The Winnie Dot Collection
1. Tell us a little about Winnie Dot, how did it come about?
Winnie Dot started in the early hours of the morning all thanks to pregnancy insomnia. I had been on maternity leave for 1 week and was already bored out of my brains (I don't sit still very well) I was decorating the nursery and had an idea for a mobile I wanted to hang over her cot. I couldn't find what I had in mind, so instead I made it myself. I wasn't familiar with Instagram at the time but thought I’d try the app out as I loved the idea of creating and taking stunning photos. It took off so quickly and here we are 3 years later.
2. You are already a mama to beautiful Winslow and Pascal and now pregnant with baby number three! How are you feeling? Is this pregnancy different to the others?
The first trimester was certainly the worse out of all 3 pregnancies. The extreme exhaustion and all-day sickness was very debilitating. Symptoms seemed to ease once I was 11.5 weeks which was such a relief. I have since come to the conclusion I don't do pregnancy well (haha) It certainly brings the worst side out of me with all the crazy hormones, feeling unmotivated and I am SO emotional (I am usually a very level headed, logical person) BUT I wouldn't change it for the world!
3. How did your style change since becoming a mum?
I remember when I was pregnant with Winslow, I threw out all my “young” clothes. I remember thinking, “I am going to be a mum now, I can’t wear short shorts.” (I was 23 when I had Winslow) I felt a bit lost when I first entered mamahood, as I am sure every woman does, but because I felt like I had to be a different person. I love fashion and style, it certainly highlights my creative side and I soon realised that although I am a mum, that doesn't mean I need to only wear house pants and a t-shirt. Comfort is always an added bonus when choosing clothing, but it certainly doesn't dictate my fashion choices.
4. How will you be dressing your bump this time round? What style tips do you have for your fellow preggy mums?
So this pregnancy is going to be primarily in winter- which is great but can also leave you feeling really bulky when you are trying to keep warm. My go to outfit at the moment is a basic mid-length dress (stretchy and comfy) that highlights my bump, a jacket and boots. I find that keeping your pregnancy wardrobe to a simple, basic colour scheme makes it more versatile and you can accessorise with scarfs, footwear and jewellery.
5. Which three pieces do you love the most from your photo-shoot today?
OH that’s hard - I loved it all and want one of everything! My top 3 favourites would have to be the black button dress - timeless and versatile, the purple high-neck glamour dress - I felt amazing in it and the details were stunning and I am loving the long vests as they are so warm but don’t leave you feeling bulky or restricted.
6. What’s your favourite thing about motherhood?
The everyday, small moments - I know that sounds so corny and SO cliché. I always knew I wanted to be a mum. I guess you could say it is what I wanted to be when I “grow up”. I love organised chaos, the loudness of giggles and chitter-chatter that fills our home and picking up the mess from a day at home knowing my little loves have had the best time. I never want to forget this ‘season’ of my life.
7. What would be your number 1 piece of advice for new mums / mums to be out there?
YOU DO YOU! The expectations that is placed on us as mothers can be overwhelming. YOU know YOUR babies best and trust your mothering instincts. Find your rhyme, have a routine but don’t beat yourself up when you have a bad day. Surrender to the “harder” days, as they too shall pass.
8. How do you juggle being a mum and running a business? Tell us about your ‘HOP’ initiative.
The juggle is real. Some days I nail it, some days I go to bed thinking thank goodness there is tomorrow. My biggest advice in trying to juggle it all it having a strict routine and being organised. I thrive on structure and I feel clear headed and motivated when things are in order (OSD much?)
When I first entered mother hood I prioritised everything else except myself! I felt mum guilt when I did anything for me because it was time I could be spending with my children, husband or on my business. I started to feel lost, BLAH and I knew something needed to change because it was affecting how I was being a mum, wife and business owner.
I began to set my alarm 1 hour before my children would wake up. I found that by waking up on my own terms rather than to a crying baby, started my day on a most positive note. I also found that I didn't feel guilty taking the time to do something I wanted because my babies were fast asleep. I started to put some more time into myself which in return made me more motivated, more self-confident and felt my organised the for day ahead.
The HOUR OF POWER was such a small change but has had a HUGE effect on the way I mother and my attitude towards my children, it made me closer with my husband as I was much more confident within myself and it gave me more time to work on my business throughout the day.
9. What are your biggest design tips for creating a beautiful nursery / kids bedroom?
Choose a theme - it will help with styling and choosing pieces for the room. Less is more - choosing a few statement pieces for the room to give it that WOW factor. This is what we love to do at Winnie Dot and what we model our pieces around. Make it magical - Choose things that will make you child’s eyes widen while also keeping in mind not to make it too stimulant (it is a place for sleep). I love seeing my children’s reaction every time they walk into their room.
10. Boy or Girl? Hehe just kidding. But really….;)
HAHA!! Only 5 months to wait. This pregnancy was special. We already had one of each, a girl and a boy, so the “pressure” of the gender wasn't there. As we were waiting for the results of our little bundle of joy, we were picturing our lives with 3 kids in tow. We could see Winslow being our little girl and mothering her 2 little brothers and we could also imagine Pascal sandwiched between his 2 sisters. Both scenarios were perfect! As soon as we found out the gender, we both burst into tears because all of sudden, we could picture exactly what our lives would look like.
