Dawn's small but well-loved collection

[Iamminda]

Thank you my friends, for all the new handbag(s!) love!

I’m really happy about both acquisitions. I went nearly 5 months without buying any bag and then bought 2 this month!

My scary industry presentation was okay. I got generally positive feedback but I didn’t feel like I made a real impact. It may have been all my doubt, going into the meeting.
You know there are days when you doubt all you know? Anyways, I felt doubtful, it went okay, I move on!

@Addicted to bags I know! It was 55% off and I’d actually wanted it before (rather than being tempted by the sale! )

Thank you all, also for all the positive vibes for my Board presentation. I hope it will be fine

I am sure your industry presentation was fine. We are often our own worse critics. But like you said, it’s done and you are ready for your next thing. Yes, sending you good vibes for the Board presentation— you will do great. All good ok?

 

[Miss_Dawn]

I am sure your industry presentation was fine. We are often our own worse critics. But like you said, it’s done and you are ready for your next thing. Yes, sending you good vibes for the Board presentation— you will do great. All good ok?

Thank you

 

[Miss_Dawn]

My dear friends, my Board presentation was okay. I was so nervous I tripped over my tongue and made an error in my mental arithmetic - couldn’t believe it, but my brain just couldn’t compute under pressure when I was nervous Why was I nervous?!! I present to clients’ Boards all the time, but with my own, I went to pieces!! Urgh

However, the feedback was good. I was running a new corporate initiative, which is why I was asked to present. One of the Board members who I don’t spend much time with began the meeting by saying “I have three things to say. The first is that I think we should fall to our knees in gratitude to Dawn for running this initiative. When she proposed the idea, I thought it was a terrible idea, but we’ve had such a good outcome from it that I have to admit it was a stroke of genius”.

I think it wasn’t genius, and it wasn’t such a big deal, but it was very nice to hear that. Such bombastic language! Everyone around the table laughed and it just broke the ice because I think my nervousness was palpable. ARGH!!

I’m so tired right now!! I needed to work this weekend but I’m too tired so I’ve just been organising things around the house instead. I’ve been doing a fair amount of shopping and continuing with my interiors refresh; need to put out a new embroidered tablecloth and our Christmas tree today. Can’t wait

 

[Miss_Dawn]

Pictures from a few days in Vienna last week

 

[Iamminda]

My dear friends, my Board presentation was okay. I was so nervous I tripped over my tongue and made an error in my mental arithmetic - couldn’t believe it, but my brain just couldn’t compute under pressure when I was nervous Why was I nervous?!! I present to clients’ Boards all the time, but with my own, I went to pieces!! Urgh

However, the feedback was good. I was running a new corporate initiative, which is why I was asked to present. One of the Board members who I don’t spend much time with began the meeting by saying “I have three things to say. The first is that I think we should fall to our knees in gratitude to Dawn for running this initiative. When she proposed the idea, I thought it was a terrible idea, but we’ve had such a good outcome from it that I have to admit it was a stroke of genius”.

I think it wasn’t genius, and it wasn’t such a big deal, but it was very nice to hear that. Such bombastic language! Everyone around the table laughed and it just broke the ice because I think my nervousness was palpable. ARGH!!

I’m so tired right now!! I needed to work this weekend but I’m too tired so I’ve just been organising things around the house instead. I’ve been doing a fair amount of shopping and continuing with my interiors refresh; need to put out a new embroidered tablecloth and our Christmas tree today. Can’t wait

Thanks for your update Miss Dawn. I am sure your presentation was good even with a small math error. No one can be 100% perfect 100% of the time — No One — so it’s ok. The good feedback and the “stroke of genius” opening remarks are good signs — so focus on them and move on. But most importantly, please try to relax and rest a little (you sound so exhausted) — it will help you with all the work you have to do if you can be rested and recharged a bit. Enjoy your Christmas tree. Take good care and keep up the good work. We are all thinking of you

 

[tealocean]

Pictures from a few days in Vienna last week

This is all so beautiful, Miss Dawn! I'm glad for you that your presentation is done and was a success too!

 

[tealocean]

Hello sweetie The colour Galet is gorgeous!! But no Cappucines for me. I don’t want a heavy bag in that style.
That Christmas tree and illuminated deer is not mine, sadly- that was a picture from out shopping. I’m looking forward to putting up our tree in another week or so!



Still mulling it over! Thank you! I’m sure the perfect beige bag will just happen to me in the near future



I’m sure there will be some tone of yellow that would suit you? Perhaps a more neon shade suits you because you’re cool toned? You could definitely experiment with yellow shoes & bags as accent colours, if you think yellow clothes don’t suit you. I just find yellow such a cheerful colour that I try to always have a couple of blouses/tops in yellow in my wardrobe!

