Collaboration - Millie Tamboon Leather Co.

Life brings you the best sorts of gifts and Millie is definitely one of those to me.  

She inspires me constantly, talks to me on the phone for hours {and I wouldn't say the phone is my happy place but it is with her} about our love to create, the pluses and negatives about being small business owners and the myriad of things we have in common. 

 I reached out to her in June 2018 via instagram as I thought her products were so lovely and when I read her story and background to her business, I just loved them even more.  She has this beautiful, simplistic + architectural feel to her designs and the thought of working with her on a special product is a dream come true.  For many years I have wanted to create a leather case for my sewing accessories, something that would have meaning and a story behind it.  Over a year of bouncing ideas off each other recently this gorgeous, talented human sent me a sample of this product and it bought tears to my eyes.  I can not wait to share more with you very, very soon about this bespoke limited edition piece but for now pour yourself a cuppa and learn a little more about my sweet friend.

If you could describe yourself in one word what would it be? 

Evolving.

What inspires you the most? 

I’d be cheating myself if I didn’t say nature. Since I was a little girl I have found myself lost in the wonders & curiosities of it all. I used to spend hours in my neighbours native garden looking out for abandoned nests. Across from our home, I would bounce around the pebbly shores off the Fingal Bay ‘Barry Park Track’ - looking for driftwood, shells, and perfectly smooth pebbles. The sandy tracks would be lined with wild Flannel Flowers. It really was where I would spend most of my childhood: immersed in nature. Daydreaming. I feel most connected to my true self when I am outside. Be it a walk in the bush, or a stroll on the beach. There is always something new to see. Nature really sparks special feelings, invigoration and contentment, for me. A sense of grounding.

I would spend the holidays visiting my grandparents who lived amongst their own pieces of nature’s offerings. One, in an old beach shack on the hill overlooking the ocean & baths at The Entrance. I would explore the rock pools in front of their house until sunset with my older brothers. We would fall asleep (after one-too-many servings of Nanna’s Pea & Ham Soup!) to the sound of the waves crashing, and rise to another day filled with salty adventures. My other - lived next to Sheldon Forest, in Turramurra, Sydney. My mum said she would find turtles in the water streams hidden in the forest as a little girl. So we would take backpacks filled with nanny’s sandwiches, and too, get lost climbing over the huge rocky boulders - chasing the water - searching for proof of her own childhood stories. We would return just in time for dinner, filled with exhaustive chatter and twig scratches on our arms that told the tale of time spent outdoors, in nature. 

Perhaps, having my treasured childhood memories interwoven with nature, is somewhat the reason why I feel truly inspired by her. 

Black, white or all things earthy…which would you choose and why? 

Ohh this is a tough one! … A combination of both?! I would have to say all things earthy… (See answer to question for the why… ha!) The warm, neutral tones really gives a feeling of calm. My mind can get a bit busy at times when I want it to slow… So if I was to put in the context of space, it is nice to be surrounded by a palette that helps quieten the mind. I love incorporating a bit of black when it calls for a touch of sophistication.

If you could rearrange the furniture in one room of your house, 

what room would it be and why?

Well I have just finished styling my bedroom, so the next room would be the space off the kitchen. It isn’t very big - and it is separate to the main dining / lounge room.

I’d love to take advantage of the gorgeous morning light that it captures by adding a small breakfast table and lounge so we can sit and enjoy it streaming through. The light comes back again in the late afternoon, and is the perfect spot to sit with a good book & a cup of tea ( or wine!) and to take advantage of the delicious winter sun.

Favourite quote –

I have a few.. I love all quotes by naturalist, John Muir.

But… if I was to pick just one - that always seems to give me the fuzzies {not to mention a little something stuck in my eye! ; ) } - it would be:

“The hardest step she ever took was to blindly trust in who she was” | Atticus.