by Loren Ridinger, can also be purchased from her and include both makeup and skin care.  I'm currently using the primer and foundation and love, love, love them!  I especially love the primer.  It's smooth and makes the skin feel great, plus the smell is addictive.  It reminds me of the beach.  If I'm not careful I'll wind up on that show, Strange Addictions as the crazy woman hooked on makeup primer.

Motives palette...gorgeous!

When Winter cold bites, bite back with bright colours!

Smell it...you know you want to.

You can find, contact or stalk Pink Poppy Makeovers on Facebook.

Got any Australia based small business recommendations you would like to share?  Feel free to leave them in the comments, I'd love to discover them.

Deb

Episode IV: A New Blog

The last three weeks have been a mixed bag of frustration, anger, crappy designs and small victories.  I may have bitten off more than I can chew by removing every single product from my e-store, Marmalade Event Stationery with grand plans of updating everything with a fresh new look.  In my mind this was going to be a piece of cake.  Designs would flow and the site would be updated every day with glorious new stationery, wall art and jewellery that would have customers placing mega orders.  But now I have no products at all and to add to the fun times my server is down today.  Great for business!

I have lots of design ideas, that's not the problem.  Sometimes what ends up before you on the screen looks nothing like what you picture in your head.  A lot of times it's just plain awful and needs to be shelved.  A swing and a miss.  Then there are the rare gems that take you by surprise and what you arrive at is nothing like you imagined, instead it's so much better than your original idea.  A home run!  I haven't had many of these in recent weeks and it is disheartening.  

Nobody aspires to be average or mediocre.  We want to leave behind something in this world that says we were here and just look at what we achieved.   I'll keep on persevering because I have big dreams for this business and I know where I want it to go.  I just need to get things back on course.

And of course not do anything stupid like empty a website of every product.


May the font be with you.

Deb