It has been quite the year for me from a health perspective. Nothing dire, just a relentless and exhausting list of ailments. Did someone say “Hello 50”? Yep, turning 50 last year sure did jump start a significant slide in my health, one that I’m fighting valiantly to reverse. Annoyingly, it affected my ability to […]
News
What I never take for granted
I wrote a post on Facebook the other day and I’d like to share it with you here. Oh dear! I just read a news report that revealed that nearly 55,000 businesses in Australia closed their doors last financial year, a whopping 12.7% increase compared to the year before. And a recent survey suggested 43% […]
Why giving back is so important
I was speaking to a beautiful family friend who lives overseas last night and she was lamenting all the “bad stuff” that was happening in the world. She quoted various recent incidents from around the world that were truly horrible. But then I gently reminded her of the fact (and it is a fact) […]
New art for The Shoe Garden
I had two wonderful drawings presented to me this week in honour of CC’s birthday. First, there was a beautiful card from 16-year-old Imarnie on which she drew CC on my desk, complete with party hat and barking (there must have been a dog passing by or a courier outside!). I was included, too, […]
Happy Birthday CC
As CC celebrates her 15th birthday this weekend, I think we can all learn a lot from her. To be present and live in the moment…. To always be curious about your surroundings…. To enjoy good company and good food…. To go for long, happy walks…. To take naps – often…. To stretch your body […]
Timely reminders
I have two daily reminders set on my phone. One asks and one tells. The reminder that asks says: “What are you grateful for today?” I’ve been answering this question every day since the start of the year and it is surprisingly powerful. No matter how bad or how good your day is, it gets […]
The power of retail therapy
I see it all the time … the way moods lift, tension eases and the happiness is palpable as a customer finds a new pair of shoes. Or two or three or more! There’s something quite delicious about finding just the right shoes or whatever it may be that you are looking for. The irony […]
“Now he comes to me!”
When I met another small business woman, Dorothy, in regional Malawi in December 2014 and asked her how the support of small loans from MicroLoan Foundation Australia have changed her life, this was her powerful and eloquent response. “I used to beg my husband for money … now he comes to me.” I shared this […]
Change takes time
There may be an indent on my desk that’s in the shape of my head… …from where I’ve been banging it… …again and again! I gave all my suppliers lots of notice and carefully explained my idea that shouldn’t be so revolutionary but apparently is … in a nutshell, new shoes arriving every month of […]
Shop smart!
I love smart shoes! As I’m now ordering my Winter 2019 range and, indeed, some of my Summer 2019 range, evaluating shoes beyond their aesthetics has been on my mind this week. I really appreciate shoes that have been cleverly designed. When a gusset allows a little more width and when a little strip of […]