Blog
9 Top Tips to Ensure Your Summer House Guests Feel Comfortable
When it comes to making sure your guests feel welcome and relaxed, love is in the details. The smallest gestures go a long way in making your guests feel comfortable and at-home. Here are my essentials for creating a guest experience that is warm, welcoming, and ultimately a home-away-from-home. House instructions Make sure you give your guests a house key, Wi Fi password, TV and DVD instructions, coffee machine instructions and you may also need to advise them on where to park their car for the duration. Guide to the Neighbourhood I always give my guests a guide to...
Patience and Persistence
Today’s been one of those days when I wonder why I’m doing this – sandal making and trying to get my own label out there. Image: Creative Director Cheryl Botha wearing Ankalia Charlie Swarovski Crystal leather embellished sandals I often wonder it I’m brave or just really stupid! I have lonely days, late nights, self-doubt, cash flow issues, supplier challenges and more. I know lots of other small business owners out there feel the same way at times - right? Well today, I received some beautiful feedback and lovely encouragement. I realized in that moment, that even when I feel...
Shopping on Napoleon Street, Cottesloe
Perth is one of my favourite cities in the world. In fact, it’s one of the most isolated cities in the world. I love Cottesloe and Napoleon Street Cottesloe is one of my favourite places to ‘hang out’. I feel so at home on Napoleon Street. Image: Boheme Luxe Napoleon Street Cottesloe First of all, Cottesloe is about 12km’s from Perth CBD and if you are staying in Perth and want to play tourist you can catch a train from Perth station to Napoleon Street. It’s on the Fremantle line. Napoleon Street itself is only about 250 metres long but...
September - Blue
Blue is the colour between violet and green on the spectrum of visible light. In painting and traditional colour theory, blue is one of the three primary colours of pigment, along with red and yellow, which can be mixed to form a wide gamut of colours. Red and blue mixed together form violet. Blue and yellow together form green. Image: Sienna sandals in royal blue suede. Available in flats or with a little 2cm heel Surveys in the US and Europe show that blue is the colour most commonly associated with harmony, faithfulness, confidence, distance, infinity, the imagination, cold, and...
Head-To-Toe-White
Lots of girls love the idea of wearing all-white in Summer, but sometimes they can end up looking like they’re wearing a uniform rather than that fresh, clean look they’re going for. Image: Ankalia white pearl sandals My love for summer whites is endless. The trick to pulling it off is in the accessories. Image: Ankalia Lizzie sandals in white leather with Swarovski crystal embellishments in a Gecko design My advice is to really commit to a look whether it’s classic, boho, beachy or chic. If you like neutral accessories, stick to them as a theme throughout. If you are...
My Great Escape
This is me! Just a woman with an idea and a never give up attitude. Image: Cheryl Botha wears her Sylvia sandals Two years ago, I took the plunge and the biggest risk of my life by actually running away from home. Yes, literally I left a note and got in my car and drove across the Nullabor Plain to a new life and the beginning of Ankalia. In case you don’t know, the Nullabor is a five-day drive across the desert between Perth and Melbourne. I called it my “great escape.” Image: Cheryl Botha wears her Lara sandals in...