Trove Blog

I Would Love Your Help...

2010-03-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

I am embarking on the first real advertising adventure for Trove next month (paid advertising as opposed to the ongoing media push) and have had to put together an ad.

A very very tiny ad.

The ad spot comes with a text post/giveaway later in the month, which is where the real value lies, but I am having issues in picking the ad that gives the most bang for my significant buck.

If you would be so kind as to take a peek at the ads below and tell me which you think is the most effective/eye-catching, I would be so grateful!

Obviously they're all variations on a theme, and also obviously quite tiny. But that's all I have to work with.

I'm inclined to go with a live-person shot and am drawn to both the bottom left and very bottom versions particularly. They seem to look bigger than the others and give a feel towards the target market and lifestyle that comes with the label (I've been reading my marketing books!)

But would love your thoughts. Which one drew your eye first? And why?

Thanks xx

One is the Bestest Number

2010-03-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

Someone turned one last week.

And someone got a sandpit.

And someone likes eating sand from said sandpit. Mm-mmm. Delish.

And the Winners Are...

2010-03-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who entered Trove's very first giveaway and to those who tweeted about it.

We now have our two lucky winners!

Taking away a Small Neckplate of her choice is...

A. Ellison!!

And soon to be receiving a Brimming Necklace of her choice is...

T. Nguyen!!

Congratulations ladies. I'll be in touch via email today and your pieces will be on their way shortly.

Thanks everybody for playing and be sure to keep an eye out for more fabulous giveaways in the future.

While I was Gone...

2010-02-28T23:06:00.000-08:00

Tara, one of the lovely women behind Scoutie Girl, was kind enough to feature Trove's newest Grafica range in a fabulous post!

It was great to see the big spike in website visitors and to get a tonne of wonderful feedback from Scoutie Girl readers and it put a real spring in my step!

Thanks, Tara. x

As an aside, any indie business owners or bloggers who may be reading this, I highly recommend reading Tara's personal blog Write Well, Create Often. Tara really knows her stuff and posts frequently with tips, advice and suggestions on how to improve your business' online presence. It's on my must-read list!

We Came, We Saw...

2010-02-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

We kicked its arse!

Back home from our very first tradeshow - Life inStyle - and am thoroughly exhausted. But elated.

The whole experience was fabulous. The people I was fortunate enough to exhibit near, the buyers I met, the things I learned, the orders I took - it was all incredible and my head is still spinning.

I had hoped to take some more shots of the amazing labels and displays in First inStyle (the emerging label display space that Trove was exhibiting in) but it totally slipped my mind. But here are a couple of fairly ordinary shots the Trove stand.

I will be back later to share some more about the show and the past week, but for now I have six days worth of laundry to do and a house in desperate need of a tidy!

Some Calm...

2010-02-22T21:32:00.001-08:00

Before the storm.

I love weekends.

Nightmares

2010-02-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

Last night I had nightmares.

Nightmares where I realised 2 minutes before the tradeshow opened that I left my stock at home.
Nightmares where everyone laughed at me.
Nightmares where I forgot to wear pants.

I may be over-analysing here, but I *think* I'm feeling a little anxious.

Happy Monday to you! xx

Progress...

2010-02-18T12:10:00.000-08:00

Sneaky peeky at one of the concepts for the new collection, tentatively known as 'geometric'.

**PLEASE EXCUSE MY OLD-LADY HANDS! CONSTANT WASHING AND LATEX GLOVES WILL DO THAT TO A GIRLS DIGITS**

This is just the first step in getting the new collection under way, and was more about playing about with a brand new technique. I'm so so so pleased with the results though that I just want to dive head-first into designing the entire collection RIGHT NOW, but of course can do no such thing.

Life inStyle is my current focus and today calls for:
- Picking up printing (catalogues, linesheets, order books)
- Finishing display design
- Finishing fact sheet to go with buyer's pack
- Tagging each item on display with price, code, colour etc

And I also found out during the week that I've been accepted into the quarterly Handmade Market in Canberra, which I've heard is a fantastic market for both buyers and sellers. The first for the year is on the Sunday 28th March (10am - 4pm), so I also have that to look forward to and plan for.

Aside from that, it's the weekend soon! Family days! Swimming lessons! Gardening!

Outfits

2010-02-17T17:14:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I've come to the realisation that I wear clothes. Not outfits.

I used to love putting together an outfit in my head - the right shoes, jewellery, bag etc. Now I usually put on a pair of shorts in summer (but I have made an effort this year to get into more skirts. It's been mildly successful) and jeans in winter. Various tops and a necklace or a ring if I'm lucky.

I miss wearing outfits, and I've resolved that this year I'll make some kind of effort each week to wear something a little put-together.

I have to admit, I'm frequently inspired by other bloggers who post their outfits (heart charlie, jena at modish, elsie at A beautiful mess) and would like to think I'll post some of my own outfits throughout the year. But I'm not making any promises. I am quite camera-shy.

But in light of this new-found sartorial enthusiasm, I went out and bought a dress. Well, it was an online purchase so I didn't actually go anywhere. But it was well on sale ($210 down to $40) so it's got that going for it! The label is Sophomore and I found it via Heart Charlie.

Good for autumn maybe?

We like to garden.

2010-02-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

(Although not very well, by the looks of the sad, sad grass).

In my defence, this is the front yard which has remained virtually untouched since we moved in. In October. 2008.

The back yard is starting to look fantastic though. Really.

I have to plant some more perennial herbs (sage, mint etc) and put in some more native groundcovers before the end of summer. Then we plan to clear out the entire back section of the garden (if it's full of weeds and the dreaded rhus trees, I guess you can still call it a garden?), put down a slab of crushed granite in one corner, build a big frame to grow passionfruit or wisteria on, build a wood-fired pizza oven (or a fire pit) and convert the rest of the weeded garden into a mini orchard.

Not much really.

Current Challenge

2010-02-17T02:55:00.000-08:00

The back is on the mend, thankfully, and after another session or two with the chiro and a couple of visits to the accupuncturist (who is on holidays. how rude!) should see me back to normalish.

So now that I can stay in the one position for more than a minute, my mind has turned to my display for Life inStyle.

The current challenge:

Fitting my entire wholesale range (three collections) into the First inStyle display space, measuring a whopping 108cm x 60cm.

That is approximately this size:

I am a very hands-on, visual learner/thinker (if I ever have to type something out, I first need to write it in full, by hand, and then type it out. Uni assessments were a bitch!) so I decided to get my head around the challenge in the only way I know - I spent a good couple of hours figuring out the best way to use the space by shuffling boxes about and imagining different props/risers that I could use.

Then I measured and drew it all out:

Then I tried to source risers that fit my requirements (probably should have done that first), then I discovered that said risers would cost a ridiculous amount, so then I had my own made up.

They arrived this afternoon and look fantastic, so I will show the set up tomorrow.

(I know I'm a massive nerd, but I have had a couple of people ask me about my preparations for the tradeshow, so I thought I'd show a little of what's been happening.)

Aside from that, I've been doing really boring things like getting my stock levels sorted out and documented so that I know exactly what's on-hand when orders are placed, as well as writing out my production process in full to develop accurate delivery times (info I already had stored in my head, but having it on paper will make the training process so much easier when I hire some help this year).

Rather excitingly though, I have also been working on the new jewellery collection (samples on their way) and the newer than new, very exciting home accessories line! Jewellery is absolutely my passion, but the techniques I use and the aesthetic of my work lends itself to bolder, more decorative uses too, and I've been working through the how's and the why's for a long time. It's great to be getting somewhere!

Ugh.

2010-02-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

I have hurt my back. Bad.

And that means I can't sit at the computer (or anywhere for that matter) any longer than a couple of minutes at a time. So blog posts will be a little thin on the ground for the next while. Sorry!

This, of course, is fabulous timing. Sparky is flat-chat at work, Isy is STILL teething, I have a million and one last-minute things to do for Life in Style and I'm in the middle of building my inventory to an acceptable level after the Christmas Decimation.

Excellent excellent.

I hope you have a much better week!
Brooke x

Speaking of Gorgeous...

2010-02-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

Sally has started stocking the most delightful range of little'uns clothing by Brusselsprouts and I have decided that this. dress. is. gorgeous.

Little Isy and her blue blue eyes will look scrumptious in this peacock dress.

Gorgeous, no?

Creative Overdrive

2010-02-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

This year will be the year that I learn to sew. Something. Anything really. I'd be happy to sew straight. Just some straight lines in fabric. That would be tops.

The jewellery started out as a hobby but has passed that stage (rather significantly) and now I feel I need a hobby-hobby to stretch my creative muscle in another direction.

I'm currently inspired by Ruby at cakies and Rachel from Smile and Wave and their effortless crafty-mama chicness, as personified in these gorgeous sewn love notes from Ruby:

I'm also smitten with the chevron print that's popping up all. over. the. place. (I know, maybe a little late to jump on that bandwagon). But it's such a classic print that I can't help myself.

As I think I mentioned a while back, Sparky and I plan to paint a canvas or two to decorate the new living room and I'm thinking something like this, from Jess at Make Under My Life might be a go-er.

I think we'd go grey or *maybe* a matte silver though.

I'm feeling very creative at the moment. The timing is a little poor though as preparations for Life in Style are at a fever-pitch. I'm sure it'll stick around until March though...

Give it away, Give it away, Give it away now!

2010-02-07T16:44:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the launch of the new website we're having a giveaway!

All you need to do to enter is sign-up to our newsletter (there will be no inbox bombardment - just one newsletter every 6 weeks or so, where we'll tell you of sales, new stockists, VIP-only discounts and upcoming events) and you go in the draw to win one of two prizes - a Small Neckplate of your choice or a Brimming Necklace of your choice.

Tweet about the giveaway and we'll give you another entry. Lovely!

Entries close midnight (AEST) Thursday 25th February, with the winners notified via email on Friday 26th February.

(If you're already signed up for the newsletter on the new site, you have an automatic entry.)

More Good Things

2010-02-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

Firstly, and most importantly, I made a BRILLIANT discovery over the weekend:

Cadbury Creme Eggs are back! And to celebrate, we ate some.

Secondly, and ALMOST as important, here are some fairly ordinary shots of the new packaging. (They will ship out with the perennial favourite black waxed cord around the box, and sometimes a pretty paper band, but you get the general idea).

I really do love the packaging though. Very pleased with the simplicity of it.

In terms of other good things:

Sparky and I watched two (TWO!) movies uninterrupted over the weekend. We watched District 9 (loved it, despite feeling vaguely ill throughout 60% of it - it's a little creepy) and Adventureland (also loved it - very cute. but not nearly as cute as Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. If you haven't yet seen this, SEE IT! You must. It's cuter than cute. Plus it has Michael Cera in it. Win-Win.)

We also went out for dinner with my folks. I know, not exactly a raging Saturday night, but it was lovely to be out in a restaurant, talking grown-up things, having a glass of wine.

In terms of other not-so-good-things:

We've had huge amount of rain in the mountains over the past 72 hours and as a result, the studio flooded. The newly laid carpet is drenched and anything that was on the floor (display items, packaging, shipping desk, sign used for markets) is now also drenched and mostly ruined. Tis a big bummer, for sure, but thankfully the new packaging wasn't out there and had this happened before the Great Studio Clean Up of 2010 it would've been a whole lot worse.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend, with more good than bad!

