Meet Free Monday: Planning Editon

31 March: Planning at HQ
Today's Meet Free Monday takes on a new format due to it being the end of the month. Today I want to share some planning inspiration as I prep for a new week and a new month. My Typo planner has really helped me to stay organised this year and I love to look at decoration and organisation inspiration. How are you planning out your weeks - via a diary, planner or your phone? I find that by looking at how others organise I feel more inspired - I'm sure you will agree. I hope the following pictures and links help you to plan ahead...
How colourful and amazing are these? The perfect new month, new week planning inspiration.

Picture one, two and three are from A Bowl Full of Lemons - a site that is full of useful organising inspiration.

The fourth picture is via SeoulPicks who stock a range of stationery. I love a good pouch to hold crafty bits and pieces. (Note: It seems this site has closed down - you can find a similar bag on Mochi Things or on Cool Pencil Case.)

Filocuteness is a must follow for weekly updates and planner / Filofax details.

Colours 'n Me is a very pretty blog where Malini (a stationery designer) shares her planner updates. The last picture on the bottom right is also from this creative blog.

Jennifer from My Purpley Life is full of Filofax inspiration and reviews.

For even more planning and organisation ideas take a look at these sites / Instagrams:
Lovely printables via House of Rose

I hope you have a really great week.

Freebie Friday

Tips via Oh my Handmade Goodness
We all love great creative business tips, especially FREE ones that are compiled with care and a true understanding of the industry. In this month's Freebie Friday I wanted to share the Oh My Handmade Goodness site which is not only beautiful to look at, but brimming with useful tips to help us on our business journey. Click here and take a look at their wonderful variety of posts about marketing, social media, customer service... the list goes on. I hope you are inspired by this awesome free knowledge. I can't wait to dig in!


What a wonderful resource to add to your list. Click here to view last month's Freebie Friday resource.
I was reading issue 36 of MollieMakes and spotted the lovely homes of Zoe and Natasha. They are two neighbours who share their crafty passion for kitsch vintage treasures. I thought I would share their blogs with you, as well as a couple of the photos featured in the magazine. Issue 36 is currently on sale at CNA for R99.95, but apparently it will be going up to R140 (tragic) as of issue 37 - so snap it up! 

Two Chances to WIN / Giveaway: Giveaway Closed
I'm giving away a copy at this week's workshop and there is still one place open so feel free to join in. 

You can also win a copy by sharing this post on Facebook and inviting people to like my Facebook page. It's a local giveaway and entries will close at the end of this week (30/03). Every Facebook share can count as an entry.

Finally, please leave me a comment telling me which one of last week's posts you most enjoyed. If you battle to comment for some reason - please comment via Facebook.

Thanks for the entries. The winner is Nicola Meyer!
(picked using Random.org)

All the photos are from Zoe or Natasha's blogs - you can visit both their online spaces for more kitschy decor, inspiration and crafty projects. You can also take a little look inside the MollieMakes issue here.

Meet Free Monday #14

24 March: A Day at HQ

And just like that the long weekend is over - in a flash. I hope you had a good one! Daniel had to work here and there so it wasn't as peaceful as I would've hoped, but it was still lovely to have some extra time together. I felt like my weekend kicked-off on Thursday due to my fun and interesting day at Decorex. On Friday I spend the day at home, did some work and later on Daniel and I went out to movies. On Saturday I had a few lovely friends over for a girly tea (see more here). It was such fun to talk absolute nonsense, eat delicious things and just enjoy each other's company. Sunday was a relaxing day together for Daniel and I - we did a big chicken roast lunch with all the frills and enjoyed some peaceful time at home. As you can see I had a very relaxed, low key weekend.

The Working Week in Review / Last Week:
Last week was a good and happy week. Work went smoothly and I felt that the planning I did really paid off. The trend talk I mentioned was also a highlight and the inspiration was invaluable. Of course, as always, there were tasks which slipped off the list, but it's inevitable. We also had very annoying internet issues, but they are all sorted now - hooray! The other positive focus was the fact that I managed to get quite a few blog posts out - did you enjoy them?

