Home Life Magazine Issue 2

ISSUE

H O M E1/ L I F E LOT TIE LIFEST YLE / ISSUE 2

THE WEEKEND ISSUE

SPRING CLEAN YOUR BUSINESS

A CIT Y UNRECOGNISABLE

Create a difference to your weekend with a laidback brunch

Take a fresh look at your digital presence and consider some new marketing strategies

What life has been like in NYC during the Covid 19 pandemic

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HOME / LIFE Issue 2

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h av e b e e n u p a n d d o w n i n t h i s p a s t w e e k . S o m e days I feel buoyant and motivated and somewhat unconcer ned about the fact that we are all stuck at home - and then just when I feel OK, the next day I will wake up feeling flat - in somewhat of a bad mood but more than that, just kind of f lat. Meh. C a n’ t b e b o t h e r e d . O v e r i t . I a m n o t a f a n o f f e e l i n g l i k e t h i s ( a n d I ’ m s u r e m y f a m i l y a r e n’ t e i t h e r - I h av e a l r e a d y s i g h e d i n a n e x a s p e r a t e d w a y m o r e t h a n once this mor ning with Pip who is just trying to get on with her e-lear ning and asking perfectly reasona b l e q u e s t i o n s o f m e, b u t I ’ m f e e l i n g i r r i t a t e d a n d c a n’ t s e e m t o k e e p m y e ye - r o l l i n g e x a s p e r a t e d i n n e r t e e n a g e b e h av i o r t o m y s e l f t o d a y ) . S o r r y P i p. W h e n e v e r I ’ m h av i n g o n e o f t h e s e f l a t d a y s I d o a c o u p l e of things - one is I recognise my f lat mood and let it b e, s e c o n d I w a r n t h e o t h e r r e s p o n s i b l e a d u l t i n t h e house that I am feeling this way so he knows ahead of time what to expect and last I try and not succumb e n t i r e l y t o i t a n d l o o k f o r av e n u e s t o s h i f t i t - g o i n g f o r a w a l k , h av i n g a c o f f e e a n d p u t t i n g o n s o m e m a s c a r a a r e t h e t h r e e t h i n g s t h a t u s u a l l y h e l p. S e t t i n g r e a l i s t i c e x p e c t a t i o n s o f yo u r s e l f d u r i n g t h i s t i m e i s important. And it reminds me of another prolonged period of time when I had to adjust my expectations o f m y s e l f . T h e ye a r w a s 2 0 0 8 a n d I h a d j u s t b e c o m e a m o t h e r f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e. P r e - b a by I h a d b e e n l i v i n g a f u l l l i f e. I w a s a f r e e l a n c e e v e n t d i r e c t o r f o r a m a r k e t i n g a g e n c y, I w a s o u t a n d a b o u t w i t h f r i e n d s , I d i d yo g a , w e n t t o t h e p u b m i d - w e e k a n d r e g u l a r l y s p e n t w e e k e n d s h av i n g b r u n c h a n d r e a d i n g t h e p a p e r s u n t i l w e l l p a s t m i d d a y. T h e n a b a by c a m e a l o n g. A n d I struggled. I was stuck inside and my day consisted of endlessly looking at my watch to deter mine length of nap time and when I would next be required to get m y b o o b s o u t o r c h a n g e a n a p py. L i k e m o s t n e w m u m s I struggled with how narrow my life had become - it w a s g r o u n d h o g d a y. E v e r y d a y. B u t I w a s d e t e r m i n e d to try and maintain some kind of normalcy and had expectations that I should still be able to go to the shops and maybe stop off at a cafe for a coffee and c h a t w i t h a f r i e n d - s u r e l y t h a t w a s n’ t t o o m u c h t o expect of this new reality? But all that happened was

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m y f r u s t r a t i o n s w i t h m y b a by i n c r e a s e d b e c a u s e t h i s w a s , a c t u a l l y, t o o m u c h t o a s k . M y m u m c a m e to Sydney to visit, took one look at my mounting frustrations and offered this very useful nugget of a d v i c e w h i c h h a s a l w a y s s t a ye d w i t h m e - i t w o r k s b o t h f o r n e w m u m s a n d e v e r yo n e l i v i n g t h r o u g h a p a n d e m i c - “ l o w e r yo u r e x p e c t a t i o n s . I f yo u m a n a g e t o s h o w e r t h e n t h a t ’s g r e a t . E v e r y t h i n g e l s e i s a b o n u s . D o n’ t e x p e c t t o g e t a n y t h i n g e l s e d o n e i n yo u r d a y ” . I t w a s l i k e s o m e o n e h a d r e l e a s e d me from the tor ment I had been self inf licting and from that moment I just let all my previously held expectations of life go. The good days I managed to get more done and the bad ones, well, I showered.

Lot t i e E d i t o rs N o t e : H u g e t h a n k s t o t h e w o n d e r f u l c o n t r i b u t o rs o f t h i s i s s u e w h o, i n a m o n g s t t h e i r d a y j o b s, w r o t e g r e a t a r t i cl e s f o r y o u t o e n j o y a n d h e l p e d m e t o m a k e t h i s m a g a z i n e a r e a l i t y.