B x

Good Things

2010-02-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

As far as weeks go, this one feels as though it's been quite terrible.

There's been much angst from the little one (teeth giving her a lot of bother), the weather's been humid and atrocious, the doggy is driving us crazy with her mad landscaping skillz and I've been struck with a moderate case of the blahs.

But when I look at it, there have been so many more ups than downs. And I'm talking good ups.

- The new packaging arrived. And as I said on Twitter, "ohhh...my little label is growing up. first shipment of 'proper' packaging just arrived. looks incredible." I'll post some images shortly.

- I got myself an iPhone! Sure, everyone's doing it, but I am an Apple lover and my phone was on its last legs, so I conformed. And it feels good.

- I received word from the fashion editor of a big newspaper that there will be a feature on my jewellery come March. This as a result of a media push I did a couple of weeks ago.

- I brought together my thoughts and ideas for the next collection (see previous post). It's still very much a work in progress but I'm getting more and more excited about it every day.

- The lookbook and linesheets have been finished for Life in Style and will be printed next week.

- I was approached to apply (and did apply) for a new mentoring program that Australian Fashion Partners are putting together, called Fashion Business Boot Camp, which will take the participants through a number of topics that relate directly to small labels trying to establish themselves in the Australian fashion industry. The topics will cover marketing/sales, business planning, cash flow management, strategic planning, range development etc. It sounds like a great opportunity and I'm hoping that it will herald the beginning of the next stage for Trove.

So I guess, it really wasn't a bad week at all. Just the old mindset needed a shake-up. And the weekend is going to be fab-u-lous.

Isy's got swimming lessons, we have dinner (out! in a restaurant! with other adults!) on Saturday night and Sunday will hopefully see us visiting some friends for a beer and a chinwag.

So things ARE looking up. Which is good.

Inspiration

2010-02-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

While these may not look like much, these teeny little chicken scratchings done in about 3 minutes at my cramped desk are the culmination of at least 2 months worth of mulling over. I've had some ideas in my head since well before Christmas that I wanted to incorporate into my next collection. (Yes! Next collection! Already! I haven't even taken Grafica to a single tradeshow yet.) And one night they crystalised in the old brain and I just had to get them out.

Next day I was in touch with my plastics guy, who is a real gem and quite creative too, hence more than happy to work with me on some new techniques, discussing the options. The samples are on their way and I should be able to test a few ideas next week. I am so excited! The creative fire has been relit in my belly. It's been a while, and it feels good to have it back.

So much of my work-time is now taken up with administrative tasks, marketing, media, sales and production that I don't have a lot of time to play around and experiment, so it's a wonderful feeling to have a new inspiration rolling about in the old head.

Picnics & Fun-time Photos of Strangers

2010-02-01T04:11:00.000-08:00

Over the long weekend last week Sparky, Isy and myself headed off to the national park that is not five minutes drive from our house for a picnic. (As an aside, this was the first time we've done this since moving to the mountains over a year ago. Shameful, isn't it?)

It was such a welcome break from the painting and the tradeshow prep I've been throwing myself headlong into for the past month. Just to step away from the computer, switch off, drink a beer, go for a wander. It was lovely!

I took my brand-spanking new camera in the hopes of playing, but my battery died not long after we arrived. This is what I managed before it did though:

It was so quiet and green that day. Just a handful of people camped out throughout the whole area. Blissful!

And in the 'Makes Me Smile All Goofy-Like' file comes this gorgeous shot from another of my favourite blogs, Cakies:

What a wicked little family unit! This was their New Year's Eve party and I have to say, I'm a little jealous!

Routinely Routine

2010-01-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for routines. I love reading about the routines of other people, particularly self-employed folk who work from home. More particularly still, creative entrepreneurs who work from home. But, really, any kind of routine porn is good.

That's why I practically squealed with joy when I discovered this site: Daily Routines. I mean, seriously, could this be more exciting for me? Unless it involved Agent Booth from 'Bones' cleaning my house while I sipped French champagne and read a whole magazine without interruption, then no it could not.

Strange fantasies of fake FBI agents cleaning my house aside, I have also just discovered a blog I love very very much.

It talks about routines and creative-entrepreneurship, among many other wonderful things, so I love it by default. modernemotive is ace. I read it every day.

I never used to be but I'm now quite pedantic about my routine. I'm afraid that if I don't stick to it then the whole day/week/month will go down the chute.

At the end of last year I wrote out everything that is a constant to-do in my life, both business and home-related. I then divvied all those tasks up to one of five workdays. Now I have a standing to-do list for each day of the week and add to that as needed. For example, Mondays I have the following on the list - exercise, clean kitchen, sweep, vacuum, mop floors, laundry, ironing, email catch-up, plan blog posts, stocktake inventory and supplies, list anything requiring re-order, write up the week's production list, tidy studio.

Then every day has a running order that I like to stick to, but I won't bore you with that. Suffice to say, it starts at 6am and finishes anywhere from 5pm to midnight.

Image from here.

Rings and Things & Warts and All.

2010-01-29T02:36:00.000-08:00

Hi-di-ho blogarinos!

It's been quite a full-on week at Trove HQ - with the living room painting, the preparing for the Life in Style tradeshow, the hustle to get orders out for stockists new and old (Nook, i dream a highway, Maubourg, deNada), the production process overhaul, the inventory restock, the teething, the grouching, etc etc.

Productivity is high though. I'm feeling quite good about everything. Which is scaring me because the whole 'I've got this under control' thing almost always results in last-minute panic when I realise I've forgotten some majorly important thing. Like stock. Or my display. Or pants.

Aanyway. This week saw me make an absolute TONNE of Cercle Rings, as I've been waiting for word from my acrylics man that my Grafica neckpieces were ready to pick up (they were picked up today, which is excellent as it gives me all weekend to pour pour POUR!). The rings always have been and continue to be one of my absolute best sellers, and I find myself wearing one almost every day. I'm actually not a huge jewellery wearer myself (although I have been known to get about town wearing one of my Small Neckplates - Pinks quite frequently this summer) but the rings are just plain old fun to wear.

Also, I decided to post some images of the newly painted and decorated studio AS IS, rather than waiting for a time of rare calm where I could tidy and style and decorate the space to Modish-like perfection, then photograph it knowing it will never look like that ever again and would not actually function well as my studio.

So here are some shots of Trove HQ, warts and all:

There is more to it than that, but that makes up the majority of the space as I use it. And I love it. I seriously cannot believe the difference having a space that I like makes to my productivity. I have plans to make it a little prettier over time, adding some more touches of my own, but it's great. There is room to grow, more space for storage as it's needed, lots of fresh air and natural light, plus Bosci is very fond of curling up at my feet while I work, which is something I'm very fond of too.

Do You Know What's Awesome?

2010-01-28T04:06:00.000-08:00

Blocks.

Blocks are awesome.

Tell you what else is awesome?

This blog. Girl crush: Rachel Denbow.

Adventures in White Paint Land (oh, what... it's actually grey)

2010-01-27T04:21:00.000-08:00

So over the long weekend, Sparky and I emptied the front room of furniture, sugar-soaped the aqua-hued walls and got down and painterly.

We chose a colour called Frosted Ice, which was in the whites section of the paint shop, because it was a cool white, perhaps even a tint grey and that's what we were after. After two coats and a full day of drying, it turns out that the grey-ish tint was actually pretty much just grey. So our crisp white walls are... well, not. They're a thoroughly modern grey though, which I rather like.

Some mediocre before and after-ish shots:

The fun part begins now, where we can focus on decorating our crisp, grey walls, sprucing up the chocolatey lounge and bringing our own feel to what once was a pretty bland space.

We're planning to paint our own canvas to put above the TV, and if finances allow, would love love L.O.V.E to buy a piece of art from Jason Wing to hang above the 3-seater.

The other wall will have a collection of photos, prints and bibs and bobs hung, gallery-style. And as for the soft furnishings, I do have fondness for these cushions from DwellStudio:

And I'd also rather like to find a bright red ceramic vase. Something a bit dramatic. Guess I'll just have to keep sniffing about online...

Currently...

2010-01-22T04:37:00.000-08:00

Currently reading: 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' and 'The 60-Second Procrastinator' (and yes, it *is* awesome and it *does* work).

Currently drinking: Water. It's too hot for wine.

Currently working on: Designing a wholesale order form. And it is as boring as it sounds.

Currently listening to: The Shins, 'Wincing the Night Away'.

Currently wishing for: The weather to cool the eff down.

Currently hating: Our internet. Which craps the bed every time the weather is over 30C and doesn't come back until midnight.

Currently daydreaming about: Fiji.

Currently planning: Our paint-attack on the living room. Bye-bye hideous aqua walls!

Currently happy about: My feature on Modish.

Currently writing: A list of pieces to send to Vogue.

Currently unhappy about: The fact that someone spoiled the Hottest 100 winner for me by posting a blind link on Twitter. I'm currently *very* unhappy about that!

Lame post. I thought it would get better as it went along.
Currently wrong.
Currently sorry.

We Are Go For Launch

2010-01-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

The new website is live live LIVE!

I'm so chuffed with it so far, and haven't come across any glaringly obvious faults, but if you do take a look and notice something that needs a-fixing, I'd be delighted to hear it.

Otherwise, let me know your thoughts, suggestions etc.

Hottest 100.

2010-01-17T11:17:00.000-08:00

So, at 9.18 last night I submitted my vote for Triple j's Hottest 100. For once, I was not Captain Latey McLatepants. (There was three hours left to vote. Positively earlay.)

I struggle with this yearly because there are a million songs I love throughout any given year, but do I know the names of them? No. Do I know who sings them? Often not. So until Triple j include sound grabs with each song listed, I can't be 100% certain that I got my top ten for the previous year totally right. In fact, I'm sure I never do.

Not to worry! Here are the 10 that I came up with last night:

Dan Sultan - Letter
Flight of the Conchords - Too Many Dicks
Florence & the Machine - Drumming Song
Jamie T - Sticks n Stones
Lily Allen - Not Fair
Lisa Mitchell - Red Wine Lips
Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man
Regina Spektor - Laughing With
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
Vampire Week - Horchata

Already, I realise one error. Washington Cement. I missed it.

And I don't like double-voting. But I do love Vampire Weekend. The dilemma!

(Flight of the Conchords photo from here.)

When Good Babies Go Bad...

2010-01-17T02:13:00.000-08:00

Or get bored.

I hope your weekend was...neater.

Busy here, but good. I've been checking through the new website (to be launched this week, so keep an eye out) with a fine-toothed comb, getting everything ready. I need to have that done before a scheduled media push, and it needs to be running perfectly before Life in Style, which starts in around five weeks.

The lookbook is being designed, the stock is being made, the linesheets are being fretted over and the packaging is soon to be ordered. It's getting there.

Other exciting news - two new stockists for Trove! Stock will be hitting the shelves in Maubourg (Sydney) and DeNada (Wellington, NZ) at the beginning of Feb. I'm so thrilled with both of these retailers - the first for inner-Sydney and the first in New Zealand!

