Please help me to exhibit at the Wellington Women's Expo in July

Please Help Me To Exhibit At The Wellington Women's Expo In July

Project 2022-06-26 13:58:48 +1200

In brief…..

At such a crucial time, I can no longer afford to use our sole income to build my business. Getting to exhibit at the Woman’s Expo means the world to me. This will enable me to launch my business with its new look, and get my name out there in time for the upcoming wedding season.

In detail….

Starting out making sustainable living walls, Framed Alive is about to relaunch as a wedding, function and home staging business, with a difference.

I am on a mission to turn events eco-friendly, by bringing simplistic and elegant, bold and colourful, vintage or seasonal decoration. We have the décor to create a story, whether it be for a wedding, anniversary, birthday, product launch, photography background or some instant life to home staging.

Framed Alive has a unique difference, setting us apart from other event hire businesses. I will be forging a new path in event hire, using decorations that are not only produced by upcycling, recycled products, everywhere possible, but we also run the business in a sustainable way. Our recycled “planters” will be brimming with living lush foliage, beautiful colours and gorgeous texture, with the plants being grown and cared for by us. And, when we go to an event, there will be no waste when we leave.

This journey started about 5 years ago when diagnosed with a hereditary autoimmune arthritis. At the time I was working as a recreation officer in a local rest home, with my sights firmly fixed on becoming a diversional therapist. My biggest challenges initially were with my feet therefore I have had to change my career path frequently. At this time an opportunity came up for me to attend a Pop-Up Business School (Now Rebel Business School) course. From here on in I started my small business. A year and a half in, I had to make a choice to either close my business due to my arthritis, or work towards relaunching in a new way. At this point I started using a wheel chair to go any further than 100 metres or so, due to the pain. Initially it was pretty tough, but I was determined that it wasn’t going to stop me from doing what I was passionate about. Taking control of my life, I learnt about using self-affirmations to help me deal with adversity, create positive emotions, and improve my health. Being able to earn an income and work from home is important to me, so I can cover many of the costs of my business, which up until now, have often come from my husband’s income. It has also given me the ability to support my eldest son, who is on the Autism spectrum, through into adulthood and to give my youngest support, as he has been also diagnosed with a chronic health condition.

I have brought an element of community into my business over time, and have volunteered with two adults, who are differently abled. They love to come and potter, plant seeds, make planted arrangements and just be, taking in the smells and sounds of nature in my garden. I know how valuable spending time like this is for one’s wellbeing, and I want to be able to share what we have with others. I would like to extend this in the future, by inviting people who may not otherwise have the chance to enjoy nature, to come and enjoy our garden, do some planting and take their creativity home. We will also be raising funds for Gumboot Friday this year.  

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