The League of Extraordinary Women – Launceston

Launceston inspires me in many ways; it has a strong sense of community, the picturesque Cataract Gorge a stone’s throw from the centre of the city, a variety of amazing vineyards a car trip away and the best fresh produce.  What I find truly inspiring about Launceston is the vast array of women founding and heading small businesses. The thing you need to know about these women is this; we are extraordinary!

Where do I find these women? I’m lucky enough to be a part of an organisation called The League of Extraordinary Women. Big title I know but we are all about letting women in business know just how extraordinary they are. We have events held locally every two months and have inspiring women in business speak.  We also have a glass or two of bubbles, a taste of some local produce and reward our guests with a fabulous goodie bag filled with generous gifts from local businesses.

The Mill Providore and Gallery space.

 

Mill Providore and Gallery

Tuesday 18^th of August we held our League event at the Mill Providore and Gallery located above award winning restaurant Stillwater.  70+ attendees arrived to watch and listen to Launceston bred business women Bianca Welsh and Kate Morris share their stories.

The wonderful thing about these events is each individual who attends takes something different away. Your experience and what you learnt and take on board will be different to mine and that’s what I love about it.

    Myself, Bianca and Kate.

BIANCA WELSH

Bianca Welsh, what an aspiring young woman! At the ripe age of twenty eight she has a success story to brag about, the surprising thing is that’s not her style.  She is in fact so humble she chooses not to hang her victories and awards in her restaurants.  Co-owner and manager of two award winning restaurants; Stillwater; www.stillwater.com.au and Black Cow Bistro; www.blackcowbistro.com.au she certainly has her work cut out for her.  She has learnt the fine art of juggling business and her personal life. At one stage, she was studying, working, selling her house, was moving into a new one and purchasing the Mill Providore and Gallery.       

Bianca is determined and knows that persistence and hard work pays off. She is passionate about raising awareness around mental health issues in the workplace and that as employers, it is our responsibility to create an environment that supports these issues not masks them. It was Bianca’s request that 10% of all sales from the Mill Providore and Gallery on the night go towards Beyond Blue; we also donated all monies collected from raffle, raising a total of $418.  

What I Learnt from Bianca

Here’s what I took away from Bianca’s presentation that evening.

·         I learnt that we can’t please everyone and we have to stop worrying about trying to make everyone like us.  

·         I love that no matter what Bianca achieves she still strives for more.

·         She believes in giving back to the community and supporting the public school system.

Bianca Welsh.

KATE MORRIS

I remember the exact moment Kate Morris and I met and exchanged words. At the league event prior to commencement, we introduced ourselves and she introduced me to a very firm and assertive handshake. Eye contact was made and I was very impressed (note to self - work on the handshake).

I’ll be honest I didn’t know much about Kate prior to the event which excited me even more to learn about her story. Kate Morris is the creator, owner and business developer of the very successful beauty and skincare website; www.adorebeauty.com.au. Despite being in the fashion biz, my personal shopping is rarely done online, however I was intrigued and willing to listen and learn. Firstly Kate is hilarious! I mean the girl is from Launie she has the swagger, the sense of humour and just the right amount of bogwah.

       Kate Morris.

She had the dream of starting her own online beauty store before instagram and facebook and online shopping. She was laughed at, turned down and told to walk away when requesting financial support. If anything this fuelled her to continue on. She borrowed $12,000 from her boyfriend’s parents and started to make her dream a reality. She approached many beauty brands that laughed in her face - what’s laughable now, is they are coming to her for business. 

Kate believes that everyone will say yes eventually if you persist, she’s waiting on Chanel but with her hunger something tells me they’ll succumb soon. Her advice to budding entrepreneurs is to not worry about planning the perfect plan; it isn’t realistic, just put one foot in front of the other and start putting your ideas into action. Having an idea doesn’t make you an entrepreneur; it’s the action that follows. She believes having a business coach can help guide you with your vision and implement strategies that help you reach your goals.

 Ladies checking out the free Macroons.

Kate ensures that Adore Beauty hires experts in their fields to ensure they listen to their customers’ needs and tailor specialised advice back to them. Although the relationships built with her customers aren’t face to face, she strives to make the customer experience as special as possible. The beloved Tim Tam is added to her deliveries as well as free beauty and skin care samples.

What I Learnt from Kate

·         Kate touched on the importance of networking with like-minded people in business;

·         To put yourself out there and get talking because it isn’t what you know in business it is who you know!

This is what I love about the League. I walked away from this event feeling inspired on so many levels.  I’d love to hear about your personal experiences. Who has inspired you most? What do you like to hear from a motivational speaker?