Fabulous!

Renovation Nation.

2010-01-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

2011 will be the year Sparky and I extend and renovate our teeny-tiny little 2-bedroom house (yay!), so 2010 will be the year we find our inspiration and make our plans.

We're actually painting the living room (the only room that will remain structurally unchanged when we renovate) over the long weekend, and have been looking at a gazillion home-y design-y blogs for inspiration. In the end though, we didn't have to look far because the people behind one of my favourite blogs gave a tour of their beautiful apartment on Design*Sponge and BOOM! we're in house-love.

White walls are a definite (with a child, yes, I know) because I love how they look with our timber floors, and how they will look when we eventually get a new grey lounge or two. We have quite a few interesting odds and ends that we haven't yet unpacked (I guess we were waiting for the walls to paint themselves) and I love the whole 'gallery of interesting photos and things' look on a crisp white wall.

I also have to finish decorating and organising the studio, even though it's tempting to get stuck straight in as it is, which is infinitely better than the gong show it was last year.

But I know that another half day getting EVERYTHING sorted will make such a massive difference. I've got a huge amount of work coming up and to be organised will make life a breeze (relatively speaking).

Plus, 2010 is the year to get organised and stay organised. And the year to exercise more.

A Day of Goods

2010-01-13T02:25:00.000-08:00

It's good when you have a day of goods.

Good = New Camera = New Photos First Thing in the Morning

Good = New Discoveries

Good = Surprises = New CD (thanks Sparky!)

Good = Discovering my rings were featured in the Courier-Mail just before Christmas

Good = A Cool Change

Good = Getting organised

This, too, is good:

First Musical (re)Discovery of the Year

2010-01-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

None other than the wonderful Mr Paul Kelly.

The soundtrack to our recent holiday - he played all the way up the coast, and all the way back. We're a bit obsessive like that.

My 3 favourites (currently) being:
- Deeper Water
- To Her Door
- When I First Met Your Mother

And Sparky is quite the guitar fiend, so my favourite sound in all the world right now is him singing 'From Little Things Big Things Grow' to Miss Isla. Gorge.

The first musical (re)discovery of the year. Last year was a good one for us and music, so I'm hoping 2010 will be too.

Have you made any musical discoveries so far this year (re- or brand new)?

Hot and Not...

2010-01-09T05:17:00.000-08:00

Hot: The weather.
Not: The frizz.

Hot: Camping holidays.
Not: Packing up in the rain.

Hot: Beach days.
Not: Ruined camera.

Hot: New camera.
Not: Paying for it.

Yes, we're back from our delightful camping holiday. The first with bubs in tow. And it was surprisingly relaxing and a lot of fun. Except for The Attack of the Insane Bushrat, Parts 1, 2 & 3. Ergh.

We stayed at a national park on the North Coast - real camping! No showers, pit toilets, BYO water, buuuumpy dirt access roads, cheap as chips. It was fantastic. We spent the time with my sister and her family before they head off on a year-long around-Australia adventure, and I had planned on taking many photos of the beautiful surrounds (crystal water, rainforest, heath), people and wildlife along the way. Unfortunately, forgetting the memory stick made that somewhat difficult, and packing up in the pouring rain (the only two hours of rain the entire 5 days we were there, and it's when we're packing up. WTH?!) while our camera sat, unnoticed, out in the weather, means that there'll be no more photos of anything until we get a replacement. Annoying.

Despite that, it was such a wonderful break. Just to completely unplug for a few days, check out, switch off, it was incredible. I found myself thinking more about the year ahead and getting excited about our plans. It's funny what a little breathing room can do for you.

Ivy & Bird

2010-01-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

For those of you in Brisbane, my newest (and quite possibly loveliest) stockist is Ivy + Bird.

I first met Maria (an amazing jewellery designer herself) at Fashion Week last year, where she kept me sane during the quiet times. She has impeccable taste and is certain to unveil all sorts of loveliness upon opening her brand new store.

Hopefully a flying visit is on the cards for the not-too-distant future!

The Year That was a Year.

2010-01-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

2009.

We welcomed a brand new person into the world.
We said goodbye to someone we loved dearly.
We went on holidays.
We gardened.
We loved.
We laughed.
We cried.
We had the privilege of watching Isla grow from a tiny baby into an independent (almost) toddler.
We saw first smiles.
We cried at first giggles.
We cheered at first rolling overs and just before Christmas, crawling.
We celebrated our first Christmas as a family of three.
We are fuller and happier.

We had successes.
We had failures.
We had many, many markets.
We took thousands of jewellery photos.
We sent hundreds of packages.
We launched a new range.
We made plans.

It's always a good year when the positives outweigh the negatives, and a particularly good year when you can take lessons from both the good and the bad. I'd classify 2009 as an excellent year. And I feel it in my bones - 2010 is going to be even better!

Fresh and Shiny

2009-12-31T04:34:00.000-08:00

Happiest of the happy new years to you! I hope it's a wonderful start to an incredible year. I'm certain that's the case here at Trove HQ.

Sparky and I have spent the best part of the last three days clearing out the studio and getting organised, so I'm feeling particularly upbeat and prepared for the year ahead. Miss Isy has very much enjoyed her first official silly season, and all three of us are keenly looking forward to our first camping trip coming up soon. It's. all. good.

I've yet to take any artfully staged, blog-worthy shots of the refreshed studio, but I will. Promise.

I can, however, show you the abomination we were faced with upon opening the door for the first time since the Christmas madness ended. And, can I just say, I am incredibly, unequivocally ashamed.

Fireworks image from here.

New Addition!

2009-12-31T00:38:00.000-08:00

Everyone, meet Bosci*. Bosci, everyone.

One of my sisters and her family (of seven!) are travelling around Australia for the next year, and Sparky, Isy and myself have adopted their border collie, Bosci, for the duration. She is a beautiful dog with a gorgeous nature, and is so wonderful around Isla. It's taking a bit of time for her to settle in - there's been some digging incidents - but it's so great to have a dog around again. It's been a long time for me, and I've missed it.

*Bosci is short for Fettucine Bosciola. As in the pasta dish. As in...
"Honey, we really need to name the dog. It's been two weeks, it's getting ridiculous... What's for dinner?"
"Fettucine Bosciola."
"Hey..."

Lovely Features

2009-12-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to meet the gorgeous Amanda from indie blog Calico & Co at the recent Finders Keepers market, and was chuffed when she asked to feature Trove in her regular Monday's Spotlight column. You can see the interview here and you may be interested in the sneaky little reader special going til the end of January.

(*cough cough* 25% off *cough*)

Looky Looky...

2009-12-30T03:49:00.000-08:00

Got my shots from yesterday's lookbook shoot back today. Needless to say, I am stoked. And I have the most gorgeous model ever. And the speediest and greatest photographer going round.

Exciting Things!

2009-12-28T04:12:00.000-08:00

It's been an exciting year in both business and life at large, and I plan on doing one of those retrospective, "The Year That Was" type posts soon. But for now, let me tell you of the exciting businessy things that are in the works right this very moment.

- New Website! Set to launch in February, this one will be fully equipped with an excellent shopping cart, a blog and other nice things. I'm quite excited!

- Photoshoot! With a real human model! I've enlisted the help of a very talented photographer relative and a very beautiful friend and will be shooting all three collections between now and New Years. Totally excited!

- Trade Show! Our first foray into trade shows, via Life in Style, is rapidly approaching (Febraury - hence the work-in-the-Christmas-break-time urgency of said photoshoot) and I'm getting nervous. And excited.

- Catalogue! The photoshoot will culminate in a (hopefully) beautiful 16-page lookbook. So excited!

- Currently working on new collection ideas and hoping to soon start research/development on a range on home decor. Incredibly excited!

I suppose it's fair to say that I am excited about a lot of things for the coming year. And that's just the business. Wait till you hear about what the year holds for the Sparky, Isy and myself.

Cute Attack!

2009-12-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

It's been an exceptionally busy couple of months and I'm only just getting back to some kind of normality. I'm going through approximately 2391 photos that remain unsorted and stumbled upon this little gem.

At the November Magnolia Square market in Sydney, we were lucky enough to setup shop next to the best hatmakers in Australia, Truffaux, and hurriedly purchased three of their finest. Isy is the best model one could ask for.

Christmas Joy

2009-12-26T15:14:00.000-08:00

We've had a delightful Christmas over here at Chez Trove. Particularly delightful, as it was our first as a family of three. And even though Miss Isy is a little too young to really 'get' Christmas, Sparky and I had a ball! And the bub thought that wrapping paper was the best thing ever.

I hope you all have had wonderful Christmases/holidays with family and friends.

As usual, thoughts now turn to 2010, but I'm trying to keep them at bay. Just for another day or two. The weather is so drizzly and lovely. Perfect for cricket watching. Leftover eating. Tea drinking. Toy playing. Book reading. Husband snuggling. Baby tickling.

So...

2009-12-14T04:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not dead. Promise. Just very. very. busy.

We Come in Peace...

2009-08-24T13:41:00.001-07:00

Is it just me, or does this strange little fellow look rather other-worldly?

We found him exploring a can of spray adhesive in the backyard late one afternoon, and I think he may have made our asparagus fern his new home. No problem, Mr Caterpillar.

Isla was a little unsure though.

Done and Dusted.

2009-08-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Stitches and Craft is officially over and I am officially ecstatic! What a massive undertaking it proved to be, and not necessarily one of my most successful (I don't like regrets so I won't regret this either - all manner of opportunities may yet arise from it).

All I know is that I could not have done it without the massive help I received from Tez, who ran my stall Wed, Thurs and Fri and Sparky, who took the reins on the weekend. (Apologies if you came by to see me - I am not a handsome man, I was just absent!) Isla had a meltdown fortnight in the lead-up to and including the show, so I couldn't spend nearly as much time there as I would've liked at my stall, but thankfully I had help.

I've got some photos of my booth setup below, and would love to share some shots of my delightful fellow Incubatorians (particularly Monalisa Designs, Berlinski and Rummage) but I didn't get a chance to take shots of their gorgeous setups. I am, however, getting one of Monalisa's beautiful tweets for Isla's room so I'll show you that when it arrives.

I was pretty pleased with my booth setup, considering the space we had was quite limited (2m x 2m) and I loved how my new sign turned out.

The resin kits sold pretty well, and I still have some available for purchase. If you're interested, send me an email and I'll get one out to you. They sold for $50 at the show but for blog readers they'll be $40 plus shipping. (They include an introductory booklet with projects, resin - retails for $30 - mixing cups, measuring cups, wooden stirrers, papers, acrylic bases and findings to make bobby pins, brooches and pendants). Bargain of the century!

Where I'm Up To.

2009-08-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Sneaky sneaky me. This is a scheduled post. Tut tut. Because as we speak (read) I will be knee-deep in craft enthusiasts at the Stitches Show and may fail to post for a little while (year). By the way, come visit me up on Level 4. I'm the glamorous lady (HA! Try the exhausted looking woman, in desperate need of a haircut and colour, with a delightful smear of pureed pumpkin on my chin...) in Booth 206.

I nicked this concept directly from Pip over at Meet Me at Mikes. Ch-ch-ch-check it out.

