Ive always felt that when you wear alot of color it makes you feel happy, or ready for a fun evening. Even in a bad mood a bright outfit can lift your spirits. I was never one to own many black pieces of clothing and I always chose colorful handbags.

 

I would hand sew shirts for discos as a teenager because I didn't have a sewing machine. This lead to me saving for a sewing machine and creating a t-shirt label.  I wanted to be a fashion designer.  I then enrolled in graphic design and got a job in the sign industry. The passion for creating was still there and I started sewing handbags and selling them at the local markets. Weird quirky ones of course with all different materials.

 

Everything changed when I had children and I packed the sewing machines away. I then hit challenges with my children eating vegetables. This was the start of my clean eating journey.  This lead me to create a food kit called "The no nasties food kit". It was like a cupcake mix but with all the things to make a raw caramel slice or children's gluten and grain free cupcakes with frozen fruit and vegetable powders for icing. I featured in the Gold Coast Bulletin a local newspaper and I was also asked to speak at TED X. Below is the link for my talk.

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https://youtu.be/XWYhzNyrFNE?feature=shared

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Just as things were about to take off my investor had health problems which meant the deal fell through. I decided to make a children's cookbook and i even tried to make a cartoon. I had just moved to a new town and I suddenly gave up on my dreams. I went through divorce, I got renal cancer and I moved back to my home town in the country. Despite this I always knew I was the creator of my own destiny. 

I went back to study and became a support worker. I loved helping people. During this time I met my partner Shane who had a son and with my two daughters we very quickly became an "instant family".  Shane and I also decided to have our own child together completing our family. Sadly years later Shane passed away. In one moment id lost my whole world. My grief overtook me. My coping mechanism was to create. I wanted something that I could show my daughters and have them be apart of too. Choosing to move forward in life and creating your own new path isn't easy but it is always your choice. Shandy bags represent making the bold brave decision to be empowered in life and be your true self never giving up.

"SHANDY UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOU!"