Back to School!

These beautiful images are by photographer Vivienne Mok. They feature the Cecilia and Virgins dresses, and were taken for Audrey Grace Boutique. Vivienne's images are so dreamy, and I think her style suits the dresses perfectly! I had to share them...

I can't believe it's February already! It seems like every year just moves faster than the last... 2013 has been great so far, and I have been taking the time over January to put in place some changes this year which I am feeling really positive about. First up, I have an exciting announcement to make! I have been accepted into a course in Environmental Horticulture at Melbourne Uni. I applied for the course last year and was lucky enough to receive a first round offer. So it's back to Uni for me!

This is obviously a pretty big change in my life, and I agonised a lot over the decision. There were a whole lot of influencing factors in my choice, but the main ones were these: firstly, I discovered I had a pretty big passion for working with plants in 2012, and I was feeling a strong craving to learn more. Secondly, I wanted to get a meaningful qualification in something that I enjoyed, that would provide me with options for making a decent income outside of Frances Baker. My Arts degree, whilst very lovely and intellectual stimulating, has unfortunately not set me on the path for a whole lot of employment options out in the real world, and with Frances Baker not being at the point of providing a reliable income, it was pretty stressful feeling like I didn't have a plan B to fall back on in terms of employment. Finally, my passion for the environmental issues of our time is still a driving force in my life, and I wanted to have the opportunity to learn a trade where I might have a chance to help the environment every day I go to work!

So that's my big news so far in 2013. Obviously this means I will have a bit less time to focus on Frances Baker, but that doesn't mean I intend to give it up! I am still passionate about clothing, and sustainable fashion, and I'm hoping Frances Baker might help to provide me with a little income to help support myself through the year. I don't think I'll be able to do big (for me) collections like I did last year, but I am quite excited about the idea of releasing new designs sporadically when I have the time to work on them.

My other news is that this weekend Sam and I moved into a lovely little apartment, just the two of us (and Pepper of course)! Our dear friend and housemate Sarah is departing with her man to a new life in London, and we decided that rather than try to find a new housemate, we were ready to find a smaller home we could afford to rent together. I am quite in love with our new abode, and my new sewing room, which I now share with Sam and his desk. So far it's been been pretty awesome having company while I work in the evenings!

So overall now I feel like things are starting to fall in to place. I'm ready to get stuck in to whatever the year may hold...