i’d like to introduce… Anne Carlson of Doncaster… and a giveaway! | champaign family photographer

Welcome to the second installment of “I’d like to introduce…” where we get to see another side of Sweet Pea Photography clients!  This month I’d like to introduce Anne Carlson, with whom I’ve had the privilege of working several times — first, for a session with her twin boys, and more recently a session with her lovely mother!  Just to reminisce, here’s one of my favorite shots of one of her fun kiddos, as well as her wonderful mom!  Anne recently started a new business venture as a wardrobe consultant for Doncaster. Doncaster is a company that has been around for about 80 years, and is family owned and operated out of North Carolina.  Anne will be selling, servicing, and consulting with clients out of her home, and is excited about the Spring/Summer show March 29th – April 3rd, with a special early OPEN HOUSE on Sunday, March 28 from 1-4pm at her home (10 Litchfield Lane, Champaign).  Feel free to give Anne a call at 217.607.0676 or stop on by!!

1) Tell us a little about you and your family…

I am a 42-year old wife and working mother.  My husband Jeff and I have been married for almost 10 years and have 4 year old twin boys–Rhett and Nash.  I consider myself sort of a renaissance woman, having had a few “lives”–I worked in couture and women’s designer clothing, I also worked in the corporate world, and in my last “life” I have had an interior design business which has serviced both residential and commercial clients.  I have a broad range of interests, but I am an aesthetic at heart.  All things visual–fashion, home, gardening.

2) What excites you most about this business venture and/or working out of your home?

Fashion is my true Passion and I love to help people.  I am excited about the opportunity to be able to do what I love, working with such a beautiful clothing collection in Doncaster, while staying home with my children and being there to experience life with them.  I have found that Doncaster’s quality appeals to my appreciation for true craftsmanship and beautiful textiles.  I will be able to work with clients through seasonal truck shows out of my home, in a “salon-style” environment.  This will allow me get to know clients, one-on-one, and really help them plan their wardrobes, get the proper fit and avoid the ” closet full of clothes with nothing to wear-syndrome”. I will be including alterations as a part of my service, to provide close-to-custom clothing.  My business is highly service-oriented and I can meet women in between shows to go through their closets, access needs/fit/lifestyle, and help them make appropriate selections via the Doncaster web site and/or my look book and fabric swatches.

3) How did you first become interested in fashion and/or design?

I have loved fashion and design ever since I can remember, sewing for the first time to complete my Girl Scouts sewing badge.  I sewed many of my clothes growing up, including my prom dress, my wedding dress, and bridesmaids dresses.  I spent hours pouring over fashion magazines (still probably my biggest vice–my basement is full of magazines!) as well as spending hours in the art studio creating ( One of my majors was studio art).  I did an internship during my Junior Year of college in London at Liberty of London’s textile design studio.  I have been “hooked” for a long time.  It has always appealed to my creative soul.

4) What do you enjoy most about being a mom?

I enjoy watching my kids discover and experience things, particularly when you see them experience something that resonates with WHO they are. The true joy and excitement of that–it’s amazing.

5) You have a great fashion sense… can you share a few helpful fashion tips for moms on-the-go?

GET A SHOWER!!!  Seriously, that seems like a a given, but most women put themselves last.  Self-care is so important.  And simplify–have a great signature accessory (necklace, bracelet, lip color) that makes you feel pulled together, even in your “uniform”.  Finally, having a great handbag that goes with everything, is “stocked” with your essentials, makes life so much easier.  As you can tell, I’m very much about practicality–it is possible to be fashionable and functional at the same time.

6) Describe a day in your life – how do you balance kids and work?

I am still working towards a “healthy” daily routine–haven’t fit in exercise very consistently yet.  Nash usually wakes me @ 6:30.  He and I have “our time” with cartoons and milk and coffee, before Rhett wakes about 7:00. Rhett likes to play before breakfast, so we eat and get dressed in a very compressed period of about 15 minutes from 8:30-8:45 before heading out the door for preschool. I try to get a shower in there, unload the dishwasher, put a load of laundry in, make and pack my husband’s breakfast and lunch, and check emails.

Oh the ever-elusive balance.  I’m not sure I have that balance yet. I do more laundry while the kids are in school, clean the house, grocery shop, work on my business, and then it’s off to pick up the kids at noon.  Make lunch, have some down time with cartoons, then play/read/draw with the kids during the afternoon.  In the mean time, try to do more laundry (there is a consistent theme!), think about what to make for dinner by 5:30. I usually crash into bed by 9:00, read/watch a little TV and lights out by 10:00.

One of the reasons this format of a business was so appealing, was because the really busy times are packed into weeks around the trunk shows, which I felt would be more manageable than an unpredictable business.  As the shows approach, I’m spending more time doing invitations, calling clients to set up appointments, preparing my home to set up the collection, learning about the new collection’s fabrications, fit nuances, and trends in the market to be able to service and inform my clients.  So, a few weeks a season, life at home gets crazy. During the show weeks, most of my home responsibilities fall by the wayside, so I can focus.  I play catch up for a few weeks afterwards.

I feel the critical factor of balance is getting some time with your spouse and friends. Those have to be scheduled or they will never happen.  Those get-togethers feed my soul so that I can function better in my role as a working mom.

7) I know that your faith is important to you. What Bible verse is your favorite, and why?

Being Catholic, we are not really known to be very good at reciting Bible verses.  However, what comes to mind first is “Be not afraid.”  Life throws a lot at us and it can be very overwhelming at times.  I take comfort in that– I am not alone in facing all that life does present, and now look at new challenges as just that, new challenges. I am comforted by the fact that God is with me and has a plan for me and I try to use my experience and talents to live life day to day.

Thank you, Anne for sharing your thoughts about your new venture — and sharing a special give-away as well!!  Here’s the deal… Anne is giving away TWO beautiful Doncaster “Aspire” necklaces shown here (worth $25 each, benefiting the Rwandan charity Aspire)!  How can you win?  All you have to do is tell your friends about this post by:

1) post a link that says “check out an awesome giveaway at http://sweet-pea-photography.com/blog” on your Facebook wall/status or Twitter account, or

2) invite your friends to become a fan of Sweet Pea Photography on Facebook , or

3) even just tell a friend about it!

And then leave a comment here on the blog to let me know each way you told your friends… then I’ll randomly choose TWO winners from all the entry comments on the blog received by March 12, 2010 at 11:59pm!!  If you’d like to set up an appointment with Anne during her Spring/Summer show the week of March 29-April 3rd, you can contact her via email or the website  www.doncaster.com/acarlson …now for the giveaway… Ready… set… GO!