CONTACT DETAILS

You can contact us on 084 330 2121( Sacha) or drop us a mail info@onceuponaparty.co.za

MARKET DAY

Untill next time...

SA GARDEN & HOME

So look what it's in the June issue of Garden & Home! I'm so excited and so happy with how it all came out. Available now. Both these pieces are available to buy, the server on the left - "TIRAMISU" is R 2 500 and the Black Display Cupboard "MADEMOISELLE" is R 5 000.

GA-RAGE - VERB

ga·rage verb /gəˈräZH/  /-ˈräj/ 
an outbuilding (or part of a building) for housing automobiles.Put or keep (a motor vehicle) in a garage

  I think not! Not in my case anyway. Oops!

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

So this beauty has been hanging out in my garage for months now. I eventually sent it off to go get it self some new clothes. Here are a few befores.

And here she is in her 'new clothes'!

HOME AGAIN,HOME AGAIN! MARKET IS DONE.

 Large Letters - R 60 / Small Letters - R 30 / Box Frame "24" made with vintage printing blocks - R 300

 "BACK PAGE" - Large Occasional chair covered in newsprint Fabric,buy this chair and read all about it -

R 4 000

 

"X-FILES" Red Side Table - R 1 200

"TYPO" Coffee Table - R 1 800 and 98 year old "SWEET IDA" memory box - R 1 500

TOP 10 MISTAKES

10 biggest interior decorating mistakes people make by Brooke

 

Decorating is such a fun thing for me that I have developed confidence over the years to help others. It's a knack that I love. It started small with just family and friends, and escalated to helping many. It is fun for me to help others overcome their challenges in the decorating process. During this process, I have noticed barriers that people struggle with. Interior decorating mistakes are easy to make. Today I'd like to discuss the top ten biggest decorating mistakes that I have seen become a pattern. 

1. FEAR
I've seen this one the very most out of all of these mistakes. People are afraid. They are afraid to paint their walls a color that they will hate. They are afraid to buy the wrong couch. They are afraid to paint their furniture because they might "ruin" it. So, instead of having a decorated, stylish, fabulous home that they so desperately want, they don't decorate at all. My answer to this is simple, YOU WON'T KNOW IF LIKE IT UNTIL YOU TRY IT! Do you think I've LOVED every color I have painted my walls? Nope. I haven't. But, paint costs $25.00 a gallon. If I paint a wall, and I hate it, I paint over it. Have I painted furniture and hated it? Yep. Then I change it again. I have even reupholstered a chair...it took hours and hours....and got almost done and HATED it. So, I redid it. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. No one is perfect. If you try something new and it's terrible, try something else. Look at it in a trial by error experience. Don't be afraid. Just do it, I know you want to!

2. Lack of a plan:
Do you have a room that you want to decorate, but you don't have a plan? Well, you are not alone. In fact, you have a LOT of company. A lot of people need help to plan their decorating. Some are better are visualizing than others. No worries. Get a few magazines and start looking at them. Make notes as to what you like in those magazines. Inspiration is always key when you are trying to plan your decorating.  Soon, you will find yourself thinking, "Man, that would look great on my wall!" If you don't have a plan, it is easy to get side tracked. Soon you could find yourself five years down the road in the same boat you are today. It's amazing how fast time flies when you don't have a plan.

3. Unrealistic plan.
Try to stay grounded in your plan. Remember that decorating may take time, and a plan that is too vigorous or labor intensive is a disaster waiting to happen. For example, if you find yourself thinking:
"I have a plan, I'm going to replace all of my carpet with hardwood flooring, replace all my kitchen cabinets, and knock out this wall" your plan is probably unrealistic (unless you are in the middle of a massive remodel). Start with deciding what color to paint your walls and move forward from there. It may help you to focus on one room at a time. After that room is decorated, move to another room.

4. The "When I..." mentality
When I have a house I will decorate. When I have more money I will decorate. When my kids are older I will decorate.  REALITY CHECK: If you have the "when I" mentality, you will probably NEVER decorate. Just sayin'.

5. Decorating the "necessity" anxiety
Some people feel guilty for spending money on decorating and say that it isn't a "necessity." They calculate those costs into "wants" instead of "needs." I understand what makes people do this, but I enjoy having a decorated home. It helps me enjoy life. I realize that everyone may not be similar to me, but if my house isn't decorated, it seems unfinished. This in turn, makes me feel unsettled. A decorated home can make your home feel like it's YOUR HOME. 

6. Lack of confidence
A lot of people have expressed concerns about making decorating decisions. If you lack confidence in this area, don't fret, you are not alone. Just like anything else, practice makes perfect. Plus, if you can't seem to make a decision, hire an interior decorator to help you. That is what we are there for. A lot of people can't visualize the entire room by themselves. 

7. Consistency
In order to keep your home up to date, you need to decorate a little bit at a time. If you have a room that has had the same decor for the last 20 years, you may want to think about changing it up a bit. If you consistently change a few items each year, your home will continually stay in style.

