Kombi Life

Kombi Life: Instagram competition winner.

WE RECENTLY HELD AN INSTAGRAM COMPETITION WHERE WE ASKED YOU TO NOMINATE A SPECIAL PERSON IN YOUR LIFE THAT DESERVES TO BE SPOILT ROTTEN FOR THEIR GOOD AND HARD WORK. 

WE GATHERED TOGETHER SOME LIKE MINDED BRANDS THAT WE FELT REPRESENTED A SIMILAR ETHOS TO US AT UKIYO:CO, AND SENT OUT A CALL TO ACTION TO YOU ALL TO NOMINATE THAT SPECIAL PERSON. THE WINNER WAS GIFTED : 

:A STUNNING TWO THOUSAND DOLLAR TOTEM ROAD MARBLE AND ECO WOOD COFFEE TABLE

:A THOUSAND DOLLAR UKIYO LOUNGEWEAR WARDROBE

: A STAY AT THE STUNNING BONDI BEACH ABODES

@INSIDEFOURLINES CAME THROUGH WITH A NOMINATION ONE MORNING THAT WE COULDN'T LOOK PAST. A WOMAN NAMED  @KOMBILIFE ,HER FIRST TAG LINE "ITS COOL TO BE KIND". IS AN ETHOS I TRAVEL WITH BEING A MOTHER, BUSINESS OWNER AND FRIEND, AND SOMETHING THAT RESONATES WITH ME DAILY. SHE HAD OUR ATTENTION SO WE DELVED DEEPER. WE FOUND THAT SHE HADNT BEEN WELL, BUT THROUGH IT ALL, STILL MANAGED TO WRITE A SUPER INTERESTING BLOG, REPRESENT BEAUTIFUL IMAGERY, LOOK AFTER HER DAILY CHORES ON A BIG FARM, TEND TO HER BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, AND INSPIRE OTHERS, ALL WITH A SMILE ON HER FACE. ITS BEEN A PLEASURE TO HAVE CONNECTED WITH HER THROUGHOUT THE COMPETITION JOURNEY AND IM  SURE YOU WILL ENJOY HER STORY. 

Nikkis story:

 I’VE READ YOU HAD SOME HEALTH ISSUES LATELY AND HAD TO CHANGE YOUR WAYS, MAKE TIME FOR THAT CRUCIAL ’SELF CARE’ THAT MOTHERHOOD DOESN’T SEEM TO ALLOW TIME FOR. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR BATTERY NEEDS RECHARGING?

 IT’S TRULY HARD AS A MOTHER OF THREE TO KNOW THAT YOUR BATTERIES ARE GETTING LOW , BUT LATELY WITH MY HEALTH BEING BAD AS IT IS , I’VE LEARNT THAT YOU CAN’T POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP .ON MY JOURNEY FOR SELF CARE , DIET CHANGE AND LEARNING TO MAKE ME TIME , I DO HAVE SOME WAY TO GO BUT BEING AWARE THAT SOMETHING WASNT QUITE RIGHT WE HOPE TO HAVE SOME ANSWERS SOON . 

 FOR ME ITS WEARING THE SOFT NATURAL LINENS AND GETTING IN NATURE. WHATS YOUR GO TO COMFORT PIECE?

 I’M ALL ABOUT COMFORT AND AT THE MOMENT THE LISA DRESS IS MY GO TO , NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE SEASON CHANGE , BUT BEING SICK IT MEANS IT’S LIKE HAVING A NIGHTIE ON YOU CAN BE IN ALL DAY .... WIN WIN !!

TELL US ABOUT WHERE YOU COME FROM..

 FARMERS DAUGHTER BORN AND RAISED , YOU CAN TAKE THE GIRL FROM THE COUNTRY, BUT YOU CAN’T TAKE THE COUNTRY OUT OF THE GIRL . SO WITH THAT SAID HOME IS WERE THE HEART IS , SO HERE I AM BACK WE’RE MY LIFE BEGAN , NOT FAR FROM WE’RE I GREW UP . LIVING THE DREAM 

WHAT PIECES OF UKIYO CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF WEARING AROUND THE FARM TO TOWN?

