More changes & little announcements and other big little important things...

Graeme and I are entrepreneurs. If there's an opportunity to create a business - we'll do it! I had my first business when I was 24. I've closed and started a few projects over the years - loads of learning and trial and error and celebration along the way. For the past couple of years, we've steadily owned and managed three small businesses as sole proprietors. I write for a few websites and publications, I run Raising Men and I own a Cape Town based Social Media, Digital PR and SEO Agency called The Birdhouse. I've also started writing children's books called The Silly Adventures of Buttons and Honey so actually I'm doing quite a few things. And I LOVE it. All of it. I'm never bored professionally because I have so many little projects going on all the time. I have loads of help, other team members, trusted suppliers and freelancers working with me, so somehow we manage to get it all done quite beautifully! 

Buttons and Honey illustrated for me by Theodore Krynauw

 

Graeme works in advertising by day in one of SA's top ad agencies. His passion is in product and industrial design. His beautiful Sitting Lamps (above) have been featured in several magazines, websites and even at Design Indaba. He receives big (and small) orders from stores in SA and internationally, which keeps him super busy. He's so passionate about it and sometimes he really struggles to let go of his doodle books to the world of job bags. He has prototypes of new designs stuffed in to cupboards because time is time and there's not a lot of it to go around at home. Have you seen our adorable children? And all the unwatched series on our hard drives? Lack of social life and people skills? We love it though. Sometimes we don't, but we mostly do. Doing your OWN thing at your own pace (bills permitting) is completely liberating and satisfying beyond any payslip (so far). It has drawbacks. I miss being woken by the tinkle on my phone at midnight on the 25th. That was pretty cool. But it's also pretty cool when you build a profitable business and get to pay yourself on the 25th. It takes months and months (sometimes almost a year) because your new baby company absorbs so many profits, but when it comes it's like sweet honey nectar pouring in to your bank account. And it's YOURS. Even if it's not a lot of it, it makes you feel like Scrooge McDuck.

 

Graeme has resigned. We discussed it for the longest time and planned everything properly (not really hahaha) but it's done. In 15 working days he'll be right here to talk to and irritate all day and I can't wait. He's got all sorts of things lined up and he's working late every night on I-don't-know-what-but-it-looks-important. He's excited. I'm putting on a good wife face but I'm also like OMG OMG OMG OMG behind starry eyes and fake smiles but I am SOOOOO happy for him. I know it will work out for him, he is so talented and is already receiving floods of emails and finalizing designs and shoving sketches in my sleepy face. It's going to be amazing. 

Listen I'm not going to honey coat this, but advertising requires some super late nights, weekends at the office and crazy crazy deadlines. As I type this it's 20:49pm and he's still at work, sending me sad face emoticon whatsapps. His crumbed chicken with butternut and gemsquash is cling wrapped in a plate on the counter. The boys are asking for him and I'm jumping up at every little noise I hear. Even the rabbits look sad. Not really. They don't care. 

The point is we need him to be home and he wants to be home and he really wants to grow as a product developer / designer and is probably clenching his teeth at me getting the proper titles wrong right now. He wants to make things and sell them and change the world as far as I know. And he's very good at it! I know that this is going to bring our family closer together and we'll have more freedom and time and everything won't be as rushed and manic on his side all the time. I mean, I remember when Noah was little we'd leave home at 6:45 am every day, get to work by 8:30, leave work at 5pm, get home at 7pm and basically only see Noah for an hour every day. I know that many of my readers and friends go through this, and we lived that life for many, many years to build experience and knowledge so that we could start making these moves. I mean, Grays has been in the industry since 2007 - it has taken him almost 8 years to build the confidence to work independently and I'm really, really happy for him. 

A new phase has begun and I have no idea what to expect. I know that we'll see more of him, which makes my heart puff like a blowfish. Now let me go put his dinner plate in the fridge like a good wife. He'll probably be having it for breakfast. I'm really super proud of you Grays - and I'll be there every bunny hop and giant leap at a time. Let's do this!

** Update husband got home at around 11pm. Then I made him sit like a statue in the lounge with me for a very long time because I "SWEAR I saw a mouse and don't you dare move or you'll frighten it away. I must capture it." He did eat his chicken for breakfast. Only 14 working days left! **