Thank you to our amazing speakers Bianca and Kate.  Thank you to the fabulous Launceston league team; Cathryn, Jo, Sarah and to Allison Cosker our wonderful photographer.

 

If you're interested in the League and events going forward check out this website: http://leagueofextraordinarywomen.com.au/

 

The Year That Was 2014

What an eventful year it was.  I made mistakes, I learnt from them. I went forward, backwards and sideways. They said jump I asked how high? Let me take you through my highlights of 2014.

Single Life

I became a ‘single white female’; I moved out on my own and had to become a truly independent woman. This was definitely a moment for me to stop and reflect. I think you should always gain something from a previous relationship it is not a failure just because it didn’t last. I don’t think it’s a waste of time, you learn to love someone; you grow together and change together. If you realise you aren’t so compatible then I think you should move on, there’s no need to sacrifice others happiness just for the sake of a relationship status.

I realised just how much you ‘share’ when you’re in a relationship. You share; bills, cleaning, days off, cooking and snuggles. But when you’re on your own you have to fend for yourself, I mean groceries, cooking, cleaning. I realised I’m no Martha Stewart but if I wasn’t going to do it, then who would? As time went by I began to feel empowered, it was pretty cool to know I could survive on my own. That way if someone was to come into my life again then they could supplement it. I’ve learnt to love my own little bachelorette pad and when you don’t have to share with others, you can make it your own.   I see it as a little luxury that I may not have all my life so why not relish it.  


                         The 'boudoir'                           

The 'wardrobe room'



The best bathroom ever 

Bombs Away

I made plans and then I changed them drastically. I saved a deposit to build a house; I even got plans drawn up. Then a part of me went ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda’ and threw them out the window. I went to the hair salon chopped 25cm of my Rapunzel hair off, walked into a travel agency waved my house deposit goodbye and booked myself a holiday. Holy shit balls it was happening; my first solo overseas adventure. For some reason when I was in relationship I didn’t have the courage to do it and suddenly all I could think was, what do I have to lose? Turns out nothing.                    

The Rapunzel locks were getting ratty.     

 

  Ready for the chop.

 

The Rats Tail

The shorter do

 

I had the most amazing experience. I started in London and met up with some fabulous Tassie friends made some new ones from Chicago whilst table dancing in Soho.  I then met my contiki group in Amsterdam and continued on through Paris, Luzerne, Nice and Barcelona. I can’t possibly tell you all the tales but let me assure you things got crazy, weird, scary and fabulous. My last week was spent entirely on my own with no contacts in Greece. I had to really put myself out of my comfort zone and try new things. This was the most special time for me. It made me realise how amazing people are and also if you put your mind to something you really can achieve anything you want.  

My Contiki tour 

  Barcelona with my contiki crew

 

My Contiki roomie Brittany and i posing in front of Ferrari's in Monaco

My Destiny's Child girls and i in Nice

 

Changing Face

Unfortunately yearly highlights cannot all be positive. I had a nasty work accident just four weeks before my trip away. I sliced my nose open with a blade the length of an iPhone, lucky for me it didn’t hurt. The downside was it came with emotional and physical scars.  I like to think I’m a pretty strong person but like many I can be vulnerable too. When you injure yourself you realise just how delicate you are and suddenly your eyes open up to risks everywhere. Working in fashion retail there is a lot of emphasis on the way you are presented and unfortunately having a nose patch, scab, scar opens up plenty of unwanted discussion. Here I was trying to not let my vanity get the best of me but instead had multiple people comment on my appearance almost daily. At one stage I kindly responded to a customer that ‘I’ve decided I’m more than my nose’, she laughed and appreciated my honesty.

It’s pretty sad but when people constantly highlight your flaws it begins to be the only thing you see. It saddens me to say but some mornings I do wake up, walk to the mirror and cringe at my naked face. It is an ugly memory that left its mark. Going through this I can advise others that it helps to be respectful and sensitive before you comment on someone’s appearance, if they wish to share their ordeal with you they will.  It has been an eye opening experience and I can’t begin to imagine how others feel after severely traumatic events.

Luckily makeup helps to cover up my scar, i hope to feel confident without it sometime soon. I'm looking forward to what the plastic surgeon has to say in February.

