The start of a fresh year always brings back memories of hot summers, plenty of ice cream, covering school books (gotta love contact), staying up late surrounded by an air filled with promise of new adventures near.
What do you remember about this time of year as a kid?
We hope you have started your year relaxed and had time to reunite with fam & friends.
The year of 2014 (Year of the Horse according to Google) And hopefully that means we’ll gallop into January (its already the 11th) with a healthy list of promises (resolutions) of what will be - no pressure of course. How many of you do this, we wonder?
The term failing to plan is a plan to fail is vaguely playing in our ears however so is the ‘living in the present’ theory. Most will have an opinion on what’s the best method to start the year so while bringing up the topic, we are more interested in wishing you love, health and happiness.
This year I, (CJ) hope to share more quality time with hubby, Paul (thus now having Sundays off), looking after my health by revisiting Pilates & traveling (watch that space as LFB’ers, you will get to ‘somewhat’ come along). Sharing time with friends I have not seen since opening LFB with any quality. Oh and of course happiness for me comes when we keep stretching our little LFB with new initiatives to keep you (and us) entertained.
Le’V is hoping to give birth to a beautiful baby in May (she twitches) whilst trying to share her time with her man and fur baby ChloeDancer (post baby late night feeds), maintain her LFB influence (yay), continue to have excellent energy.
This year we will be hosting many workshops to connect with the ‘look good’ aspects of LFB, the ‘feel great’ attributes and the ‘be the difference’ initiatives. You can get your tickets online to our January workshop (which is this coming week).
If you have any workshop topics you would like us to consider, do yell!
Product wise there are new designs coming in fashion (from across the globe that will be, as always limited in numbers & different), jewellery (from very fine pieces to bold deco inspired fashion items), A shoe … Wait until you feel the AW14 Wedge Boot.
Just saying “you will want!” … Note: we will continue to only do a statement shoe each season not a collection and many other interesting & quirky finds from our travels.
The LFB offering will continue to evolve as we all grow.
We wish to turn the volume up on our online store to care for like minded women further afield and who knows, realistically the year ahead is written in the stars. Let them shine brightly on us all …
Happy New Year (albeit it is already the 11th)!
With a smile - CJ & Le’V - Team LFB xx
PS: Here’s a fashion tip for the first month of the year …
Christmas is fast approaching and we wanted to wish you a very happy one before the festivities ran away with us.
What a year! I hope you will have time to reflect back and feel a sense of satisfaction while looking ahead with positive anticipation. It’s always a time of consideration, appreciation and degustation, both Vanessa and I feel.
As we slow down enough to get present, we are grateful to you for your continued support of our little business that celebrates its 3rd Christmas and the friendships we have made, the lessons learnt and the fun had.
So with not a lot of time left here’s a few gift options for you to consider when going through your naughty and nice list …
These are our own products made right here in WA
LFB baby candle $20, LFB essential oil room spray $20, LFB perfume oil $49, LFB big candle $60, LFB Christmas cheer diffuser $69
Remember we use only the finest of essential oils and soy. No chemicals are used.
Why not a LFB Gift Certificate …
When you buy a gift certificate for $100 or more you will be gifted on the certificate a complimentary make up session with our resident make up artists (us) with a value of $69 as an extra bonus for your loved one to use anytime in the new year.
We use the beautiful Arbonne make up collection and give tips too.
In January & February we will be hosting a ‘refresh your look for the new year’ workshops
Dates and topics;
Thursday 16 January is with an emphasis on taking an old piece from your wardrobe and refreshing it (recycling, up cycling, LFBliking)
6-8pm. $20 a ticket (incl light food & champagne)
(redeemable on a purchase in the same month)
Thursday 13 February is with an emphasis on Bodyshaping enhancement tips (with the clothes you choose) for size 14/16 plus
6-8pm $20 a ticket (incl light food & champagne)
(redeemable on a purchase in the same month)
Thursday 27 February is with an emphasis on colour, make up & hair
6-8pm $20 a ticket (incl light food & champagne)
(redeemable on a purchase in the same month)
Bookings essential to secure your seat.
Closed from 25 December through the New Year and will reopen on Saturday the 4th of January at 10am.
Our online store will remain active at www.lookfeelbe.com.au
Please note we will be closed on Sundays in January as experience tells us you are all at the beach or in air con with a book (smiling).
If you have a current layby, please collect it before 24 December so you can wear it for your holidays.
Hot news as we head into a heat wave: It appears the Christmas Stalk arrived early at Le’V’s house. We will have a baby (Le’Peanut) in the fashion house!
Due in May 14 and the great news for all of us, she will return to work in the Spring perhaps with one of those baby sling things from our friends at SoSi on her so we can all ga ga …
Look out for the ‘how to dress for maternity success’ workshop next year’ … Smiling!