Making: Earring cards for said Stitches and Craft
Cooking: (Reheating) Bolegnaise that Sparky cooked up
Drinking: NZ Sauvignon Blanc (Thank YOU Mr Greys Online)
Reading: Harry Potter #6. Again.
Wanting: To organise my studio. Desperately.
Looking: At the application form for Life Instyle 2010
Playing: Possum.
Wasting: Tiiiiime.
Sewing: Nothing. I wish I could sew. Then I would sew the whole world.
Wishing: To see my jewellery on Scarlett Johansen.
Enjoying: Gardening.
Waiting: For our holiday to arrive.
Liking: Project Runway Australia (Mark or William to win!)
Wondering: If I can rationalise buying a decoupaged elk head.
Loving: Sparky and Is.
Hoping: I turn out to be a good mum.
Marvelling: At how disruptive teeth can be.
Needing: A massage.
Smelling: Lux soap flakes.
Wearing: Sloppy Country Road cardi
Following: Stephen Fry on Twitter. Charming man.
Noticing: How the light has changed.
Knowing: I'm blessed.
Thinking: Of hiring a part-time assistant
Feeling: Groovy.
Bookmarking: www.LovelyPackage.com
Opening: My credit card bill
Giggling: In anticipation
Feeling: Funny.

Do you want to do it too?! Cut and paste the blanks below to your blog... or print them out and write your answers and stow it away just for yourself!

Making :
Cooking :
Drinking :
Reading:
Wanting:
Looking:
Playing:
Wasting:
Sewing:
Wishing:
Enjoying:
Waiting:
Liking:
Wondering:
Loving:
Hoping:
Marvelling:
Needing:
Smelling:
Wearing:
Following:
Noticing:
Knowing:
Thinking:
Feeling:
Bookmarking:
Opening:
Giggling:
Feeling:

Who? Oh, me. Right.

2009-08-17T23:14:00.000-07:00

Hello. I do still exist.

I have approximately three minutes until my brain turns to mush and my baby starts crying, simultaneously, so I'll be brief.

I've just come home, drunk a glass of wine and put Isla to bed after the set-up for Stitches and Craft. It was fun. Until Issy lost her business and I had to run (yes, run) to save her poor grandmother from a nervous breakdown. After that, not so much fun.

All I can say is THANK THE LORD for the delightful Alison (from uber-gorgeous handbag/clutch label Berlinksi - www.berlinksi.com.au - I'm too shattered too even hyperkink)* and her sister Bree for helping me out in my time of need. I'm quite pleased with my setup overall and I will take some photos over the next five days to share with you.

Aside from working 20 hours a day in preparation (slight exaggeration, but I have been awake for 20 hours a day all the same), I have been daydreaming about our upcoming holiday and buying swimsuits accordingly. Check this beautiful maillot out:

So, let me see... My last few weeks have consisted of making over 400 pieces of jewellery, dealing with a cranky cranky bub, holiday dreaming, online shopping (I have also bought delightful things from Georgie Love and Cocorikoo, and may or may not have an extra delightful something in the works for Sparky - hi Sparky!) and not sleeping a great deal. Yep. So I guess this is a comprehensive update. Excellent. I am an excellent blogger, yes? No. OK.

Must dash. Brain fried.

*OK, I see that it says hyperkink, but that made me chuckle, so it stays. The asterisk simply says that I'm not a moron who can't spellcheck.

Flergenblech.

2009-08-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when things just get a little too difficult, my muscles ache a little too much and it becomes increasingly troublesome to drag myself through the day, it is worthwhile stopping, pondering and making up a word that sums that feeling up.

Hello, flergenblech.

In other, less insane news, I am using this photo to get me through the next few weeks:

Sparky, Isy and I are heading to Byron Bay in a few weeks time for a much MUCH needed break and the thought of it is currently the only thing keeping me from getting 'Flergenblech' tattooed across my forehead (that is, the only thing keeping me sane).

I've also compiled a list of events I hope to participate in over the next 12 months and that is an incredibly exciting and motivating thing for me. The rundown is only approximate because I don't know what I will or won't be accepted into at this stage, but here it is:

- Stitches and Craft - 19-23 August @ Rosehill Racecourse
- pyd Designer Markets - October @ pyd, Waterloo
- Magnolia Square - 19-21 November @ Royal Randwick
- Glenbrook Spring Festival - November
- Glenbrook Markets - October, November, December
- The Rocks Markets (if I can get someone to work for me) - October, November, December
- The Finders Keepers - December
- Youngblood Christmas Markets
- Life inStyle - February 2010
- Royal Easter Show (Fashion & Style Pavillion) - April 2010

Helpful in motivating me, and helpful in making me feel exhausted. I think I'll tackle the majority of these after the holiday.

For now it's back to Stitches and Craft prep, among other things. Today I am proofing my resin booklet, taking Isy for a check-up, getting a sneaky coffee, catching up with my sister, assembling my kick-arse new sign, applying for two of the above-mentioned events and a retailer showcase called (m)art in Brisbane. I also need to do another two pours and start drilling an enormous pile of pendants and earrings. Excellent!

The One Where I Apologise

2009-08-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

Oh. Hello there. Yes, I do still exist and occasionally I do actually turn on my computer. And (even less) occasionally, I may write a blog post. Such as this one.

I have been madly preparing for the Stitches and Craft Show which begins in (gulp) one week and two days. I am building a very solid inventory which will either all sell out (yay!) or hold me in good stead for the crazy October-December Christmas and market frenzy. So this is a good thing.

I've also been working on my new collection (hello chunky neck plates, vintage doilies and pretty ribbon), experimenting with my friend Joe the Plastics Man on how I can speed up my production process for my Elements and Still Life Collections, doing a mass mailout to boutiques, working on my catalogue and linesheet, sourcing some of the most gorgeous papers IN. THE. WORLD. and putting together a limited number (hint: 100) of the 'Introduction to Working with Resin' kits that will be for sale at Stitches and Craft.

It's been a stressful, wonderfully productive time and I (mostly) wouldn't trade it for anything. My higher levels of what I like to call 'real' business work come from a much-needed mindset shift where I now have to really focus on Trove as a business, rather than a quasi-business kinda-hobby thing. The problem I've had as the label has grown organically from a hobby is that I've never had to take the nitty-gritty completely seriously. And since my maternity leave started I've been swept along in the romantic notion of working at home. When the reality is that I am so passionate about my jewellery and to make my label a success AND so determined to be able to stay at home with Isla, that I need to focus a lot more specifically on the things that really matter. Like a wise man once said, "Think of every day as an opportunity to make money," and while the idealist inside says that money isn't everything (totes true!) the reality is that money is required for living and that my back is to the wall.

So there you have it. A large dose of reality that is now in the public sphere. I have to make it work now!

Back to your regularly scheduled program of meandering, irregular updates and semi-interesting photos:

In order these photos are CUUUUTE, paper, paper, paper and the grab bags of (paper) that I will have for sale at Stitches and Craft. Bargain basement price of $5 will get you a variety of papers in a variety of sizes to use however you wish. I'd personally recommend decoupaging your toilet seat, but that's just me. I'm awesome like that.

Ooh, speaking of being awesome, do yourself a favour and check out Sally's most recent posts about why she is indeed awesome. (As if we needed reminding!)

My Fortnight in Pictures:

2009-07-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

Life has taken the first exit to Hectic Town and I haven't been near a blog post in quite some time, and for that I am truly sorry. The upcoming Stitches and Craft Show has leapt view and taken over my every waking moment and I am now officially freaking out.

I thought the best way to update you on what I've been up to over the past few weeks is in pictures. So, here you go:

So now we're on the same page!
x

The One Where I Say, "Oh, haaiiiii."

2009-07-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, haaiiiii. It's. been. so. long. I'm sorry. Very, very sorry.

I have had a multitude of computer issues (no Etsy for almost a month, no Facebook for over a month, photo freak outs, etc) that getting on the old laptop has been more of a stress than anything. But it finally appears that everything is back on track, so here I am.

Been keeping rather busy over the past few weeks, in preparation for the Stitches and Craft Show but am nowhere near prepared. Of course. I'm still experimenting with the kits that I will be putting together, trying to make it as streamlined as possible. I'm sure I'll get there, but I just wish I was one of those early-preparing types, rather than the "oh, yes, I do have an assignment due next week. I'll get to it... I'll get to it... I'll get... Bugger! It's due this afternoon" types.

In related news, my delightful crafty friend, Mrs Pineapplehead will be joining me at Stitches and Craft to help me run my stand!! So excellent! So excited!! So relieved! (Isla is no longer happy to just chill in her pram for longer than an hour or two, which makes 7 hour days at the craft show seem rather unachievable).

In other other news, I received a phonecall at 7.01am last Friday morning from my mum who was exclaiming excitedly down the line, "She's wearing your necklace! She's wearing it! Turn the telly on!"

I did:

Yayayay! That absolutely made my week! I know the lovely Natalie Barr said she would try to incorporate my jewellery into her on-air wardrobe, but I never really expected to see her wearing a piece. It was a delightful shock. (Dreadful screen-grabbing skills on my part. Sorry, Nat!)

I sent her an email to say thanks and she replied to say that they had received a couple of emails from viewers wanting to know where they could buy my jewellery and that she had forwarded my details. So that was rather exciting!

I'm trying to rectify a camera problem that I'm having, because I've got so many photos to share from the last few weeks. The garden is going gang-busters, Isla is redefining the acceptable levels of cuteness and I'm working on some new fabulousness in the studio. Sadly, these things I cannot share with you. Yet. But I will.

Have wonderful days!

Adventures in Music

2009-07-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

It's a scientifically proven fact that I have not a musical bone in my body.

I once sung karaoke at a pub and was shamed into NEVER singing in public again when Sparky had to take the female part in Mustang Sally and me the male. Then my friends all stood up, pointed and laughed. So, yeah, not. a. musical. bone.

But I really love music. I love live music, I love new music, I love dancing to music and I love old music.

Triple J are currently running the Hottest 100 songs of all time and I'm enjoying listening to it so very much! (So much so that I hold Triple J solely responsible for my very unproductive week.)

Anyway, it's inspired me to put together a list of my favourite music moments.

First concert I ever went to without a chaperone (so excluding John Farnham and Girlfriend): Smashing Pumpkins at Sydney Ent Cent (and so began a decade-long obsession with bald men - Billy Corgan and Ed Kowalczyk namely)

My favourite concert ever: Impossible to pick just one. It's a very serious toss-up between Kings of Leon at The Enmore, the Beastie Boys at The Hordern, The Beach Boys at the Capitol Theatre and Brian Wilson at The Opera House. Oh, and Brian Wilson at The Domain.

Most epic concert moment: Dancing joyously in the rain while U2 played 'City of Blinding Lights'.

Most surprising concert: Vampire Weekend at the Metro. They were a little meh but Little Red who supported them were delightfully catchy. Little Red formed the basis of summer 08/09's playlist.

