It’s been a year and a half since I last hosted a Pink Party, and A LOT has happened since then. White Kite became a branding exclusive studio, and we picked up our stuff and moved it all to Sydney. The last 4 months has been a whirlwind of all the feels, from extreme excitement to intense fear and everything in between. So far I absolutely love living in Sydney. It’s so beautiful over here (a good enough match to CT), and we’ve integrated well into a friendly new community and neighbourhood. I’ve enjoyed exploring the beaches, going to all of the free art museums and eating my heart out at the endless amount of vegan/vegetarian restaurants. Our new house has also come together nicely, and apart from having more friends around, it really feels like home now.
The hard part about relocating has not been the adjustment to a new place though, but rather the thought of what the future might look like now that we are living 11 000 km away from everything and everyone that we know and love. On a personal level that’s been scary and very saddening at times, but it’s also been an uncertain time for my business and career.
There’s some hard work ahead for me, as I’m basically starting from scratch again after 4 years of killing it. Right now, it’s all about restrategising, finding new networks, meeting new people, suppliers and clients and adjusting my brand message to a new culture and environment. In essence, it’s everything that I’ve been preaching about at my workshops for the last 3 years… So, when I got the opportunity to travel back to SA in June, I decided that it would be the perfect time to set up an in-person workshop again. Not only for the people that I got to share 3 days with, but also as an opportunity for myself to reanalyse my own business.
The workshop went smashingly well, and my heart feels so happy to know that 21 lovely attendees could walk away with something valuable. A special thanks goes out to the FANTASTIC group of suppliers that helped to make this event so beautiful and delicious! First of all, I could not have asked for a better venue. The Shed at Overgaauw farm in Stellenbosch is a gem of industrial chic minimalist beauty, and the service and help that I got from them was impeccable. I also finally got the opportunity to collaborate with Slippery Spoon on the catering, and all of our minds were blown by their creativity and downright delicious flavour combos. My friend Pippa from Wildeflower was on board for decor and flowers, and I simply gave her an open brief. I trust her creativity with all my heart, and have really enjoyed watching her journey since she attended my last Durban workshop in 2016. Also, thanks so much to the goodie bag sponsors for treating my guests and making the whole experience that much prettier: Lulu & Marula, Simply Granola, The Cotton Company, Elysian Creative, Wetink, Studio Melissa Louise and Zana.
Lastly, I want to make special mention to Lia Rothman Cakes, that surprised us with the most delicious and pretty cake on the last day. I felt so honoured, and we devoured every last crumb at the cocktail hour. If you’re getting married or just have a reason to celebrate, PLEASE get in touch with Lia (she bakes the most delicious cake on the planet).
If you’d like to read more about what the Pink Party is all about, or check out the past workshops, then follow this link. But first, enjoy these snaps by talented photographer Hanru Marias.