The Working Week:
This week my work routine shifts slightly as I change my consulting / meeting day to tomorrow rather than Thursday. The key thing is flexibility so that things can adapt as needed. Claire (intern) will be back in the office this week which is great for our work progress. On Saturday I'm hosting the first intermediate workshop of 2014 which is set to be a great one.  I have a few final things to take care of so all runs smoothly. We will also be working on some tape measure corsages for a talk and DIY I'm doing at Fashion Camp (2 day course for teens) hosted by Fashion Nanny.

Things I'm excited about this week:
Rubybox is hosting their Beauty Night Out on Friday at the Oyster Box Hotel and I'm so damn excited! Eeek! Of course that's not the only thing, but it's a big contender.

What will challenge me this week?
Staying focused! When I'm not deadline driven I can often feel as if I can take my time with things, so it's key to strike a comfortable balance and stay focused.

Personal Thoughts:
Through editing a few things which I ate my energy was definitely improved, but I need to keep going at it this week. My weekend sugar fest didn't really aid my plan - I ate way too many cupcakes and gooey chocolate brownies (totally worth it). Either than that I reread my proposed life changes yesterday to see how things were going. I have mentioned in the past that the aspect of not comparing sometimes gets me down - not often, just now and again. I also think that we often worry way to much about what others think - speculation only makes it worse. I aim to let go of small and silly concerns like this or at least try. You need to be happy with your life and not measure it by how it looks in comparison to those around you. Hard lesson to actually implement - don't you agree?

How was your weekend? Do you have a busy week ahead?

*See other Meet Free Monday posts here.

This week's photo features:
Matchbox Stamps: Fat Tuesday in Kloof - I just love these as they stamp really clearly and are great for small projects.

Days of the Week Magnets: A very dear and organised friend gave these to me - I have all the days of the week.

Stickers: Sent to me by Eike featured in last week's Snail Mail Monthlies post.

Wooden Bird: This was actually a keyring from Accessorize which I use as a small ornament in my office.

Composition Notebooks: 100% in Gateway.

Small Spiral Notebook: A gift from Daniel found at Typo.

Thrift Sale: 12 April 2014

I have mentioned the thrift sale that I'm organising a few times, but here are all the details... finally! During my spring clean earlier this year I discovered a items that are lovely, but I no longer have a need for them, so I thought I would find a way to share them with you. There are several lovely local creatives and bloggers taking part. If you would like a table then just email me. Please join me at the sale - I have plenty of crafty things that will be available, as well as a few bargains. Spread the word and join in.

Seven Things: Decorex 2014

As mentioned in my Meet Free Monday post - I went to a trend talk by Dion Chang yesterday at Decorex. The talk was awesome, inspired and exceptionally well organised. I was also invited by Nespresso to visit Decorex on the expo side and enjoyed a leisurely stroll taking in all that was on offer. Last year, I was fortunate enough to speak at Decorex and so it was a more pressurized event for me, whereas this year I can fully enjoy just browsing. This year's offering seems to be exceptionally good - especially on the display and imaginative stands side. I loved creative aspects that I spotted around, but I thought I would narrow it down to seven key things which I captured via Instagram.

1 > Stretta Cafe: I've had my eye on this cool locally based business for a while and I really like the cafe space which they set-up at the show. It's true to their style and branding, plus it looks just plain awesome. I'm heading back to Decorex tomorrow and hope to sample their pizza. 

2 > Bold Prints via St Leger & Viney and Suda West Designer Spotlight: Their bold prints, interesting colours and the visually pleasing space was just perfect.They also had the most wonderful vintage bicycle parked in the centre of their stand, with a basket full of proteas both real and ceramic. Imaginative and in general a brilliantly appealing mash up of colours.

3 > Urban Lace: The work of Sarah and Chantelle was the first thing I saw as I walked in - their two spaces flank the entrance. Their locally sourced design elements and on-trend co-ordination was ever so lovely. In fact - I wish I could recreate it at home. 