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C O N T R I BU TO R S CLAIRE BULL “S pring

clean your business ”

page 20

Claire Bull is a freelance marketing consultant based in Singapore, she is currently living the digital nomad life at a desk in her bedroom instead of any kind of tropical destination.

She looks forward to a time when she can again have absolutely no idea what her kids are learning at school all day.

HESTER ABA “W hen

is nyc not nyc anymore ?”

page 16

Hester is an Editor and Creative Director, living in NYC with her two daughters and miniature dachshund Nutmeg. Since the start of lockdown, she has learned to do two Tiktok dances very badly, eaten her bodyweight in Cadbury’s creme eggs and realized she can’t do basic division. .

ASTRIE SUNINDAR-RATNER “5

minutes with ...”

page 35

A mother of 3, an etiquette consultant, a dreamer and a sucker for hugs! In a journey of creating a better world through good manners.

Astrie Sunindar-Ratner - Founder of A-The Etiquette Consultancy

Many thanks also to the following additional contributors to this issue: Elodie Bellegarde, Marika Poquet and Delphine Rethoret for sharing their bread shopping secrets. Nick Robinson, Simon Davis and Daina Fail for adding some great music to the Weekend Brunch spotify playlist.

LOTTIE LIFESTYLE

HOME / LIFE Issue 2

F RO N T C OV E R

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EASY WEEKENDS D e l p h i n e f r o m A t e l i e r Ja c q u e l i n e wear s IN Bed white linen pyjama top, $82 and white linen pyjama shorts, $75. Croisette chair in c a m e l v e l v e t , a v a i l f o r p r e - o r d e r, $1,390. Handmade ceramic coffee c u p, w h i t e o n w h i t e , $ 3 8 .

All shoplottielifestyle.com

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CONTENTS

THE PERFECT WEEKEND MORNING

8-15

My favourite brunch Shopping List For the love of bread

WHEN IS NYC NOT NYC ANYMORE?

16-19

SPRING CLEAN YOUR BUSINESS

20-23

FASHION

24-27

Lounge around

HOME

28-33

Guide to art

BINGE WORTHY PODCAST SERIES

34-35

CONTENT ROUNDUP

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5 MINS WITH...

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Astrie Sunindar-Ratner

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THE PERFECT WEEKEND MORNING All my recommendations for the perfect laid-back start to the weekend. Comfy lounge-ath o m e p j ’s t h a t f e e l s t y l i s h e n o u g h t o k e e p w e a r i n g a l l d a y l o n g, g o o d t u n e s , g r e a t c o f f e e a n d a d e l i c i o u s c r e a t e yo u r o w n b r u n c h g r a z i n g t a b l e.

WORDS and PHOTOGRAPHY Charlie Cameron

THE PERFECT WEEKEND MORNING

The lovely social rituals that usually signal the end of the work week and the start of the weekend are clearly now gone (no more dinners out or catching up with friends) but I have decided in this time of pandemic lockdown to not let the weekend feeling go.

So, in place of socialising with friends and meals out, I have implemented a couple of changes at home to create a weekend vibe - one of which is brunch on a Saturday or Sunday. It starts with toasted muesli, fruit, pastries and coffee before moving on to avocado, toast, grilled halloumi maybe some eggs and more coffee. I put on some good music and we eat outside. The kids drift in and out - they are always there for the pastries and maybe wander back later for some toast and whichever grazing bits they like best. There is nothing formal about these weekend brunches and in amongst chatting, we can each be found reading on a device or from a magazine or book.

It is one of the unusual joys that has sprung up out of this lockdown time, that we are all able to appreciate this relaxing start to the weekend mornings and we are making the most of it.

Because once the restrictions ease, we will be back to being up and out for kids sports (and appreciating that for a whole different set of reasons).

I have found that during this time of endless days with so little variation, it pays to create a difference to your weekend. And whilst these efforts are small, if we shut our eyes for a moment, we can pretend that the day is somehow different from the one before.

WHAT WE DO TO CREATE A WEEKEND FEELING AT HOME •

Weekday mornings are for getting up, eating breakfast and being ready for school or work.

By contrast, weekends start slowly, everyone gets up in their own time and TV and devices are allowed.

•

We eat long leisurely meals - brunch, a late lunch or drinks and snacks before dinner.

Meal times are prolonged and don’t follow a timetable.

•

We eat predominately outside on the sofas.

No dinner table, no formal dinner time rules.

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We play music over dinner - often it is Finn who takes control but anyone can add to the playlist

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We have BBQ’s and play cards while we eat

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Saturday night is often movie night with special treats like ice creams

•

Sunday night always ends with takeaway pizza and an after dinner disco with Finn DJing

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STRUCTURE IS KEY

M Y FAVO U R I T E B RU N C H avocado on toast with choose your o wn toppings

WORDS and PHOTOGRAPHY Charlie Cameron

THE PERFECT WEEKEND MORNING

C r i s py, c h e w y s o u r d o u g h b r e a d l i g h t l y t o a s t e d , c r e a m y av o c a d o , s a l t y h o t h a l l o u m i a n d s o m e z i n g y m a c e r a t e d o n i o n s . H e r e a r e s o m e o f m y f av o u r i t e g o - t o c o m b i n a t i o n s f o r b r u n c h .

