In the Spotlight - Macaroon Kids

Introducing Amanda from Macaroon Kids who will be at Piccadilly Market as a stall holder on 4 August

Tell us a little about yourself? Founded in 2011, Macaroon Kids was the combination of following a passion and producing ethical unique but stylish toys and clothes.  
What began with the creation of a pair of upcycled jeans, lead to an upcycled Pokey Puppy.  Now the range includes special treasures for both the little lads and little ladies and will keep growing. “My children inspire me.  Their joy, curiosity and imagination lead me to each new creation”.  While the fun designs are aimed at children, the functionality and ethical manufacturing process speaks to parents.  We are about giving modern parents the choice and voice to purchase sustainable, quality pieces.

Each item is designed and handcrafted by myself.  Production is low, ensuring every single Macaroon Kids item is unique, special, beautiful and memorable.  A wonderful one-of-a-kind gift that is rare to find.

Whether it is using upcycled fabrics; sourcing products from small businesses; to having elements created with fair trade companies, every step of Macaroon Kids is created ethically with both person and environment in mind. 

Tell us how your product/range/business came about?   After my son was born I wanted him to have some cool baby jeans, there really was none that were affordable, I mean, I had no intention of paying $75 for a pair of baby jeans, so I made some for him from an old pair I had lying around.  I then wanted to make a special toy for him and I used the remainder of the jeans for my sample...and I liked it.  That was how the Pokey Puppy came about and how I started Macaroon Kids.  My designs are centred around the needs of my own children and what I want them to have.  Now that I have a little girl too I have changed the look of Macaroon Kids and now include dresses, shoes and my very special, one of a kind dolls, created using vintage fabrics.  Quality is always important to me as is producing products in an ethical manner.

How long have you been in business for?  Since April 2011, so a little over 2 years

What inspires you? I love scandinavian design, I love fabric, I love my children, I love homewares, I love travel, I love the stories that everyone has to tell.  My inspiration can come from anywhere.  

Have you always been ‘creative’ or has it bloomed later in life?   I have always been 'creative' but I did not value it as a skill until later in life, it always 'just was' and I took it for granted.  I tried to pursue a more academic career but it was just not fulfilling and I would spend my days daydreaming of my next creation.  Once I realised the importance of my creativity, I changed the course my life was taking...and now I am here. And we are so glad you did

When you are not busy creating what do you love doing?  I love doing things with my family.  Visiting new places and I love finding new boutique stores and gorgeous new brands, oh and drinking great coffee!

What is something cool that most people wouldn’t know about you? Nothing cool but...I completed my Diploma in Clothing & Textiles, I studied my Certificate in Engineering in Jewellery and I have my own jewellers' bench (currently unused), I lived in London for 19 months in my early twenties and I went to 6 different schools around Australia when growing up as we moved around a lot. Which I bet has made you a very interesting person

If money was no object what would be your dream destination? Honestly, I would spend 3 months in whichever European city took my fancy and then move on to another city for 3 months and so on...ending in New York!  There is so much I want to see and explore. I hope it comes to fruition

What are you reading right now? With 2 young children there is little time to read and my beautiful books are packed away.   However, when I get a chance, I am working through 'The 4 hour work week'.  Absolutely LOVE this book. 

What is your favorite website(s) ? I don't have a favourite website per se, but I do have a favourite blog, Smudgetikka which updates me with the latest childrens' brands in the UK. 

Amanda is offering one of her gorgeous Poky Puppies to the Hamper Giveaway

In The Spotlight: Monday Monday

Introducing another newcomer to Piccadilly Market on Sunday 4th August

Tell us a little about yourself? Monday Monday specialize in handmade jewellery. We are a creative duo based in Geelong; I work as a full time Visual Merchandiser and Jake is a Graphic Designer, so working on a creative project together seemed only natural to us. We make all our pieces by hand in our home studio. We love that by handcrafting each bead, no two necklaces will ever be identical, each one is unique. Our range is sold online at Monday Monday and Piccadilly Market will be our first ever market stall. We are so excited that it is in our home town. We can't wait to see some familiar faces swing by on the day, and hopefully some new ones too!

