Inspire

The Race that stops a nation…

What will you be doing this year for the Melbourne Cup? I hope that you will be somewhere sparkly, having fun and drinking champagne!!

I will be at the GPO in Martin Place handing out 200 or so yellow rose buttonholes! So wish me luck ok?

Anyway, I was thinking that I should probably do a little guide on what flowers and colours are appropriate for each race day. So here you are… a few race tips to share on the day!

Saturday 20/10/16 – Derby Day

Flower: Cornflower

What to Wear: Black and White (monochrome)

Darby Day is the most traditional day for the Carnival so timeless and elegant is the look to go for this year. Go for a well tailored LBD, elegant headpiece – boaters are very much in fashion this year – and avoid mid-drifts! White on white is a fantastic way to stand out in a sea of black, teamed with black accessories such as clutch or heels.

For the boys, a well tailored suit furnished with shiny stand-out cufflinks or pocket handkerchief is the way to go. And make sure to polish those shoes – high sheen, thank you!

How to combine your florals and fashion? Boys a simple Cornflower boutonniere will suffice, especially since we are going for the conservative look. And ladies, why not a chain of cornflowers around your boater? Or a simple cluster to one side would also fit the bill. Simple. Elegant.

Tuesday 1/11/16 – Melbourne Cup Day

Flower: Yellow Rose

What to Wear: Colour, Colour, Colour

The main thing here is to have fun! Melbourne Cup is the day to be fashion forward and really show your style. Bold prints and statement headpieces are the way to go. This year fascinators are out – leave the feathers at home and opt for strong couture pieces in metallic.

Boys colour is key for you too. Try teaming one colour on your pants and another for your jacket. Too bold for you? Then simply go for bright slimline shirts and ties, handkerchiefs and even socks!!

However, a word to the wise, have your fun, but keep it elegant… knee length please. And… avoid black!

How to combine your florals and fashion? Ladies why not weave yourself a way out headband with bold yellow roses, teamed with hot pink orchids and perhaps some sea-green hydrangea for fullness. Think OTT headpieces on the catwalk. Boys, a yellow rose boutonniere with unusual foliage such as a begonia leaf?

Thursday 3/11/16 – Oaks Day

Flower: Pink Rose

What to Wear: Ladies Day

Soft, elegant and floral is what this day is all about. Avoid black and striking colours and sorbet tutu-fruti is a no go zone. Ladies opt for feminine pinks and neutrals with soft and floaty lines. Headpieces are perfectly suited to floral halos or delicate lace and jewelled headbands.

Gents try a pale grey suit with a pastel pink or blue shirt to keep your style soft, yet fashion forward.

How to combine your florals and fashion? Today is the day to get your floral on. If there is any day that you should invest in a floral piece, today is the day. Ladies try a small cap covered in the most delicate white and pink roses – David Austens would be the perfect combination. Ruffle upon ruffle of glorious delicate rose petals – heaven! Or a large floppy hat with a cluster of pinks, whites and even an antique coloured Julia rose would be gorgeous, with a nude velvet ribbon – so elegant, so feminine!

Gents, why not a delicate pastel pink rose with a few feathery grass heads tucked in. Soft, yet unusual and outdoorsy.

Saturday 5/11/16 – Stakes Day

Flower: Red Rose

What to Wear: Family Day – Casual

Stakes Day is more a casual affair and the key here is to be comfortably elegant, if there is such a thing whilst chasing the kids around!! Think relaxed tailoring and straw hats or accessories. Wedges are an ideal footwear choice as they are both comfortable and prevent you from sinking your heels into the grass. Soft linens and loose skirts would be ideal for Stakes Day.

Gents could opt for navy jackets and tan pants as opposed to a formal suit, but still have fun with a bold coloured shirt.

How to combine your florals and fashion? Why not try a beautiful modern corsage pinned to your favourite linen lapel? Reds and hot pinks always look stunning together and a lovely hot pink phalaenopsis orchid combined with a red tea rose would be a gorgeous combination. Or pin this to your floppy straw hat if you feel so inclined.

Gents could try the same – although opt for a smaller version.

It’s funny how things can change so quickly. One minute you’re rolling in the depths of despair, and the next… well… the sun is shining, the birds are singing and everything is going to be A-OK.

So what’s been happening here at Lotus HQ…??? Lots!

On a personal front, my Mum left hospital, stayed with us for a while, and is now recovering very well at home in Port Macquarie. So I guess that stress has left the building in that department… Phew! And that’s a big PHEW…!! So blessed and lucky.

In addition to this, the studio where we have been working / living has been sold and we are on the move again. I don’t worry about moving anymore… We have moved that many times in the last few years that I feel like a professional packer. I might as well have invested in a good swag and had my pots and pans dangling and clanging as I walk from camp to camp!

But now we are ready to be settled, and make a proper home.

We have secured a gorgeous semi nearby to live in and I am so thrilled about that. It has a BACKYARD. With space for a little garden. You have no idea how excited I am about this… I even have plans for a fishpond and herb garden. I simply cannot wait to move in!

This also means that I am on the hunt for the perfect store.

We have decided to take the plunge once again and open a little shop somewhere on the city fringe. And I am truly excited about this too. This is an opportunity to really do things my way. When we bought Lotus nearly 4 years ago, she came complete with existing shop front, clientele, and expectations.