GREAT TOAST

Optional extras:

GRILLED HALLOUMI

Good quality sourdough evoo (optional)

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Finely chop some basil, mint or dill and add to the avocado

Buy the best quality sourdough you can find (see reommendations) slice medium thick and toast. I just use a toaster but you can get all fancy and do it on a griddle pan if you wish. Once toasted let it cool in the toaster for a min or two so it stays a little crispy. Drizzle with a little evoo if you wish.

Authentic halloumi cheese (I prefer the Dodoni brand) Smear of olive oil

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Add a splash or two of tabasco for a spicy kick and replace the lemon with lime

BASIC AVOCADO

1 ripe avocado squeeze of lemon pinch of maldon sea salt cracked pepper Slightly mash the avocado, keep it chunky and don’t fuss too much about getting it smooth.

Squeeze over some lemon, sprinkle with a good pinch of sea salt and add a crack or two of pepper. Taste. You want it to be zingy and fresh - it shouldn’t taste salty but it should have a bright tangy taste.

•

Deseed and finely dice a tomato and add this for some freshness

MACERATED RED ONION

1/2 red onion or 1 shallot 2 tbsp vinegar pinch of Maldon sea salt 1 tbsp sugar Slice the onion or shallot as finely as you possibly can - if you have a mandolin, use this.

Dissolve the salt and sugar in the vinegar in a bowl and then add the onions and leave to macerate while you get other things ready. The longer you leave the onions the better but if you can’t be bothered to do it ahead of time, don’t worry, they’ll still be tasty with only half an hour sitting in the macerating liquid.

Remove your hallmoui from the packaging and it’s brine and leave to drain on a little kitchen paper while you heat the pan.

Give it a quick pat all over with the kitchen paper and then slice medium thickness. Heat the frypan on a medium heat and add a smear of olive oil to stop the halloumi from sticking. Add the slices of halloumi and cook on each side until golden (a couple of mins each side).

OTHER TOPPINGS

Cook some bacon and then roughly chop into pieces for sprinkling over the top Put out a couple of cubes of marinated goats cheese in a dish for those that want an added element of creaminess Roast some small vine tomatoes in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper Sprinkle of shichimi togarashi (japanese spice mix). I am obsessed by this and sprinkle it on a lot of things.

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Some of the best sourdough in town.

My pick is the Rosemary, Olive Oil Sea Salt Sourdough loaf.

WORDS and PHOTOGRAPHY Charlie Cameron

THE PERFECT WEEKEND MORNING

SHOPPING LIST STARTER LAB

TIONG BAHRU BAKERY

721 Havelock Rd Singapore 169645 www.facebook.com/starterlab.sg/

tiongbahrubakery.com

Some of the best sourdough in town. My pick is the Rosemary, Olive Oil Sea Salt Sourdough loaf. We buy a half loaf a couple of times a week. Their morning pastry buns are buttery, flaky and sprinkled liberally with cinamon sugar and very addictive. And special mention for the Seeded Sourdough loaf which is also delicious. Delivery available

For the Kouign Amann (thanks to Astrie Sunindar-Ratner I am now obsessed) and the almond croissants. Pick up or have delivered.

MERCI MARCEL

https://www.facebook.com/ mercimarcelsg/ For the croissants and pain au chocolats. Pick up and delivery available.

AVOCADOS

BRIGHT COFFEE COMPANY

brightcoffeecompany@gmail. com. www.facebook.com/ Brightcoffeecomapny/ Phone: 9789 4780 A friend of mine who is a coffee aficionado introduced me to Bright Coffee and I am now a convert. Ross roasts the beans each morning and delivers to you fresh that day and it makes all the difference - this coffee is really really good. During the CB, minimum order is 1kg (delivered to you in 2 x 500g packs). Tell Ross what coffee machine you use and he will grind it to order for you too. Gorgeous coffee and a great service. Place orders by email.

Finding a good avocado can sometimes feel like winning the lottery. The avocadoes in Singapore are often rock hard and when they finally yield to the point you could actually cut them open (eleventy hundred days later) they are kind of weird and watery inside. Eww. So, for my money, here are three spots to try for great avocadoes: Little Farms littlefarms.com Culina culina.com.sg

A&L Fruit and Veg Holland Village Food Market The lovely lady who runs this fruit and veg stall is the best. This is a great place for all fresh produce.

Tell her when you plan on eating your avocados and she will choose the best ones for you (i.e. I need one for today and one for in three days time). They’re always good.

FRESH PRODUCE

You can sometimes get good authentic halloumi cheese (the Dodoni brand) in cold storage, but when it’s not in stock, I go to Culina or Little Farms (see above). I also buy Meredith Farm marinated goats cheese from Cold Storage or Little Farms.