 How did you come up with your business name? We were testing new ideas one night around the dining room table - mucking around with clay, sketching, brainstorming - and as always, Jake had his music blaring! We were trying to think of a name that was simple and easy to remember, but also had some relevance to travel. Then this song came on and we both just thought 'Monday; that's a cool name'. So Monday Monday was born! And if you're wondering about the relevance to travel... people start planning a holiday on a Monday more than any other day of the week. I think that might have something to do with Monday-itis :)

  

  

Tell us how your product/range/business came about? We both worked long hours when we lived in Melbourne and often didn't get to work on any fun projects together. When we moved back to Geelong and had a little more time on our hands I started playing around with Polymer Clay. Family and Friends were always commenting on my jewellery so we thought maybe we could start selling and put the money towards our wedding at the end of the year. I was really excited that Jake actually enjoyed helping out with everything from making the beads to designing the packaging. He's been amazing! Now, what started out as a hobby has become more successful than we could have imagined through our own websiteMonday Monday and the online gift store hardtofind.com.

 How long have you been in business for? We started making our jewellery in December 2012. Our website launched at the start of March and we have been growing strong ever since

 What inspires you? Our pieces are inspired by travel; Places we've visited and others that are on our wish list. Jake is a great photographer and has captured some amazing moments from our travels. We use these photos as inspiration where we can. Of course we all have our pinterest wish boards, and ours is all about travel destinations. This helps us inject some new colours and variety into our necklaces.

 Have you always been ‘creative’ or has it bloomed later in life? Jake has definitely always been creative. He knew very early on that he wanted to be a Designer. I, on the other hand, didn't realise I was creative until maybe 6 years ago. I was always good with numbers in school and actually wanted to study to be an Accountant. But working in retail led me to Visual Merchandising and I realised that I had a bit of a knack for making and creating.

 When you are not busy creating what do you love doing? We are super busy this year planning our wedding. It's only four months away and we feel like there is still so much to do, but we're definitely enjoying it. When we do get some down time we love just hanging out with good friends and family.

 What is something cool that most people wouldn’t know about you? When there's a lot going on in your life, sometimes things can get a little too serious. So we have a rule in our house that if one person is dancing, everyone has to dance! It's a great way to lighten the mood and remind yourself that life is meant to be fun! (what a fantastic rule)

 If money was no object what would be your dream destination? We've always wanted to take a few months to travel through France and Spain.

 What are you reading right now? I've just finished reading the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. But now its all 'wedding' business and I'm reading Hello May Magazine.( awesome magazine..makes me want to get married again)

 What is your favorite website(s) ? One of my favorite websites is Fancy.com. It is super cool and has so many unique items - from gadgets, to clothing to homewares. Lots of fun!

Kate and Jake will be giving away one of their fab necklaces in our giveaway on the 4th August.

In The Spotlight: We are the Bearded

I am pretty excited that we have something new for the fellas or for the women buying for their men.

Please welcome Tristan from We are the Bearded to Piccadilly Market on August 4th

  

Tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a 24 year old Special Effects Makeup Artist with a passion for beards!

How did you come up with your business name?

It is simply what is it – We Are The Bearded!

Tell us how your product/range/business came about?

After spending the last year or so trying out beard oils and waxes, I became frustrated with the fact that there were limited Australian retailers and barely any Australian made products. Instead of waiting 2 weeks for products to arrive from overseas, I thought I would try my hand at making my own range.

How long have you been in business for?

This market will be the official launch of the brand.

What inspires you?

A nice, thick, full beard! Mine always needs to be better.

When you are not busy creating what do you love doing?

I work as a Special Effects Makeup artist, creating creatures and effects for film and television. You can also find me regularly gigging with my band!

What is something cool that most people wouldn’t know about you?