My Top 10 Songs of All Time. (Subject to change at any given moment):
1. 'God Only Knows' by The Beach Boys was our bridal waltzy song, so that's up there by default.
2. 'Girls' by the Beastie Boys.
3. '1, 2, 3, 4' by Feist.
4. 'Work It' by Missy Elliott. (Weird, huh?)
5. 'No Cars Go' by Arcade Fire.
6. 'We Crawl' by Polyphonic Spree
7. 'No Woman No Cry' by Bob Marley
8. 'Rainy Day Women' Bob Dylan
9. 'New Slang' The Shins
10. 'Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes'/'Call Me Al' by Paul Simon

Apologies for boring you!

The One Where I Dream...

2009-07-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'm dreaming of my perfect studio.

I have next to no time at the moment to actually make it a reality, but I'm still dreaming away.

Meet my inspirations:

As you can see, I crave the order of 'a place for everything and everything in it's place'. Currently I have the chaos of 'if there is a bare patch of floor or workbench, please feel free to dump whatever you have in your hands and move onto another project, entirely overwhelmed by the mess you've created'.

It's way productive.

(Images via Modish's Handmade Spaces and Heart Handmade.

A Win for the Good Guys.

2009-07-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

While Clare, my favourite favourite Australia's Next Top Model contestant did not win (boo!), I was so happy to see the sweetheart of the contest, Tahnee take out the title of Australia's Next Top Model.

Gorgeous, fresh-faced and athletic, I felt like it was a win for the good guys. Hurrah! A model with curves! And she's not being referred to as 'plus-sized'.

Time will tell whether or not the fashion folk are willing to embrace Tahnee as a serious model, or if they'll keep their blinkers on, employing (while delightful, I'm sure) stick-thin teenagers to showcase fashion for women. How can we expect girls, or women for that matter, to have a balanced view of themselves?!

I hope Tahnee heralds a new generation.

The Reasonality of Things.

2009-07-07T16:48:00.001-07:00

Apart from making up words, I am currently marveling at the way life works itself out. Things happen for a reason. If you take the bad with the good, often the reason for the bad becomes apparent and it's not so bad. Following? Yes? No?

I was quite disappointed not to be accepted into Young Blood for the upcoming market, which is running over 21-22 August at the Powerhouse Museum. But yesterday afternoon I received an email from the organisers of The Stitches and Craft Show, asking if I would be interested at exhibiting in the Incubator section of their revamped show.

Um, would I?

.
.
.
.

YES! Yes, I would.

The new owners of Stitches and Craft, Living Creatively are moving the show in a new, exciting direction which embraces the indie craft movement and a new generation of crafters, designers and hobbyists. It's actually incredibly exciting (my participation aside) as it sounds like a lot of the indie craft events that are being held in the States. Exciting times indeed!

While Stitches and Craft used to focus more on the crafty suppliers, workshops and classes, they are now moving in a new direction and including a section of the exhibition where new designers can show and sell their wares. They do ask that those participating provide instruction and inspiration where possible, and would like us to present a workshop if possible. (EEP!)

Being quite a shy person, I don't know about the workshop business but my mind is working overtime trying to think of ways to inspire and instruct (and sell my goods at the same time). Here's what I have come up with so far:

- A free booklet outlining the basics of working with resin, as well as providing a few simple projects for people to do at home.
- Selling a kit for people to make their own resin and paper wall hangings. Kit to include acrylic shapes, paper/fabric, resin sample (if I can get the manufacturer to help), mixing cups, mixing sticks, etc.
- Selling grab bags of paper
- Selling grab bags of fabric
- Postcards printed with really lovely images of my work (if I do say so myself)

So that's where I am at the moment. My brain is working overtime and I'm getting quite inspired myself actually.

If you have any suggestions for other products to inspire or instruct, please feel free to let me know!

The Good With the Bad

2009-07-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

The past week has had plenty of goods for me and for Trove. I sold really well at Magnolia Square, I had a few wholesale enquiries, I was featured in thewhitebook's July chapter and I was nominated by Tess from Planet Treasures for the One Lovely Blog Award. (Made my day, Tess!) So there's lots of goods there.

The bads are well outnumbered but still a little disappointing. Namely I wasn't accepted to the Young Blood Designers Market for reasons unknown, which has really bummed me out. I was so excited at the prospect of exhibiting there - they always have a great line-up of emerging designers and really foster the young designers scene. It's brought up some niggling self-doubts and left me feeling a bit hollow.

That's not to say I won't be applying again, and ramping up my application even further to see that I make it next time. I think they hold another one in November/December. Perfect for the Christmas lead-up.

I won't focus on the bads, though, and will instead be looking towards the next set of opportunities. This week I'm working on my wholesale orders for Nook and Pleien as well as getting together my samples to send to magazines. That ought to shake out the negatives, pump up the positives.

The Week That Was...

2009-07-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

I am home, I am semi-recovered from Magnolia Square, I am drinking coffee and I am happy.

Last week was a blur of last-minute prep for the market and the craziness of the market itself. In all it was a fantastic event - I'm really pleased with how my jewellery was received (and purchased!) and I'll definitely be doing the November market. The Thursday was exceptionally quiet for us, but the Friday was great and the Saturday, oh, the Saturday was quite a bit of madness. The best kind of madness though. The Tea House venue was not crash-hot (not quite enough room in the aisles for lots of ladies with lots of prams) and it was a little church-hallish. But the organisers did a stellar job of disguising that fact, and the visual merchandising was gorgeous. (So much so that I felt a little sheepish at the simplicity of my stall design. Next time, yes, next time I will blow their socks off!)

I'm glad it's over, simply for the fact that a three-day market with a four month old is slightly tiring, particularly when she is teething. But not to worry, she coped like a trooper and Sparky was, again, my greatest helper. I did come to the realisation that I need to hire someone to help me with these events, so if you know of anyone reliable, passionate about handmade, willing to work stretches of long-ish days sproadically throughout the year and perhaps with some sales experience, please please please send them my way.

The wonderful flip-side of exhibiting at an event like Magnolia Square is the huge range of delectable shopping opportunities on offer. I restrained myself quite well I think, but did buy a few lovely things for Issy and myself:

These gorgeous little leather shoes were bought for Isla. They're so soft and such a pretty green. I had to restrain myself from also buying these,
these and these.

hamb is a really sweet Melbourne clothing label with some gorgeous mens, womens and kids t-shirts and sloppy joes (does ANYONE use that term anymore apart from me?!)

I bought these for Issy and myself, so that we can have dorky matching clothes days.

And before I sound like a horrible wife, I did offer to buy Sparky a matching t-shirt but he politely declined.

I also bought some of these beauties:

Sparkle Cupcakery make the most delicious, modern little pattypans full of joy. I can personally attest to this as I tried both their Belgian Chocolate and Sparkle Cake (vanilla - classic, not boring) and they were beyond delicious. Yum, yum, YUM!

So that is the week that was.

Frustration Overload and New Friends

2009-06-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have been unable to access Etsy for the last 5 days. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Excuse me a moment...

AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH.

Ahem.

In other news, I had the pleasure of receiving an order from a new store (yet to be opened, in fact) in Brisbane, called Nook. The store Michelle is putting together sounds wonderful and you can keep updated on the building works and renovations on her blog. I can't wait to see it up and running!

There is the most gorgeous sunrise happening outside my window, so I think I need to go and admire it with a cup of chamomile in hand. I will return at some point...

(Late) Weekly Goal Round-Up Round Up

2009-06-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes. I know I suck. Very sorry for the lack of blogging love and all that.

Let's cut to the chase and see how spectacularly I failed my goal list this week:

- SUCCESS! Finish the mother-of-all pours from last week (now only 400+ pieces)
- SUCCESS! Assemble 300+ pieces
- SUCCESS! Polish 300+ pieces
- PARTIAL SUCCESS! Prep stock for markets (price, tag, etc)
- PARTIAL SUCCESS! Finalise display for Mag Square
- NEGATIVE. Finish 75 samples for magazines
- SUCCESS! Place packaging order at Rio Grande
- SUCCESS! Visit local stockist
- NEGATIVE. Research sales rep

So that looks to be six from nine, or 66.6%. An improvement on last week's effort anyway.

(And the image above has nothing at all to do with this round-up other than it was the second image found on Google Images when searching for '66 percent'. Makes sense.)

This week I may take a rain check on my weekly goal round up as I am doing nothing much more than feverishly getting prepared for Magnolia Square, which starts in a couple of days.

I guess I could sum up this week's goal list with:

- Arrive at Magnolia Square
- Set up award-winning display
- Sell out of all stock by Saturday
- Drink champagne in celebration
- Eat delicious cupcakes .

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

Apologies

2009-06-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have been rather absent the past week and I am very sorry. Things have hit a new high of hecticness and I am currently sprinting up and down on the spot, trying desperately to get ready for Magnolia Square.

It's slowly getting there - I have around 400 pieces that will be ready to go come Thursday, plus qute a few samples to be included in the media bags going out at Friday morning's media breakfast. Should be fabulous!

Anyway, my Weekly Goal Round Up Round Up will be coming up shortly. Stay tuned! I know you're waiting with much excitement!

Today is Tuesday.

2009-06-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

I really love Tuesdays. I do. So much.

I'm about to tell you why and embarrass myself wholly.

Australia's Next Top Model is on Tuesdays. This. I. Love. Clare should absolutely win.

I also love this particular Tuesday because yesterday I finished my mother-of-all-pours (600 pieces in total) and now I can get onto the fun part of production, which is assembling my pieces. All 300 of them. Yep.

Weekly Goal Round Up

2009-06-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

In follow-up to my less than stellar 50-percenter last week, I'm hoping to have a more productive week this week. I actually have to have a more productive week this week. The Magnolia Square markets are fast approaching and I have muchas work to get through. Plus we have visitors staying next weekend, so the work getting done will be minimal.

The major tasks on this week's list are:

- Finish the mother-of-all pours from last week (now only 400+ pieces)
- Assemble 300+ pieces
- Polish 300+ pieces
- Prep stock for markets (price, tag, etc)
- Finalise display for Mag Square
- Finish 75 samples for magazines
- Place packaging order at Rio Grande
- Visit local stockist
- Research sales rep

So that's what I've got coming up. Fingers crossed I get through the majority of it, and fingers crossed I don't see the bottom two items on next week's list.

Tally-ho! The week awaits!!

My Weekend...

2009-06-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

While fairly ordinary on the weather front, and not a lot of work work was undertaken, I did manage to do some wonderful things over the weekend.

Sparky and I went for a walk to the markets and while yes, we got saturated (Issy was tucked away in her little pocket of dryness, not to worry) and missed the bagel man, we did stop for a coffee, had wonderful chats and laughed lots.

We also got to catch up with my lovely friend who's not long back from a wonderful trip through SE Asia. It was so nice to chat and catch up and hear all about her trip. Sounds spectacular. Sounds life-changing. Sounds like I really want to pack up the family and head to Thailand immediately.

I baked, which always makes me happy. This weekend it was another batch of the delicious choc chip biscuits and a honey nougat slice. Which is delicious. I should now. I'm eating it right now. Mmm.

I also managed to list some new pieces in my Etsy store.

The Stork Earrings.

The Fluidity Ring.

The Travers Necklace - Atomic.

Weekly Goal Round Up - Round Up

2009-06-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

So, it's D-Day. How did I go with my weekly goal list?