 

 The day of the ordeal

 

Selfies became restricted

 

Baby sis supporting me  

 

     After the patch came off

 

On a lighter note a change to face that has been a positive one began with a eye check up after poking my eye out in Paris (another day another story). I thought it would be best to make sure everything was in order. Turns out one eye being short sighted and one long equals blurred vision at work and daily headaches, the solution; glasses. Easy peasy lemon squeazy, this should be fun I thought. I went for my first try on, nothing looked like me, all I could see was my nose and my bold brows were no longer! Bless the sales assistant but leopard arms and I just don’t match. Feeling deflated off I went to the next shop, like the devil to Miranda Priestly the Prada frames were calling my name. I brought a work colleague/ friend in for approval and voila I can suddenly see.......clearly! 

 

Devilish in Prada frames 

Losing my falls festival virginity

Yes its true at the ripe age of 27 I packed my goodies and set off to the most popular Tasmanian New Years Eve event. Its safe to say I’m no expert at camping , in fact the term ‘rookie’ most definitely applies ... considering I'm a camping virgin. But determined to try new things I accepted the invitation/ challenge.

Busting for the loo as we arrived at our assigned camping spot; off I ran. I exited the long drop cubicle and just like in the TV commercial ‘Ahh MC Cain’ the rains were there and wet through was my double denim ensemble! Oh yes the rookie camper did not bring anything waterproof. As the three of us ladies began unpacking our tents (in between rain showers I may add) the girls looked at mine and asked where the rest of it was, me not knowing a thing was confused. Apparently $15 tents from Kmart aren’t waterproof! Deciding not to pitch mine we waited safely in our car until the rain passed. The other thing that passed was a replica of my tent flying by!! Lucky I didn’t set that up!

As ghastly as that all sounds I had a fabulous New Year’s Eve. I slept in the sun listening to the live tunes, drank gin and tonics out of cans and as the day turned to night I ate; spiral spuds, dim sim's and drank until my liver said no more. As a friends boyfriends says I even got “balls deep” in the mosh Pitt! I got on strangers shoulders against my will and smiled and loved life until the wee hours. Look I’m no camper and I’m not sure if I’d do it again but it was certainly a memorable experience that I wouldn’t take back.

The Falls crew

 After getting caught in the rain

Venue with a view

 

Sarah and Kitty

Sun and smiles

So there you have it, the year that was 2014, my highs my lows. It was a good year, I look forward to the one ahead. X E

 

 

 

 

 

Single White Female

It’s an interesting thing being single, especially after being a bit of a serial monogamist myself. It’s almost as though you start to view the world from the outside in.

I have a single girl friend that used to say to me, ‘there are so many people in the world we haven’t even met yet’. It’s safe to say I didn’t do the math.  A part of me took it on board the other part went and jumped straight into another relationship.

After recently going on my first solo adventure travelling overseas, I started to see just how many people I hadn’t even met yet. I know it’s logical and I can’t possibly meet them all but I thought; how about I try and open myself up to the opportunity of meeting someone for the very first time?  Hell, why don’t I try it on a daily basis? Most of us don’t even realise how we are surrounded by; amazing, inspiring, creative, funny, intellectual human beings every single day.

My final destination on my trip was Mykonos/ Greece. As I waited for my driver to collect me from my hotel I felt so emotional, I didn’t want to leave all this. It was more than the sun, sand, parties, it was the people. It was the fact that so many people that I had met for the very first time were willing to help me, to take me in, to appreciate me for being me and they didn’t have to but they chose to.

What I realised then was I didn’t have to be in Greece to experience this; I didn’t have to be on holidays to meet people for the very first time. What was stopping me from experiencing all this in my very home town? So when I arrived back home I decided I had a choice. I could either sit back, watch my routine life go by, or I could be present in my life and actually start to live it.

Yes my new frame of mind had me making some interesting decisions that I may not have previously made.  But if I didn’t take the risk then I wouldn’t ever know if it was a good or bad decision.  And as long as I could learn something from the experience then how bad of a decision could it really be?

Not being in a relationship makes you start to question and think about what you really want out of one? Do you want one? Although I may not be in a monogamous relationship my life is made up of them, so many different scales and degrees of relationships; family, work colleagues, friends. When I think about how much time I’d like to dedicate to all the different facets of my relations I don’t think I’d even have time for a monogamist relationship. Obviously I have done this in the past but the thing is by dedicating more time and effort into a relationship it’s bound to have an effect on the others.

It’s interesting how the mind works, yes It’s what we do, it’s what we’ve done for years but why do we do it?; Lots of reasons; friendship, companionship, intimacy, love and children. I see many people in mediocre relationships; they choose to carefully select a significant other that they dedicate most of their time and attention too and even though their situation changes along with their happiness, they stay.