I couldn’t grow a beard until I was 21! Is that cool? Probably not haha.

If money was no object what would be your dream destination?

LA for sure! That is where I would love to base myself in the future.

What are you reading right now?

At the moment, I’m reading Louis Theroux’s “The Call of the Weird”.

What is your favorite website(s)?

Does Facebook count?  Why of course it does

We are the Bearded are donating some products to our giveaway hamper.

The Pickers Union Cafe and Geelong Vintage Market

Miss Bestie and I went out to the Geelong Vintage Market today for a little look see and to check out The Pickers Union Cafe. Looks like we may have found our new favourite place.





A business like this just goes to show that if you get it right your location does not matter. The Pickers Union Cafe is so welcoming with great quirky decor that is in keeping with the Vintage Market it is part of.

We started with a lovely Chai Latte that was perfect and not that sickly sweet that so many serve up. We both had the most perfectly poached eggs with field mushrooms on sourdough bread. Simple yet totally scrumptious and satisfying.

We should have stopped there but the array of amazing looking sweets hooked us in and on recommendation from the super gorgeous and friendly Bec we had the Rhubarb cake....Yum! and Crazy Slice which honestly must be tasted. Way to hard to explain, we were speechless.

After our lovely breaky we head into the Vintage Market which is 2000 square metres and 60 stalls of Vintage goodness. Managed to pick up a few little goodies.

With the crazy lead up to Piccadilly Market on the 4th of August this was a great way to spend a morning and escape from our desks for a few hours.

P.S  They have full cream milk like any excellent Cafe should.  Others need to step up.

In The Spotlight: Rockrose Handmade

Today I would like to introduce to Zoe from Rockrose Handmade who has been a regular with Piccadilly Market for a while now and has a big following. Make sure you stop by and see her gorgeous wares.

Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Zoe & I am the owner of Rockrose Handmade- a Geelong-based online store selling handmade & ethically made Indi goodies. I have recently started designing my own range of eco-friendly laser cut jewelry under my new label Lucy Locket.

 
How did you come up with your business name?

Lucy Locket is an old nursery rhyme that has drifted around in my subconscious since my childhood. It was the first song my sister learnt to play on her Recorder when she was 10, and those of you who have any experience with learning recorder-players will understand that those sounds become somehow ingrained in our brains. :)

 
Tell us how your product/range came about?

It all started with that blend of envy & wistfulness I often experience when looking around me at the talented makers I stock in my online store. I knew that I wanted to create something myself, but I didn't know what it was. Then at the Finders Keepers Market in Sydney I finally purchased a Kitty Came Home notebook for myself and I started doing a few doodles. From those pictures came Lucy Locket's first range. 

 
How long have you been in business for?

I started Rockrose Handmade a little over a year ago & it has been so much fun and hard work. I absolutely love working for myself. I love being presented with problems & questions and having to find solutions and answers. I love being in contact with so many creative people and sharing their gorgeous ideas with the world through my online store. 

 
What inspires you?
Lucy Locket's first range is inspired by significant memories from my past.   Memories of growing up by the sea, sewing with my Nanna, the hills near my home, my interest in Native American cultures & in the Harajuku neighbourhood in Tokyo.  I guess you could say that Lucy Locket is an expression of the things that have been important and formative in my life. 

 
Have you always been ‘crafty’ or has it bloomed later in life?

 I am addicted to creative ideas and the physical process of creating things. I always need to be creating something, and I need that something to be challenging because I can get quickly bored (which is not an altogether fabulous quality, but I'm being honest!). I love being involved in the process of turning inspiration into something physical, that can be enjoyed by others. 

 
When you are not busy creating what do you love doing?

I mother my children; I run Rockrose Handmade; I design gardens & plan renovations; I write novels. I try to find some time to sit quietly, but I'm not very good at either finding the time, or sitting quietly!

 
What is something cool that most people wouldn’t know about you?