4 > Nespresso: Daniel has his eye on one of these sexy machines. Something that could be quite bland is transformed into a kitchen focal point through creative design. Thanks Nespresso for the invite to Decorex! It's also their first time at a show like this and what a perfect place for them to be. Do you reckon George Clooney will make an appearance (*holding thumbs)?

5 > Bella & Boo's Tuk Tuk: I'm in loooove! How cute is this mobile machine! The set-up, colours and layout is beyond lovely and makes you want some Bella and Boo frozen yoghurt pronto. In fact the entire food section is great - clearly and cleverly thought out.

6 > Plascon: Colour and creativity in one beautifully decorated space! This bicycle caught my eye as it welcomes you to their large stand. Who knew paint could be so visually interesting.

7 > Caesarstone's Collaboration: The clever bunch over at Caesarstone collaborated with Kitchen Aid and Le Creusat to show-off their products in a whole new light. It makes for an impressive and interesting statement.

So... if you are in Durban this weekend and like pretty things, fantastic design and locally crafted and inspired products be sure to visit Decorex. Happy long weekend!

P.S: The demos this year also look really interesting with a focus on food. Joani (Masterchef contestant) is sharing quinoa recipes, plus the space has been recreated to look like a lovely, homely kitchen. There are several other interesting food orientated demos - so be sure to take a look at the line-up when you arrive at the show.

Design Indaba Conference 2014

A few simple lessons

I found the Design Indaba Conference enlightening and some speakers were truly wonderful and inspiring. There were several aspects or topics that consistently popped up through the various talks. They are fairly simple, but they definitely reiterate facts that we can act on. I hope this inspires you and serves as a reminder of a few easy things that are within your mindset and reach. (To read more or take a look at some of the videos - just click here.)

Collaboration:
I love collaboration and I strongly believe in it. There are several things that stop us from getting actively involved in collaboration and the main one is fear. We are taught to compete rather than partner with people. The right type of collaboration can be life changing and in turn change your business. 

Simplicity:
We always want to add more. People often think that the more complex something is – the more value for money they receive. In a world where people are being consistently bombarded and overloaded, why not simplify things? Make it easy for clients to interact with you and your business. We need to return to a state of simplicity, where we realise that things can be beautifully uncomplicated, especially in design. Aesthetic is the quest rather than unnecessary bells and whistles.

Design for people:
There is a resurrection of thinking about the human element and how, we as people use and interact with things. I felt as if this was a revelation, but in fact it’s so damn simple. Companies who design for their end user rather than as a competitive process are the ones who succeed time and again. 

Prototyping within the design process: 
Often, we get so caught up on getting things planned and figured out. We forget that there is room to just get started and learn as we go. Planning is necessary, but often the best designs are born from getting stuck in and being creative through trial and error. This followed onto another poignant thought - creativity is messy.

Brilliance and the human mind:
I was so amazed by some of the speakers and the sheer brilliance of their creativity. It made me realise that I’m not using my own mind to its full capacity. Our brains are insanely fantastic and we need to remember that. Use your mind, fuel it, appreciate it.

Turning challenges into opportunity:
Almost every creative who spoke had faced challenges and the reason they stood before us was because they overcame them. Some of the best products and advertising campaigns came from limited budgets or other limiting entities. By being creative they came up with concepts that won awards, changed lives and shaped communities. Challenges are not all bad – in fact they make that brilliant mind of yours thrive.

Technology as a tool:
We have a love hate relationship with technology. When things work we love it, when they don’t, we view it as the downfall of our sanity. When you start viewing it for what it really is – a tool, you can begin to once again realise why you use it for business.

I could have made this post go on for days, but I thought I would be concise or as close as possible. Go out and make today brilliant! 