Happy Christmas with big smiles - Caroline (CJ) and Vanessa (Le’V) xx oh and now Le’P x
PS: We have a very talented young lady from Perth College performing every Saturday from 11 on our piano in store, pop by for a festive listen
Our last post was in late August as we danced our way through turning 2 celebrations. Where has the time gone, we ask ourselves. Visualise crazy woman with hair standing up on end and make up running from sweat beads with big eyes wide!
So what's been happening? What's not been happening! Well, we hired a house. That was fun. We took over for an afternoon the Blue Waters Perth Mansion on Canning Highway in Como. Do you know it? It has been a childhood fantasy of mine to own this Art Deco beauty and to have it for an afternoon into the evening was a true delight. It was to be the setting for our Look Feel Be Summer 2013 Signature Collection photo shoot...
Lots of fun was had with Andy (the Fox) otherwise known as my Design Partner on this collection, Juliet Borshoff, who was on hand representing Design Merchants (our scene setter for the day and allround, great LFB'er gal pal) along with our dear, Le'V modelling away with that trademark smile. She did an amazing job! Oh and we must acknowledge Poppy Poodle ...
The full LFB Summer collection can be seen online (and ordered) and don't forget to check out more images in our Look Book
Dropping in to check out the goings on at the ol Blue Waters residence was friend of LFB, And Andrea who we love and who could not resist capturing some further goings on ... check out her blog from the day
Then came Melbourne Cup! We partnered with Sittella Winery to host our Launch of the LFB Summer Collection with 140 guests. Oh what fun. The team at Sittella did everything. Well almost, Dancers (our always preferred, healthy, models) from Greenroom Entertainment were on hand to rally up the catwalk LFB style and as the race raced, frocks flowed and gasps were aplenty.
A big thank you to Lynn (love thy neighbour) from The Green Door Florist for making the floral head pieces for us!
It was a great afternoon topped off by Andy winning the sweep stakes!
And with the sun shining through November we head quickly to December...
Big kisses from all us of here at LFB!
Stay tuned for our next blog (promise you won't have to wait so long) with Christmas gift ideas to get you through the Christmas cheer...
With a smile ... CJ x
PS: Don't forget to book in for a special occasion make up session if you are heading out somewhere special over the festive weeks (bookings essential)
Two years ago on September 1 we opened the doors of little Look Feel Be Maylands as highlighted in a recent mailer out to loyal LFB'ers and to mark the occasion we went dancing!
Joining forces with great neighbours Estudio Nuevo we hosted a night of fun, fashion and dancing ...
Guests arrived on the trademark LFB red carpet sporting their Look Feel Be best ...
We all enjoyed fine wines from our friends at Sittella's Winery (delicious) which helped limber us up for the dance moves to follow...
Someone say Flamenco? With a variety of LFB'ers performing it was not only entertaining, it was inspiring ...
In between our dance workshop (which was not only a work out it was a crack up!) some of our LFB'ers put their hand up to show us their talent and we must say, they put us to shame (well some of us - wink wink) ... Check out Crystal doing her thing!
In between the dance floor moves, three of our finest LFB'ers debuted their modelling career in a... shall we say, 'fringe format - freestyle' way ... boasting new season garments, just in!
The LFB models did a fantastic job and were welcomed back for an encore! It was actually quite hard to get them off the Birthday stage. Pop in this weekend to see the pieces! They will be on line in next week or so (if they last that long!)
With a few magical moves across the dance floor by guests spontaneously moving their hips (male and female) there was a terrific vibe in the room ...
And then with a surprise out came LFB'er Gemma with her partner wearing a sizzling new season dress (hot!) ...
Thank you to all who came along and to the many beautiful LFB'ers who wrote to us to acknowledge our event that could not join us in this instance and the difference we have made to them. It means a lot to us.
Let the music continue in store (wish we could fit Tim into our little LFB everyday) - we look forward to dancing with you soon and don't forget we have many offers in our Birthday month ...
With a smile and a big thank you ... CJ & Le'V along with Team LFB x
PS: To see more pics from the party go to our facebook page!
With a leave note from our husbands and with Le’V holding HQ in fun, fashionable shape.….we were authorised to leave Perth city bound for weather fit Bali to start the production cycle of the ‘Look Feel Be’s’ Summer Collection; “aujourd'hui permet de voyager à thé”.
Over the past two years, I have been bringing together an extended team in Indonesia who are talented in the art of producing quality garments.
Fortunately my LFB Design Partner and all time crazy women Andy is on board to co-drive our design development (including pattern making and sampling) process with loving help from Le’V (our fit model among other business talents), myself (all round go to girl) and the off shore team headed up by Putu (production and quality control guru). Enough background.
Let’s fast forward to departing. With two massive suitcases full of patterns, design notes and samples, not to mention the key fabric for the range, we check in.
