My life has been touched by some uber amazing women whose passion for life and the way they choose to live it have really inspired me. Some are bloggers, some are not, their lives are all different and they are all special. I feel honoured and privileged that they are sharing their stories and sprinkling a little bit of their awesome right here. May you be wom-inspired!
Meet Jayde Leeder.
I’d been following (but not in a stalker way) Jayde on social media for quite some time before I got to meet her in real life. Of course, she was just as funny, big hearted and kind offline as she was online, only funnier, bigger hearted and kinder than I had imagined. If you don’t follow Jayde on Instagram already, you totally should, because her feed is a right royal treat. Jayde advocates kindness at all times, talks openly about her battles with anxiety and is clever and creative. Oh and also, she owns the stationery shop of my dreams! Meet Jayde, she’s so inspiring!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name’s Jayde and I own a happy little stationery boutique called Little Paper Lane. We sell all sorts of cute stationery and unique gifts and we are a full graphic design studio but specialise in Wedding and Event stationery. I was a make up artist for lots of years and never did a lot with it, but I’m still obsessed with make-up and beauty and love of colour. I was also a nanny which was the BEST job and then I had my own babies and opened Little Paper Lane almost 6 years ago. My life was always full of stationery and I had a serious addiction to it, and I just knew I had to have a stationery shop so others could share in my passion.
I married Steve 11 years ago after dragging him here from Canada and he is our head Graphic designer and very talented and the best husbo/dad/vacuumer hands down in the universe. Sorry everyone else who doesnt have a Steve 😉 We have two cute human children, Iggy who is 8 and makes the world a better place, and Minty who is 3 and is changing the world for the better. We also have two fur children Coco who can be an asshole sometimes but is the most beautiful creature on this earth and she is 2, and a half Alaskan Malamaute. And recently we had another fur baby called Thor who is 12 weeks old and is a German Shepard Husky cross and SO CUTE. His asshole level doesn’t seem to be as high as Coco’s, but he ate our blow up pool last night, so he may try to take her out for the gold at some point. We adore all our kids. I also look after social media for a few rad companies, and teach social media to those who want to learn to use it in a more human way for their businesses.
Forever in pain from scoliosis and a knee injury and recently shingles have left me with nerve pain, but it’s no reason to stop me from doing things…except running…because that is whack…give me a pool any day!
Tell us 3 things you are and 3 things you’re not.
I am NOT an athlete…I was as a kid…but I’m not now and I don’t want to be.
I am NOT into tomatoes…they suck… Grossest things on earth!
I am NOT organised…I’m just not. I can’t get my head around it and I try and try and get it going for a couple days then I stuff it up somehow by getting distracted by Pinterest or the X-Files or something and it’s game over.
I AM super nice. I really am. It’s rare you get me in a ‘bad mood’ and even if I am a bit sore or down or whatever I am still nice …Except… If you are an asshole to me, I may not be nice.
I AM a day/night dreamer. If I have a long drive, I will make up an entire scenario in my head, like winning lotto and every single thing I would do. Every day I daydream. And every night before sleep I don’t actually go to sleep because I am too busy dreaming up stuff. It’s usually a good time for creativity.
I AM amazing at starting things. However, I cannot finish well AT ALL.
Complete this sentence, ____________________ changed my life. How and why?
Giving birth changed my life. Well it’s pretty cliched I know, but it totally did. Not just in the standard way. Obviously having kids makes life different. Thats pretty easy to work out, but I think I realised how important it is to be who I am. And not be someone else I think I ‘want to be’. You get less and less time to be you when you become a parent, so it’s super important to just be me.
It gave me motivation to do more with my life. I have to show these small humans how to be an important and amazing part of this world, and I can’t show them, if I don’t do it myself. You have to be willing to put effort into bettering your true self, or they won’t see that they need to look after themselves and try and be great little humans and be the best they can be and continue the cycle and create more humans that will mould the world to be better. Obviously I have a LONG way to be the very best I can, but it’s important to me to try and improve ‘me’ everyday. Whether its mental health, the way I eat, being creative more, working harder etc but also to show them and the world and myself that its not about being ‘perfect’ at all. We are full of ‘faults’ and that’s so OK. We won’t ever be perfect. But , we can chose to be happy and be kind and show that to the world and teach our kids to be the same.
What has been life’s greatest lesson?
I think something that is hugely important is to be kind. Its not hard. It just isnt. Show kindness and you will make this world what it’s meant to be. Everyone over thinks it I think. I just feel like its so simple. Dont be an asshole. Be kind.
What is your biggest achievement?
Apart from my babies obviously, as something personal, I would say just creating this Little Paper Lane world. It’s not one single thing I am most proud of, and it’s not just because of something I have done myself alone. Anything we do with Little Paper Lane is always a high-five to all of us and the people who support us. It’s a beautiful shop, it’s a beautiful business and people like working with us, and we love the direction it is going in. There are too many moments to be proud of, but Little Paper Lane as a whole business is by far my greatest adventure.