Snail Mail Monthlies: February 2014

A Snail Mail Round-Up
You know by now I love my snail mail exchanges and lately I have wanted to share my incoming mail with you. We've had dreary, grey weather of late so snapping these packages was a challenge - none the less here they are... good light, bad light whatever. I wanted to capture January too, but decided to leave it out for now as we would be here all week. I kept everything together until I could take the photos, but I had to start using a few of the pretty things. I also decided to summarise the photos as it could become quite a hefty post - let me know if you prefer more detailed / bigger images and I will happily oblige.

February kicked off with a delightful batch of goodies, including a package from Nadya in Cape Town. We started exchanging late last year and I really enjoyed her first letter. This time round she wrote in this cute panda card from Paperchase. She also sent me some lovely goodies including a Typo heart stamp. I love all the special details in this package.

I received a Chinese New Year card from my friend Win Naa in Malaysia. We often exchange letters and packages and love being a part of each other's lives. 

The very kind Miss Milly sent me a small package of her handmade cards and a little notebook - so sweet.
Mieke from Stellenbosch sent me the most amazing pastel coloured package and letter. I just love every little detail she lovingly added.

I sent Roxy from Citygirl Searching (South Korea) a small package last year and her reply was beautiful and full of really lovely and useful items including a 2014 calendar. Truly cute and lovely!
I dedicated the last four pictures to a package from Eike (Germany) which was HUGE. It arrived in a large box and I was blown away by the amount of interesting things she sent which included heaps and heaps of stationery, lip balm, tea, sweets (already enjoyed) and crafty bits and pieces. 

I hope you enjoyed this quick round-up of the snail mail I received in February. 

Meet Free Monday #13

17 March: A Day at HQ
I feel particularly happy today and not at all daunted by Monday! What a great feeling. Our weekend was a peaceful, happy one. On Friday we had a couch date for some pizza and TV. On Saturday I met up with my sister and mom for brunch at Churchill's. My mom and I did a small bit of shopping and found the loveliest Paris brooch for only R40, plus I was spoilt with a vintage handheld pale pink mirror. I enjoyed a productive afternoon at home taking some blog photos and doing a few random admin tasks. Daniel and I headed out for an early dinner and afterwards we relaxed and watched a movie. Yesterday we were in search of the perfect Sunday roast, but we didn't want to make it ourselves. We had the most delicious lunch at O'Connor's Pub in Durban North... chicken, beef, potatoes, gravy - all the good stuff. We ended off the afternoon with some shopping for the week ahead and I did a Dischem toiletries haul. I LOVE Dischem! I spent the evening doing some tidying and prep for the week and even managed to get to bed quite early.

The Working Week in Review / Last Week:
Last week was not that good for me personally. I really battle to fall asleep at night as my brain ticks away and then come morning I'm a zombie. I felt particularly drained last week which meant my brain had to work so much harder in order to motivate my body to co-operate. I did push through and got the most important things done, but I didn't manage any personal projects besides two snail mail replies (see those here). The meetings and consults that I had were great and they allowed me to feel more inspired. Despite my low energy levels all else was quite positive.

The Working Week:
This week I feel much better! My Monday morning energy means that my planning feels a bit more supercharged. Over the weekend I managed to set out my editorial calender for the next two weeks so I hope the planning and prep will assist me to share more blog posts (something I'm still trying to perfect). Claire (intern) is working with me this week which is always productive. There are several new projects to tackle including some blog builds / re-designs, marketing planning and guidance for clients, plus general business admin which will make certain tasks run more smoothly. 

Things I'm excited about this week:
I am particularly looking forward to a trend talk at Decorex on Thursday. Dion Chang is presenting it and I have been of fan of his work since high school. The public holiday is also a plus, but there are a few things I will still need to do on the work front.

What will challenge me this week?
My body and energy. If my body feels down my work is even more difficult. 