You may think I’m a cynic, slightly crazed but really I just like to think outside of the square and as a mentor once pointed out to me, the square doesn’t even exist. So why not think beyond everyday thoughts? I’d like yours.

This weekend away for my work Christmas dinner, further questions were raised around the ideals of relations and my ‘single’ status. I was told I “needed a man” by one a male.  A female acquaintance asked about my ‘partner’ I let her know I no longer had one. The response I got was “how old are you?”, “27” I replied. “Don’t worry you still have time” she said, then the friend perked up too “oh I don’t know we had kids at 25”. Meanwhile I’m thinking; hold up, stop the beat a minute I got something to say! I responded quite calmly; “I’m enjoying my life, yes I’d love to have kids one day but it’s not my sole purpose, I’m not going to rush into having them, find myself a partner because there’s an expiration date. I’m going to live my life with purpose and it will happen if it’s meant too”. I didn’t get much response to that. It didn’t really bother me because I’m happy. But what I find amusing is that they think it’s okay to judge my lifestyle, yet I would never dream of doing the same to them, if they’re happy with their; husbands, lovers, kids then good for them! As long as what they are doing isn’t compromising the happiness of others then, good on them. My goal is to be unapologetically me.

A male friend of mine arrived at the bar my work colleagues and I were at. He was with his girlfriend whom I hadn’t met before, the introduction I received was “Erin I know you don’t like to meet girlfriends but this is... (insert name here). Firstly if I truly appreciate and care about someone in my life then I want to meet their significant other, their children, their parents, their dog, you name it. Lucky I have thick skin because this insult was just adding to my night.  Due to the debauchery of an introduction I did everything in my power to make this lady feel comfortable, I mean I’m talking Oscar performance. Because I actually cared about how she was feeling.

The thing is just because I’m single; it doesn’t mean I want your boyfriend. I didn’t want him when I had one and I don’t want him now. I appreciate male and female relationships. I’ve even put myself on a ‘man drought’ don’t get me wrong I love me some man but I don’t need it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Oh no I didn’t, yes I did! Did I mention I’m funny too? I’m on a journey of self discovery and I don’t want to blur my happiness by adding someone else to the equation, for the meantime anyway.

I just want to remove the question mark from ‘single and fabulous?’ and add that exclamation mark in bold. I ask, next time you go to judge that single friend or stranger, how bout you don’t, how about you just enjoy them for being them?

Below: Some of the fabulous women i spent my weekend with.

x Erin

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

De Clutter Your Life

After my recent overseas trip it came to my attention that I do not need so much stuff in my life to live happily. Trust me I’m an avid consumer I love; clothing, makeup, accessories, magazines, food, the works. Yes I may have only been away three weeks but living out of a suitcase just made me realise how little I need. So since my return I’ve slowly been chipping away at my house hold, de cluttering my home and lifestyle. There’s something about; throwing things out, donating or selling unused possessions that makes you feel good. I think we all know there’s things we could live without but perhaps don’t know where to start. Let’s see if I can help, here’s how I have been de cluttering my life.

WARDROBE

Let’s be honest here I have executed many wardrobe cleanouts but this time I have been brutal, I have even taken the nice pieces out to sell or donate. How do you choose? You have to be honest and not think twice, when you look at an item what are the first thoughts that come to mind? These are some of my triggers to clear out: too big, too small, uncomfortable, high maintenance, bad memories, needs repairing, haven’t worn it in forever. Now you have to do the same with your jewellery, bags and shoes.  Selecting the pieces to cut is only half the battle; you have to now plan how you are going to sell them. If it is a recognisable designer and you want a good price I’d recommend Ebay, if they are middle of the range id recommend a fashion market, or selling via face book and if you just want to get rid of the items and want to make a few bucks id recommend your local market. If you’ve given these options a few goes I would then give them to charity, trust me you will only feel better for it.

*One of my old wardrobes, clutter central!

BATHROOM

I can’t speak for every female but most I know have a bathroom cabinet filled to the brim with an array of beauty, skin and hair care products. They literally sit there expiring, gaining dust and pissing off our partners. So I’m cleaning it out. First pull it all out and see what is exactly there. Throw out anything that doesn’t look or smell right. According to makeup guru Bobby Brown these are the use by time frames for these products:

·         Blush- 2 years

·         Eyeshadow- 2 years

·         Eyeliner- 1 year

·         Liquid Foundation- 2 years

·         Moisturiser- 2 years

·         Powder- 2 years

·         Lipstick- 1 year

·         Lipliner- 1 year

·         Brow Pencil- 1 year

·         Concealer- 2 years

·         Cleanser- 1 year

·         Sponges- 6 months (wash after each use)