WEEKEND P L AY L I S T Head to Lottie Lifestyle on Spotify

for

the

We e k e n d

Brunch playlist. More than 5 hours of hanging at home tunes.

Listen Here

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F O R T H E L OV E O F B R E A D I f yo u a r e l o o k i n g f o r g o o d b r e a d a n d p a s t r i e s , i t c a n p a y t o f i n d o u t w h e r e t h e Fr e n c h a r e p i c k i n g u p t h e i r b r e a d r e l a t e d l o o t . S o t h a t ’s w h a t I d i d , I a s k e d t h r e e Fr e n c h f r i e n d s w h e r e they are going in Singapore for their mor ning pastries and bread...

WORDS and PHOTOGRAPHY Charlie Cameron

THE PERFECT WEEKEND MORNING

ELODIE BELLEGARDE

Tiong Bahru Bakery (see previous page) for the patisseries and baguette.

Petit Pain www.facebook.com/petitpain.sg/ for delicious bread (it is always busy and they run out quickly so get there early).

Firebake (East Coast) www. facebook.com/firebakesg/ for really good seeded bread and sourdough.

Starter Lab (see previous) the best sourdough I have ever tasted in Singapore and you can see the bakers at work too.

MARIKA POQUET

Micro Bakery and Kitchen microbakery.oddle.me/en_SG/ for their delicious sourdough bread.

Baker and Cook www.bakerandcook.biz for all things bread Simply Bread simplybread.oddle. me/en_SG/ The Providore www. theprovidore.com for the croissants and pastries.

Choupinette www.facebook. com/ChoupinetteCafe/ for delicious croissants.

DELPHINE RETHORET

Tiong Bahru Bakery (see previous page) for the croissants and pain au chocolat.

Simply Bread (see previous) for good bread.

Micro Bakery and Kitchen (see previous) for their delicious sourdough. I am also addicted to their whipped ricotta and roast tomatoes on toast.

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Image courtesy of Kevin Chincilla

WHEN IS NYC NO LONGER NYC 17

W H E N I S N YC N OT N YC ANYMORE? WORDS Hester Aba

We all have strange memories of the weeks “before quarantine” when coronavirus started to come onto our radar in a serious way, but we didn’t yet realize the potential impact on our lives. I saw the effect of Covid-19 from afar on friends in Hong Kong. Yes, schools there were closed and people were working from home, but there didn’t seem to be an enormous economic impact. I didn’t hear about people losing their jobs, and aside from the huge inconvenience for friends of mine who are working mums, it all seemed relatively minor and far away.

I was working at a local parenting magazine in Brooklyn in March when things got real here. I had handed in my notice a couple of weeks earlier, in preparation for moving with my family to Miami this summer. I planned to use the couple of months of downtime before the move to do some freelance writing to build up my portfolio, start a blog about books and travel, and volunteer at my kids’ school.

Our move from Singapore to NYC happened under really rushed circumstances, and this time I was going to do it right, with goodbye parties and tons of emotional support for my daughters.

The week New York City closed down, our office transitioned to remote working, and layoffs started overnight as all our advertisers pulled their ads.

My boss called me to ask if I would mind finishing work immediately, so they could save two weeks of my salary. Honestly, I was both relieved to be able to avoid the stress of homeschooling while trying to work full-time, and also deeply unmoored.

When NYC decided to close its schools, I had already been keeping my girls home for a couple of days, as rumours swirled and local Facebook

parenting groups became hysterical. It took about a week for New York’s enormous public school system (serving 1.1 million kids including 114,000 homeless children) to figure out remote learning. The scope of this challenge was mind-blowing. Lots of kids in NYC don’t have wifi, let alone laptops or tablets to use to load Google Classroom. I quickly realized that we’d need to buy another If you take away the traffic, laptop so both the people, the noise, the of my kids could restaurants, the shops, the access their daily meetings taxis, is it even New York at the same time, anymore? and we were so fortunate to be able to make this decision quickly and execute on it. I can’t even imagine what this experience is like for moms with multiple kids trying to have them all learn from a single mobile phone.

The city around us has become unrecognizable.

If you take away the traffic, the people, the noise, the restaurants, the shops, the taxis, is it even New York anymore? Stepping outside feels eerie and uncanny. There’s no noise of aeroplanes, no hovering helicopters, no boats going up and down the East River. It’s so, so quiet. People don’t drive on our street with their windows down and music pumping. There are no drunken conversations outside our window at 2am. The garbage truck doesn’t lurch down the street at 5am and wake us up. The whole world has gone quiet. Except for the sirens. For a couple of heartbreakingly horrible weeks, these were nearly constant.

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We live in a nice neighborhood in Brooklyn, in a pretty fancy apartment building inhabited by a few serious A-listers. Guess where they are?

Not here. Our neighbours have hotfooted it to the Hamptons, Upstate NY and other remote locations to hole up. Do I blame them? Nope, we might have made the same call under different circumstances. If we owned a second home. If we were pregnant or had a newborn or a compromised immune system. But we decided to stay put, so we’re in an empty apartment building, looking out on empty houses. At 7pm when people do the nightly clap and cheer for healthcare workers, we see people lean out of their windows or come out onto rooftops, but the noise is thin.

