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Welcome to 2019

Welcome to 2019

Happy New Year and welcome to the next 12 months of endless possibilities! I have come to realise that making resolutions doesn't seem to work out for me. I've heard people say, 'Don't wait for the new year, start now', which is a great mindset if you're strong enough to commit to something straight away and not wait til tomorrow, or next Monday or the new year. So in order to combat this I've decided to employ a few changes (nothing wild or way out of my comfort zone and these are quite obvious things that a lot of people do anyway) that I can do on a regular basis in order to have a more semi-organised and fulfilled life. 

1. Have a daily schedule
This may sound like an easy feat right? Note down the hours in the day, add the activities you need to accomplish within those hours and stick to it... Ummm nope! Working from home with a 7 month old who is not on a schedule makes every day unpredictable and sometimes very unproductive. So how do I organise my day? I've started making notes of wake-ups, feeds, naps and playtime in order to find a pattern and then figure out the times I have available without a baby wanting all of my attention. Based on that I am creating loose itineraries of what I need to do each day. Along with the workload, there's house chores, dinner prepping and general tidy-up to add to my list. It's highly likely that some of these will be done after hours, within reason and whilst also considering rest time. Having a plan for the day where I can tick off the 'to-do's once they are done really does give a sense of accomplishment and sets me up for the following day. 

2. Declutter your space
I will admit that I am one of those people that lets things pile up over the year (hello laziness) - not anything like a full on hoarder - but instead of getting rid of items when I don't need them, I've held onto things in case there will come a day when I will use them. More often than not this doesn't happen and the box of ribbons or coloured paper or random envelopes that has been kept in the corner of my studio never gets a second look... we are all guilty at some point of doing this but I'm here to tell you, it's really not worth hanging onto. I really believe an open usable workspace make a positive change to your productivity and also your mind. There's no need to add extra frustration to your life over the things that clutter your home or office. If it hasn't been used in the last 6 months do yourself a big favour and get rid of it. Instead of going on a 'lets throw everything out' rampage once a year when it all gets a bit too much to handle, I'm now doing this on a monthly basis to ensure I have an uncluttered breathable space throughout the year.

3. Meal prepping
This doesn't seem that important however I've come to find that it saves so much time and knowing exactly what you need and sticking to your list saves money your grocery bill each week. I hate throwing away food but yes I have been guilty of this unfortunately. Being disorganised with meals sometimes leads to vegetables in the fridge going unnoticed then going off, and ending up in the bin. Shopping smarter eliminates this wastage and having a plan also stops the daily conversation of 'what are we having for dinner?'. It also mean less take out - again since having a baby this has been a common occurrence in our house. I used to love cooking and trying new recipes however lack of time has changed this dramatically and for a while we found ourselves basically eating eggs with whatever veggies we had that week... it's actually not a bad dinner but this year I'm looking forward to re-spark that love of cooking and I know that prepping once a week will allow me to accomplish that.

I could add another 5 or 6 points to this but I'm not going to overload myself this early on in the year. Trying to turn these into habits before committing to other weekly duties.

Whatever your resolutions are remember that doing little things each day is a great start and if you slip a little off schedule that's ok too, it's not a failure unless you completely give up.

Set realistic goals and good luck with it! Wishing you the best year ever, happy 2019!!!

Frankie's Girl xx 

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AUGUST FAVOURITES

AUGUST FAVOURITES

Here is the first of my monthly round-up of favourites - including what I'm lusting over, things I'm inspired by and what I have purchased. I've included the links to each underneath their description. All imagery has been taken from the brand websites.

Lusting over: Laptop bag from The Paper Bunny.
Perfect coffee shade and chic pattern makes this a favourite. Love the inclusion of internal and external pockets to keep everything organised.

http://www.thepaperbunny.com/product/tpb-everyday/you-go-girl-laptop-sleeve

 

Inspired by: Copper Birdcage Chandelier by Kekoni
This is just divine! Would fit in perfectly in an eclectic nursery, little girl's room or even over a dining room table. Total statement piece.

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/246552868/copper-birdcage-pendant-light-chandelier

 

Purchased: The Parlour range of tea cups and saucers by Robert Gordon
I actually purchased these on sale from Oz Sale, bargain! I've always wanted some pretty tea cups so this was a nice start to my collection.

https://robertgordonaustralia.com/

 

Make: No bake Raspberry Mousse Tartlets
Raspberry. Mousse. Tartlets. Do I need to add anything else? Oh yeah you don't even need to turn on the oven for these! Definitely trying these out for our next party.

https://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2014/06/no-bake-raspberry-mousse-tartlets.html

See you next month for my September round up of faves :)

xoxo 

 

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Hello Little Lady

Hello Little Lady

Surviving the first couple of months of parenthood, the hardest but most satisfying job in the world.

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The Baby-Q Trend

The Baby-Q Trend

I've never been a big fan of baby showers. Just the idea of a whole group of ladies getting together to play silly games (chocolate squished in a diaper anyone? Who even came up with that?), and the whole 'ooh - ahhs' over the baby related gifts which many find mandatory to open during the actual event, always felt a little awkward to me. I guess not having gone through pregnancy previously, it was never an invite I looked forward to receiving.  