Fashion: Feather & Noise
Photography: Katie Fergus
Stylist: Caitlin Marwaha
Hair: Cat from Colourist.Cat
Makeup: Katie from Katie_Elizabethmua
Model: Georg from Winnie Dot
1. Tell us a little about Winnie Dot, how did it come about?
Winnie Dot started in the early hours of the morning all thanks to pregnancy insomnia. I had been on maternity leave for 1 week and was already bored out of my brains (I don't sit still very well) I was decorating the nursery and had an idea for a mobile I wanted to hang over her cot. I couldn't find what I had in mind, so instead I made it myself. I wasn't familiar with Instagram at the time but thought I’d try the app out as I loved the idea of creating and taking stunning photos. It took off so quickly and here we are 3 years later.
2. You are already a mama to beautiful Winslow and Pascal and now pregnant with baby number three! How are you feeling? Is this pregnancy different to the others?
The first trimester was certainly the worse out of all 3 pregnancies. The extreme exhaustion and all-day sickness was very debilitating. Symptoms seemed to ease once I was 11.5 weeks which was such a relief. I have since come to the conclusion I don't do pregnancy well (haha) It certainly brings the worst side out of me with all the crazy hormones, feeling unmotivated and I am SO emotional (I am usually a very level headed, logical person) BUT I wouldn't change it for the world!
3. How did your style change since becoming a mum?
I remember when I was pregnant with Winslow, I threw out all my “young” clothes. I remember thinking, “I am going to be a mum now, I can’t wear short shorts.” (I was 23 when I had Winslow) I felt a bit lost when I first entered mamahood, as I am sure every woman does, but because I felt like I had to be a different person. I love fashion and style, it certainly highlights my creative side and I soon realised that although I am a mum, that doesn't mean I need to only wear house pants and a t-shirt. Comfort is always an added bonus when choosing clothing, but it certainly doesn't dictate my fashion choices.
4. How will you be dressing your bump this time round? What style tips do you have for your fellow preggy mums?
So this pregnancy is going to be primarily in winter- which is great but can also leave you feeling really bulky when you are trying to keep warm. My go to outfit at the moment is a basic mid-length dress (stretchy and comfy) that highlights my bump, a jacket and boots. I find that keeping your pregnancy wardrobe to a simple, basic colour scheme makes it more versatile and you can accessorise with scarfs, footwear and jewellery.
5. Which three pieces do you love the most from your photo-shoot today?
OH that’s hard - I loved it all and want one of everything! My top 3 favourites would have to be the black button dress - timeless and versatile, the purple high-neck glamour dress - I felt amazing in it and the details were stunning and I am loving the long vests as they are so warm but don’t leave you feeling bulky or restricted.
6. What’s your favourite thing about motherhood?
The everyday, small moments - I know that sounds so corny and SO cliché. I always knew I wanted to be a mum. I guess you could say it is what I wanted to be when I “grow up”. I love organised chaos, the loudness of giggles and chitter-chatter that fills our home and picking up the mess from a day at home knowing my little loves have had the best time. I never want to forget this ‘season’ of my life.
7. What would be your number 1 piece of advice for new mums / mums to be out there?
YOU DO YOU! The expectations that is placed on us as mothers can be overwhelming. YOU know YOUR babies best and trust your mothering instincts. Find your rhyme, have a routine but don’t beat yourself up when you have a bad day. Surrender to the “harder” days, as they too shall pass.
8. How do you juggle being a mum and running a business? Tell us about your ‘HOP’ initiative.
The juggle is real. Some days I nail it, some days I go to bed thinking thank goodness there is tomorrow. My biggest advice in trying to juggle it all it having a strict routine and being organised. I thrive on structure and I feel clear headed and motivated when things are in order (OSD much?)
When I first entered mother hood I prioritised everything else except myself! I felt mum guilt when I did anything for me because it was time I could be spending with my children, husband or on my business. I started to feel lost, BLAH and I knew something needed to change because it was affecting how I was being a mum, wife and business owner.
I began to set my alarm 1 hour before my children would wake up. I found that by waking up on my own terms rather than to a crying baby, started my day on a most positive note. I also found that I didn't feel guilty taking the time to do something I wanted because my babies were fast asleep. I started to put some more time into myself which in return made me more motivated, more self-confident and felt my organised the for day ahead.
The HOUR OF POWER was such a small change but has had a HUGE effect on the way I mother and my attitude towards my children, it made me closer with my husband as I was much more confident within myself and it gave me more time to work on my business throughout the day.
9. What are your biggest design tips for creating a beautiful nursery / kids bedroom?
Choose a theme - it will help with styling and choosing pieces for the room. Less is more - choosing a few statement pieces for the room to give it that WOW factor. This is what we love to do at Winnie Dot and what we model our pieces around. Make it magical - Choose things that will make you child’s eyes widen while also keeping in mind not to make it too stimulant (it is a place for sleep). I love seeing my children’s reaction every time they walk into their room.
10. Boy or Girl? Hehe just kidding. But really….;)
HAHA!! Only 5 months to wait. This pregnancy was special. We already had one of each, a girl and a boy, so the “pressure” of the gender wasn't there. As we were waiting for the results of our little bundle of joy, we were picturing our lives with 3 kids in tow. We could see Winslow being our little girl and mothering her 2 little brothers and we could also imagine Pascal sandwiched between his 2 sisters. Both scenarios were perfect! As soon as we found out the gender, we both burst into tears because all of sudden, we could picture exactly what our lives would look like.
Fashion: Feather & Noise
Photography: Katie Fergus
Stylist: Caitlin Marwaha
Hair: Cat from Colourist.Cat
Makeup: Katie from Katie_Elizabethmua
Model: Georg from Winnie Dot
