Frida & Co. Design by Toula

05/05/2024

So Greek Easter is now done and dusted. The day included the annual tradition of egg smashing wars (the competition is real and fierce my friends and not for the feint hearted), food that could stretch twice around the planet, desserts to put Brunetti’s to shame, the same family stories we’ve all heard a million times but love nevertheless, the welcoming of new people into the family, the missing of family that couldn’t be with us and an after party of carb coma victims catching a few zeez.

All’s well.

14/04/2024

Some days despite your best efforts you achieve little. It’s easy to feel dejected but when you look at what you have achieved in a week you can often surprise yourself.

This week my focus has been creating crocheted beads to add to my clothes, bags and accessories.

It was a great idea in theory but in practice it was oh-em-gee territory. They took sooooo looooong to make, so by the end of a day of measuring, cutting, sewing, stuffing tiny bundles and then beading them I had little to show for all my efforts.

But I’m a stubborn creator and I persisted. By the end of the week my little bundle of beady treasures looked somewhat respectable. I’ll chalk that one up as a win.

Other wins (swipe to see) included going to my art group where the topic of conversation was about the meditative Japanese sewing practice of sashiko, reading The Cuckoo’s Calling a rollicking crime fiction novel, watching a Domestika course on making resin based jewellery, signing up for a series of upcycling classes with a local artist, attending an online business seminar, practicing using air dried clay, painting a rusting old tray in bubblegum pink, getting a flat tyre and being cared for by kind strangers, buying old jewellery to upcycle into new treasures, and sprouting some peas to plant in the garden. I may or may not have watched a few too many funky dance routines (especially the routine by Mads Mikkelson) and cute animal videos along the way.

All in all not so bad after all. All’s well that…..

So I guess before we judge ourselves too harshly let’s try backing up a little and looking at our lives with a wider, more forgiving viewing lense.

Here’s to broadening our horizons and being a little kinder to ourselves this week. Tell me what you see.

Credit: Crocheted Frida beads photographed on an illustration designed by über talented illustrator Georgia Perry as featured in the current edition of my favorite magazine Frankie

❤️Toula

07/04/2024

Common business wisdom will say I have bitten off more than I can chew in trying to set up Frida & Co. I hear the words ‘niche down further’ but I’m whistling Dixie and can’t (or won’t) hear it properly.

I am determined to stick to my original vision which is to crochet clothes, bags and accessories for my beloved ageless style queens.

Have I bitten off more than I can chew? Yep. Am I taking longer, much, much, muuuuuch longer than I thought to launch this business into the world. Yep. Am I concerned. Nope.

I guess the sane thing would be to scale it back, go smaller but I’m more of a ‘Go Big or Go Home’ kinda gal.

I had not realised how much work was involved in building not just a business but a little sustainable brand by yourself. Ain’t nobody here but this chicken, but this chicken is finally getting help with the bits I don’t have time to do or don’t like doing.

Luckily I’m okay-ish with taking my time. My beloved friend Carm over at says I’m too cautious and overthinking it and she’s right. I’m that too.

Thankfully it’s all fascinating (we’ll mostly), from learning about customer avatars, setting up newsletters, an e-commerce website, plumping up my blog, writing effective product descriptions, social media, product photography, setting up payment facilities and my most dreaded activity selling.

But I love having all these plates spinning. I thrive on the challenge of it all and in a counter-intuitive way is keeping me sane.

I may or may not get there but l’m going to give it a red hot go.

Here’s to walking and chewing gum at the same time. 💃🏽












hic

24/03/2024

It’s a Mona kinda Sunday.

I only recently learned how to make these flowers. Hopefully they will embellish a F&C creation soon. Stay tuned.

Bless your Sunday bits. May your day be filled with creativity, naps and endless cups of tea in beautiful China cups. 🎨💤🫖☕️

08/03/2024

These are my womenfolk.

My grandmother (seated in the middle) was widowed early. She kept her five daughters alive through famine, world war, N**i occupation, civil war and later on a dictatorship. She made the ultimate sacrifice to send three of those daughters to the other side of the world to marry men they didn’t know, all in the hopes that they would have a better life.
They have passed down enduring gifts that are encoded in my DNA.

Giving thanks just doesn’t seem nearly enough. I stitch my gratitude for these gifts in every stitch I make. I learned to craft things with my hands from these women. Frida and Co. is a creative practice that honors these women and their extraordinary legacy.

Today on International Women’s Day I want to celebrate not just my womenfolk but all our womenfolk, past, present and those who will come after us.

May we continue to weave stories of resilience, hope, and creation, one stitch at a time.

Sistas from other misters I salute you.

xxToula

05/03/2024

We’ve been indoctrinated to believe that bravery requires big, bold action. At least this is what I've told myself. It's a convenient position to hold if what I want is to paralyze myself from taking any action towards the bigger more expansive and creative existence my bones ache for.

But what if…what if bravery only required Little Brave Things (LBTs)…just tiny shuffles, minor movements to move the needle in the direction of The One Wild & Crazy Thing we want out of life.

A post by the lovely Donna of fame talks so eloquently of the power of “doing something that isn't nothing.”

Once again I have had a long social media sabbatical but the re-entry back into socialmediascape is fraught with overthinking. The self-talk about its pros and cons has been relentless. But I have once again put my big girl pantaloons on and diving in again.

Little Brave Things are often overlooked and underestimated. Here are 10 Little Brave Things I have done that have helped me feel some forward movement into the life I want.

