NoLi Decor
The first time i stumbled across the NoLi page on one of my facebook stalking moments I was blown away by the cutest rag dolls I had ever seen! I automatically emailed and ordered one, which then became two and then my addiction to all things NoLi just grew from there. My Miss C now has a whole stack of things that mummy has purchased through Nicole, from a stunning wooden cupcake set, her rag dolls i purchased way back when, a beautiful tea set, complete with little wooden sugars to her birthday outfit from her new clothing range! I have on my wish-list one of the cutest doll houses i have ever seen... Its so hard when it comes to choosing just one!! And the furniture that goes with these is just to die for!!
Apart from the fantastic products though, its the service i received from word go from Nicole, from the initial email to even now, she has always been constant, friendly, helpfull and just amazing to deal with, and these days, in regular shops in town, its hard to find these qualities, people are all about making money and dont care about the customer or their needs, not with Nicole, her prices are ridiculously affordable, and I know that people with young kids are always searching for toys that will last and are affordable, thats what NoLi is about.
I emailed Nicole and asked her to give me a brief overview on NoLi Decor and how things came about, she was only too happy to oblige and this is what she had to say:
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{I originally began NoLi Decor by hand painting elephant photo frames to sell. I was at home, not working and trying to have a 'money idea'. After realising that I didn't have the time, patience or talent to expand on one frame I noticed that it is really hard to buy quality toys on one income. It was then that I started emailing any toy company asking for wholesale!
Technically I have been the NEW NoLi for 6 months. What started off as a small business stocking rag dolls has now turned into a 'medium' business stocking from 4 suppliers and now a clothing range! My goal? To have any income family - joint, single, carer, double - to be able to afford quality wooden toys that EVERY child deserves! I don't think toys should come with an income restriction and I try to make every product we get a bargain!}
| Click heading to visit the facebook page... |
I LOVE my little boubba notebooks so much! I have been a fan of Donnas magnificent work for quite some time now, I was so happy to see her page leap and bound and grow in numbers (thousands to be exact :) and i love seeing what Donna will come up with next.
It was only natural for me to ask her if she would be willing to be a feature on my blog, and i was elated when she agreed, so, as i write this up and listen to the rain outside and Norah Jones on the inside, a cup (or 4) of hot sweet tea and a big thick chunk of warm banana bread covered generously in western star butter (because is there anything better!!??) I urge you to do sit back and take a read about how Little Boubba came into being and some insights from Donna herself :) and of course some wonderful pictures of her amazing creations!
The Start....
Of course one of my first questions is a golden oldy, The old 'How did you end up here' & 'WHAT made you start a business' I think its a good place to start and so we will :)
Donna has always been a sewer, knitter, drawer and basically very crafty over all, she had always wanted to have her own line of childrens linen and so when she and her family moved down to the Peninsula a little under a year ago, with no friends and feeling very lost and isolated it seemed like just the opportunity she had been waiting for to dust off her sewing machine and give it a serious working.
It started with bibs, but she always had the intention to make it so much more, although, with 2 young children at a new school, in a new area, and starting a new life with her youngest at home, everything was a little bit all over the place. Sales ended up becoming a regular occurence on her madeit store and it gave her the boost she needed 'Maybe i DO have a product people want' is what was going through Donnas mind and she quickly went into over drive with all the ideas of other things she had always wanted to make - and so, her business was born.
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| Taggy Blankets |
'Little Boubba' the meaning behind the name.....
I asked Donna about her business name 'Little Boubba' it interests me alot to know why people choose the names they do for their businesses. She explained to me that all 3 of her children have very strange pet names, and Little Boubba is one of her youngest childrens many little names, there apparently was a time that Donna considered another name that she still loves, but Little Boubba just 'stuck' and so it is :)
Donna has always loved childrens clothing, so much so, that she started buying it when she was only 18 for the day when she had her own babies!! (She added, that of course by the time she did end up having children, she didnt like any of the clothes she had bought any more, but it did make one hell of an eBay sale!!!)
She's a constant buyer of childrens magazines and loves to surf around online to see whats happening.
Her fabric choices reflect her love of colour and a little bit of the 'retro' feel, and finds this gives her most of her inspiration as she can visualize designs in her head before she has made them.
I for one am very attracted to the fabric choices Donna makes, this (as well as a quality made product) is what draws me in in the first place, for me, its all about fabric choices, if i like a design but not the fabric, im not going to buy it!
I asked Donna if there is anyone she admires and her responce was that she admires anyone who is living their dream, and, when she finds herself day dreaming her minds strays to Peter Alexander, not just because of her love affair with Pyjamas :) but because he too, started off on his dining room table.
Some advice Donna has for other women 'If you want it, go and get it! No one else can do it for you, but remember, Rome wasn't built in a day.'
For anyone that knows me, knows how obsessed I am with pears, so when i first came across Melindas page 'moose & bird' the first thing that drew my attention was the pear pillow - I don't think I looked any further than her Pear Pillow album for the next hour. I ended up buying three, one for myself and one for each of my sisters for Christmas. Wrapping them and giving them away was heartbreaking, and I imagine the feeling was not too unlike the feeling of giving away a kidney or a million dollars!!!