Prepare to be underwhelmed:

- SUCCESS! Finish Youngblood application and send
- SUCCESS! Send samples to Channel 7, in follow-up to Fashion Week meeting
- NEGATIVE. Prepare 75 samples to send to magazine folk
- SUCCESS! Complete another gluing/trimming session in preparation for
Magnolia Square
- PARTIAL SUCCESS! Complete the mother of all pours (600+ pieces)
- PARTIAL SUCCESS! Finish putting together display for Magnolia Square
- NEGATIVE. Visit local stockist and place re-order
- NEGATIVE. Research the ins and outs of signing up with a sales rep

So it looks like 4 out of 8. (If you combine the two partials into one whole.) Not horrendous, but not good. The week really got away from me, and that was quite disappointing. But there are good weeks and there are bad weeks. Let's just hope that this one is a good week.

I'll be back a bit later with the Round Up for the coming week. (Try to contain yourselves. I know it's exciting!)

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2009-06-19T18:31:00.001-07:00

So I'm a summer girl at heart and find the short days, cold mornings and icy toes of winter to be rather uninspiring. The only upsides I see to winter are wearing hats, drinking a lot more tea, slow-cooker meals and snowboarding. (Not that I've been anywhere near the snow in about four years. Boo.)

So this grey, cold, drizzly weather has made me a bit cranky. First of all, the bagel man wasn't at the local market this morning, Sparky and I got soaked on the way to said market and the paper was wet this morning when I went to open it. (I know, right. These are my problems. Life is real tough.)

Anyway, I completely forget the reason for beginning this post (that's what happens when my train of thought is interrupted by coffee and biscuits) so let's just say I hope you have a smashing weekend. Rain or no.

Most Excellent News!

2009-06-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

I know I said I wouldn't re-visit my Weekly Goal Round Up until the end of the week, but I got some fabulously exciting news that I couldn't quite wait to share.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the week, I needed to send some samples to Channel 7, after meeting one of their Sunrise hosts at Fashion Week. So on Monday I sent off three necklaces:

(Both of these)

(The creamy one in this shot)

And lo and behold, yesterday, I received an email from Natalie Barr of Sunrise, thanking me for the necklaces and telling me to keep an eye out for my pieces on air. She's hoping to incorporate them into her on-air wardrobe soon! Yayayayay!

So we'll see what comes of it, but needless to say, I'm quite excited!!

(And on other, less excellent news, I think I killed the trackpad on my laptop as I was writing this post. And, no, of course it had nothing to do with chamomile tea. Pfft.)

Studly, I'm Sure.

2009-06-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

New stud earrings have hit the store!

These little beauties always get a lot of attention at shows and markets and they look so so sweet on your ear. The size of them reminds me of the pearl earrings that classy ladeeez wear, but much, much funner. (Yes, funner is a word).

The Phoenix are my personal favourite, just for the way the colour pops. Shazam!!

Also new in store are this and this.

thewhitebook

2009-06-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

I initially discovered this most excellent site over on the FindersKeepers website but it wasn't until after I saw thewhitebook pop up in the RAFW delegate list that I decided to investigate a little further, and I'm so glad I did.

thewhitebook is a website and directory that catalogues and showcases the best of Australian fashion - both up and coming labels and established brands. It also lists retailers, sales and services and Sapna, the creator of the site, puts out a fabulous newsletter each month which highlights new label additions, events and other things of a fabulous nature.

Trove has been fortunate enough to be added to thewhitebook, and I have to say, I'm incredibly proud to be listed alongside some of the best up and coming labels Australia has to offer.

Some of my favourites are:
Eduardo Calucag

Gina Kim

Mr Rose

Mrs Smart

Joy! Glee! Yay!

The Evolution of Studio

2009-06-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

A long, long time ago (well, before Isla was born and that feels approximately 158 years ago) Sparky decided to build me a fabulous studio in our garage. Essentially we were very tired of tripping over my boxes of paper and fabric and plastic and resin and cups and glues and findings and... You get the picture.

So we set about making it happen with the help of some very clever and wonderfully generous relatives.

This is the garage pre-studio:

(You'll notice my favourite feature here, the Dancing Sparky with Lawnmower. Fabulous.)

And while there were many steps in between the above photo and the ones below, I was heavily pregnant and it was the middle of the hottest summer EVER, so I was far too busy eating Frosty Fruits to take any further progress photos. I'm sorry.

This is what the studio looks like now:

and while it clearly isn't finished, I want to document the evolution of the space from here on in. I like being able to look back and see where I've come from and I don't know about you, but I find the art of designing a workspace to be ridiculously exciting.

So if you have any fabulous ideas or websites filled with creative workspaces that I can perve on, please let me know!

This Week:

2009-06-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Modish's Monthly Goal Meet-Up and not underestimating the driving force that is shame, I have decided to post a list of the highest priority tasks on my weekly to-do list at the beginning of every week and then revisit them at the end of the week, to see how much I actually achieved. I do not hold great hope for my results because I usually put about 237% too many tasks on my to-do list and never-ever-ever see the end of them, but we'll see how this goes.

- Finish Youngblood application and send
- Send samples to Channel 7, in follow-up to Fashion Week meeting
- Prepare 75 samples to send to magazine folk
- Complete another gluing/trimming session in preparation for
Magnolia Square
- Complete the mother of all pours (600+ pieces)
- Finish putting together display for Magnolia Square
- Visit local stockist and place re-order
- Research the ins and outs of signing up with a sales rep

There are about 30 other items on my list but they are incredibly boring to all but myself so I will not burden you with such minute details.

My Weekend...

2009-06-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

Again, it was fairly spectacular!

I had a self-imposed computer ban over the weekend, to give my brain some time to think without constant bombardment from emails, Twitter, orders, etc and I've gotta say, it really did the trick. I'm back into the working week feeling rejuvenated, re-energised and excited.

So instead of rushing about the house doing my domestics and checking the computer every 10 minutes (lest I miss something earth-shattering, of course) I had time to read the whole paper (both Saturday and Sunday), bake delicious choc-chip cookies, do a spot of gardening, finish said domestics, spend lots of wonderful time with Sparky and Is, watch half of the third season of Arrested Development, go for an enormously long and lovely walk, drink good coffee and generally have a fabulously lazy, uncomputered time.

The walk was a highlight because I was finally able to live out a year-long dream. When Sparky and I first found out we were having a bub I daydreamed about going for lovely long walks, the three of us, on crisp wintery days, each of us wearing a hat. Yes, seriously. That was my daydream. The three of us in hats. On Saturday, the hat walk happened. Issy looked adorable even though the hat we chose to put her in was a tad too big:

Such a delicious weekend!!

Adventures in Music:

2009-06-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Giveaway!! Giveaway!! Yay, yay, a Giveaway!!

2009-06-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm having a wonderful, wonderful giveaway for you, my delightful customers and friends.

For your chance to win $100 worth of Trove jewellery (any pieces from my website) you simply need to sign up to receive my newsletter. Now, I promise I won't bombard you with 50 emails a week, but I will send out about one email per month letting you know about new products, sales, giveaways, new stockists and events and markets I'll be attending.

If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, please head on over to my Guest Book, say hi and you'll be in the draw.

Also, if you plan to attend Magnolia Square at the beginning of July (2, 3 & 4 July at the Tea House @ Royal Randwick) you can sign up and enter the giveaway there, in person.

Doctor, Doctor, Give Me the News...

2009-06-09T15:07:00.001-07:00

So I'm suffering from quite a bad case of crappy-day-itis and have been desperately searching for a remedy. Fortunately, I stumbled across something online and I am so happy with the results, I just wanted to share my secret.

This was me before:

Apply the following tonic liberally:

And within minutes you should see some improvement:

Well...

2009-06-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

After such a fabulous long weekend, I'm sad to say the week itself has been hideous thus far. Hid.e.ous. Ugh.

Doesn't really bear talking about much more than that though, so onwards we travel!

One of my major jobs this week is to put together my application for the Youngblood Designer Market at the Powerhouse Museum. It's a market I've always wanted to try out but never had the confidence to actually apply for. And that's one of the great things to have come out of Fashion Week - I know have more confidence in my jewellery and myself, so hopefully I'll start to see results.

I actually have a to-do list for this week with, let me count...

..33 items on it.

ONE of which is crossed off. And it's Wednesday. Already. And that doesn't include any home stuff or Issy stuff or sanity stuff. Just work stuff. But I signed up for this gig so I will power on through.

I have another couple of exciting features coming my way this week and another that I heard about last night, which is fabulous:

The lovely Brooke of Magnolia Square told me about their little piece on Trove when she emailed to put one of my Theatre Rings on hold. Lovely, no?

The Magnolia Square Market is rapidly approaching (I can't believe how quickly this year is flying by!!) and I'm in my pre-market state of perpetual panic. So much to do, so little time, but I'm confident that I'll get it all done. I have to!

Lovely, lovely Lucy.

2009-06-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

One of the other major things that happened over the long weekend was that Sparky's sister and I had an impromptu photoshoot, which was lots of fun. I needed some shots of my jewellery on a human person to use as display shots at markets, trade shows etc and this is what we came up with:

What is lacking in creativity was made up for in beer...

I'm so happy with the way the shots came out, particularly considering there was next to no preparation, the model was sick and it was raining. Despite that though, it was lots of fun! (Partly because the boys were all inside cooking up salt and pepper squid and seafood laksa - DEEEEELISH!)

My (Long) Weekend...

2009-06-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

..was so delightful! Sparky had four days off and it was just one of those magical weekends where you get a whole heap accomplished but also feel incredibly relaxed. It. Was. Bliss.

We (finally) dug out our vegie garden and planted it out with lettuce, peas, snow peas, beetroot, silverbeet and leeks and while I don't think it gets enough sun for winter planting, so far, so good. And at least the leeks are likely to survive - they grow in most conditions.

Please excuse the craptastic nature of both the photo and the rest of the garden - one step at a time!

We also started to plant out a herb garden. We've got rosemary, oregano, thyme and coriander (we'll see how that goes, I've never had any success growing it before but it's my favourite herb). We also planted lavender because it just smells delicious and I have grand illusions of recreating the best dessert I've EVER had, which was a lavender creme brulee. So we've got the lavender part, now for the creme brulee tree...

Aside from dinking about in the garden, we cleaned out the garage, went through Issy's clothes because she's (sniff) growing out of all her tiny baby clothes, went through our wardrobes and came out with FIVE humungous bags for St Vinnies and spent lovely time with lovely family.

It was, indeed, delightful.

Features = Happiness

2009-06-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

I've been fortunate enough to be featured in another two fabulous blogs over the past couple of weeks. (Awesome, huh?)

The first was a spot on the wonderful Scoutie Girl:

And last week I received an email from the delightful Andrea of Little Designer Book who requested an interview for her fabulous blog. I was delighted, as this is my first interview and I am so, so pleased with the post Andrea put together. Thanks, Andrea! It was a delight to work with you!

So in keeping with the theme of features/marketing, this week I have been putting together a list of magazine folks (the editorial co-ordinator, editor, fashion assistant and fashion editor) of a number of Australian mags who will be soon receiving a parcel of Trovey goodness. The hope is A) they'll like what they see and B) they may be inclined to wear their piece and/or include it in their publication at some point.