Personal Thoughts:
As much as I put healthy eating on every week's list I still struggle with it. My diet isn't a complete mess, but clearly I need to work on what's going to fuel my day. At the moment I'm enjoying making time for a little pampering, usually via a long bath and the fact that Lush opened in Durban last week makes this treat even more fun. I love reading in the bath - usually a magazine, but I'm being strict with the mags I buy. I use to spend hundreds on magazines, but hardly had time to read them. Instead - I buy one great mag and actually work my way through it - usually Mollie Makes.

I still have quite a few things on my personal project list so I've dedicated some time to those tasks this week. I have a mountain of filing to do (yuck) and I have a few donations to drop off and heaps and heaps of recycling too. These are mundane tasks, but they are needed and I will feel pleased once they are ticked off. I'm enjoying my goal sheet which I use in my planner - it's quite personal almost like a weekly journal entry. I like the way it captures my thoughts and feelings both positive and negative.

How is your week looking? Anything on your mind? Do you have any energy tips for me?


This week's photo features:
Stamps: Bought and downloaded from Kitschy Digitals
Badge Sticker: Cape Arts & Crafts
Purse: Rob Ryan at The Space
Postcard: A gift from Che
Pencils: Accessorize
Pencil: ohhellofriend

My Best Friend's Wedding

As I mentioned in my Kitchen Tea post it was my best friend Sam's wedding late last year in Cape Town. The wedding was a joyous, drama free day and Sam was the perfect bride. We only had one wobbly in the church where all in the row the bridesmaids sat - tears streaming and tissues fluffing as we tried to keep our make-up in check. We also dealt with our major sadness before the wedding and that was the fact that Sam's beautiful mom - Rita was no longer with us to share the day. Rita passed away a couple of years ago and it shook our world and even more so that of Sam and her family. Stacey, another close friend and I hopped on the next plane to Cape Town and were at Sam's side as we said our goodbyes to Rita. Sam is an exceptionally driven woman, with a heart of gold (she is also little bit bossy) and she left me in awe at her strength through such a difficult time. In ode to Rita I created this locket (above) for Sam's bouquet to carry with her through the day and all the way down the aisle. It was a labour of love and I sourced the locket from Bazaar in Musgrave Centre and used vintage buttons to add a bit of 'something old'. This was Stacey and my wedding gift to Sam and we felt it was perfectly suited for her to wear after the wedding or to frame. 
Despite being creative it was great to only have a few making related jobs for the wedding - that way the stress was less and I got to be in the moment rather than dashing around adding creative touches. I helped to decorate the hangers for our dresses and wrapped the bridesmaid gifts. I also helped source the buttons for the place settings. Adding a bag of buttons to my luggage was nothing new. 
One of the best parts of the day was the customised ice-creams that they served between the service and the reception. Stacey and I beelined to get one after the photos as we had already decided if we missed out we would kill or take someone else's! You might not know this about me, but I am really clumsy and I always, ALWAYS mess food, drinks, bolognaise, red wine, chocolate etc (you get the picture) on myself. I also have a silent war on the go with those lids that go on takeaway coffee cups - trust me to have the leaky, dribbly one (every time). Anyway - the reason for this elaborate description is because I decided to try the chocolate ice cream, no not the pale one, but the drippy, delicious, brown (stain worthy) chocolate. I ate carefully, but managed to have a long stream of ice cream down my minty dress just as a crowd of people turned to look at me - their eyes the size of saucers. I gracefully excused myself and Stacey accompanied me (rushed) to the ladies room to wash my dress. All was fine and it came out perfectly, but it was hilarious none the less and so typical of me!
To see more of the details, photos and a list of the vendors visit Southbound Bride for the credits and info. You will also spot the plate breaking that took place - it's dangerous (mine flung across the room frisbee style and Daniel just shook his head), but super fun!