But Melinda does so much more than just that, her creations are so unique and stunning that it makes me want to boil the kettle and settle down with a nice hot cup of sweet tea and just look through her albums or Etsy store forever!! I want to decorate my whole house with things from moose&bird! And Im well on my way to doing so :)
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The Beginning of a very beautiful friendship was started with one of these pillows... |
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One of the cutest bottoms i have ever seen, including my daughters. The pear pillow bottom :P |
Normally I would write up the interview but Melinda answered it so well I am just leaving it as is this time :)
Below is how it went ...
How did you end up where you are.... with moose & bird? What made you start you own business?
I’ve always been a ‘crafty/arty’ kind of girl from as far back as I can remember. Dabbling in lots of different crafts including sewing, embroidery, ceramics and paper craft. It was never really something that I took seriously though, it was purely for fun and relaxation in my free time. After finishing high school I embarked on a number of different university degrees which never quite sparked the passion within. In my early 20s I decided enough was enough and I took a leap of faith and studied Design. I enjoyed every minute of it! To this day, I still believe it was the best decision I ever made. I learnt so much.
After I completed my Design studies I worked as a machinist for a sportswear company before landing my ‘dream’ job with a childrenswear label. I started out as a Production Assistant, then moved onto an Assistant Designer position before finally being offered a position as a Designer. I thought all my Christmases had come at once. After a number of years, however, the lifestyle was just not for me anymore. The overseas travel and long hours had worn me out.....as they do!!! It was then that I embarked on my moose & bird adventure. And what a fun adventure it has been!
{Ive had the pleasure of dealing with Melinda several times, her products are impeccable, i couldn't fault them even if i wanted to! Such talent coming from one lady is amazing!! AND She is the most WONDERFUL lady, so sweet and such a generous soul.
I wish her all the best in her business venture now and in the future, I for one cannot get enough of her work and will be a regular forever! I also look forward to our growing friendship and feel honoured to have met such a person :)}
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Franny Doll.. |
Melinda also has a fabulous blog of her own - read all about her finds and work here 'moose & bird blog'
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Winking Girl Pillow.. |
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Patchwork Pincushions |
Tell me a bit about your business name and how it came to be...
It took me months to think of a business name! Every name I thought of just wasn’t right for some reason or another and I wanted a name that had meaning to me. I think my husband was getting sick of my indecisiveness so one day he said ‘just call it moose & bird’. Perfect, I thought! My Mum and I are very close and when I was growing up I would fondly call her ‘moose’. Don’t ask me why! I have no idea. And I am a big fan of all things ‘birds’, hence, moose & bird!
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Doily Brooch.. |
What inspires you when u work...where do you draw inspiration from?
Inspiration is a funny thing, it can come from the most unlikely of places at the most unlikely of times. I love reading magazines and blogs, these never fail to inspire me and I am also really inspired by reading the stories of other creative types and the successes they have had!
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Patchwork Pillows |
Who is someone you admire, like a designer or business person?
I really admire crafty people who just give everything a go and are just so passionate about their art or craft! Some people who come to mind include Alarna from Little Jane St, Michelle from Nook and Laura from Kit & Nancy!
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Scalloped Buntings.. |
What is some advice you would give to other women? About anything...
Be true to yourself.....always!
dear friend of mine Jacqui Neill who is the face behind the camera at Maddison Scarlett Photography.
Ever since Jacqui can remember it had always been a dream of hers to become a photographer, she spoke about it often and for years she would photograph her family and friends as a hobby, which also built up her experience.
She loved sharing this passion with everyone, which is how her business started in August of 2010.
Jacqui has been met with an amazing response since starting Maddison Scarlett Photography, which is named after her daughter ‘Maddison Scarlett’ who Jacqui says is the ‘Apple of my eye’ and who is also the inspiration to her following her dreams.
Jacqui is also inspired by all the gorgeous people that she gets to photograph each and every day, especially the little people who’s cheeky smiles and personalities make her adore her job! Jacqui says she is inspired by the thought of capturing these precious moments so that the families can look back on them in the years to come ❤
I asked Jacqui if there was anyone she admired and she answered with this ‘Im surrounded by such amazing talent, Local designers and photographers are constantly blowing me away with their beautiful work and the best part is that every single one of us has such a unique style that really shows’
Jacqui’s talent blows me away every time I see her upload a new photo. Im looking forward to the day that I can book her in to do a shoot with my little family! She is such a beautiful soul and makes you feel completely at ease, which is a great thing in a photographer, you want someone you can trust and feel comfortable around, and you can be sure she will capture only your best side.
Jacqui’s piece of advice for others ‘You CAN have your cake and eat it too! Follow your dreams because you may find yourself pleasantly surprised!!’
Make sure you hop over to her Facebook Page or Website and get in contact with her to hook up a beautiful shoot!!
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