I was recently interviewed by my favourite local clothing brand Variety Hour. I was totally out of my comfort zone but absolutely flattered to feature on the Variety Hour blog (journal). You can read the article here: https://varietyhourstudio.com/blogs/vh-journal/vh-woman-nina
I’ve included some of the interview and pics below…
Looks like a very fun household with three kids. If we were to peek into your life for one day what would we see?
Fun is one way to describe it. Noisy is another! Depending on the day you were to peek in things would be drastically different. On a weekend we are all about pancakes for breakfast, pyjamas until midday, things are slooooow. But weekdays are a different story…frantic lunch-making, sock-hunting, hair-fixing school morning antics. Then it’s just my two year old and I during the day popping to the post office or the supermarket, going to playgroup, having a cuppa with friends, then school pick up when things get hectic and fun again
What do you do for work? What path led to this?
I wear a few different hats! In my previous life I was a marketing professional but now I am a full time stay-at-home Mum. Around that I do a bit of content creation for lots of fantastic small (and sometimes large) businesses. This has been a happy accident. My Instagram page has been my saviour in helping me stay in touch with my creative side and connect with like-minded people while I have been in the ‘trenches’ of parenting young children over the last eight years. It was through it that people began contacting me to create content for them in my colourful style. What an amazing compliment! This is my absolute passion but doesn’t always pay the bills so I also do some shifts at my local pub on the weekends which I also love (I’m a people person… I love customer service – where most people shudder at the thought of serving people I’m out there with my biggest smile slapped on!)
Any marketing hot tips for someone starting out?
Do what you love! Sounds so cliché I know but or me this has proven so true. People will find you (to a point obviously…I do have a marketing degree after all, ha ha). I was just minding my own business with no particular intention, I wanted to share what I saw and journal my days at home. People approached me asking for something I didn’t even realise I could sell. My ‘look’ (not my actual physical look thankfully just my ‘style’ I guess).
What about a tip (or app) for getting that perfect shot?
For me it’s all about getting the shot as right as I possibly can straight out of the camera (or phone depending on what I’ve got with me!) so I don’t need to edit too much but I’ll often tweak a couple of things on the Lightroom app.
I would imagine growing up with a mum like you would be a heap of fun. Do you think they know how incredibly cool their mum is?
Ha ha I hope people don’t think that I planted this question myself! I am so far from cool. And my kids certainly don’t think I am but I am always on memory-making missions and hunting for adventures with them which they love. We recently bought an old camper trailer and have been going on lots of camping trips around Victoria and I didn’t realise how much of an impact it was having on the kids until I’d see little things they’d write at school about their favourite thing to do and it is always ‘going camping with my family’. I guess that makes me kind of cool. I also buy them lots of icecreams. Surely that wins me a few points in their cool book.
What’s your parenting mantra or best piece of parenting advice?
I have three: ‘go with the flow’, ‘follow their lead’ and ‘it’s just a phase’. I swear by and live by all of these mantra, in particular the ‘it’s just a phase’ one. Gosh some of those phases can be difficult. But then they are a distant memory.
What does your daily wardrobe involve?
From a practical point of view the things I couldn’t live without are slip on shoes (I often have no time for buckles or laces when I’m racing out the door holding what feels like a thousand bags, jackets, etc) and anything I can bend over/ carry children in. I’m happy to have said goodbye to the years of breastfeeding wardrobe limitations. It is so liberating wearing a dress with no buttons or high neck for the first time! And I couldn’t miss my favourite wardrobe essential… colour!
Favourite kidswear labels?
My goodness where to start?! I feel like this area has exploded with options since my oldest daughter was born. Some of my favourite local labels are Oomph and Floss, Minti, Talking Red, G.Nancy, French Soda, Kip and Co, Gorman Playground and Rock Your Kid.
A few of my favourite overseas labels include Hugo Loves Tiki, Bobo Choses, Mini Rodini, Osh Kosh (for nostalgic value!), Alba of Denmark, Noe & Zoe, Boden, Misha and Puff, Piupiuchick, Papu Stories… I could keep going!
What about some baby labels?
I absolutely adore the prints and quality of Halcyon Nights another local label. I was so sad when my bigger kids outgrew the size range. But otherwise many of the above labels do gorgeous stuff for babies too! Spoilt for choice really, but always room for more… surely a Variety Hour kids range has to happen!!!
At the moment what is your favourite:
Podcast – Okay this is pretty embarrassing but I still haven’t worked out podcasts. I just don’t know when to listen to them. In the car I’m too busy getting harassed for snacks, at home I’m constantly being interrupted, in bed I’m sleeping, in the shower I’m getting harassed for snacks, ha ha you get the idea!
Book – I just finished reading a book that I really enjoyed called The Nancys. I absolutely love reading but it has taken a bit of a back seat while I’ve had babies (although I smashed out quite a few parenting books in the early days). I’m thinking it’s time to start again!
TV Show – I love ‘8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown’ on SBS. I find it so funny. I don’t watch many shows these days though. Although I have been known to watch some very questionable reality TV shows of all varieties in the past but they’ve lost me at the moment.
If you had to describe Variety Hour to a mate what would you say?
Sunshine that you can wear. Variety Hour clothes make me so happy. The best quality. The brightest colours. Made by the most lovely human! What more could anyone ever need?