Meet Free Monday #12

10th March: A Day at HQ

I could do with another day of the weekend - just one more! Well... Monday is well and truly upon us and there's no denying that the new week needs to get going. Our weekend was fairly restful and I was grateful for the break. We spent a lot of time at home, including Friday and Saturday night. I visited artSPACE gallery with a friend on Saturday afternoon and we stopped at one of my favourite restaurants - Market for lunch. Sunday was a relaxed day followed by a family dinner to celebrate my little sister's birthday I ate far too much of everything including the delicious bday cake! I didn't work much over the weekend and only spent an hour here and there checking in on a few things. I also spent some time going through my magazine collection and tossing some out for recycling. I always check mags before I let go of them and tear out pretty pictures and recipes which I keep in a scrapbook of sorts. How do you deal with mags and storage? There are several oldies I can't bear to throw out.

The Working Week in Review / Last Week:
Last week was so productive that I actually feel proud about it. It was a stressful one, but we made some real progress which included the challenging report I mentioned. The meeting and presentation went well (phew). I had some positive meetings and consultation sessions towards the end of the week. All in all a positive ten out of ten work week (quite rare).

The Working Week:
This week I aim to have a calm, focused week. I didn't manage to do all the blog posts I wanted to share with you last week. A few things just had to come first, so I would like to get round to those. Either than that I'm following my usual recipe of time in the office and then consults and meetings on Thursday and Friday. I have quite a nice start to Thursday with a client consult at Quarters Hotel which is a lovely space to work in. Task wise I'm going to do some work on my blog's editorial calendar today and work on replying to emails and a few smaller tasks.

Things I'm excited about this week:
I have quite a few dinners planned to catch up with friends which will be lovely. Katie Fforde's latest book comes out on Thursday and I have no shame in confessing that I love her style of writing and the mushy love stories that unfold! It makes for perfect bedtime reading and the endings are always happy - what more could a girl ask for?

What will challenge me this week?
I anticipate this week being less stressful and rushed which I hope won't mean I think I can procrastinate. I want to use this quieter week to take care of a few things rather than face an avalanche of work next week. I just need to keep a tab on myself. Do you have any challenges this week?

Personal Thoughts:
I'm proud that I decided to take things into my control this year instead of hiding behind the 'I'm too busy' excuse. Every day is still about learning and working smarter, but it feels good none the less. This week I want to try and stick to eating quite healthily as I just love sugary treats, in general I'm just trying to be more aware of sugar in all I eat. 
I turn 30 this year and I keep thinking about how I should celebrate - I'm quite unsure. My ultimate wish would be to go to Paris, but I don't see that happening by August... I'll keep dreaming. On a different subject - I can't quite explain the enjoyment of using my Typo planner - it's added a new dimension to my lists and thinking. If you love stationery it really does help using pretty things that are useful and it acts as a type of motivation.

Are you enjoying these Meet Free Monday posts? Let me know - I'm not sure if they are interesting and I'm hoping my weeks aren't sounding too repetitive / boring. Is there anything you would like me to share?

*See other Meet Free Monday posts here.

This week's photo features:
Polka-dot Notebook (bottom) & Floral Pencil: Cath Kidston (London)
Polka-dot Scheduler (top): Gift, but a friend found it at Oxford Street Topshop
Floral Tape: Cath Kidston - Marigold in Cape Town
Floral Peg: Gift from Michaels
Button Magnet & Birdie Stamp: Typo
Pink Hello Kitty Pencil: Sanrio Shop in San Francisco

The Ruby Orchard: In Store Workshop

I am so excited to be partnering with The Ruby Orchard for their Creative In Store Workshop focusing on stocking retail stores. The content and focus is so relevant and needed within the creative community. I often have clients who are uncertain about stocking shops and how to go about it. Hannah and Nicola the creative minds behind the workshop run the super successful shop in Howick and I'm so impressed with how they have gone about building their brand. I loved the time we spent together for our creative consulting session last year as they really took on board what we discussed - dream clients! Looking forward to the workshop and I hope to see you there. All details listed above or visit The Ruby Orchard blog or email them.

*Don't forget to book for my March workshops. The content I cover is different and together with The Ruby Orchard workshop you will really be set to build the business of your dreams.

Meet Free Monday #11

3rd March: A Day at HQ

It came to mind that we're already on Meet Free Monday #11. Eleven weeks of updates and even though I took a break for a couple of weeks during the holidays, it sure does show how time flies.

