“Chew them in full or bite them slow”

I’m a complete believer in working hard for a life that you love, that leaves you satisfied at the end of your day, a full life that you don't need or necessarily even want to take a break from. An important part of building such a lifestyle is finding the special ingredients that are able to inspire you during the course of your busy days.

Ingredients that can pull you away from the to-do lists and add sprinkles of magical things and mystery into your everyday. “The Apricot Memoirs” does just that. Whether it was while reading the book on the train, or through a phrase that kept coming back to me during the week, the words and musings were able to wake me up out of my everyday task-driven thoughts.

Truly profound reflections couched in the prettiest of prose and poetry. Through her wordsmithery, Tess Guinery has the power to transport you from the busy, the clutter and the rush, to that space in your mind where the air is fresh and the mystery endless. What a welcome relief as we juggle daily with career, parenthood, entrepreneurship, or whatever it is you are working for.

I can’t help think about the person that picks this book up and falls upon the words that she needs to read at that exact time, at that exact moment.

Nothing but love, thank you Tess Guinery for your truly inspiring works.

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Georgia is wearing our Linen Top in the colour Ecru

We recently sat down with the lovely Georgia Martin, co-founder of online store "The Undone" and one half of the uber talented duo that started “My Flower Man”, a go-to Sydney based florist and a tasteful minimalist's flora heaven. Down-to-earth and candid, Georgia shares with us about her journey from her 9 to 5 office job to business owner and full-time creative. 

What do you do for work?

I own a business with my partner Kieran called MyFlowerMan. We started four years ago, very organically. We didn't think it would be anything at first it was a hobby for Kieran and then it snowballed. I also still freelance in the PR and content creation world and love collaborating on creative projects and things like that, so I definitely keep my toes in that industry. But my main focus at the moment is definitely MyFlowerMan.

I also co-founded an online store with a good friend of mine called The Undone. This year I stepped back from that operationally to focus on MyFlowerMan and other projects.

Where do you spend most your time during the week?

Most of our time is spent in our studio in La Porte Space, it’s in Roseberry and it's a creative space. We have a studio shop that we operate out of, so definitely a lot of time spent there and definitely a lot of time spent at home. I’m a huge homebody – I think if you work for yourself, as much as you’d like to have home and work separate, it definitely merges for myself and I’ll often be spending time on the couch on emails or planning with Kieran at home.

Home and the studio are definitely our two main spaces or our local park with our dog Dillon during the week. On the weekends, we love to get out of Sydney.

What did life before MyFlowerMan look like?

Kieran worked in real estate and I worked in PR. We both weren’t loving what we were doing – so life was very different. Kieran first went to the flower markers with a friend randomly and it struck a cord with him, he kept going back and asking our friends and family if they wanted anything. I then started freelancing with PR around the same time. It was kind of a cute little hobby for him and I started him an Instagram and I said he was ‘My’ Flower Man, and it really took off from there.

What is the most memorable moment in your early career?

I’m really proud and grateful of what we have created with MyFlowerMan, not just the business but the lifestyle, freedom and independence it’s given us. In the early days I was just working on it from a social media, PR sense and I guess in the first few months of starting the business, Kieran was featured in Vogue, Broadsheet, Sydney Morning Herald and Real Living, that was a surreal and memorable moment.

I would be in meetings with these media outlets and I’d be discussing other clients and I’d be like… well I’m also working on this: this is Kieran, he’s doing this. And they responded so well to it – I think it’s a bit of a shock, but it also made me realise that the idea of the business really had legs.

Kieran was working in real estate and he just switched and went to flowers, within 6 months he quit his job it was very random but exciting and I think it was also inspiring for people – not being in the corporate grind anymore. We still get lots of emails from people who work in corporate job and they often come in and ask can I do work experience for you or any tips for starting a business on the side.

Do you think its also timing, so it doesn't matter what you do, maybe someone could have done exactly the same thing, but it didn’t work out.

Yes exactly, I think its about letting it happen and “what will be, will be” and you just kind of have to go with it.  That is very much Kieran’s personality, he is the most relaxed person I know and it’s slowly rubbing off on me.

If you could go back in time to a certain place, where would it be and why?

Whenever I think of a really happy time, Kieran and I and a few of our friends actually went on a trip a couple of years ago to Turkey. We spent this week on a boat and we really didn't do anything, it was a beautiful week sailing around Turkey, having no phone, no contact, electronics or anything like that, like you slept on top of the boat, you woke up for a swim, you ate something, you went for another swim, you went for a nap, didn't have to wear any make up or do anything for a whole week… that was one of my favorite times in my life. It was so relaxing and one of the only times when there was no pressures or things to do.

