What is the name of your business?  Little Paper Lane, www.littlepaperlane.com.au

When did you launch your business?  May 2010

How did you choose your name for the business? Well since I was little, I have always called things ‘little’ as in….be back in a  ’little minute’ or “is a little bit cute” its always just been in my vocab, and then when i was thinking of names we wanted something cute, and naturally the word ‘Little’ needed to be in cluded and after many weeks of mixing words together and flipping them around Little Paper Lane was born!

How many years have you been operating in your field/career?  My first jobs were in retail when I started working part time at 14yrs, and while I was trying to work out what I wanted to do in the world I always worked in retail as I have always loved chatting with customers and I managed a few shops including jewelry and fashion, but I have always been drawn to colour and obsessed with stationery. My mum said when ever I was asked what I wanted for birthday gifts, I always said, lots of stationery! So after 10 years of being a make up artist Part time as well as Nannying, travelling and starting a family, My dreams were set in stone.. well I think its actually some sort of concrete  & bricks our building, and Little Paper Lane was born after 6 months of collecting products and researching products and getting the shop together from when I decided I HAD to open…it still amazes me when I see it!! I LOVE my little shop of happy!

What is the favourite part of what you do?  Finding new products for the shop and building the relationships we have with customers and suppliers. Its not like a huge megastore where u never ever know the owners or CEO’s, we get to know everyone every day!

What did you study if you did, if not what other jobs have you had that have prepared you for your current venture? Being the sagittarius that I am, I like adventure..and this means I have studied so many things! I studied Entertainment with Drama And Music, and after I decided that I wasnt going to win any  Oscars, I studied Make up, which I have always loved, and I think the colour side of Make up has influenced everything we do with the shop and designing. Ive also studied travel, which has helped with buying trips (really I am an excellent traveller) I love to plan a holiday haha, and I have started probably 3 interior design courses in my life which Im still yet to finish…whoops… but I dream of interiors and wish with all my heart it was something that came more naturally to me. Being passionate about interiors has been helped by my magazine addiction. Keeping up with trends in the industry which is so important when owning a business that prides itself on selling unique products! and the esthetics of the store! I believe everything I have done has had a small part in helping to create Little Paper Lane. ♥

Where are you located?  The Store is located in Mona Vale, Sydney. Shop 5/1 Waratah Street (corner of Pittwater Road) and the web store is available to the world

How many hours a day would you say you work?  Well right now its hard to say, as we have a 5 year old and a 10 week old, so I am kind of trying to work as much as possible but my little sugar plum likes to be held a lot in the day and is AWAKE a lot. Steve (Leeder) is working in the shop and My mum works two days as well. I am focused on the back end right now! Social networking seems to be a pretty full time job. Before Minty (the 10 week old) I would probably work 8:30am-11:30pm/12:30 with a few breaks in between to do Mum jobs like Dinner and cuddles for Iggy…but Cleaning is left for the husbo to look after. ♣

What was the most rewarding thing that has happened in your career so far?  Oh so many things! Just seeing the shop open was the most exciting day ever! After so much hard work to get it to that stage it was such an acheivement! And customers coming back is seriously all we can ask for, its a great feeling!

Name your top 3 online stores or blogs/sites? and why? www.littlepaperlane.com.au cos they have the BEST stationery ever ♥!  Pinterest….SO MUCH INSPIRATION. The Design Files, www.thedesignfiles.net for constant inspiration and really exploration! There iare always so many new things to see and new sites to visit, designers and products – its just like Xmas for the design world every post!

Who is your mentor and why?  I don’t have a mentor, but there are a few woman that I really admire and look up to! My Mum firstly, is just amazing! she always has been! She has her own little business that she is growing, and is so talented www.sweetnpretty.com.au creating beautiful cookies and cakes and sweet things, also adding to her incredible skills she is a caligrapher, mum, book keeper, chef, and the best GG to my babies and my niece and now an amazing merchandiser! She pretty much has been merchandising the shop herself for the last year as I was bed bound with my pregnancy!  A few other inspirational woman would be Mia Freeman and Paula Joye, both have just continued to amaze me with how they constantly transform their businesses and how well they present themselves to the world, and I really enjoy what they both have to say!

