Preggers

Before I start, thanks for your congratulations on my shop/business announcement last week!
My blog-friend Michaela from Michaella Noelle Designs featured it on her holiday Gift Guide this week too, because she is awesome. Check it out here :)

***

Here's another wee announcement that is changing things up bigtime around here....



I'm preggers!

Scary? Hmm yes a bit.
Sick? VERY.
Happy? yep!
Terrified of giving birth in 6 months time? Let's not talk about that.

...

I have hyperemesis gravidarium and at times the never-ending sickness is kinda traumatising. And yes, this is what I've been sick with for the last few months, that very nearly was the end of this blog because suddenly doing anything except vomiting was not an option. Thank goodness for medication and answered prayers that have enabled me to have moments of normalcy and wellness, and I'm hopeful that it's slowly improving.

I imagined that being pregnant would be kinda cute and that I would be an INSANE nester and awesome nursery-designer. In honesty, nesting and nursery designing is something that will have to wait until I am well enough to enjoy them. At the moment my priority is to stay hydrated and rest.

At 13.5 weeks I don't have much to show for it apart from a stomach that looks like I ate a few too many pies, and I still feel like the same old me (albeit a very sick me).  It's surreal to think I'm actually growing a human, and that that tiny human is only 3 inches long right now, but already can pull faces and has fingerprints! And that it had a beating heart even when it was only the size of a raspberry. It's fascinating, actually, how developed the baby is within the first few weeks. Currently it has all it's organs, can taste food, use it's digestive system, move around, and hear sounds. Amazing.





BIRD Interiors: my new little business

A while back I was intent on opening an Interior Design business. There were a few holdups - 1) I was in a weird place of still doing Architectural contract work, and wasn't sure which direction to really pursue, and 2) I began to see that my vision was TOO big, for this particular point in my life. The business model I'd been imagining was so complex I was completely overwhelmed with where to start.

I'm not saying it's wrong to be super ambitious and have a big goal... but in my case the timing just wasn't right and I had to take a step back and reevaluate.

One of the things I always wanted to do on the side of my business was sell cushions. I personally believe there is a gap in the New Zealand market for good-quality, designer cushions made from pretty fabrics. Finding a good floral around here is like pulling hen's teeth. (Is that the saying....?).

Anyway, long story short, I decided to go ahead and open an online cushion shop. I buy the fabrics overseas and choose ones you'd almost certainly not be able to find here in NZ, then with the help of my mum we sew them into lovely, sturdy cushion covers with a neat border and hidden zip on the back. There are all 100% cotton or linen and are meant to last.

My friend Shalita designed this beautiful logo and we were away!


BIRD Interiors
For now, this business is simple. There is a simple website. A simple shop. 
I'm happy adding more design services over time, but at this point in my life, simple is just right.

Here's a taste of the first collection:

BIRD Interiors cushion covers - online shop








A Miracle

Last night I had my first 'real' public speaking engagement for a CWCI Interior Design event.

I have known about this for nearly 6 months but started freaking out when I became SO unwell this past 6 weeks. To get the full background, you need to read my last post now.

So, what happened?

Well, I was sick during the day. 
I had always thought that for an event like this I would get my hair and makeup done professionally and buy a new dress and shoes.... HAH! A couple of hours before I had to leave I was lying in bed looking vaguely around my room thinking... what should I wear? And at the last minute I thought, well, these trusty hot pink jeans have always inspired me....

I don't think I was exactly worried  or nervous necessarily. 
I know my God and I knew that somehow it would all work out, even tho there was no good reason why I should be able to get out of bed and stop throwing up for long enough to speak on stage.
I also knew a LOT of people were praying and had been praying for me. And I guess I was curious to see what the outcome of that would be.

"how to zhush a room in 15 minutes' interior design talk by Amy MacLeod 

Well, my friends.

Around 4.30pm (I had to leave at 5) I started to feel strangely well.
I did my hair and makeup for the first time in what feels like weeks.
I put my pink jeans on.
And somehow, I lasted from 5pm (rehearsal time) until 11pm (hometime) without any throwing up or nausea. Considering my nausea has been CONSTANT, that is a miracle in itself.

 I got to present my part of the show and it ran as smooth as clockwork!
We started with a completely bare/ugly "room" on stage, then I went through and ran the diagnosis.

"how to zhush a room in 15 minutes' interior design talk by Amy MacLeod 

As I spoke about what improvements should be made, my team of lovely helpers (Rochelle and Lizzy here)  physically added them to the room setup.

I went through 5 different cushion combinations to teach about how to mix patterns, which was a hit.
 
"how to zhush a room in 15 minutes' interior design talk by Amy MacLeod
{This is the thank you at the end. Just call me Gangly-arms-MacLeod}
   Here's my lovely mum who worked her butt off to make sure alll those cushions (there are piles out back) were sewn and stuffed. She was my seamstress.

Don't you love her pants?

"how to zhush a room in 15 minutes' interior design talk by Amy MacLeod

It's quite hard to get photos with stage lighting but you get the idea. We turned the room from a completely blank slate into this.

"how to zhush a room in 15 minutes' interior design talk by Amy MacLeod 
And then my tallll husband flung a chandelier casually over the back wall for our lighting. Someone later told me that was the highlight of the show, haha.

 "how to zhush a room in 15 minutes' interior design talk by Amy MacLeod

I had friends in the audience praying for me the entire time, and honestly it could not have gone better.

I am thankful for this opportunity. God is always faithful.

I have more announcements ahead this week.... several big things actually! Can you guess?

xo






Weakness

Every time I start to write something here I am overcome by nausea.
It turns out this blog is one of the victims of these last few months of constant illness.
Even looking at the logo and those annoyingly-off-centre tabs makes me need to vom.

To be fair, it's been a few months of misery. But I'm not here to talk about that...

I'm here to talk about Trust.

Amy MacLeod
{some of the things I'm meant to be working on}
Because I've been overwhelmed by the things I am supposed to accomplish before this coming Monday. Every morning I wake up with my impressive to-do list (open online shop, sew cushions, create powerpoint presentation, buy wallpaper, finalise room design and speech for the Interior Design event on Monday) and every day I am hunched over the toilet bowl faced with the daunting reality that I physically can't go anywhere.

And every day I end up back in bed, a shadow of myself, praying for a window of wellness where I can accomplish something.

And every day, the evening comes and I'm still a zombie - depleted, dehydrated, wondering with my husband whether we should get me checked into hospital to be put on a drip. Telling ourselves I'll be ok and we'll see if I'm better tomorrow?

Guess what? It's Friday here.
And my presentation - the one I've been in prep-mode for for months - is on Monday.

I really have no idea how I can physically be present at the event (vom on stage, anyone?) let alone get time to prepare ALL THE THINGS in these next TWO days. That is, months of work.

I'm not here to complain or garner sympathy... I'm here so that, next week, I can look back and see how God provided. So I can see how He made it work... somehow. Whether by enabling me to miraculously do it, or placing someone else into the gap. So I can see why He deserves my trust.
And so I can have a record of it, right here.

Isn't it lucky that my God is the God who says "My strength is made perfect in weakness"...?


Because I have never been so weak.

Bless