I have two as yet unfinished novels sitting in my drawer. I would dearly love to finish writing them-- I just have to find some time to squish them in. I hear you loud an clear.

 
If money was no object what would be your dream destination?

I really love Byron Bay. But if money was no object, I'd love to take my family to London for an extended visit with my sister & then take everyone to live in Barcelona and Tuscany for a year! 

 
What are you reading right now?

I've just finished a "Scarecrow" by Micheal Connelly. I do love a good crime novel now and then. 

 
What is your favorite website(s) ? The Finders Keepers blog, for all that is fresh & new in the Indie-design world. Kitty Came Home for vintage fabric journals & purses; and my online store Rockrose Handmade.

Zoe is donating this gorgeous necklace to the Hamper Giveaway at Piccadilly Market on Sunday 4th August

In the Spotlight : Superficial Sadie

The fabulous Superficial Sadie was In the Spotlight last year which you can read here. Darcie has added some new beautiful pieces to her range she wanted to share with you.

She is introducing a new gemstone range which incorporates beautiful faceted natural gems, with her own hand-rolled beads. They are a little more delicate, but still bright and unique with the Sadie look. Also - the tassel styles look great,   lots of big bold tassels in the current styles. She also started including a single 'S' stamped bead in each necklace as a Superficial Sadie hand-made signature.

I am sure you will agree the range looks great.


Darcie has very kindly donated this necklace for the 4th of August Hamper Giveaway

Shame on you Katie Hopkins

I really need to vent.

Have you seen the comments made by Katie Hopkins about children's names? If you have not, make yourself a cuppa and watch this and then let me know what you think.

How do you feel?

No matter how I look at it, I am saddened and disappointed by her words. My first thought is she is totally taking the piss and if she is shame on her, it is not remotely funny. My 2nd thought is she is trying to get her face on TV again so again shame on her for using this as her vehicle. My 3rd is that she honestly believes what she is spewing and that gets the biggest SHAME ON YOU.

Fancy judging a child or any person for that matter by their name. Katie will not let her children have play dates with people named Dylan, Phoenix, Chelsea and the list goes on. She says knowing a child has a name like Dylan is a short cut to knowing that the mother is most likely overweight, wears stretch leggings and does not read a newspaper. WTF!!!!!  Really!!!!

The same day that I first heard this story, I also saw that the 3 girls who were locked in a basement for 10 year in  Cleveland had made they first TV appearance. Someone had commented on a FB post and I so wish I had it word for word. They were basically saying what amazingly strong women they are and that they will make it and their experience will make them appreciate life, the meaning of life and why we are here on Earth.

Sadly this Katie is so full of herself and her crazy ideas that she has no understanding about life or people.

Aghhhh!!!!! She has so pressed my buttons and she goes on to say that people who have had their buttons pushed feel that way because they agree with her. Disagree Strongly.

You know the truth is, maybe if one of my kids came home and said they had a new friend called Chardonnay, I may stop and be  little surprised by the name choice but there is no way the story would end there. I would never, ever judge someone on something so shallow. I would meet Chardonnay and her family and see is we shared the same value system.

I wish she could use her passion and conviction towards something real and something that matters.

She disapproves of State names like Georgia, Savannah and Indiana but her daughter is India, somehow that is different. No Seasons like Summer are allowed. Where does it stop? Her daughter is Poppy, so flowers are allowed.

I absolutely know this woman and I would never get along. What a sad life filled with sad, pompous people she must live. She is a self confessed snob to the highest degree.

I hate that the media is giving her air time and kind of mad I am giving her blog space but I have to let it out.

How do you feel?

In the Spotlight - Alchemist's Grove

Today I would like to introduce you to Kerrie from Alchemists's Grove who will be at Piccadilly Market on 4 August. 

Tell us a little about yourself?  I'm married with two primary school aged kids. I love long walks on the beach and spending time with friends and family. 

How did you come up with your business name? Alchemist's Grove. From a joke a girlfriend made that I was going over to the dark side (cosmetics). This was after having worked in the hard sciences for years as an analytical chemist.

