A New Chapter

Rue Magazine

They say in life we are presented with challenges that shape who we are, these challenges - whether its loss of someone you love, personal conflict, feelings of anger, fustration and even feelings of failure often are the key factors in our life that determine and change our destiny. For me the loss was my step son, watching him die over several months from a severe car accident has been possibly the worst experience of my life and it has changed me in so many ways. Boys and cars, I will never understand why speeding is fun! To endure watching my husband now suffer on a daily basics has made me understand that nothing and simply nothing matters more in life than your children and family.

As you know I started my business Verandah House in October last year, we launched the range a few weeks before the accident, we had no choice but to move forward and I had to take on the role of keeping my family together. We endured over 25 operations and spent more time in ICU than in my home and office. Thanks to the press and my agent, we were able to get our product out there in a very difficult time, to say "I was all over the place" ( a comment circulating in the industry at the time) was an understatement, I could hardly function. Six months on, we made the right desicision to hand Verandah House over to another company called Sasson Home, I have known Sarah for a long time and I couldnt think of anyone better to take over the range and to continue to expand the collection.

I must admit after selling Lily-G over a year and a half ago, launching Verandah House and helping Jess with her online store made me think about what I really want to do, I'm 44 and there is not much I havent tried. I'm an aries what can I say, we are determined, motivated and head strong and I know I'm always looking for a new venture. Failure is not in my vocab, but if things dont turn out I dust myself off and pat myself on the back for giving it ago (Well thats after a few wines and words of encouragement from my hubby haha!).

So after 44 years I'm going back to what I love most and what I have done most of my life in between several ventures and that to decorate beautiful homes, isn't it funny in life how we go full circuit? I started decorating when I married my first husband (Okay I'm onto my second, not bad one every 20 years haha only joking!). I was 19 years old and we had two beautiful children and built award winning homes, I opened Sabaar, an exotic morrocan/indian inspired homewares store back in the 80's, then 19 years on my marriage ended and so did the store. I then met my present husband who had lost his wife and overnight I became a mother of five children and at 38 years old Lily was conceived! If you love the Brady Bunch I was Carol and Alice put together! I needed to help support the Brady Bunch so I opened Lily-G and named it after our little girl, five years on...I sold it hence the start of Verandah House.

So my blog will remain the same, but I'm working on some changes as I know longer can go under the name Verandah House, my first project is a majestic old lady but more on that next week, for now I have bored you with my babble and I promise my posts will be from now on short and sweet x