We leave our apartment once a day for a walk around the block. We have to go out to get groceries, as there aren’t any delivery slots, and this raises my heart rate. I hate the feeling of breathing through a mask, and people are so on edge. At our local grocery store, a fight broke out in the line about someone standing too close to someone else. People are really afraid, and that makes them unpredictable. I know families who don’t leave their apartments at all-- who haven’t taken their kids out for five weeks now. On one walk where my kids didn’t get into a single file to get past someone on the sidewalk, a lady barked at me to “Get my kids under control”. I couldn’t really blame her, but sidewalks aren’t wide enough and even though I remind my kids to keep the six feet mandated distance, they forget the next minute.

I repeat, “It’s a mental game” to myself like a mantra to stop myself from getting too stuck in my thoughts or feelings. I try to remind myself to breathe in and out, read, take a bath, do a yoga video. All the things that help to keep you

sane in a situation like this. After all, I’m not suffering from any hardship, just some mental pressure and frustration. Just a few short miles (and maybe not even that far) away from me, families are going hungry. I watch Governor Cuomo’s press conferences every single day, and feel reassured by his calm attention to facts and refusal to bow to political pressure. I’m grateful for the little dose of sanity he brings when the rest of this country feels like it’s going crazy. It’s hard to listen to the numbers he presents. The deaths, the unemployment statistics. The NYC Facebook parenting groups? They’re full of mums who have lost their jobs. Who can’t pay the rent this month.

Who are losing their businesses. Who are losing their family members.

A really inconceivably large number of people have died here. And hundreds continue to die each day as my kids and I watch TikTok videos, stuff our faces with all the carbs and do Zoom calls.

I feel guilty when I find it easy and have enjoyable moments, and I also feel guilty when I find it hard, because I have it so good. I’ve realized I wouldn’t have been much good in a wartime situation. I’ve been disappointed in my own lack of resilience.

But I’m trying to give myself some grace also. To be human and imperfect, to struggle, and to find and savor the little moments of joy where I can: a blossoming tree, a great song during a workout, a snuggly movie with my kids.

Hester Aba is an Editor and Creative Director based in NYC and the Co-Founder of Sassy Mama Singapore and Delilah Creative.

You can follow her on Instagram @hester or visit www.hester.co where she blogs about life and books

WHEN IS NYC NO LONGER NYC 19

Image courtesy of Hester Aba

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S P R I N G C L E A N YO U R BU S I N E S S WORDS Claire Bull

For many small business owners this is a time of worry, for others (such as puzzle manufacturers) a time of positive joy. Many business owners – and people in general - are finding themselves oscillating between complete despair and a desire to do all the things they feel they never had time for in the prepandemic world. Acknowledging that everyone is in a different space with their business, if you are lucky enough to have some quiet time, this could be an opportunity to refocus and rediscover your passion for the business and why it was you started in the first place.

There are no easy answers to what you should or shouldn’t do with your business, some people are merely surviving and others are thriving, for all of us who are in between here are a few ideas of what you may be able to do at this time to remind yourself that all is not lost.

We have seen plenty of people doing a little bit of Marie Kondo in their homes so maybe think of this as a chance to do a business spring clean.

This could be to improve the way your business operates, take a few processes online and digitize and automate as much as you can to save yourself time and money in the long run – doesn’t sound scary at all does it?

PI VOTING A ND PERSONA LISING There have been some excellent examples of businesses pivoting and innovating for the benefit of their customers. Including restaurants delivering “cook at home” versions of their meals and delivering bar quality cocktails with detailed “tasting notes”.

More than just a way to keep money coming in, these businesses are gaining the opportunity to interact with their customers on a personal level,

SPRING CLEAN YOUR BUSINESS 21

in their homes. These types of innovations are not only helping to keep money f lowing into the business but also building a strong bond with all of their customers through this highly emotional and uncertain time. This is what great branding is all about – building an emotional connection with your customers. I personally can’t wait to be out and about and hear someone say “remember during the pandemic we had that amazing meal from x and they included a personalised note in the box, lets go there!”

Think about new ways to build a personal relationship with your customers during this time.

If you don’t have as many orders as normal then use your extra time to send a personalised note. If you don’t have any business at all, now is the perfect time to send a note to all of your loyal customers letting them know just how much you value them and can’t wait to see them again.

This is what I call the “surprise and delight” factor.

How are you going to surprise and delight your customers and set yourself apart? How do you connect with them and give them a story to tell about your business – the ultimate story they can tell is something that goes a little bit like this “Hey Charlie, I ordered some f lowers online last week and they sent me some free chocolates with a little note that acknowledged this is a hard time to be at home, how lovely - you should definitely try them next time you need to order f lowers.” That is free marketing, from one trusted friend to another, sharing a brand because it surprised and delighted you.

PUSHING YOURSELF INTO THE DIGITA L WOR LD Every business needs a digital shopfront, a place where they own the stories that are told about their products and services. Often people build fabulous websites but sometimes this can be like building a beautiful island resort in the middle of the ocean and forgetting to tell people how to find it. How do people find your business? Other than referrals, we all find things the same way people find everything

Image courtesy of Clare Barker Wells

these days – Google search.

