How lucky am I to have my own stationery range? Hardie Grant asked me to design a three piece range that would sit nicely along side my cookbook My Abuela's Table.

The range, including a set of three mini note books, journal and set of 4 cards, features Mexican style birds and florals in bright colours. A perfect little gift!

You can purchase Floribunda Stationery over here!

When the girls from 'Frocktober' contacted me to ask me to give the charity event a shout-out on my blog, I thought I would go one further and join in the fun.

Instead of wearing a dress every day for the month of October (I really don't have that many dresses in my wardrobe!), I decided to create a paper doll (called Emily) and illustrate a dress for her everyday in October.

It was a challenging task, juggling illustrating a dress every day with other work I had on, but worth it for the fund raising and the satisfaction. You can see the whole of Emily's wardrobe over here!

In my final year of university, being a full-time student, money was a little tight. But that didn't stop me from spending my last $300 in my bank account on a pair of Camper boots I just had to have. I justified my purchase to my then-boyfriend (now-husband) that in an attempt to reign in my spending I would illustrate everything I purchased for a whole month, and would document it in a blog.

True to my word, I started my spending blog: 'I bought a pair of Camper boots and now I am broke'. Possibly the longest blog title ever.

During this month of illustrating everyday I had lots of fun and began to refine my illustration style. And, yes, it did reign in my spending and also made me think about what I was buying more (did I really want to admit to everyone that I purchased a chocolate bar two days in a row?).

'And now I am broke' was featured in Frankie Magazine (issue 41)
and Marie Claire (South Africa) (August 2011).

You can see all my spending illustrations over on my blog.