Alchemy is aimed at magically transforming a substance of little value into one of great value. Alchemist's traditionally sought ways of turning base metals into gold and searched for the universal solvent and elixir of youth. The Grove side came from Ocean Grove where I live.

Tell us how your product/range/business came about?  I was looking for something that fit in with my professional skills and with my family life.

With fussy skin I appreciated great handmade soap. We have such beautiful oils available locally to make soap with, I wanted to use them to make a great product. After spending some time working out a few great base recipes. I got to the fun part which I absolutely love, the creative aspect of playing with colours and fragrance. I know I have way too many soaps in my line up but having the freedom to play around with special editions is half the fun of having my own business. I love working with natural colours and the freshness and complexity of essential oils. They have something that is missing from many fragrance oils.

How long have you been in business for?  It will be 3 years in October.

What inspires you? A whole range of things; sometimes it's a colour I spot and I want a scent to match, sometimes I have an idea in mind of a particular blend of scents I want to try. Sometimes it is an event like the winter solstice soap I made last year.

Have you always been ‘creative’ or has it bloomed later in life? I always loved art and creating things at school although I went on to have a more practical career.

When you are not busy creating what do you love doing? Walking on the beach, gardening, playing with the kids and helping out at the Ocean Grove Surf Lifesaving club.

What is something cool that most people wouldn’t know about you?  I'm a 6th generation Geelong kid and I spent 6 years working with natural poisons at CSIRO.

If money was no object what would be your dream destination? I'd love to spend a year travelling around the world me too!!!

 What are you reading right now? The Big Year by Mark Obmascik, It's about 3 crazy American birdwatchers and the insane lengths they went to one year to spot the most North American birds in that calendar year.

What is your favorite website(s) ? My favourite soaping forum.

Kerrie is kindly donating 3 soaps to the giveaway hamper on 4 August

Why I decided to welcome a Thermomix into my home..

Ok, so for years now I have been hearing about the fabulous Thermomix and all it can do and how I of all people really needs one. Upon hearing the price I have just blocked my ears and said La la la every time someone talked about it.

THEN it started showing up in my newsfeed on Facebook.

"Wow look at the sorbet I made in 2.4 minutes"
"I just made me own pesto, stock and tikka paste"
"Look at my amazing green smoothie"
" I just made the kids snack for the week in 1 hour"

Aghhhhh!!!!!  Make them stop.

So when my Aunt announced she was going overseas I found myself asking if I could loan hers for a few weeks and thats when I entered the slippery slope of no return.

One of my friends Sophie became a consultant and I told her she could practise on me and BFF Peg but 100% no way was I buying one.  10 minutes into our demo Peg and I looked at each other and were "Holy Crap I really need one of these"

Day 1, I started with my own beautiful, amazing Tikka Paste that in turn made amazing butter chicken that had the kids licking their plates. Tick.

Day 2 was the crazy, amazing fried rice from Quirky Cooking done on all 3 levels of the Thermo. No oil and totally relish. Tick.

Day 3 and why don't I make my own chicken concentrate from scratch that now gets dolloped into lots of meals.

Day 4 lets try some of the super creamy, delicious, lump free custard that everyone raves about...yep its that good.

Think I should pull out the paperwork and see how I can pull this thing of.

Day 5 Beef Stroganoff yumminess that had some more licking of plates

Day 6  I cant believe I waited 6 days to try fruity dream. Raw sugar and frozen fruit whipped up with an egg white in 3 minutes to produce the best dessert ever.

Hook, line and sinker

In the days that followed was shortcrust pastry, pizza dough for school rolls, lemon curd, vegetable concentrate, tuna casserole and much more.

"Hi Sophie, how quickly can I get my Thermo baby"

I so did not want to be one of 'those' people that post pics and boast online about their Thermo adventures. I am currently sitting on my hands to not post daily, we will see how long I last on Facebook. You really will want to scream it from the roof tops. Crazy I know.