The one thing we need to remember is that search engines like google are businesses and it is the goal of their business to ensure the results that pop up when you type in your search query are actually the results you were searching for. So, if I am looking for the perfect velvet armchair upholstery service in Singapore; Google would not be doing me any favours by serving up results of folding deck chairs in Sweden. Essentially the chips are stacked in your favour – if you can make your website ref lect what you actually do for your business and where you are located then you have won half the battle.

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Having good SEO – or search engine optimisation - is not the daunting activity you think it is. Here are the basics to get you started: 1. Find out what people are searching The very first thing is to understand is what are people are searching for?. A quick look on Google Trends can be an interesting insight that allows you to see what people around the world are searching.

They also suggest other relevant words you may wish to include.

2. Consider related enquiries to the core search queries As an example if you are a furniture business, of course you want the terms “armchair” “sofa” “Singapore” in your website and marketing materials but then you also might think about the occasions that people buy new furniture so maybe your potential customers are searching “decorating my new home Singapore” or “how to style a lounge space Singapore.”

3. Populate your website with the right keywords Once you feel more confident in how people are looking for your business, now is the chance to ensure that these words and phrases are populated throughout your site. If you have been in business for a while and know the most common questions customer ask, why not put and questions and answers page for FAQs on your website - then you are giving customers exactly the answers they need.

4. Name ALL your images correctly Sometimes images don’t download or appear properly and Google, being the helpful people that they are, want to ensure the “alt tags” or names of

TIME FOR A NEW PODCAST

the images that come up are relevant. So, if you have written a blog post about how to bake the perfect chocolate cake and then snapped a gorgeous picture of your chocolate cake please don’t add that file to your website as Photo12335957.jpg. Why not? Because Google can’t tell what it is. Rename the picture file to be Chocolate_Cake_Baking_in_ Singapore.jpg and voila, Google know the article you have written is about chocolate cake and that you also have a helpful and relevant photo of a chocolate cake right there on the page – they will happily show your search result above others who have not made this effort to be relevant and helpful.

There are more things that you can do in this space as your business grows but this is a good start for any business to spend a bit of time on and can have a major impact on how you appear in search results.

PA NDEMIC PA RTNER ING One way that all businesses can innovate and pivot during this time is thinking closely about prospective partners. “We are all in this together” has been a catch cry globally, and it applies in the business sense too. Partnering with other businesses is so important because it gets the message out about what you do to a whole new audience of people.

These people might be in a different geography, or if you are a very new business, this strategy can help you break out of the cycle of selling just to family and friends.

Thinking about who to partner and collaborate with is an exercise in thinking outside the box – when someone is using your product – what else might they be doing? Thinking about? Where are they located? What are they wearing? One great collab was a pyjama company and a soap brand, you are fresh and clean out of a lovely bath and slip into cozy pajamas. Another could be a puzzle manufacturer and a gin maker. Try and think

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about what people are spending their time doing at this point and be creative with how you can partner with another business to answer their needs.

Aside from the potential business benefit to a partnership, reaching out to another business during this time of isolation is a great idea on a more personal level too - connecting with another human being who is similarly running a business and looking for opportunities can be a real boost to feeling you are not in this alone. Because the chances are they are sitting at home innovating just like you. So now is the time to reach out, connect and start a conversation and dream up some opportunities to work together.

Claire Bull is a freelance marketing consultant and Strategy Manager for D Code Group who create branding and websites for small and large businesses in Singapore and Australia. claire@dcodegroup.com

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LOUNGE A RO U N D

p j ’s s o s t y l i s h t h e r e i s n o n e e d t o g e t d r e s s e d

PHOTOGRAPHY Charlie Cameron

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STYLISH PJ’S This page clockwise: Howie cami top $85, Howie PJ shorts $85. The Jag cami top $85, The Jag wide leg trousers $170.

Deia cami top $85, Deia PJ shorts $85, all Desmond & Dempsey available at shoplottielifestyle.com. Opposite page: White linen pyjama shirt $82, white linen pyjama trousers $95 In Bed available at shoplottielifestyle.com

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FASHION 27

STYLISH PJ’S This page: Bocas ‘His Shirt for Her’ $165. Opposite page: Howie cami top $85, Howie wide leg trousers $170.

Desmond & Dempsey available at shoplottielifestyle.com.

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G U I D E TO A RT

fill your home with beautiful, well hung and framed art

WORDS Charlie Cameron

The process of finding art that you love can sometimes feel like a daunting process – where do you start and how do you find artists whose work you will fall in love with? The world of galleries and art is not as intimidating as you might expect and you don’t need to be an art critic to know what you like.

For me, art is a little bit like wine - the price tag does not necessarily denote whether you will like it or not and I advocate buying a wide range of art - from small posters, to limited edition pieces through to original artwork. It can all have a place in your home and happily sit side by side.

