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Lesley Austin is someone I truly admire, she is an artist and author with a vision to bring joy, peace and kindness into your world. Not just your online world, but your real world, your home and family. I am so happy that Lesley was kind enough to do this interview, I am positive that her lovely spirit, joy in the everyday and gratitude for all things in nature will connect with almost every one of you. We are kindred spirits in many ways. I first “knew” of Lesley a long time back, when Romantic Homes magazine featured one of her creations in a lovely story about Autumn. Since then, I have had the joy of getting to know her through an online friendship circle, where we shared among many things, our Moms we cared for while they were in the last stage of life with Altzheimer’s.
I hope that you will love Lesley as much as I do. She has several beautiful places where you can visit her on the web, be sure to click on the links at the very bottom of this post. You will be delighted!
1. Please tell us a little about yourself.
I live in the countryside of Virginia with my musician-husband, many animals (with my hens being especially dear to me) and open fields and skies all around. We raised our two sons here and took care of my mother for many years at the end of her life. Now I am exploring what it is like to live with fewer responsibilities and more in tune with my own heart.
2.When did you realize you wanted to create these beautiful online spaces?
In the midst of caring for my mom, I realized I had to close my stationery business. My heart was leading me elsewhere, in any case, wanting to keep weaving words and images together, but in a daily, encouraging, inspiring way for women. So first, Wisteria & Sunshine was born in January of 2012, where I try to provide a serene place for women to refill their wells and nourish their good intentions for home and self. And Wisteria & Sunshine Post opened its doors just a month or so ago, offering a simple and lovely way to nurture our connections with others and bring loving messages and thoughts to their days.
3.What other jobs did you have before that?
My first jobs were always centered around caring for children…babysitting, nanny jobs and work in a Montessori school. Later, I enjoyed many years of work in a wonderful book store in Williamsburg, Va. Then came the deepest work of all-mothering and homemaking. Small Meadow Press was the line of paper goods I created for seven years while I was doing all that mothering and homeschooling.
4. What inspires you?
Oh, so much! Nature…beauty…love…making the most of what we already have…finding happiness in the small things…
5. If your e-cards or websites had a message, what would you like it to say?
Let’s fall in love with our every-days, and then spread that love about…to other people, the earth and it’s creatures.
Please give us a peek into your life, loves and inspirations:
1. My favorite colors are:
Brown and white, actually! People tell me that brown is an unusual favorite color, but that and white just set off everything else in life so well.
2. If I could have one wish, I would wish for:
True understanding.
3. Right now I’m reading:
Two Farms by Mary Pearce ( a re-read from about twenty years ago) and Wild Feminine by Tami Kent, for my non-fiction.
4. My favorite place is:
Home…and also the British Isles, which I consider my spiritual home.
5. I can’t live without:
Nature, my loved ones, solitude.
6. FrenchGardenHouse items I adore:
Vintage latte bowls and, currently, the antique children’s brown and white transferware.
You can find Lesley at the following places: Wisteria & Sunshine, her friendship website filled with beauty, kindred spirits, encouragement and inspiration. {click on the link to go there.}
Wisteria Post a lovely place where you can subscribe to send beautiful e~cards to those you love. {click on the link to go there.}
and LesleyAustin.com where you will find links to both her blogs, and everything else. I am so grateful to Lesley for giving us all a glimpse into her sweet, beautiful world.
**All images copyright by LesleyAustin.com.
If you want to romance your Home and Garden with antique and vintage treasures to make you smile each time you come home, visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.
I am so very grateful to have met Miss Lesley, and you Miss Lidy, along with so many other lovely spirited women through the Victoria Business of Bliss forums those many years ago… (though we won’t divulge just how many years ago it was 😉 ) What a remarkable community of women it was. <3
Her message remains ever true: be yourself. have gratitude. reach out to others.
And she does all three so very well… thank you for sharing the update to her story with all of us, Lidy!
The same is true of YOU, Miss Deb. Thanks for taking the time to visit and comment, isn’t it such fun that we can all share friendship online, too?
Lovely, lovely, lovely! Thank you, Lidy, for sharing Lesley’s thoughts and vision with the blogging world. xo
It was a privilege, Lesley is such a dear, and her vision of all things soft and lovely, a warm place to land, is something I truly cherish.
Your friends are just as beautiful as you are, Lidy. What a lovely lady, I’m off to visit her now. Thanks for sharing her with all of us. Have a nice weekend.
I know you will love everything you see on any of Lesley’s sites, her two blogs, her Wisteria & Sunshine website, and now , the loveliest way to send e greetings to friends over at Wisteria Post.
Stunning images, and a great read. Lesley lives a charmed life in the country, like we do. Thank you for always having something interesting to read, learn about or think over on the FrenchGardenHouse blog. Going to see Lesley’s sites now.JP, MT & the boys
John Paul, you guys have such a great farm. Thank you for always being one of the few men to visit and leave comments. Hope you loved the vintage football photographs you bought for your new library over there on Sunhearst Farm!
I can’t believe what a lovely bunch of images Lesley has, if the ones you used on this post are anything to go by, her surroundings are beautiful. Thank you for pointing the way, will go over and see for myself right now. You have only the very best friends, that’s for sure. Wendi
Wendi, thanks for the visit. Visiting Lesley online is like taking a fresh, brisk country walk, surrounded by green, sheep and a gentle breeze. Ps your new bracelets for the bridesmaids are on their way to you today.
Lesley sounds like a lovely, lovely woman. I enjoyed your interview. She’s a wonderful soul and I am going to go right over and visit her website.
I wanted to thank you for stopping by recently, but I couldn’t find your email address. Hope all is well in your life and that you are enjoying summer!
XO,
Jane
Jane, she is lovely!! Thanks for stopping by, always a treat to see you here. xo
I have been blessed to know Lesley online for many years, and she has always been such a genuinely kind person, mindful and open-hearted. I am delighted to see her honoured this way, at such a beautiful website, and I hope many more people get to know her because of it.
Thank you so much, Sarah, for visiting and for your comment. Lesley is a beautiful, open hearted person, I hope many more people get to know her too, she is a true blessing!
Lidy…this is a stunning interview with Lesley (who I’m grateful to know online!). So beautiful, but that’s easy with Lesley’s photos. “Course you have a such a gift yourself for pulling everything together. You make a fine pair. 🙂
It would figure you and Lesley would “know” each other, both of you lovely women with kind hearts and a love of nature! Thanks so much for reading the interview Lesley was kind enough to give. Hope you are doing well and enjoying summer. xo
Oh I am so glad you did this post. Lesley, is such a dear heart and is an amazing talent. I treasure my pieces by her!! Clarice