1. I drove four hours to spend a delicious time at the Metung Hot Springs. Driving longer than 30 minutes had been an issue for a long time.
2. I read a book. It wasn't great but I read it. Why have I neglected reading??
3. I met with a business advisor in a van that travels out to rural areas.
4. I went to Pilates after decades of not attending group classes. Whoa…who knew all those bits on my body even existed?
5. I used graph paper to draw. It helped.
6 I've been on more than one walk a week for several months.
7. I joined an art group. I’m not a natural joiner. It was not easy. I’m glad I did it.
8. I let Wilma the Wallaby eat all the ripe back blackberries. I suspect she's been helping herself much more of my precious produce but let's not go there. Swipe to see her at work.
9. I’ve written this one post.
10. I've asked for help.

When overwhelm settles in I'm going to try to remember that Little Brave Things, are “something that isn't nothing”. Sometimes this is just enough to keep the Big Blahs away.

What Little Brave Thing have you done to move your needle towards your one big thing?

09/10/2023

Nothing quite like the threat of public humiliation to get one’s posterior motivated enough to Get Things Done.

I was asked by a local Warburton mover and shaker (I’m looking at you Melanie) if I would like to exhibit one of my crocheted pieces in an upcoming exhibition of local artists.

My Inner Critic was the first to arrive on the scene and in abject terror screamed NOOOOOOO!!!!…what if you… what if it doesn’t…what if… and that’s where I shot my hand up in the dear critic’s face and said “Talk to the hand, I’ve got this, I’m good“ before I allowed the rest of the OMG NOOO Brigade to arrive and p**p on my party. I threw up a little in my mouth but I just said yes.

Usually, my anxiety needs to have all my ducks in a row, the house meticulously clean, and the planets aligned just so before I can even consider saying yes to anything that might involve the public in any way but this year I have decided to gird my loins and take a stroll beyond the strongly fortified walls of my comfort zone. So yes it was.

Brené Brown says that our first foray into shame often involves creativity. She says that about 50% of us have art scars.

The Great Pom-Pom Incident of 1966 is my indelible and invisible shame scar but that’s another story for another time. Saying yes was a bold way of getting out of my own way and staring shame down and getting on with the business of being an artist in the world, of being a person who feels the shame and does it anyway. That’s who I want to be and if I can share this newfound courage with my brilliant posse then I will be all the richer for it. Maybe we can all collectively stare down shame and share our gifts with the world.

My crochet piece the Eleni Crossing bodice is the story of my mother‘s migration to Australia. It is now standing shamelessly at the Warburton Waterwheel Art Gallery and will be showing until 30 October 2023. Come along and see what very special artisans this little pocket of the world has to offer.

Warburton Waterwheel Art Gallery
3400 Warburton Hwy, Warburton VIC 3799

09/10/2023

Nothing quite like the threat of public humiliation to get one’s posterior motivated enough to Get Things Done.

I was asked by a local Warburton mover and shaker (I’m looking at you Melanie) if I would like to exhibit one of my crocheted pieces in an upcoming exhibition of local artists.

My Inner Critic was the first to arrive on the scene and in abject terror screamed NOOOOOOO!!!!…what if you… what if it doesn’t…what if… and that’s where I shot my hand up in the dear critic’s face and said “Talk to the hand, I’ve got this, I’m good“ before I allowed the rest of the OMG NOOO Brigade to arrive and p**p on my party. I threw up a little in my mouth but I just said yes.

Usually, my anxiety needs to have all my ducks in a row, the house meticulously clean, and the planets aligned just so before I can even consider saying yes to anything that might involve the public in any way but this year I have decided to gird my loins and take a stroll beyond the strongly fortified walls of my comfort zone. So yes it was.

Brené Brown says that our first foray into shame often involves creativity. She says that about 50% of us have art scars.

The Great Pom-Pom Incident of 1966 is my indelible and invisible shame scar but that’s another story for another time. Saying yes was a bold way of getting out of my own way and staring shame down and getting on with the business of being an artist in the world, of being a person who feels the shame and does it anyway. That’s who I want to be and if I can share this newfound courage with my brilliant posse then I will be all the richer for it. Maybe we can all collectively stare down shame and share our gifts with the world.

My crochet piece the Eleni Crossing bodice is the story of my mother‘s migration to Australia. It is now standing shamelessly at the Warburton Waterwheel Art Gallery and will be showing until 30 October 2023. Come along and see what very special artisans this little pocket of the world has to offer.

Warburton Waterwheel Art Gallery
3400 Warburton Hwy, Warburton VIC 3799

28/09/2023

EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PREVIEW
The Meadow Nymph Top is a crocheted, reversible garment that effortlessly transitions from casual to dressy, making it a staple in your wardrobe.

The Meadow Nypmph blouse is inspired by lush flower meadows, featuring pastel pink, green, and yellow on one side and elegant fuchsia diamond lines on the other, made with vegan yarn for sustainable and cruelty-free fashion. Pair it with jeans and sandals for a relaxed daytime look, or dress it up with a skirt and heels for a special occasion.

05/08/2023

Creativity is not the sole domain of artists. Do your thing!

30/07/2023

“Eco-brands are increasingly challenging the status quo, bringing in fashion-forward, chic designs with vibrant shades and, at times, a cheeky edge.”
The Guardian

When it comes to eco design, bland is out, with more environmentally inclined brands favouring the bold