P O S T E R A RT - $ Poster art is mass produced and affordable. Increasingly there are some great designs to choose from and my favourite place to shop for posters is The Poster Club. They have a huge array of designs to choose from and deliver worldwide. Try and choose designs that aren't too 'on trend' - if you see a design popping up all over Instagram then think twice as you don't necessarily want to end up with the same artwork as everyone else. And whilst the poster itself might be affordable, framing in general is not, so don't waste your money buying something you don't fundamentally love.

L I M I T E D E D I T I O N A RT - $ $ In the mid price range is limited edition art. When buying limited edition artwork make sure you understand how 'limited' the edition of the design is. Are there 1000 pieces in the edition, or 5? It makes a difference to how unique a piece you are buying and the price should reflect this (a limited edition of 2 will be higher in price than a limited edition of 500).

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Image courtesy of The Poster Club

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O R I G I NA L A RT - $ $ / $ $ $

Mat Materials

Not necessarily expensive but it can be depending on the artist and how popular or in demand their work is. Some original art can be bought directly through the artist, but most artists will be represented by a gallery - and sometimes more than one.

These should always be acid-free, and there should be a dust cover on the back.

There are a couple of ways to get started when buying original art. The first and most obvious place is with art galleries. Visit their websites and join their mailing lists. Whenever a new exhibition is scheduled, you will receive an email with the details of the exhibition and a catalogue of the work. If the artist is popular then you will have to move quickly. Lots of art buyers who are on the galleries mailing lists arrange viewings to purchase from the exhibition before it has opened to the general public. Even if you attend the opening night, you will often find that many of the pieces have already been sold. So it’s worth acting fast if you like an artist’s work.

If you are interested in a particular piece and live in the same city as the gallery then set up a viewing.

If that’s not possible, and you feel you need more information on the artwork, then ask the gallery to take extra photos for you to get a more realistic impression – some simple iPhone snaps can give a perspective that the catalogue won’t.

FRAMING Whatever your art, you want to frame it for the long term. Good framing is not cheap, so you only want to do it once. For this reason, I recommend choosing simple frames and mat boards that you won't get sick of and go for quality craftsmanship.

Good framing will elevate even the cheapest print to something that looks really special. I only ever use custom framing for this reason.

Acrylic or Glass Traditionally glass was always used on the front but now acrylic is increasingly popular. It is lighter than glass, won't shatter and good quality acrylic can be museum grade in terms of UV protection.

Whether you use glass or acrylic, it needs to have UV protection.

Float Mat Technique This is my preferred mounting method. Essentially the artwork floats on top of a mat board. It is done by inserting small pieces of foam between the mat board and artwork so that the artwork floats. The frame will have a fillet around it so that the artwork sits towards the back and there is space between the artwork and the glazed front.

I generally like mounting on top of a mat board for artwork rather than creating a mat-board window which the artwork sits behind. For me, it feels modern and simple and I like that you can see the edge of the artwork.

Stretched Canvas Framing Some artwork is painted on canvas and then the canvas is stretched over a frame. This kind of artwork can be left free of a frame if you wish, or you can use a tray frame to finish it. A tray frame will have have the same depth as the stretched canvas so that the artwork front sits flush with the edge of the frame. A shadow line will also be created between the artwork and the frame. You can ask your framer to have this gap be narrow or wide. Your choice.

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LIMITED EDITION P H OTO G R A P H I C P R I N T Awakenings Patagonia, South America, 2016

by Kara Rosenlund

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H OW TO H A N G A RT In my experience it pays to have someone hang artwork for you. As handy as you (or your husband) might be with a drill, someone who hangs art for a living will be able to help recommend placement and will ensure that everything is done correctly.

If your art is wide, you will need to hang it on two nails, not one. Ideally, for a really large heavy piece of art, the framer will have screwed D-rings at the back for hanging.

As a general rule of thumb, have the middle of the artwork be at eye height. This is a general guide so start with this point and then stand back and make sure it's correct in relation to your furniture or other styling elements.

Perhaps it might need to be a touch lower. In my experience, it rarely needs to be higher.

If you want to create a salon hang (that is a cluster of artwork) then use the same rule of thumb. The middle of this cluster of artwork should still be eye height.

When hanging above a sofa or chair, make sure that someone can sit on the sofa without their head banging into the art.

Don't always centre your artwork on a wall, my preference is often to use art as a visual balance against the furniture so play with it's placement before you decide.

Be aware of scale. To be safe, place a small artwork in an appropriately small area of wall, a large piece will similarly need space around it. Give your artwork impact by taking into consideration the space around it - not too much or too little.

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A RT I N S P I R AT I O N W here else to look...

Interior Magazines I p a r t i c u l a r l y l i k e Vo g u e a n d Belle Australia for their art sections. Also, take note of art you see listed in homes inside magazines and look up the artists.

Instagram Save images of art you like and r e s e a r c h t h e a r t i s t o r g a l l e r y.

Galler y Stockrooms T he stockrooms in g alleries have a treasure trove of art for you to b r o w s e . H e a d t o a g a l l e r y ’s w e b site and click on their stockroom to see what they have.

