20 years 20 memories - a letter from my friend Karla
Well friends I must say when I received this from my beautiful friend Karla I cried.
“life
is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments
that take our breath away” - anonymous
It
was one of my closest friends who handed me a business card one day with this
quote on it and said, you need to visit this shop, “it is so very you and you
will love everything about it.” The card was for a shop called Simple
Things, Small Joys, the proprietor was Cathy Penton. I wasn’t too
worried about getting to the shop, it was on the other side of town from where
I lived, I was pregnant with my 4th child, 2 kids at school and a beautiful
handful of a 2 year old. Getting to the shop was not a priority, the card
was enough. I loved everything about that business card. I loved
the name of the shop, I loved the quote, I loved the picture on the front and I
loved the words. So into my wallet went the business card, front and
centre where the photo is supposed to go, so everyday I could look at it and
read that quote. I must have carried that card around with me for 6
months before I made it into the shop and just like the quote, when I walked
through the doors of Simple Things, Small Joys, it was a moment that
took my breath away. My soul knew instantly that this shop was something
special.
That
was how I came to know of Cathy. I started following her blog and I was
drawn into her beautifully raw and authentic world. When I read on her
blog that she was leaving the shop and handing over the reigns to her lovely
business partner, I felt a sense of sadness to think her essence was no longer
going to be in Simple Things, Small Joys. I still visited the shop
but it was never quite the same and something had shifted in me so much so that
I felt the need to email Cathy. I needed to tell her that she inspired me
with her photography, her designs, her words and her heart and that I missed
her. I never expected to get a reply. In fact I thought she would
most likely read the email, file it in the strange, stalker section and never
think of it again. I did get a reply to my email and that was the start
of our most beautiful friendship. I was there for the start of Cathy
Penton Atelier and over the years I have watched the way this amazingly
talented woman has lived, loved, created and touched the lives of everyone she
comes in contact with. Her love for her family is fierce and strong and
what you see and feel through her blog, her online shop and her social media is
in every way who she is. She is real. Now not only does she still
inspire me as a creative but also as a mum, a wife, a friend and as a
woman. She is my kindred spirit…. my soul mate.
It’s
been 10 years since I was handed that business card and it is still in my
wallet. The wallet has changed many times, but the business card never
will. My beautiful Cathy, I cannot remember what life was like without
you by my side. Congratulations on 20 years in business, I am so proud of
you and I will forever and always be thankful for simple things, small joys.
Love
you to the moon xx
I am the luckiest person alive to have this gorgeous girl as one my dearest friends and the best sort of family anyone could wish for... I also asked Karla a few fun questions...
If
you could describe yourself in one word what would it be? Present
What
inspires you the most? My
children and their open hearts
Black,
white or all things earthy…which would you choose and why? All things earthy. I am always in awe of and inspired
by mother nature and her beautiful tones and textures
If
you could rearrange the furniture in one room of your house, what room would it
be and why? Our living room because this is the
soul of our house and I love changing it to suit the season of our lives
Favourite
quote - “take the leap - freefall exquisitely
into the heart. the sky is the limit… (your sky, your limit.)” - Emma
Kate