Now we have the opportunity to really build her from scratch and breathe new life into her. I have spent a fair bit of time mentally sculpting her in my imagination and I feel that we are ready to bring her into the ‘real’ physical world.

What will she be like?

She’ll still have the same beautiful fresh flowers, friendly and helpful staff and a welcoming feel, but she’ll also be much more creative. She’ll dream a bit bigger. In fact, a LOT bigger. She’ll be getting into the events scene and creating whimsical floral wonderlands for charities and foundations that will improve life as we know it in some way. She’ll be a giver. And she’ll really blossom and grow.

So we are looking for the right shop to be a steady, solid little home for her. As I mentioned, we are looking for city fringe; with real pocket community feel. It must have loads of sunshine and be surrounded by creative professionals. It’ll have a polished concrete floor and a large glass window frontage. And just enough space to get everything done, but small enough so that you feel immersed in flowers the second you walk through the door. Oh! And fairy lights! Did I mention how much I love fairy lights??! And it’ll be in our price range rent-wise.

Do you know of a space like this? If you do, please let us know! I can’t wait to hear from you! Call us now on (02) 9233 3222.

Love,

Lotus

How time flies… I honestly can’t believe it has been such a long time since I wrote a post. And I’m not really sure why I feel compelled to write something today. Perhaps it is the reflective mood I’m in…

I lot has happened in the last few months, well six months if I think about it. Last year we fell pregnant for the second time and whilst that is always an exciting time, it also has the inevitable fatigue and sickness to offset all that joy.

We also discovered that Chifley Plaza, where our shop was located, was to undergo major renovations, to the extent that we would no longer be able to trade (ripping out our ceiling – minor detail). So we finished our lease at Christmas and hauled everything out. It’s amazing just how much ‘stuff’ one collects over the years. Luckily for me, my wonderful husband and friends helped, and we have relocated to a temporary studio in St Leonards. It’s big and bright and has a beautiful view of the trees along the street. We will be comfortable here for the time being.

Then in the new year, just as we thought we were going to meet our new baby through ultrasound, sad news…. We lost our little baby to be. It’s a strange mix of emotions that you have… Mostly you just hope that they’ve got it all wrong. You hope and hope and yes, even pray, that you’ll be that small percentage. That smallest of small percentages, where the data is all wrong and in fact, everything will be fine. You’d even forgive them if they came back and said they’d mixed up your details with someone else. Unfortunately, that wasn’t our story. We did lose our little baby to be and it did take a few complications and a few months to get everything sorted out. All good now though…

Then there has been this week. My Mum has been complaining of a burning in the back of her legs for a few weeks. Finally she had it checked out. She had two major blood clots in each leg. One had completed stopped the blood flow to the lower section of her leg. I can’t tell you how lucky we are that the doctors got it in time. So, so, so lucky… I really can’t bear to think of how it might have been. Anyway, for me, it has meant running backwards and forwards to the hospital and spending time with her during her recovery after surgery. Texting and talking to family and friends and updating everyone on her status. And whilst it has been relatively sleepless, I don’t begrudge a second of it. It’s odd that it takes situations like this to really pull the family together. And we really have. We are so blessed that we have each other and that we all are able to show that we care.

And in the middle of all this I have continued to be a Mum to my beautiful (nearly) two year old little boy, Elvis, and run my ‘store’ and business. I won’t lie. It’s been a tough week. Two 14 hour days, wedding quotes, Saturday night catching up on bookwork and I’m about to start getting ready for our Monday corporate run. No rest for the wicked, they say… I say, no time to be wicked!

So what has this little catch up have to do with anything at all?? I guess it just makes you “get real”. It cuts through the daily clutter and really hones in on the important stuff. Makes you question why you are doing, what you are doing. And in the end, there is always a simple answer. The things that we do in life, are the things that we love. Anything else is just unsustainable.

I love my family, I love being a Mum and I love running my little business. And I do everything I can to keep these all afloat. Sleep or no sleep.

So whatever it is that you are doing in this busy, instagram-facebook-filled world right now – Stop. Do you love it? If yes, then keep going! Life will only get bigger and better! If no, then why? There are just so many millions of other options out there.

You only get one life… Fill it with LOVE…

xx

Most Mother’s Days are something that I look forward to. Nice brekky or lunch or something planned with the family…. Driving up the cost to visit my family, or an outdoor picnic with my husband Oscar’s family… It’s an opportunity to over-indulge in delicious food and sunshine!

This Mother’s Day I have even more to celebrate – the near arrival of our own child and my own entrance into motherhood! (8 weeks and very much counting)

I can definitely say that I have mostly enjoyed being pregnant and the journey thus far… It’s kinda cool to feel little feet and hands squiggling away… but the last couple of weeks have been hard work and I find myself slowing right down and my brain becoming more and more cloudy, doubts and worries are beginning to surface… I guess it’s to be expected.

I worry about my little flower shop, my other baby, and how I will manage both my business and our new family. It’s only an inkling of insight on what many mothers must struggle with each and everyday. It’s no small task. Many of us have our hands full rushing around with work and our own lives thinking how impossibly busy, busy, busy we all are! Mums manage to do all this and fit in time to feed, clothe and love the people that they have brought into this world… They worry about them, sacrifice their own time and energy for them…. for the rest of their lives!!!

This Mother’s Day, I have a new perspective. It’s not just about the sunshine and food…. It’s about really taking time and effort to say to my own Mum “Thanks… for everything…. (and how the f*@k did you do it?)”.