Why Do I Love my Thermomix?

1. It  weighs, mixes, beats, grinds, blends, steams, cooks, whips and probably way more that I have 

not discovered yet. It replaces so many of my kitchen gadgets.

2. The time it saves. At 12 noon I can get up from my desk, throw a bunch of fresh veggies in to cook for 20 minutes, come back blend and lunch is ready. I would never leave my desk to go chop, cook, stir, wait till cool down, pour into blender and then eat hours later and then have loads of washing up. I can make spur of the moment decisions.

3. I know what is going into my food, no nasties, all the good stuff. It makes me feel good and healthy and that I am doing the right thing by my kids.

4. It has re ignited my passion for coking that got a little lost with kids and running a business from home and truly having no time.

5.AND it grinds and makes coffee perfectly for when I am consulting at home. Not to mention the goodies I can whip up to eat.

Yes it is a lot of money but I do believe it will save you money as you will be preparing a lot of food that you used to buy. We buy cars with the bells and whistles,  Fancy fridges, air conditioners, computers and smart phones. This is another of those things we want to make life easier and better.

They have great payment plans so have a demo and check it out.  My consultant Sophie is fabulous, her  passion is inspiring and her love of healthy eating and fitness is great to see. If you are in the Geelong area and would like a demo contact me for her details.

Let me know if you have any questions.

In The Spotlight - love.heart.home

I would like to introduce a brand new business to Piccadilly Market, the lovely Hayley from love.heart.home

Tell us a little about yourself? I am 25 and work full time at a government agency in Geelong.  I am the type of person who always has to be doing something, I cant think of anything worse for me then finishing work and coming home with nothing to do, so not only was I in the process of finishing off my old house and planning my own wedding, I thought I needed something else to do so I started my own business…. And I’ve never looked back! I do this as a hobby, to me its not a job. I love going to markets on weekends and meeting new customers as well as taking the time to chat to other stall holders and see what they are selling. I’m a bit of a market Junkie haha Me too!!!

How did you come up with your business name? After days of brainstorming I decided I wanted to name my business something that I would be able to carry on through my product. I Love making makings and I love the idea of people having something that I made in their homes. By throwing ‘Heart’ in the mix, I was able to carry that through the range by hand tying wooden love hearts to every jar as well as having my melts in love heart shapes. It took a bit of playing around with but love.heart.home just sums up everything I do. I love it

Tell us how your product/range/business came about? I was at a market in Lakes Entrance and I saw a girl selling candles. I turned to my husband and said ‘I think I could do that’. A sigh of relief from the husband as he finally thought he saw an end to my excessive candle purchasing! Six months later and I started to do some research. I wanted to make my candles visually different to others out there so I have gone with a vintage / homely feel with my jars, labels and finishing.  Just recently, I thought i needed to expand my business a little more so i have just branched out into the wedding industry, creating wedding bonbonniere for guests to enjoy.

How long have you been in business for? Just on 18 months now. 

What inspires you? Other small business owners. I know first hand how hard it is to have an idea and then make it into reality, but the success of others just makes me more driven to grow my own business. 

Have you always been ‘creative’ or has it bloomed later in life? I have always felt I had a bit of creative flair…. But lets be honest, I was never any good at expressing it! Not since I started my business have I been able to really show people what I am capable of. what a great feeling that is!

When you are not busy creating what do you love doing? Reading house magazines dreaming about how I am going to renovate my new home! 

What is something cool that most people wouldn’t know about you? When I was overseas I sat next to Madonna at a restaurant in Paris WOW!!!

If money was no object what would be your dream destination?  Holidaying in the south of France with a quick trip over to Barcelona to enjoy the amazing street markets they have. 

What are you reading right now?  The Great Gatsby

What is your favorite website(s) ? Etsy….. oh and Pinterest of course!! 

Hayley is kindly donating one of her beautiful candles to our giveaway hamper on the 4th of August