What has been your toughest obstacle and how have you overcome it?
Probably my mental health and chronic pain. I wouldnt say I’ve ‘overcome it’ because it’s just a part of who I am. It’s probably more that I’m learning how to live with it. I was born with a wonky spine. Its like the perfect shape of an ‘s’ and my spine is twisted and it alwas hurt when I was younger, but I was an athlete and swam a lot so it kept the pain factor down, but when I was 15 I was on a cadet camp and jumped down a ledge and ripped my knee apart. Like literally ripped it apart, the skin was the only thing holding it together. It was 3 years of physio and what we didn’t realise was the impact it would have on my back or my mentality.
When I was 17 I had my first panic attack and had rolling panic attacks for about 6 months. So many other life things were going on and its only been really recently that I’ve really discovered how traumatising my knee injury actually was and how its f***ed around with my brain. And pain and anxiety are in close proximity in the ol’ noggin, so it’s something I have to deal with daily. My pain is always there. I’m forever trying new things to help with it, but I try not to let it be just ‘who I am. ‘ It’s there and it sucks but it’s no reason for me to be an asshole. I just have to limit certain things and I have to be really really open and honest about it to everyone… Including people I meet through my business. Because sometimes it hurts too much to walk or type. So If I’m honest, people are more understanding, but also it’s opened up a whole new world to me online.
By being so open about my pain and my mental health, it’s honestly helped it all. I talk my way through high anxiety days on my social media, and it helps others to open up too. People follow along who are in the same boat and they relate and give me advice or are just there to listen, and it’s made me get through some seriously dark times. Last year was a super hard one for me mentally. My family are amazing and can get me through anything, but the support from my online community saved me too. There is huge power in having an awesome online gang and having a beautiful family that support you. And I hope that others feel supported by me. I am always here for anyone who needs to talk or vent.
Viktor Frankl says “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.” Everyone needs a purpose, what’s yours?
This really rings true for me. I think because I am a Sagittarius!? I like adventure. I think for me my ‘purpose’ is tiny things. Again obviously my main purpose in life is my babies. I would burn for them daily if It meant keeping them alive. We do anything for our babies so that’s kind of a given.
I just think my purpose is to live an adventure. I dont mean climb a freaking mountain because f**k that. I can’t walk to the letterbox without my knee swelling up. I mean little adventures… Always have little adventures. Whether it’s a new product to create for the shop, or a weekend away camping, or creating a cute watercolour chart, or taking the kids on a big holiday to Disneyland. I really and honestly just want my family to be happy. I feel like if I can fill their lives with fun and fullfilling things and show them how to be kind and show them how to have fun without spending money and show them how to have fun when times are boring as hell, then my job is done. I just want a happy life. And to make others happy. How I get there is different everyday. I really really just want to make the world smile. And for me to smile too.
What are your words to live by?
Don’t be a dick!
If you could have any mentor, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?
Most people always think I would chose some deep answer. But my answer has been the same since I knew what the word mentor meant. I would choose Drew Barrymore. I am obsessed with her. I always have been. Like since I was 3. I saw ET at the drive in and I was petrified and also in love with ET but mostly I just loved Gertie. I still have a clear memory of her and sitting on my dad’s lap in the drive in and watching it. When I was a teen I just loved her for her wild ways and I wanted to be an actress and I wanted to be her best friend. I STILL want her to be my friend. But as I have gotten older and become a businesses type human I have always followed her story. She is actually an amazing businesswoman. But she does it with a smile and with kindness, and she had a f***ed up childhood and powered through and it inspires me. She is strong without being a dick. I hope to be that type of business gal. I believe you can do business and be buddies with who you work with. You dont have to be all business suits and hand shakes and serious. Thats why she would be my mentor and hopefully we would totally go on rad holidays and laugh and our kids would be friends. See there’s that daydreaming going on right there 😉
If you could play hookie for a day what would be on your list to do?
Probably binge watch Walking Dead or as I’m watching X-Files again at the minute, I would watch like all of it and eat yum food and drink cans of coke and not put on any weight. I really like hanging at home. I feel good at home. When I go out and about it hurts so I would do what I do here but without the worky bit.
You give so much to others, what do you do to take care of yourself?
My husband takes care of me. like seriously seriousy. Without him I couldn’t rest actually. I wouldn’t survive. My brain needs more sleep so I don’t get panic attacks and my bones need the rest, so he does the morning shift at home with the kids and lets me sleep. And I try and eat well and smile lots and try to be kind to everyone. It’s good for the soul.
Thank you for sharing, Jayde.
Let Jayde inspire you a little bit more…
on the blog
on facebook
on pinterest
on instagram
on twitter
and check out all the awesome in store at Little Paper Lane