My focus is squarely on increasing my wholesale business for the remainder of the year (with a few large, one-off markets and events thrown into the mix) and I've been assured that this is one way of getting attention from the right people. Any mag features would be additional fabulousness. We shall see how it goes...

Music I Love...

2009-06-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I love the Fleet Foxes?

No? Well, I do.

A lot.

That's why!

Preview Night

2009-06-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

I know I said aaages ago that I'd tell you how my first-ever preview and shopping night went, so I will finally comply!

We set up in the fabulous barn at my sister's house, asked around 100 people from the local area, invited them to bring friends along, let the champagne and chocolates flow freely and... watched the rain pour down ALL. DAY. LONG. At around 5.30, when the rain was particularly heavy, I assumed the night would be a bust and braced myself for the task ahead - eating a lot of chocolate and drinking some lovely champagne. Oh well.

To my surprise though, we had over 50 people turn up throughout the evening (it ran from 7.30 - 9.00, although the last ladies left at around 10.30) and the whole event was a massive success. I sold a tonne of stock on the night, took over 40 additional orders and had quite a few requests for similar showings at private homes. I was so busy taking orders throughout the night that I only had time to take one photo of my set-up, and this is it:

It was a really enjoyable way to meet my customers face-to-face, hear what they liked, what they wanted more of, what they thought of my prices, etc. I've decided I'd like to hold another similar shopping night in late-November to provide Christmas shopping options for my lovely customers.

For now though, it's back to the studio to finish off the orders from the party. I need to pour around 100 pieces today. A small selection:

Photo Joy!

2009-06-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

I'm playing around with some new photo styling for images to be used in my Etsy store and website and, by gosh, I do believe I may have it!

I know it may be boring, but I really, really love classic black, white and grey, and all my Trove branding has been based on it, so I wanted to carry the theme through into my images too. I know some of them are a little clunky, but I'm pretty happy with them.

What do you think? Are they boring? Too drab? Or do the muted backgrounds help my pieces stand out?

My weekend...

2009-06-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

...was spectacular!

Sparky, Miss Is and I took the weekend off, headed to the coast and did a whole lot of eatin', coffee-drinkin', laughin', relaxin' and g-droppin'.

This was the view from the comfy daybed in our room. Not bad.

And while the weather was tres ordinaire, we did not care. The weekend papers were read, the coffee was excellent, the meals were fab and the company was the best.

Miss Is has decided to celebrate her three-month birthday by becoming much more engaging, delightful and, at times, challenging. It's far more difficult to convince a three month old that yes, it is in fact time for a sleep, than it was to convince a two month old. The pay-off is that she's discovering new things every day (some of the sounds are amazing, considering the size of her) and we get to tag along for the ride. Pretty sweet deal I think.

My very own "A-Ha!" Moment...

2009-05-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

So I had a brilliant discovery yesterday that will (hopefully) mean I can save a ha-uuuge amount of time in uploading photos to my Etsy store, my website, Flickr and this here blog. I use a Mac PowerBook G4 and don't have Photoshop or any wing-ding fantabulous photo-editing software so uploading photos has always meant uploading enormous 1GB+ files to Flickr then resizing them. As you can imagine, this took a long, long time and resulted in me not wanting to do it. Ever.

Yesterday I discovered this most excellent downloadable program called Downsize , which takes all the images in a particular folder and...well, downsizes them. While the more technologically-savvy of you are probably saying, "Uh, yeah. Wow. That's really...great. Not." I personally did a happy dance of small-imaged joy. Which shall never be repeated in public. So don't ask. Please.

And, yes, I did just use the circa 1997 suffix of the sarcastic 'not'. I am way hip.

See? Look how easy it is for me to upload photos now?...

(OK, so you probably can't tell, but that usually takes way longer.)

Holy...

2009-05-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

Do you ever look up and realise that your ceiling fan is slowly turning...

ALL BY ITSELF?

AND IS TURNED OFF??

Huzzah!

2009-05-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today is a wonderful day. Not only is it Friday (which is joy enough alone), but today is wonderful because I have been featured on the beautiful blog of all blogs, Modish! Many, many thanks to the lovely Jena for making my month!

Today is also wonderful (and hectic and exhilarating) as today is the day of my local launch party. We've invited around 100 of my loyal local customers, stockists, friends and family and it's shaping up to be a fabulous night. I really must get cracking on the day because I still need to go and set up my display, buy flowers, chill champagne, charge camera (SO glad I've just remembered that!), not to mention play with Miss Is, drink coffee and generally run around.

Between Fashion Week and the launch I feel as though I haven't really drawn breath since before Isla was born, but before I start to grumble I need to remind myself that this is what I've dreamed of doing for the last couple of years. It's funny, in my mind's eye it all seemed much more glamorous, much more organised, much less by-the-seat-of-my-pants, but the fact remains that I'm doing it. Sometimes I just need to remind myself of that!

The upside is that after the hecticness of the past three months, Sparky, Isla and I are taking a weekend away - somewhere to relax by the beach and do nothing but spend time together, drink coffees, eat great food, drink beers, watch Sparky surf, walk, explore, talk and read the paper (and maybe some magazines because it has been FOREVER since I read a proper, grown-up fashion magazine! I'm thinking Frankie, Pepper Mint, Harpers, Vogue, maybe even Madison for a bit of fun.)

I'm hoping to come home relaxed and refreshed and ready to tackle my next event - the Magnolia Square Market. After that is (hopefully) the Young Blood Designer Market at the Powerhouse Museum. After that....

Arggh! See? I can't switch off!

Must run. x

Got Cuffs?

2009-05-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

As promised, I have finally started to introduce cufflinks to my range. The first two designs have been added to my Etsy store, hopefully in time for fathers day in the US. We don't celebrate fathers day until September, so Sparky will have to wait!

While I am happy to have some stock in store for the gentlemen of the world, these cufflinks don't discriminate - they're perfect for women too! I can also see them as perfect gifts for bridal parties as I can customise a bridal party package (cufflinks for the groom and groomsmen, necklaces/earrings/rings for the bridesmaids and bride, mini jewellery for the flower girls, etc).

In other news:

- I am sad to discover I no longer enjoy cheese on toast.
- The launch party is shaping up to be enormous. (100+ invited)
- My local stockist wants to buy my whole range.
- We have hired a mini skip for the weekend as we will be clearing out the gardens in preparation for our vegie patch, mini orchard and cottage/herb garden.
- I am working on some new photography ideas. Need to set myself apart. Looking to use Sparky's sister as a model.
- I'm applying for the Young Blood Designer Markets next week.
- Sparky, Missy and myself are going away for the weekend soon and we couldn't be more excited. Beachfront hotel, great cafes and no cooking for me!

I'm sure there's more scintillating updates to give but I really need to get cracking on the day. Shopping (coffee) with my mum this morning, hoping to buy a new pair of Chucks for Sparky and myself (cream for me, black for him), gurgling with Isla, trimming to do and a massive, enormous pour this afternoon.

My Monday.

2009-05-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

Monday started so very very well. Then I dropped my phone in the toilet.

The end.

Now that you mention it...

2009-05-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling pretty (freakishly) wonderful this morning. Lots of energy, lots of enthusiasm for the week ahead. Surely, but surely, this cannot last? Best make hay then I guess!

I'm eagerly awaiting to see an upcoming feature for Trove on a wonderful, well-read blog (which I won't name, in the fear of jinxing it) and am hoping it may give me a boost in exposure and sales.

Beyond sitting around on my computer hitting the 'Refresh' button every 20 seconds, I do have a lot to do:

- Last week's gluing and trimming sessions
- Monster pour in preparation for this Friday night's launch party
- Prep for party (order forms, display, signage, pricing, etc)
- Photograph my new cufflinks and get them up on Etsy in preparation for Father's Day (yes, apparently Father's Day is celebrated in June in some parts of the world. who knew?)
- Photograph new stud earrings and list in Etsy store
- Clean up studio (AKA the giant pig-sty in which all my fashion week paraphernalia has been unceremoniously dumped and not been touched since)
- Accounts
- Admin-y stuff

Beyond that, the Magnolia Square markets are creeping up on me and I really need to get cracking on my inventory for that. The fun part of markets is that I can sell one-offs and samples, which allows me to play around a bit and get a feel for what people like and don't like, before I add a new design to my production inventory.

These markets have been running in and around Melbourne for a few years now and I'm so excited to be involved in their first Sydney event. The organisers have been brilliant so far and I'm hoping for it to be a successful event. If it's not I'll only have myself to blame because the target market for the markets (stylish women who are looking for unique wares for themselves, their kids, their homes, their tummies, etc) is smack-bang in the middle of my target market. Looking forward to it!

Oh, and before I go, I had a very, very exciting brainwave yesterday afternoon. I'm hoping to start production on some prototype resin, paper and acrylic wall hangings over the next couple of weeks. I think the papers and fabrics I use are so pretty that I want to see them all the time, not just on my ears or around my neck. And the combination of the resin with the paper and a slightly thicker acrylic base would give such a luxurious, touchable feel to the hangings. What do you think about this?

I will come back with some photos and updates once I get started, but I was so ridiculously excited yesterday. I love making jewellery but a new project is so very exciting!

Matchy Match

2009-05-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

I've been looking around the wonderful land of Etsy and can't seem to get away from pretty, lady-like dresses in black, white and grey. When I had to go shopping for a few appropriate outfits for fashion week I needed a nice, neutral, classic selection that would show off the metallic neutrals in my new collection. Now it seems I'm addicted to the grey/black/white combo. Boring? Maybe. But these gorgeous pieces are far from dull!

Gorgeous, gorgeous! This beautiful tank from artlab is swoon-worthy. Matched to perfection with my Baisse Necklace, which sits mid-chest.

While this stunning El Presidente Bustier from janeanmarie is modern, simple and totally covetable. I think I'd wear it with some dramatic black Tab Earrings

I think that's enough dream-shopping for this evening. I have a red curry in the slow-cooker and a lovely glass of wine with my name on it. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Mine will be filled with gardening, newspaper reading and market going. Apparently the bagels at the local farmers market are beyond belief, so I think I'll have to try them out!

Positively Medieval.

2009-05-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

So I have *just* figured out how to get photos from my camera to my computer. It's really not very difficult at all. At. All. It's quite embarrassing really.

Anyhoo, this grand discovery means that I can now inundate you with photos of Isla. 'Hurrah', I hear you say. Hurrah indeed!

As you can see, she's just about the cutest kid ever.

The End.

Of course, I'm only joking. She clearly is THE cutest kid ever.

Biased parental opinions aside, I have quite a lot of work to do today, including a very large gluing session, followed by an immensely huge trimming session. If time permits, I'd then like to undertake the mother-of-all pours. But time will not permit, because time is a bitch.

Speaking of time, I told myself I had until 7:30am to faff about doing my computery business and it is now 7:26am. I still need to check Twitter and have a quick read of The Sartorialist (who I saw in action at RAFW, and lordy, a pair of bluer eyes I have never seen), Dooce and The Black Apple, so I shall be off.

Hope you have a fabulous day!!

x

Excited? Why, yes, I am!