If you could meet anyone in the world alive or passed who would it be and what would you ask them?  Drew Barrymore. I am a movie/tv gal. And I admire her! I have loved her since ET when I was 3 and love that she has succeeded through such yuckky times! She just keeps going and just keeps smiling…and it seems real! I honestly do not know what I would ask? probably “hey, how are you” and then I would faint! I wish I had some question that would inspire and ponder the thoughts, but honestly, I would be totally starstruck and I would probably vomit and laugh and cry at the same time….all while trying to be cool!

What is your favourite colour? aqua green colours but I love pinks, and I am OBSSESSED with Fluro…I always have been but especially right now!

What is your favourite era – design &/or fashion wise? I have to say right now, Im loving the world as is! Design, fashion, stationery, everything is just completely how I want it to be!  I actually keep telling myself all the time, how freaking awesome is this era! I think its the  Fluro trend, with Dashes of industrial, vintage and throw in some Sass & Bide sequins, and Bassike tops and Make up is right up my ally, with Matt bright lips and everything about now, is just so ‘right’! Home,Fashion,Make up, Gift….everyone is just making more of an effort it seems with everything they do… it feels like more personality is being put into products and packaging, I just love it…its a good time to be in this world!

What is your favourite place in the world?  My couch for living, New York for travel/work, The internet for pinterest, Avalon my community!

What is your goal for your business/blog/book in the next 12 months?  I really hope to get the business out in the world more! Spread the word. I so badly wish to find more time in the day to be able to blog more! To develop the web store more, and be ‘out there’ more! I dont want anyone to miss out on LPL. Its such a lovely place to visit and everyone should get that experience!

If you could be a vintage dress or outfit – which one would you be?  (this one is just for s a bit of fun) is the 80′s considered vintage yet? Probably a few of Madonna’s outfits would have to be on the list?! Or Barbie and the Rockers outfits…or GEM OMG Im such a sucker for fluro and 80′s.

And for more fun – if you were a cartoon or super hero who would it be….? I would be wonderwoman mixed with Brian from family guy with a little bit of Stewie Griffin thrown in! Super heros should be hilarious yet sexy. ♥

♥ Life as we know it has changed, we live in a digital world and Im a fan, and the upside of this is traditional paper products, cards, wrap and note books are becoming even more relevant. We all want real things, things we can touch and look at and mostly a great shopping experience. Little Paper Lane in Sydney’s Monavale is a world of all things beautiful, decorative and stationery. Every inch of the store is filled with pictorial yumminess, the ‘mint’ clad front door and window frames are welcoming and the window displays iconic for the stripp of shops its nestled in and beyond. Our DAN300 Group cards are sold in Little Paper Lane and while I know Jayde and Steve Leeder from trade shows and wholesale, now we have also become instagram friends and real friends. I can be sitting at my desk in our Surry Hills Office and in an instant look on instagram and see the newest window display at Little Paper Lane, or a stolen moment with The Leeder Kids baby Minty and gorgeous Iggy or my favourite a look into the fashion stylings of Jaydes day. On my recent trip up to the Northern Beaches a few weeks ago, I drove in Sydney’s winter rain over the bridge and towards the water, and there it was the stunning mint coloured shop front. It brightened up my day and so did the wonderful welcome I recieved from Steve, jolly as ever showing me all the gorgeous treasures. Head to www.littlepaperlane.com.au for your very own stationery experience and even better they are having a mid winter EOFY sale…. 25% off everything ♣

Stay tuned, tomorrow we will have our interview with Jayde Leeder of Little paper Lane ♠

♥ Deep breath, this is one to bookmark immediately, and open on a day where you need some inspiration, the bright, fresh uncluttered yet full styled shop is where I would like to go and live… It might be time for that trip to sweden. I think its calling me.

I decided that in this case a picture tells a thousands words, and the whole mimmistaaf site is in Swedish, so its very hard to translate. Here we can see a true artist, and an incredible vision…. Im speechless… (this almost never happens)….

♥ www.mimmistaaf.com