What am I doing here?

Wow, a brand, a shop, a blog, a website. What am I doing? I don’t know, but that’s just fine as it’s going to be fun.

I don’t know about you, but the Year of the Horse has so far been a year of change change and more change. I left secure employment because I was burning out, and yet my creativity flourished and hence my business Wayward Girl Life started. I want to have children, and that journey is a continuing one as there have been some paths that have come to barren plains. Bugger it, I want this so much I keep going with all the passion and determination and leave the disappointments and difficulties where they are (in the past). I found my voice again, I’ve been a people pleaser and often stifled myself to fit into jobs, workplaces, friendship groups and even my marriage. No more, this year I was pushed to open up that mouth of mine and have my say, state my points and wants and not be afraid. I didn’t lose anything, really I didn’t. I didn’t want my job, it was a relief to leave. I didn’t lose my marriage, we continue to learn about each other and grow. I didn’t lose security, what is security anyway – is financial security more important than the security of your own wellbeing?? I say be happy, be challenged, be open, roll with the changes and go through life learning and experiencing, be optimistic and hopeful, dare to wish, dare to strive to make wishes come about (and not just your own wishes) and be kind to the world, even if the world is not being kind to you.

I have had my brand, Wayward Girl, for a long time now, more than 10 years but apart from a community radio and my life, there was nothing else I had attached it to. Then KAPOW, the momentum went from 0 to 1,000,000,000 and I had lots of ideas and those ideas were leading to realities that were how I had envisioned them. Basically it started from wanting to make accessories that I wanted for myself – belts that were elasticised for comfort and made from fabulous vintage bakelite, lucite and other art deco-ish buckles; making beaded belts, again on elastic because I found one handmade and have never found another one since and I want one in another colour, with a central motif design, I just want to make it all. It grows I tell you. Antique Victorian lace collar patterns became the basis for my first range – Atomic Victoria Necklaces – atomic because the colours I want to use are bright, bold and sassy, just as I want the brand to be and how I am. I am a very earthy girl and love to get dressed up and be inspired by eras, by colours, by motifs and then mix it all up and do it differently.

Wayward Girl Life is for everyone it’s not based on gender, or race or age. It’s about the vibrancy that you and your actions put into the world, what are the colours you add? I can tell you absolutely that you impact someone, all sorts of impacts. You may not even know the person you impact, you probably won’t know the impact, but it is a chain. I want my impact to be healing, to be bright, to encourage, to connect, to love, to be fun. We’re not all perfect and cannot live perfectly, that’s definitely part of it too.

Sooooo  . . . . . . . I hope you get a sense of Wayward Girl Life, certainly this is not the full story, that will unfold over time. The site will grow, the posts will grow and I would love to hear from you about what you think, what you believe, what excites you and gets you passionate. Let’s get to know each other.

P.S. That picture was taken of me and my husband on holiday in the town of Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia. We were there for the Easter Weekend in 2014, we had just found out a few days prior that I was pregnant, we were about to set off for the day and I was jumping up and down on our motel room bed when Norbert wanted to capture the moment. I’m glad he did.