When did you start to really embrace who you are and what advice would you give other women?

I think I continue to embrace who I am as I get older, I’m 26 so I can see how much more comfortable in my skin I am compared to my early 20’s. I’m looking forward to how that grows as I mature, it's a really nice thing to be comfortable in your skin and in who you are.

I’ve never been a very uncomfortable person or an insecure person at all– I definitely have my insecurities, everyone has their own, but even looking back over the last year or even 6 months I think I’ve really grown and accepted who I am and also importantly what I want in life.

I personally had a really interesting year last year – I was feeling quite powerless and exhausted at the end of it actually, so I, taking that power back and re-claiming what I want to do, where I want to go and who I want to be, has been energizing and motivating this year. A lot of things didn't go how I’d planned and this year at the start of the year I was like: ‘just take a step back and see what happens, just be happy’. So that's kind of my mantra this year, just be happy. It’s very simple and a cliché but also much easier said than done, and I guess that would be my advice to people: if you’re not happy or doing what you think you have to do not what you want to do, you definitely have the power to change that.

If you could give advice what is your advice for younger women?

I have a little sister, she’s 18 – so whenever I think of that I think of her and what I tell her and hope she knows. I think to know your worth is really important and that failure is also as important if not more important than success. It’s important to learn for yourself and not be scared or feel like you have to live up to others expectations. Know your worth and not let anyone tell you any different and stand your ground but also to be flexible and allow yourself to change. It’s also a really formidable time right now, the MeToo movement is so powerful because you are seeing it on every level. Lots of conversations with friends have been about sharing experiences and I’m so glad my sister is growing up with that level of openness, transparency and support. It’s got a way to go but it’s a start and it’s better than when I was her age so that’s encouraging.

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A beautifully honest interview about Motherhood. Carolijn, Romy and Graciela share their experiences with life, relationships and boundaries in their role as Mama.  

Graciela Guana is mama of Kaya (2) and Gabriel (7)
Romy Boomsma is mama of Bobby Jo (2) and Mozes Wolf (8 months)
Carolijn Braeken is mama of Olivia (14 months)

Name a few things you wish other people would know about you:

Carolijn: What I’ve often found difficult is that people have trouble reading me and their first impression of me is that I am arrogant. But now I’ve loosened up a bit more and am softer. I find that it’s difficult for people to gauge me and they think of me as “strong, independent”, I am strong but in a different way than people think. But they don't understand all the layers underneath, I come off as closed off but it’s just my demeanor, because I don't quickly open up. That's what I find difficult that people think “Oh, you have it under control.”

Romy: I find it very challenging with people always judging, having to have an opinion. Why can't you just think 'hey, I think you're a nice person', and that's it. I think the whole judging tone is so not necessary.

Carolijn:  Absolutely, I agree, but I’m a person who quickly has an opinion about someone else.

Romy: But then what is the opinion based on? Is it based on a character trait you clash with? Then really it’s just not a personality match. Maybe the reason is also that people only know bits about someone, like I share quite a lot on social media, but you don't get the whole story, only selective things. 

Carolijn is wearing our Wrap Dress in the colour Sand

Carolijn: I also share a lot on social media. People say to me ‘it’s amazing that you dare to share all that’ and ‘it feels like I know you’, but the really deep layers underneath I keep to myself.

Romy: Same for me, I keep those deep things for myself and only share them with my friends, with the people who really know me, and get me.

Thoughts on Motherhood?

Romy: It is really now my thing, it’s taken over my life, this phase of Motherhood, but I really don't mind it. Sometimes I get asked 'dont you miss going to festivals?’ But honestly, it’s just things that I can’t think about right now.

Carolijn:  But a lot of the time it’s like, you have to have a great career, look fabulous, be a good mum, keep up with the latest fashion, go to those festivals, hang out with friends and on top of that share everything on social media. And then I think to myself “Why am I even doing all these things?” and if I stop, it is not giving up, but being a mum is what my life revolves around right now.

Romy is wearing our Linen Jumpsuit in the colour Natural

As Mama, what are some things you are grateful for?

Romy: Health. Family. Balance. Inner peace.
I feel really good in this stage of life now. With everything, I feel content, like I’ve come home. I feel like “this is it, this is how it’s meant to be”. It doesn't mean that I always feel good, but more like that’s how it should be, in this role as a mother, and how it should be in my life.

Carolijn: I found myself already in that phase, I just peaked too early. It was already like this, before I was pregnant, that I just wanted to go home at 11 o'clock.