This past weekend was a welcome relief from the week. I was up at the crack of dawn on Saturday to get going and spent the day at I heart Market seeing clients, friends and helping my dad at the Woodnewz stall. After the market I was off to a 30th birthday lunch at Vicky Christina's. The week was catching up with me and I must admit I was a bit tired for the festivities (not ideal). A quick nap and some macaroons helped me to feel a bit more peppy. Daniel and headed off to the preview and review of the new Spiga branch in Durban North. It was lovely to see a few friends and we enjoyed an amazing dinner. Yesterday was a day at home for which I was so grateful. The entire week was one of those where as I got home I had to leave again. I quite like having a few moments a day / week where I can just be, instead of rush, but luckily every week isn't as busy. Sadly, Daniel was quite unwell which is unusual - he is never sick. The disruptive week and catering to his sickness meant I went a bit off course with my own eating and exercising. I managed my yoga class, but health wise nothing else went as planned. I also didn't get around to many personal projects or home ones - unlike last week (posted one of my shelf rearrangements on Insta).

The Working Week in Review / Last Week:
I was at the Design Indaba simulcast for most of last week. It was really interesting, but it made the working week a tough one as I was heading home after a long day of learning to catch up on emails and work. I found the week quite challenging as a whole and had to work late every night. I was however, still happy with the progress I made on a few projects.

The Working Week:
This week I am back to my normal schedule which I really enjoy. I plan to keep sticking to my weekly goals and tying them in with my work expectations. I have quite a few large projects to finish and tick off, including the challenge mentioned below. Claire (intern) will be working two full days and I'm excited to get going on a range of items we have in the pipeline - some for clients and some for the business. Thursday and Friday I will be out the office for meetings and consulting sessions with a few new clients and creatives. I also need to continue working on the bookings and content updates for the March workshops. I plan to veer off my blog posting schedule as I have quite a few extra things I want to share with you - hope I can manage it.

Things I'm excited about this week:
Normality or my version of it. It's also my sister's birthday and I look forward to spoiling her - despite the fact that we are very different and she isn't all that into birthdays. I have so many packages and snail mail replies to post off this week - I love going to the post office (hello nerd).

What will challenge me this week?
I have a report to deliver and present to a client on Thursday which I know will be fine, but at the same time I'm nervous. My aim is to give it my all both via the facts and the visual elements. Emails, emails, emails - I totally understand how important they are and they mean new connections, new business etc, but I find it so challenging staying up to date. How do you deal with your inbox?

Personal Thoughts:
As mentioned last week - my new routine and way of functioning is really helping me to feel so much better about various elements of my life. It's allowing me to put equal efforts towards work, being a wife and what I expect / want from myself. This week instead of doing my planning last night, I did it this morning just to test out the difference and I must say I prefer waking up with a clear plan. It also helps clear my mind for the new week. I'm getting back to my snail mail replies which I enjoy on the personal side. This past weekend I also did some updating on my personal Facebook - which is the only corner of the internet which is a space to connect with family and friends who don't want to live a public online life. I often find that people battle to understand why I don't just accept friend requests, but I need a small space to share personal photos and so on. I feel a lot better after increasing privacy and cleaning up. My blog, Twitter, business Facebook page, Pinterest and Instagram are all public and there for everyone to enjoy, so a small space for me is allowed.

Sending luck for your week! Let me know how your diary or list looks.

Note:
Thank you so much for the comments last week. It was so awesome to hear from some of your after many months of silence. As I said - comments really help make this blogging journey easier and worth it so I appreciate each and every on.

*See other Meet Free Monday posts here.
This week's photo features:
Pen & Clips: Typo
Pink Pencil & Notepad: M Studio
Polka-dot Pencil: Paperchase
Tapes: A mix from MT via Washibug and ohhellofriend
Flamingo Magnet: Mr Price Home
Button: Craft shop in London