GALLERIES:

Arthouse Gallery Curatorial & Co Edwina Corlette Jan Murphy Gallery Olsen Gallery Otomys Sophie Gannon Gallery Studio Gallery Melbourne

Image @lottieisloving

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B I N G E WO RT H Y P O D C A S T S j u i c y, i n v e s t i g a t i v e t r u e c r i m e p o d c a s t s t h a t w i l l h a v e y o u h o o k e d

I am somewhat addicted to investigative podcasts. I love it when someone recommends one to me because I know that I will have at least a few days gripping listening up my sleeve (sometimes more if I don't find the time to listen often). The true crime, investigative podcast genre really exploded in popularity with Serial and if you are one of the few people who haven't listened yet to this podcast, I recommend you start here first. Like many great podcasts that have followed, the high quality investigative journalism in this podcast actually altered the course of justice. So here are my favourite binge-worthy podcasts - perfect for the weekend.

TRUE CRIME PODCASTS

Season 1: Sarah Koenig investigates what really happened in the death of Hae Min Lee, a high school girl murdered in Baltiimore. Her accuser Adnan Syed was convicted of the crime but has always protested his innocence. This podcast will leave you very conflicted about the truth.

Season 2: Sarah Koenig is back investigating what really happened when US soldier Bowe Bergdahl walked off from his post in Afganistan and ended up becoming the longest prisoner of war at the hands of the Taliban. The in-detail view of what was happening in the war and with his captivity is interesting as is the bigger picture of diplomacy.

To Live and Die in LA: An aspiring 25 year old actress, Adea Shabani, disappears without a trace from her Hollywood apartment. The twists and turns of this podcast to unveil what happened to her is gripping. I also found the information about how we are all tracked a bit alarming.

The Missing Crypto Queen: Dr Ruja Ignatova persuaded millions to join her financial revolution.

Then she disappeared. Why? Jamie Bartlett presents a story of greed, deceit and herd madness.

Who the Hell is Hamish: Greg Bearup delves into the fascinating - and devastating - life of a serial conman, Hamish Watson. This podcast left me speechless - the sheer number of victims and all the lives he ruined along the way not to mention the millions he swindled.

Caliphate: Follow Rukmini Callimachi as she reports on the Islamic State and the fall of Mosul. It seems almost like a lifetime ago that we were worried about the threat of ISIS on the world, but this podcast reveals the inner workings of the organisation and poses some interesting questions for how ISIS may look to regroup.

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BEST OF THE REST M Y W E E K LY C O N T E N T RO U N D U P

THE HIGH LOW Podcast Last weeks episode (15 April) is a must listen. Some great book recommendations and an author special with Holly Bourne who amongst other things, talks about how important it is to depict realistic sex in books from a womans perspective. Also, a great review of Tiger King which resonated with my own feelings on it.

HOW TO FAIL WITH ELIZABETH DAY Podcast by Elizabeth Day I highly recommend the recent episode with Alain de Botton whose voice I could listen to all day. His wisdom and ability to explain what makes us human is always a comfort to me. I am a big fan of stoic philosophy and I adored this episode.

HOW TO FIX A DRUG SCANDAL Netflix I found this Netflix docu-series fascinating and a little alarming.

It reveals the story behind two of America’s worst scandals to hit drug testing labs. I was in awe of the defending prosecutor who continued to fight for justice for his clients. Worth a watch.

EXPLAINED - CORONA VIRUS Netflix Special Episode I really like the ‘Explained’ series on Netflix and have watched quite a few over the two seasons.

This is a special episode on the Corona Virus and I watched it with the kids - and both of them really got a lot out of it. As with all the ‘Explained’ episodes, it is short and to the point with easy to understand information.

A good one to watch with kids who are a bit older (9+).

THE LAST DANCE Netflix Docu-Series I have just started The Last Dance on Netflix and have loved episode 1. The series is about the Chicago Bulls and the fall out of the team management wanting to change the coach and members of the team when they were at the height of winning. So far, so good. But I’m only one episode in. Stay tuned.

CONTENT ROUNDUP

5 MINUTES WITH...

Astrie Sunindar-Ratner

You can never have too many... hugs Favourite place to walk By the river from Robertson quay to Fullerton Bay during golden hour, it’s magical.

Spotify playlist on rotation Great American songbook essentials Currently reading The Cartiers - the untold story of the family behind the jewellery empire I would love to learn...

Argentine tango! It’s one of the most elegant dances with so many nods to etiquette Best pastries in Singapore Fine dining by Akira M. Best pain au chocolat in town

Best beauty tip Gua Sha jade facial massage. Not only is it beyond soothing to do at the end of the day, my skin glows in the morning. My kids and hubby know to leave me alone when I’m doing my pre bed time face massage, a ritual I always look forward to.

What I am missing the most Date nights with my husband

When Singapore’s circuit breaker ends I can’t wait to...

Travel to Tokyo. Our favourite city, where my parents fell in love. Tokyo is our happy place.

Favourite Instagram account Melissa Wood. Her approach to life, family and career are so inspiring.

Things that make me smile My children. Their faces light up my day.

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