This is the first time Andy has left her 5 year old son Connor and gone away. She was military like in her prep regime with three days of his favourite meals carefully labelled in the fridge by day and all school uniforms ironed (including undies) stock piled ready to go in perfect condition. With a list for hubby to follow she gets in the car with guilt and anticipation (leaving her man in charge) that all will be chaos and hunger!
It is on boarding the plane that Andy confesses she has a fear of flying.…
With the help of Cody who Andy adopts as her personal flight attendant confidence kicks in as does the fun…..
It seemed like the longest flight, however, it had been a full on two days prior, so both of us were a little tired. Thank goodness we booked the ‘express service’ at the airport. If you have not tried this service, consider it. Flight Centre can organise it for you. EFFICIENCY plus. We were whisked through the airport (no lines) to see our long time driver with a big smile.
Peeling off the layers, it is super warm as we drive to the hotel; Bliss. No orange skin here (if you missed Vanessa’s disastrous fake tan experience check out the last blog) it’s all glowing white x 2!
Thanks Estelle Johnston (no relation) at Flight Centre Maylands for organising such a ripper deal and to Mr Boss man at the hotel for the upgrade!
Day 1: Up at 6am. Eat Indonesian breakfast. When in Rome you must, both Andy and I believe. Prepare at length notes before going off to finalise some additional fabrics needed. This all sounds rather glam perhaps, however, it is intense. The fabrics must perfectly match back with others previously selected, meet a price and width guideline, and be of high quality, oh and available in the volume we need.
After a late fuel stop for lunch (Indonesian of course) we are ready to bounce into’ Indo LFB offices’ with refuelled energy to burn and strong iced coffees in hand for the team.
Laptop out, fingers start typing into the production schedule as we work through samples, patterns, samples, patterns, theories, yield return on fabrics to be used, patterns, samples.… 4 hours later we are just about complete on all fronts. Phone rings and we all run out the door to dinner in different directions.
Andy and I selected a relaxed restaurant for dinner which turned into ground hog day. The common answer to all our questions….“I don’t know but I will find out.”
Escaping back to our room (thanks again Mr Boss man – have we said that already?) we stay up talking like school girls (sms back and forth with Le’V) for hours and hours brainstorming where to, how to, what to, who to and all the while loving the work of team, go to.
Day 2: Up at 8am. Production schedule emailed to ‘Indo LFB HQ’. Eat Indonesian breakfast. Tears appear thanks to extra chilli sauce we have both fallen for. Andy decides we will have the morning off. Well she has the morning off as I semi-work on laptop, poolside (love wi-fi – roof top style) while watching the reaction of others as she struts a new ‘flown in especially, Victoria Secret Sponge Bikini ‘.
Bored (and a little too red – overcast does not mean safe to baste)…. we decide to go adventuring and make our way to Seminyak. Both of us don’t mind a walk so we hit the pavement…me in my new shoes (some of you may recognise this style). I ‘now’ have them in every colour available. White was the last colour needed to complete the set!
Talking of colour … we decide it’s time for me to pop a copper coat on my hair and that’s where Bill (a dear friend of many of my dear friends) enters with Wella in hand. All while Le’V has a hair update too (connected!) unbeknown to us.… a fringe is now in the Maylands house.
LFB’ers, do stop by and visit his team when in Bali. This hottie was the smile behind Head Office for Hair in Perth many a year ago. Check it out on FB.
With new locks, Andy’s feet having experienced some reflexology and an off cut of Aloe Vera from the salons stash, we walk into ‘won’t ever let you down,’ Ultimo Restaurant for an early, inexpensive dinner. While this might all look glamourous; Andy and I have worked 7 days a week for weeks preparing for this trip and take a mo to acknowledge to do list; check check ...
Last day: Check in with Le’V, Le’Indo, Husbands and Connor (in no particular order). Eat. Indonesian breakfast. Meet fab Japanese guest who shows us that being different brings us together.
We do some more work while enjoying some warmth. Monitor our irresponsible sunburn. Hear from ‘Perth Now’ via twitter that weather warnings are in place for Perth on the way to airport. I look at Andy, she looks at me. We call out to LFB’ers via FB for up to date weather reporting when Virgin Crew we flew up with walk by and give us their word to help scared, crazy women Andy (by chance they remembered us – go figure) get home safely.
Timing as they say is everything! It’s a true team effort this LFB community show; we thank you, LFB’ers for continuing to be an important part of our crew.
We do hope you will love the LFB summer collection when released in November.
Oh and here are some, 'take on a trip,' must haves we suggest ...
(Scarf $49. Bag $99. Ballet pumps $70. Primer $50. Tinted Moisturiser $55)
With a smile … CJ x
PS: Thank you Connor for being a good boy while Mummy was away! x