When we found out we were having a baby, my views on this, well on a lot of things changed. Falling pregnant is sometimes a hard and bumpy road and getting to that point is a highly emotional and relationship-testing triumph that should be celebrated. So if a baby shower is the way you want to celebrate, who am I to judge? Bring on the finger food and confetti!!!

Personally, having gone through this journey with an incredibly attentive partner by my side, I could not see myself celebrating this new life form without the man who helped create her... so we decided to ditch the baby shower idea and go with a co-ed baby-q instead.

We decided to have a casual Sunday bbq to which we invited our closest friends (including partners and kids) as a nice way to catch up before our lives turn upside down and we run our schedules around a baby human. I didn't want a registry, it wasn't about gifts (although our guests still generously showered us with them), it was just about spending time together, and although it was a hot one not ideal for a backyard event, it was a special day we will cherish and remember.

Busy with client work, I ran a little behind with our invites but from the first draft I knew I wanted to completely hand letter the design, even if it did turn out a bit rough. I started with quick sketches on paper, using a variety of styles, before redrawing them on a dot grid page to try and get the straight edges on both sides (process sketches below):

 

Once it was inked and digitised, I chose to have them printed with white ink on buffalo board to stray away from it looking too baby-ish and also keep the casual vibe of the day. 

The finished print:

Sometimes it's good not to dwell too much on the imperfections... you might actually really like the end result!!

xoxo

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2018... off to a very good start

2018... off to a very good start

Yes. I know, it's already the end of February and this is my first blog post for the year. It has been a bit of a slow start work wise, but personally there's been lots going on around the Frankie's Girl studio. About a month ago, we announced something very special to our instagram followers... we are having our first child this May and are super duper excited!! It will mean a bit of a break from wedding and custom work however we are continuing to grow our product range organically by being a bit more organised throughout all our processes (well hoping to be anyway). 

In case you missed it here is the little tribute I wrote to our growing babe:

To the little feet that will be filling these shoes... the world might not always meet your expectations but I promise you that you will never go through life alone, you will be nurtured, protected, encouraged, be loved beyond measure, for you will be perfect just as you are. 2017 was a year of major business and personal events for us. After celebrating 10 years of marriage (yay we made it!!), we took a big leap of faith in May by travelling to New York to participate in our first trade show. This May we will be experiencing adventures of a different kind... there will be a new ‘Frankie’s Girl’ in town who will change the course of life as we know it. We are truly blessed and excited to be welcoming our greatest creation to date, a baby girl.

To our tiny principessa, I would say I’m ready to fall in love again but that wouldn’t be true, because I loved you from the first moment I heard your beating heart, before even meeting you. You have already taught me so much about patience and putting complete trust not only in the timing of the universe but also in my body as it alters to accommodate you, you have turned me into an emotional wreck, completely thrown out my work schedule, rendered me breathless and made me believe in hope. If good things take time, you were definitely worth the wait! Counting down the next few months until we can hold you in our arms, guide you and show you all the wonders that life has to offer. 

We will be keeping you updated with new work, new products and any other developments that will make an impact to our wonderful customers. As always, thank you for your support and following along. 2018 is definitely going to be a special one.

xoxo

 

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NSS Booth Design Stories

NSS Booth Design Stories

It was an absolute privilege (and a complete surprise) to be contacted by the National Stationery Show to talk about how we set up our booth. I think I actually replied back to say, 'Has there been a mistake?' as although we didn't do too badly for being two deers stuck in headlights when it came to trade shows, I was still unsure as to why our little booth was picked out of the incredibly amazing exhibitors that were on show.

Being a first timer, with a smaller budget than most, I used this resource myself (by reading about previous exhibitors experiences) to gain insight as to how to go about preparing for the show. We had no real idea about the logistics involved, the building of the booth and how to bring it all together to create a little haven for our brand. We soon came to realise that even with the best laid plans, sometimes things do go wrong and you need to be prepared to go from Plan A to B and even C.

It was an amazing experience, a huge learning curve and a strength building exercise I feel so humbled to be a part of. Huge thanks to NSS for including a little known stationery business who travelled all the way from Sydney in this round up.

Read about how our booth came together, alongside a few other wonderful exhibitors here:

http://www.nationalstationeryshow.com/…/new-exhibitor-reso…/

xoxo

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Press from NSS2017

Press from NSS2017

Story image by Courtney Xu.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

NSS2017 might have wrapped up a few months ago, however we are so delighted to see this round up of favourites from the show by Courtney Xu, including some of our foil greeting cards.

Read it here:

http://www.courtneyxu.com/2017/08/national-stationery-show-17.html

Links to purchase these cards are below.

xoxo

 

https://www.frankiesgirl.com.au/products/wedding-cake-card

https://www.frankiesgirl.com.au/products/one-dapper-dude-card

https://www.frankiesgirl.com.au/products/a-thousand-thanks-card

https://www.frankiesgirl.com.au/products/ready-to-pop-card

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Card of the Week Launch

Card of the Week Launch

Today I am launching a new weekly offer called 'Card of the Week'. Each week this promo will run for seven days from 9am Monday morning to midnight Sunday (AEST) and will include one card from our greeting card collection at the special price of $5 AUD with FREE standard shipping Australia wide! (Valid for that specific card only).