2009-05-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

I am having a 25% off sale in my Etsy store in preparation for the launch of my new range. Everything listed is 25% off - new and old stock, samples and one-offs. Come by, come buy!

Now, hear hear.

2009-05-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

So Sparky bought me a baby monitor for mothers day, which is fabulous. It's fabulous because I can now go and work in the studio for a productive length of time, rather than 5-minute grabs, interrupted by my need to get up and check that Isla is OK. I will be comfortable in the knowledge that I can hear every little noise that comes from the cute little resting bundle. Except that this week there has been no cute little resting bundle. Sparky has been away with work and I swear Is missed him. She was wakeful, whingy and c.rank.y. Like mother, like daughter in that regard.

Sparky also bought me (himself) a Wii Fit for mothers day, which made me extremely excited. I would say almost as excited as this fellow:

I have been yoga-ing and hula-hooping myself silly for the past few days and I'm surprised and pleased to say that it does actually give you quite a good workout. Fingers crossed I keep up the enthusiasm.

Anyway, seeing as I do actually have things to do - a VIP launch party happening next Friday night, Magnolia Square Markets coming up in July, etc, etc - I should get out to the studio. Miss Is has decided today she shall sleep, so today I shall work.

B X

Pressy McPressface

2009-05-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

While I was away at fashion week the Courier Mail's 9 to 5 magazine featured my new Elements necklaces! Exciting, no?

It was my first "real" media feature and it made me very happy. Sparky had sent out media releases for me and this was the first response that actually made it to print (so far).

My grand plan to take over the world includes sending a parcel of Trove goodness to each and every relevant magazine, newspaper and media outlet, so I hope the feature pleasure continues!

This week though I am focusing on my upcoming launch party, which should be a lot of fun. We've invited around 100 people (mostly loyal customers from the local area) and I hope to launch the Elements range with the help of some lovely champagne and a few orders.

These are some of the beautiful shots I had taken at my first professional photo shoot, just before fashion week. Ads, the photographer, did such a fabulous job considering he had over 80 shots to take in just a few hours and we had to contend with two little bubs (his son was born the same day as Miss Isla).

Speaking of the gorgeous Miss Isla, I'd love to post some more photos of her (she's changed so so much) but I'm having camera-to-computer relationship difficulties so I'm unable. But hopefully I'll be getting a new computer soon (iMac - whoop!) and I can shower you with photos!! Aren't you excited??

Best be off. Coffee to drink, work to do.

xx

Oh, haiiii!

2009-05-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hello there! I have returned from the wilderness of pre-RAFW madness and the crazy, crazy five days that was Fashion Week itself.

It was a lot of fun and a hell of a lot of hard work, and now I'm sitting at my computer 24/7, with all fingers and toes crossed, hoping to see more orders come in.

I have already shipped off my first international order to my first international stockist - hurray!! Pleien in Singapore is a new boutique, selling the work of up and coming designers. Needless to say, I'm thrilled!!

Despite the fact that orders have been thin on the ground so far (this seems to be the way fashion week works - orders aren't finalised until weeks down the track, so there's still plenty of time) the whole experience was invaluable. The contacts I've made (stay tuned - there's an exciting plan afoot!), the inspiration I've gained and the confidence I've found all hold me and my business in good stead for the future.

I've just popped in to reassure you that I have not abandoned my blog completely and that I will post a full run down of fashion week and all that has happened and will be happening in the near future.

The lovely Isla is getting all of my attention this week after being such a little gem last week. Bless her!

Oh, and I am having a May Blow-Out Sale in my Etsy store. 25% off everything! Everything! Til the end of May.

Now back to mummyness.
B x

The one where I bore everyone with photos of Miss Isla...

2009-03-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

I feel as though I'm finally starting to overcome my under-the-weatherness from last week (yes, I'm talking to YOU, Mrs Hormones) and I thought I'd celebrate by posting a couple of photos of the Divine Miss I and bore the pants off anyone who cares to wear pants (which is optional as a reader of this blog - I hold no pants-based prejudices).

Please also forgive the lack of witty or entertaining captions. My brain capacity knows some serious limits these days, and wit is well outside those limits. In fact, if I can say more than "Blart," I consider it a very good day.

I will say that this suit reminds me of the one the little baby wears in The Labyrinth (although his was red I think) and that makes me happy. I just hope she isn't kidnapped by David Bowie and held hostage in a castle made of never-ending stairs. If she survives life without that happening then I think we've done well.

Now that's just cute.

B x

The One Where My Brain Falls Out

2009-03-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

So I just looked at the date and realised that:

A. Isla is nearly three weeks old already
B. My birthday has come and gone with barely a blip on the radar
C. There is less than 6 weeks until Fashion Week

Despite the soaring and crashing hormonal ups and downs of new parenthood (and let me tell you, those downs are waay down and filled with tears and unexplainable blueness, but are thankfully few and far between) I am simply loving life since Miss Isla came to town. She brings Sparky and I unimaginable joy with every tiny noise she makes or silly face she pulls. She is, by all accounts, the bees knees.

Since I haven't been in blogland (or any part of Planet Earth for that matter) for the past few weeks a few things have happened that have had a huge impact on our life (apart from the birth of our first child, of course).

The largest of these being that I was accepted into Australian Fashion Week as a new designer! I'm showcasing at Emerge @ The Source with 20 other designers in fashion, jewellery, accessories etc. I checked my email the night we brought Isla home from hospital and very nearly fell off my chair when I saw my acceptance email. I then proceeded to actually fall off my chair when I realised I needed to accept my place by the next day. Talk about timing!!

So aside from settling into our routine here at home (Sparky went back to work this week, which was sad and scary and exciting all at the same time) I have been gathering my thoughts and putting together the mother of all to-do lists for the next five weeks.

I need to get a website organised; redesign my branding, logo, packaging, business cards etc; draft up my wholesale contract/order forms; make a heap of inventory (at least 2 of every piece in my collections for display at the event); get professional product photos taken; have catalogue designed and printed; engage Sparky in some serious PR work; register for GST; buy some halfway-fashionable, non-pregnant-lady but just-had-a-baby-so-I-have-a-pot-belly-that-I-need-to-disguise clothes and get cracking on my much-depleted inventory. Oh, and I need to fit out my new, as yet unpainted and uncarpeted studio and buy a new computer and printer as this one is on its last legs.

I'm sure this is rather boring to read, and for that I am sorry. My language skills seem to have failed me. Perhaps they thought they were no longer needed as all I've been saying for the past three weeks is, "Hello, pretty girl," or something to do with nappies.

B xx

Introducing...

2009-03-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

The gorgeous Isla Anne!!

More details to follow but I really wanted to share this video that Sparky put together after the first two days of Isla's life. He surprised me with it on his iPod in hospital one morning and sent me into a bawling, babbling mess, of course!!

Still Here...

2009-02-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Still just Sparky and I, waiting to become the magic number.

I've been doing lots of reading over the past few days and have come to the conclusion that I've been experiencing pre-labour for a little over a week. Obviously that has frustrated me no end because being our first it's hard to tell what's the real deal and what's not (obviously, none of it has been the real deal yet).

But there's nothing at all that I can do about it and I'm feeling much better about the whole concept of this niggly pre-labour business after reading that many women who experience fairly prolonged pre-labours have shorter labours. I may be deluded but that little tidbit has bought me at least another few days mental stability so I'm more than happy to run with it!

And in other news...

Oh, hang on. Wait.

OTHER stuff is still happening in the world? Are you sure??

Positive??

I'll keep you posted!
B x

Oh, man...

2009-02-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

I sound like such a wanker.

Apologies.

Where a floral blouse becomes jeans

2009-02-16T20:45:00.001-08:00

Deciding not to waste every non-parent moment I have left (however many that may be, you stubborn little B3) I started thinking about the clothes I may buy for winter, once I am slightly less... circular.

I had in mind a couple of great blousy shirts from Etsy, which will look gorgeous with the perfect pair of crisp, dark denim jeans, some fab boots, perhaps a fitted blazer. "Easy," I thought. "I'll just pull together a couple of photos and bookmark some stores to come back to when I have the figure/money to buy."

Well, that was two and a half hours ago. As it turns out, I inadvertently sent myself on a long, winding journey on the denim train, and have yet to return.

When I was younger and working in the film biz, I fell into the trap of thinking that the jeans you wore really mattered. Like, I mean, really mattered. I am not a trend follower but I found myself sucked into the strange, strange world of the cult denim. I developed a very strong bond with 7 for all mankind jeans and bought (ahem) 5 pairs within 12 months. When you consider these retailed for $250-$500 a pair and I was earning a pittance, it was quite the investment. Quite the rush too.

Anyway, I bought my last pair of ridiculously expensive jeans in a great boutique in New York (how fabulous, dahlink!) in 2004 when we were on our round-the-world backpacking odyssey. I didn't want to 'ruin' my new jeans by wearing them so I proceeded to keep them wrapped in tissue paper in the bottom of my (very heavy) backpack for the next six months. When I got home, however, I wore those babies at least 3 times a week and they only went to denim heaven sometime last year.

I have completely lost my reason for telling this story now...

Oh, yeah. I've been looking for the perfect pair of jeans to buy after bubs comes along and 2 hours after my search began I came across the 7 for all mankind website and as it turns out, their jeans are still fabulous. Just really strong, basic, sophisticated denim that won't date.

So, these are the three pairs I have narrowed it down to, and I just hope to find that they stock these designs in Australia, when the time comes.

Le Sigh

2009-02-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

I really didn't feel like posting because it would make real the fact that I'm still here, sans behbeh, and I'm feeling hormonal and teary enough. (Poor Sparky).

I have, however, closed my Etsy store as I've been feeling beyond unwell and I really thought I was on my way yesterday. But alas, no. The good news being that I can't be far away. Hooray!!

In other news, Sparky and I are having homemade chicken curry pie for dinner.

(DISCLAIMER: Not made in MY home.)

Excited!

2009-02-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

Despite the sum total of two hours sleep last night (thank YOU, Mr Indigestion) I am feeling rather chipper. This will last approximately 37 minutes more, after which I will become an ugg-boot-wearing, Arrested-Development-watching, tea-sipping moron.

You betcha.

The things that have most excited me this morning are:

1. Yesterday, B3's Dr was more than pleased with progress and has said, "Any day now." That's great with me because I know that in Dr-speak, "Any day now," actually means, "Tomorrow, definitely. And it won't hurt, either." So that's good news.

2. I've had much success with my new pieces. I found the BEST vintage lace and doilies in a shop in my home town and these are now taking front and centre stage in my new line. Much joy to be had when I get those pretty babies into production.

3. It's still raining and cold. It's DELIGHTFUL.

4. Sparky wore one of his Timber! T-shirts to work this morning and looked particularly handsome.

5. The postponed studio build looks to be happening over the weekend.

6. I'm making cauliflower risotto with chilli/anchovie crumble for dinner tonight and it will be delicious.

So there is much joy to be had while I sit around home and wait for B3 to make their much-anticipated appearance. I may use that time constructively (finishing my bookkeeping, budgeting for the year, etc) or I may use that time unconstructively (see above comment RE Arrested Development and tea.)

Please, enjoy your day.

xx