8. Money is key
In my experience, most people out there think they have to spend a LOT of money on decorating their home.  If you know me at all, you know that this is not the case. BUT, I am willing to do the grunt work myself. In DIY decorating, you eliminate most costs by doing your own work. All Things Thrifty teaches you how to do things yourself and it will save you a LOT of money on decorating your  home. You don't need thousands of dollars to decorate your home, but you do need SOME. I have noticed that some have an expensive taste for wine, but have a beer sized budget. Remember that purchasing an entire bed set from Pottery Barn may seem tempting at times, but you have to evaluate your budget. To most this is a huge mistake. You will end up with furniture and nothing else.

9. I know what a "don't like" but not sure what a do like
When I hear this, I silently chuckle a bit. Some feel pressure to like what everyone else likes. PLEASE don't do this. You have every right to have your home decorated the way YOU want it to be decorated. It may take some time and effort to decide what you like though. Inspiration is key here. You need to get a few magazines and start searching for your likes and dislikes. If it helps, take a black sharpie marker and circle the things you like. If you are a computer savvy searcher, start saving photos into an "inspiration" folder on your computer. If you hate everything you see, I would be VERY surprised.

10. Unsure of decorating style
Don't fret. This one is pretty common also. Those of us who are decorators don't expect you to know the difference between contemporary and traditional decorating styles. The GREAT thing is that mixing styles is A ok. You don't need to stick completely with one style in your decorating anyway. Having a distinctive style is ok too.  But, if you really want to know your style, check out this fun style quiz from Ethan Allen.

DANCING DISCO DIVAS

 On Saturday was my BFF's daughter, Angelina's 10th Birthday Party.

 The Invitations

  

We made a backdrop/curtain of old vinyl records tied together with cable ties.

And cut out lots of  circles from colored contak paper. We stuck them down and held thumbs they came off again. Luckily they did.

The Cake

The Birthday Girl in the middle

Hula Hooping - So much harder than I remember.

 Showing the lil Diva's how it's done

Just some general fooling around.LOL!

Now to think what i'm going to do with all those records...

SOOTY

 

Just look at what Sooty made for me! Isn't she clever...hehe. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there! xx

BLOGGERS AND YOUR BRAND

 

Wise words from The Publicist

 

 

 

 

According to new research released today, 93% of the female bloggers surveyed are eager to partner with brands. How ironic then, that 60% have never been approached by a brand or agency to work on a campaign!

50,000 women bloggers in the BlogFrog network were surveyed in April, and these bloggers give brands and publicists a great insight, and help us to understand the most effective ways to partner with them and generate brand affinity.

The following information can help you and your brand, so grab a pen and take notes:

• Compensation matters. 90% are interested in working with brands, so long as there is some form of compensation. Compensation could be in the form of free or discounted products or services, traffic to the blogger’s blog, press and notoriety. Only 15% of bloggers said that money had been exchanged for a brand partnership.
• Joining forces for a good cause. Campaigns that include an element of social good increase trust levels for 56% of bloggers surveyed.
• Who referred your product or brand to the blogger? 70% of bloggers trust a brand more that is promoted or recommended by someone they know from a blog or social media.
• Bloggers view brand collaborations as a positive not a negative. Almost all women bloggers have positive opinions on brand sponsored social media and blog campaigns. They are open to partnering, as long as it is authentic, high quality, helps generate revenue for the blogger, and is fun!
• Build a relationship. Almost 60% of female bloggers indicate they want long-term, deeper relationships with a few special brands. So read blog posts, comment on blogs and engage in the conversation happening online.
• Is your publicist doing their job efficiently? Of the brand and product pitches bloggers receive, most are rejected by the majority of bloggers. Only half the bloggers accept more than 20% of the pitches in their inbox.
• David .vs Goliath. Apparently, publicists and brands are saturating the top 10% of bloggers based on readership while possibly overlooking smaller, niche blogs that are quite influential and carry loyal readerships.

How interesting, right? This info clearly shows us that publicists need to be active listeners and participants, to authentically engage with these influential women online. In other words, keep it real and actually care about what bloggers are saying to you.

Another interesting tidbit of information is that brands such as Purex, Disney, Kraft, Silhouette, Proctor & Gamble, and CSN were given high marks for their blogger relations. If these multi-million dollar corporations are taking the time to engage and connect with bloggers, don't you think you should be doing it too?

*The results by the BlogFrog survey were analyzed by the independent social media research company, the Social Studies Group. You can check out the full research report here.

3 DOWN

A little something from The Department of Public Works. 

I found it buried under loads of stuff in a storeroom it had been there for years.

 I only realised right at the end after I had picked off all the numbers and removed all the doors that all 64 keys were in one little box. DUH!

THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MARKET

Market on Main that is! Here is our stand for Sunday 1st May.

We had a fantastic day!! May all the pieces we sold be very happy in their new homes.