CAN I SAY HOW STUNNING THIS PIECE IS THE DESIGN IS ON POINT THE OLIVIA STRIPED SHIRT I’M IN LOVE WITH THIS PIECE TAKES ME FROM FARM TO TOWN EITHER OVER MY GORGEOUS LISA DRESS OR MATCHED WITH DENIM BOTTOMS , PERFECT GO TO PIECE . 

WHAT DOES ‘ITS COOL TO BE KIND’ MEAN TO YOU?

 “EVERYTHING “ THE DAY MY DAUGHTER BROKE DOWN ABOUT HER BULLYING IS A DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET, I NEW SOMETHING NEED TO BE DONE . THESE KIDS NEED TO KNOW THAT IS BETTER TO BE KIND , I SAID TO HER THERE ALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHAT BETTER WAY TO GET ACROSS TO THESE TEENS A TWEENS AND CREATE SOMETHING POWERFUL TO REACH OUT AND BE AWARE THAT #ITSCOOLTOBEKIND AND #ITSNOTCOOLTOBECRUEL , THIS MESSAGE GREW FAR AND WIDE AND EVEN FOUND OURSELVES FUNDRAISING FOR THE KIDS HELPLINE . THIS MESSAGE WILL ALWAYS BE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS IT DOESN’T COST ANYTHING TO BE KIND . 

BEFORE MOTHERHOOD, WHAT FILLED YOUR DAYS?

“WOW” WHAT A DIFFERENT WORLD I LIVE IN NOW , BEFORE KIDS I LIVE IN PERTH FOR 8 YEARS WORKING IN FASHION, SO MY DAYS ARE SURE DIFFERENT KNOW TO WHAT THEY WERE THEN , FILLED WITH SOCIALISING , TALKING FASHION, CREATING OUTFITS, DESIGNING FASHION WINDOWS, WINNING , DINNING AND PARTYING . HOW LIFE CAN CHANGE . 

 HOW IMPORTANT IS SUSTAINABLE LIVING TO YOU? 

 “SUSTAINABLE LIVING” TO BE FREE TO FEEL DIRTY IN MY TOES , CONNECTING TO MOTHER EARTH , I’D HAVE TO SAY WE LOVE THE FREEDOM, BUT LIFE ISN’T ABOUT WE’RE WE ARE IT’S ABOUT WHAT WE MAKE OF IT . 

 WHATS ONE THING YOU HOPE YOUR CHILDREN LEARN FROM YOU ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE WORLD? 

 TEACHING MY KIDS IS SOMETHING THAT SCARES ME , THERE BEAUTIFUL LITTLE MIND TAKE IN SO MUCH , BEING MINDFUL OF WHAT GOES IN TO THESE PURE BRAINS , MY KIDS SURPRISE ME EVERYDAY EVEN WHEN I THINK THERE NOT LISTENING THEY ARE AND EVEN FIND THEY QUOTE STUFF TO ME I HAVE SAID TO THEM , I WANT THEM TO ALWAYS BE KIND , KIND TO THEM SELVES, KIND TO OTHERS , TO ANIMALS AND MOTHER EARTH AND IT’S NOT ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER, THEY ARE ONLY THINGS , IT’S ABOUT WHAT’S INSIDE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE EVEN IF IT’S NOT MUCH . 

 HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WINNING THE UKIYO:CO, TOTEM ROAD AND BONDI ABODES COMPETITION? 

 WINNING THE COMPETITION HAS FILLED MY HEART WITH SUCH GRATITUDE AND TRULY OVERWHELMED TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO SEE ME FOR EVERYTHING I WISH TO SPREAD TO THIS WORLD THE IMPORTANCE OF KINDNESS, SO TO BE NOMINATED AND WIN THIS IS I AM HUMBLED. 

photography by Annette Gibson @annettegibson