Romy: Arie was 41 when I met him and I was 23. He still had a busy nightlife, but I just was so not into it. It’s so unattractive when someone comes to hangout and they have a hangover. The old versions of Romy and Arie were so different. I was way more restless before I had children.

Carolijn: Also what I thought about other people and my priorities were very different before I had children.

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Romy: I am also very grateful for having a relationship where I feel like 'this is it' and that he feels it too. Arie and I knew each other from years before, but we were just in different phases of life.

But from the time we were really together, I knew “Yes, this is it”. I wasn't ever uncertain, I didn't have that feeling of unrest or that feeling of ‘there's more’… It was just 'this is it', and I would never want it any other way. And I have that every day. Yes, I am really very happy with it, and that I would have never imagined.

Carolijn: I had that also, I already knew from the very first moment.

Romy: and it doesn't mean that we don't argue or have different opinions on things, it’s just the feeling of “this is it”. We just fit together so well, the restlessness is completely gone. It was so different from my earlier relationships where I was unsure all the time.

Carolijn: Yes and I am already insecure myself, and your relationship should be your foundation.

Carolijn is wearing our Linen Jumpsuit in the colour Ecru

What do you love about yourself?

Romy: Character-wise, I am very happy that I can express myself emotionally very well, but I have come to realize that even though I find it a nice quality for myself, for others it can be quite confrontational. But nonetheless I am very happy with it, because I don't go through life with things on my chest or going round in my head. Appearance-wise, I did like my small breasts, but they’re not really that small anymore.

Carolijn: I think I like myself very much. I also find myself very funny. I need that too, because I feel everything so heavy, and then I can put everything in perspective.

Graciela: I always know the negative things about myself very well. I think I am very hospitable and open. Everyone can always eat with us. Everyone can always join, I have stopped a bit to protect myself. Everyone was always allowed to join my parents at home, even with 7 children, it was always possible to fit one more, so I got that from home. I used to think it was always very strange when my friends would say that it wasn't always possible to have people over to eat. With us, we'd always share what we have.

Graciela is wearing our Linen Wrap Top and Linen Pant

How did becoming a mother change you? 

Carolijn: In addition to taking my time and money (laughing), I have become softer and more understanding of the world around me. Also, I’m so more conscious of nature and the world around me and that it needs to be taken care of. I have to protect this world even more because my child will grow up here.

Romy: I find myself being kinder to everyone.

Graciela: I now also try to help more people, to laugh more, and help other Mothers and it creates a sort of community. But those small moments alone, I find them now so good. But as your kids get older the harder it becomes because they just want to do everything you do and go everywhere you go.

Romy: and my friendships, I’ve become more selective with my friends. I want to be around people who I can be real with and who are real with me.

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Carolijn: I don't know if you can call it selfish, but now the priority is time with yourself and your child. I have always been good at saying 'no' and being selective. I have never had lots of “kinda” friends everywhere, I just have a few good close friends. But if I say 'no' to them, I don't want to have to apologize for it or explain myself, I have no time for that.

Romy: or I want to be able to say I just don't feel like it, because that's okay too. Or know that it’s okay that you do not respond to a message for a week, because you have a child and you don't even have time to be alone for one second.

Graciela: I have only a few girlfriends, I can count them on one hand, I have many sisters, but they are actually my friends. I can just say to them, I dont feel like it or I'm just tired. But I can say that now because they are all mothers, but before they were mothers, it was very different. Everyone was still going out, they were always busy with other things.

Romy is wearing our Linen Jumpsuit in the colour Black

Romy: I find the people I choose to leave in my world are all people that I want my child to learn from. They are also people of who I know that I do not have to feel embarrassed when a child is crying, and people who I don't have to apologize for my children. I think you should never, apologize for your children being children.

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If you could give advice to younger women, what would it be?

Romy: Dont be too hard on yourself. Just be yourself.

Graciela: Don't give too much of yourself away. Take care of yourself, and love yourself, and then you can take care of and care for others.

Carolijn: If you don't do that yourself, nobody else will do it for you.

Romy: And that it’s okay to say no.

Graciela:  I’ve had trouble with that for a long time. Last summer I was home for a few months because I was burnt out. Since then I remind myself more that I need to put myself first and I need to guard my boundaries. I also have to take moments for myself here and there, Mom is out, not here for just a moment.

Romy: And really what’s the worst thing that can happen? You damage how others see you? I think it’s much more important that you just like yourself. That enables you to say 'no' more often, even if you think you are upsetting others.

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