an arrangement of things I would like to have included in my collection of lovely things.

one. ksubi glasses. two. Rachel Comey boots. three. Homestead Candlesticks.  four. Uniform Wares watches.

It is one of those things, that as a result of all the online mentionings, and of course the huge impact it has had on me, I feel like I need to write about.  get it out and share what is going on!  if you follow along on any of my social medias, you would have probably heard the news that Leeloo is closings its doors for good.  BIG SIGH.  huge news for me, because Leeloo is just Angela and a little bit of me (and all the amazing and wonderful designers that make it what it is), so it in a way it feels like letting go of a little piece of myself.

It is not something I feel like I can really sum up, and I am not even sure what I would say.  I know that the things that are meant to happen, will happen, but I can’t help but hold Leeloo responsbile for a lot, and I mean a LOT of the amazing awesome things that have happened to me, and things that I have been able to experience.  not only have I been able to sell my art, and have it exposed to the greater community, I have grown with a network and community of amazing and like minded people, through the online AND the real world (who would have thought hey?).  I’ve made some friendships that I will have for life.

Weird crazy shit too.  like being chosen to be on the cover of a magazine, and also being featured in the(sydney)magazine, all opportunities that came about as a result of my connection with Leeloo.  traveling to BERLIN for Hello Etsy, again, direct result of Leeloo.  my involvement with the most amazing market of all time the Finders Keepers market, and places I have seen and the people I have met as a result… Leeloo.  art shows, travel, craftathons, workshops, meetings, events, parties and most of all being on the receiving end of the most amazingly generous gestures from this beautiful beautiful community.  you guys rule.

I guess the most bittersweet thing of all, is that if it wasn’t for Leeloo, I would never had met the most amazing, inspiring, beautiful, strong, passionate and extremely hilarious woman I have ever known.  Angela started Leeloo all by herself, and after all my nagging (hehe) to be involved she opened up to me, allowing me to see, look and learn all the craziness that goes into owning your own business.  every single day was, and still is an awesome learning experience, one I will never forget.  all this business-ness aside, the most important thing of all is that I made a friend for life, the most bestest most amazing friend that one could ever want.  and yes, I still pinch myself every day wondering how I ended up with the lucky end of the deal!!

So yep, you probably also saw that Angela will be working for Etsy very very soon.  which is just outrageous because only a few months ago her and I were standing out the front of Etsy Labs in Berlin, pinching ourselves like crazy wondering how on earth we got to be standing where we were.  just shows that with lots of hard work and determination, and with the support of the most amazing community of people behind you (thanks guys!) you really can achieve anything.

before you all start to worry about poor Renee Anne and what she might be doing for work now (!!), I am also very lucky to be working for an amazing company, Koskela, doing something that I love. follow them on Facebook and Twitter and read their blog, because shhhh don’t tell anyone but that is me making all that happen.  I am still freelancing too, I probably should get my act together and post some of my recent work, there has been a lot of it!

I think that is enough text for one blog post, but there you have it.  life is pretty crazy right now, but for all the right reasons.

don’t forget that courageous acts give you courage, something from Chad Dickerson at Hello Etsy, and something that I will never, ever forget.

// images by me, except the Polaroid of me, Ange, Sarah and Brooke which was expertly snapped by the talented Feather + Stone team. 

boots :: sessun
socks :: gorman
dress :: pam
rug :: koskela
tattoo :: no pain no brain

// images by me

I always find myself looking around and up at all the lovely surroundings.  I am so lucky to live where I do!

// image by me

is it wrong to say I get obsessed with looking at my own pins?  it is equally wrong to admit that a little bit of strategic pinning comes into play to make things look extra pretty? follow me – and tell me if you pin along too!

// screen shot of my pins – click to be taken to pinterest for the image sources.

because it isn’t quite she & him, but it IS extremely awesome and probably will always remain as the most watched youTube video from this IP address which is saying something as I am definitely a youTube video repeater when I find something amazing.  honestly.  nothing else exists in the world more awesome than this.

// found via Angela and Pip and probably blogged 1 million times but I need to have a piece of this on renee anne.  oh and image via Hello Giggles, which outrageously is Zooey’s own website, created with her besties, further proving that she really is the most amazing person.  ever.  at all.

I am not sure why, but I know that when I have little pots of cacti in my house it makes me feel better about most things.  here is my original drawing for On The Wall (Leeloo / Finders Keepers Syd Dec 11) which has now found a (hopefully) loving new home.  yipee!!  although as weird as it sounds, I always get a little sad when an original drawing is no longer is my possession.

// image + illustration by renee anne

take me back there.  please.  I wake up every morning, wondering why I am not waking up in Paris, or at the very least Berlin.   for more paris + berlin photos click here (although I have been finding it a little buggy, so I might look into making it a better running website…)

// images by me.

there has been a little progress around here on the website front.  ok, so no sign of a portfolio (yet) but I will get there.  I am just working out some different ways of displaying my work.  but at least there are some new little illos for you.  let me know what you think!

// illustration by me, renee anne