Ordinarily, the cards range between $5.95 and $6.50 (AUD) plus postage so that's a pretty sweet deal right? No need to drive to a store to save you the shipping cost of purchasing a greeting card online, you can shop from the comfort of your sofa and have it delivered to your door. You can purchase one or multiples of the C.O.W and still get free domestic shipping.

For our lovely customers elsewhere in the world the price will still be $5 AUD however standard shipping rates will apply.

We will be picking a card which is relevant for that time of year and posting it on the website as well as on our social media outlets. Just search for 'Card of the Week' on frankiesgirl.com.au.

This week's card is 'Happy Father's Day' featuring hand lettered calligraphy on a brushstroke background, printed on premium uncoated off-white FSC certified stock and accompanied with a white envelope.

Father's Day in Australia is celebrated on the first Sunday of September - this year it's on September the 3rd. There's still a bit of time to get your card orders delivered before then with standard postage. But hop to it, card of the week will only last one week before the card returns to its usual price and a new card is chosen.

xoxo

Follow along on Instagram: frankiesgirldesigns to see the FG Card of the Week each Monday.

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My Christmas has come early! Trade Show Press from NSS 2017

My Christmas has come early! Trade Show Press from NSS 2017

(Featured image by Nole at Oh So Beautiful Paper Blog www.ohsobeautifulpaper.com)

When I sent an invite to Nole from Oh So Beautiful Paper blog to visit me at booth 1464, for the Frankie's Girl debut at the National Stationery Show this year, I did not expect her to visit. Well with something around 800 exhibitors (I don't actually know the real figure, that's possibly incorrect) I thought surely I'd be missed. Saying I was a little over the moon when we met in person (at my booth!!) is a complete understatement.

A couple of months later, she has posted a blog of new exhibitors from NSS 2017. See it here:

http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/2017/08/nss-2017-new-exhibitors-part-2/

And guess who's been included... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE with a capital M :) See it here:

http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/trade-shows/frankies-girl-2017/

A couple of snapshots from the site:

I seriously can't contain my excitement and somehow feel like this must have been a mistake. Well I'm taking it!! Huge thanks to Nole for my inclusion, you are an inspiration and because of your blog I have aspired to create beautiful things, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, but the journey is and will always be the best experience.

xoxo

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National Stationery Show NSS 2017

National Stationery Show NSS 2017

On Easter Sunday it'll be exactly a month before we leave for the bright lights of New York and get ready for our debut at the National Stationery Show 2017 (WOOHOO!!!). Frankie's Girl will be exhibiting at Booth 1464.

The National Stationery Show (NSS) is a yearly event held over four days - this year it's from the 21st to the 24th of May at the Javits Center in New York. The event showcases products from the paper and giftware industries.

From the site itself:

"The NSS attracts a diverse global attendance of buyers and industry professionals from stationery, card and gift shops; bookstores; bridal shops; party stores; department, chain and specialty stores; large chains and “big box” mass retailers; online retailers and mail order catalogs; as well as special event planners, corporate marketers, importers, distributors and manufacturers’ representatives."

Clearly it's a big deal for those who work within one of these industries and definitely the biggest deal of my career to date. It started with sheer distress (considering that I applied for the show with only a handful of greeting card designs and only a couple of months to get a decent collection together). There were a plethora of emotions that ran through me, added to that some anxiety, depression, doubt, sleepless nights... laying in bed wide awake at 3am wondering what I'd gotten myself into... ah fun times!!! Within all this commotion, I somehow managed to pull it all together and get it - or most of it - done. I'm not completely there, but the finish line is definitely in sight.

Now all the tension is turning into complete excitement and I'm relieved that I have taken the chance, pushed myself and my work, physically and emotionally to a level that I'm happy to show off. It's ok to be proud of yourself once in a while right? Damn right!!! (Tap on the back time!)

The thing is, I've dreamt of attending this show as an exhibitor for so many years. However, life seemed to always get in the way... or maybe that was just my own doing (highly likely)... Not feeling that my ideas were good enough for the multitude of talented stationers out in the big wide world was not the greatest feeling to endure as a creative. But one of the most important lessons I've learnt and I am constantly reminded of in this life, is the need to believe in yourself. You are highly capable. You are strong. You are worth it. Now go get 'em!!!!

What's that saying? If you love what you do, you won't work a day in your life... well I love it, so planning to keep this party going for as long as I can. For the moment I am waiting on the next lot of my cards to arrive from my very patient printers, putting together the catalogue and finalising the last bits and pieces I need before we jet off.  

Farewell for now and see you at the show!!

Frankie's Girl xoxo

For those attending the show come see us (Sarine and Frank) at FRANKIE'S GIRL BOOTH 1464. For those you aren't attending I will keep you updated on instagram (frankiesgirldesigns) of what we get up to in NYC :)

 

 

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