·         Mascara- 6 months

·         Brushes- wash every few weeks

After typing the above I know I am guilty of hoarding the products over time. I now want to get back in there and re de-clutter. Trust me once you start it feels so good you want to continue all over your house. My goal is to have one of each product; one shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, cleanser, foundation, etc. So I have started using old body washes as hand washes, I have my cheaper shampoo in the shower which I use for my first wash and my more expensive salon one for the second deeper cleanse, I do the same with my cleansers also. I refuse to buy any more body moisturiser until every lotion and hand cream is finished. With nail polishes, test it if its gluggy get rid of it, if you love the colour and have to keep it prolong its life with a few drops of nail polish remover and shake it up.  If there is a perfectly fine product that I know I won’t use I offer it to friends or family. Once again this makes you feel good.

Another place to dedicate a bit of time to is the medicine cabinet, you’ll be surprised how many medicines you’re hanging onto that are passed their expiration date, there will be many without boxes and you may not even know what they are for or do. Save the self medicating and get rid of them. Some pharmacies will dispose of these for you.

 

*Bathroom Cabinet Inspo

 

KITCHEN

Living on my own my kitchen is not too bad but often the kitchen is a magnet for clutter. Let’s start with the pantry; take it all out and check the dates, you’ll be horrified how long you have kept some things. Now you’ll realise just how many canned goods you have. You have a few options start planning your meals around these products or give some to your local charity that take canned goods. The fridge; if you can smell it needs a clean. I found the best way to prolong my fresh foods is prepping them and freezing them. After reading Sarah Wilsons’ I quit sugar for life cookbook I learnt that the freezer is my friend.

LOUNGEROOM

For me the main things I hoard here are; magazines, books, dvds, cds. If cds or dvds are scratched; bin, if you don’t watch or listen to donate or sell. I love giving my old magazines to doctor surgeries or hospitals. I once took a whole boot load to the hospital and the lady at the desk looked very pleasantly surprised. How nice that people waiting for love ones can have something different to read.

So there it is. My de clutter plan. Trust me once you start you can’t stop.

E.

 

 

HAIR RUT

I've become a bit complacent in the way I style my hair, actually lets be honest I'm down right lazy. I wash it, put some detangling spray, a little sea salt, root lifter and blast my hair with the hairdryer upside down, then give a spray of hold and voila. I usually wash it every second day. But the majority of days at work my hair ends up in a bun with a pencil through it. I've decided with a mane like mine, I have to start getting a little creative!

So I've given myself a challenge, 5 working days of different hairstyles and to try and challenge myself too, no buns with pencils through! I've also added my five working outfits for the week, I picked out the outfits and accessories on the Sunday and made a few changes due to the cooler climate arising in Tasmania. Only one outfit got the chop so I didn't do too bad! See the results below:

 

Monday's hair and outfit: Low pony, side parted with hair wrapped around to cover the band, simple and neat. Wearing: Staple the label skirt, Sass and Bide Top, Adorne necklace from #yeltuor

 

Tuesdays hair and outfit: I took sections of the hair around the crown, back combed, sprayed with hairspray to give a quiff effect and secured with two bobby pins. Wearing Finders Keepers top, Maud Dainty pants, Adorne Necklace, Senso Shoes from #yeltuor.

 

Wednesdays hair and outfit: Side ponytail parted to the side, I teased the hair before plaiting the sections loosely to give a messy thick plait. Wearing; Wish maxi dress, Sportsgirl shirt, Swarovski Necklace, Senso Shoes. Maxi dress and shoes from #yeltuor

 

 Fridays Hair and Outfit. Today the different dos were getting a bit much I was tempted to walk out the door with blow dried hair as per usual but I decided I had to stick to the challenge, so high pony it was, quick and easy. Wearing; Staple the label skirt, Talulah blouse, Jasmine Bloom Jewels and Mollini slides from #yeltuor.

 

Saturdays Hair and makeup. My favourite hairstyle for glamour; curls. I put my hair in a high pony and kept hot rollers in until cool. I put my hair in a pony first because it gives the curls a nice drop and looks less stage hair like around the face. I was super excited for a cooler day as i'd been saving this Lauren Vidal knit for a few months! I teamed it with a Moss and Spy skirt and last seasons boots and a Ted Baker coat for the morning. I did end up getting a little too toasty though!

So there we have it, challenge done. Its day two of the new week and I've stuck with the blow dried hair both days, its just so much easier. However I will try and make an effort to shake things up from time to time, I don't want to get too predictable.

Enjoy x E