Heart, Hope and Hospitality

Tell us about yourself

I live in Sydney, Australia with my husband, Eric, and our darling dog, Sumo (who is a very small Yorkshire Terrier). Our daughter, Emily, has ‘flown the coop’ and lives just an hour away. I have worked in event management, marketing, advertising and customer service most of my life. I am also a qualified interior decorator, specialising in colour consultancy, soft furnishing and fabric selection for our clients.

What gets you out of bed every day?

I love what I do, everything about what I do, even the packing and heavy lifting! I like to work hard with what I have been given, to live a whole and full life and hopefully bring encouragement, positivity and joy to others.

What wakes you up at 3am?

My ‘to do’ list! (laugh). Actually, I have learnt to love waking at 3am as it is often a whisper of an idea and I have taught myself to listen rather than be grumpy about lack of sleep. I keep a journal beside the bed nowadays.

Do you like hot or cold weather?

I am definitely a cold weather person. It is much easier to get warm than to cool down. Having said that, I love all the seasons and particularly watching the change of seasons and there are things to be grateful for in each season … rather than wishing them away.

What is your favourite flower?

Magnolia Grandiflora without a doubt. The fragrance, the shape, the colour, the leaves. Perfection … and we have two in our garden!

What is your favourite food?

Anything breakfast. I love a leisurely homemade or café breakfast. It starts the day so well.

What do you do when you are not working?

I think as a creative you are always working … observing, dreaming, sketching, wondering … but I do enjoy ‘date nights’ which might be dinner at a favourite restaurant, catching a movie, dressing up for a night at the theatre or ballet and often just going along to a gig with my husband, who is a musician. Strangely enough, I also really enjoy housework . . . I love the satisfaction of a clean home, sun-dried sheets, fresh flowers in a vase and of course to rearrange everything in the process (thanks Mum! ha!). I also love to help my husband with our garden, to decorate for a special occasion or cook for a dinner party.

How did you end up doing what you do today?

My very first job was co-ordinating gift trade fairs across Australia and the visitors to the trade fairs were all giftware and homewares retailers. This led me to dream about my own retail store! Also, my Dad and grandparents owned printing businesses when I was very young, and I am sure this sparked my appreciation for beautiful packaging and stationery.

I love the process of creating or selecting the perfect gift for a loved family member or friend. I love to wrap it, watch it being opened, see it used or displayed in their homes. More importantly, I love the words that are said, or that don’t need to be said, when you honour someone you love with generosity. Words are very important and put value and purpose into our lives. For me The Word is everything and I am very passionate about putting His word into homes … to state a foundation, to start a conversation, to change a life.

This is the mission of Well Versed Homes.