Yes! There are yellows out there for me, maybe the lighter brighter ones. Are you enjoying your new happy yellow?

 

[Miss_Dawn]

You’re such a sweetie, dear @Iamminda And thank you for the compliments @tealocean. I’ve only worn the yellow handbag once, but I’ve been carrying the Porcelain Rose Gucci Marmont non-stop!

My dear friends, I’ve been missing in action on this thread again! I’ll do a quick work-life update, and then share photos

(I’m sure these life updates are not interesting to most people, but I know that a few of my friends enjoy reading, so I keep it up Everyone else, please skip - pretty pictures to come afterwards!)

I’m afraid I haven’t had much time to do anything but work in the past month. Lots of tricky client and team management issues. My closest colleague at work was planning to leave and I felt caught between my loyalty to him, my CEO (who asked if I would help come up with a Plan B if he left) and the firm. In the end, he decided to stay, but it was very stressful!

On the positive side, I had a catch up with one of our founding partners. Along with our CEO, he’s the most senior partner in the firm. I have a funny relationship with him - he’s a visionary, with really good instincts, but he’s quite erratic and you never know exactly where you stand. He wanted to catch up and talk about my plans for my team. He said I’ve changed so much since I made Partner; that I’m calm, confident and look like I have nothing to prove, which makes me more reflective when people speak, and more effective. Given that I feel absolutely exhausted, sleep deprived and like a headless chicken most of the time, I’m clearly getting on top of this “swan paddling furiously underneath” thing

My new manager and I are also building a relationship. We’ve never really known each other, and I have always found interactions with her to be challenging. But my CEO advised she become my manager when I made Partner earlier this year and I trusted her judgement. And my new manager and I have found a lot of common ground, and mutual respect in the past 6 months, to my relief, because I was dreading it! She told me that in Board meetings I’m already being spoken of as one of the next generation of Board members It’s insane. I know my CEO said to me more than a year ago that I’ll be her one day, but I thought it was just encouraging talk when I was down (!) not that anyone actually thinks about it except when they’re talking with me.

These past few years have increased my ambition so much... It’s scary. So far to fall!

I’m struggling with team management. I’ve always been good at giving direct feedback and helping people grow, but now that I’m a Partner I feel like I have to be much softer and more indirect because I can hurt people more easily with direct constructive feedback. The words from a Partner have more weight. I’m not adapting my style quickly enough! I’m not agile enough and possibly not emotionally intelligent enough But I’m trying...!

Now Mr Dawn and I are away for Christmas until New Year’s Day! Merry Christmas everyone

Anyways, on to some pretty pictures! Here is my Christmas tree. And my reorganised bag wardrobe (it was getting messy, got it back in order today )

 

[Miss_Dawn]

And this week’s bouquet

 

[Miss_Dawn]

And finally, new superbrand family collages, to include my newest two additions to the family - my Marianne Jimmy Choo in Saffron, and my Marmont Gucci in Porcelain Rose

I’ve grouped by colour families:
- whites and creams
- greys and silvers
- yellow and browns
- pinks and reds
- blues
- blacks

I love them all

 

[Miss_Dawn]

I also forgot to update when my Lady Dior came back from the spa. She’s been completely re-coloured, with brand new handles; there’s not a scratch on her even though she’s lambskin and I’ve had her for more than a decade.

Mr Dawn went to Bond Street to pick her up for me. He got there just as the store was closing up so there were lots of SAs standing around. He asked one of them to bring my Lady out, and when she came back with it, she said “she’s so special! We haven’t seen this elegant baguette shape in so long. She’s vintage and perfect”. Because she was gushing, lots of the SAs turned around to look and gush. So poor Mr Dawn was stuck there explaining “it’s my wife’s; no, I don’t know how long she’s had it; yes, the colour is beautiful; yes, I’ll tell her it’s very special... yes, very elegant... can I take the bag now?!”

I didn’t take a proper picture of her, but here’s a close up from my wardrobe picture today (Ps. There’s a little plastic bag over the hardware in the picture, I don’t want it scratching the pristine leather!)

 

[Addicted to bags]

You’re such a sweetie, dear @Iamminda And thank you for the compliments @tealocean. I’ve only worn the yellow handbag once, but I’ve been carrying the Porcelain Rose Gucci Marmont non-stop!

My dear friends, I’ve been missing in action on this thread again! I’ll do a quick work-life update, and then share photos

(I’m sure these life updates are not interesting to most people, but I know that a few of my friends enjoy reading, so I keep it up Everyone else, please skip - pretty pictures to come afterwards!)

I’m afraid I haven’t had much time to do anything but work in the past month. Lots of tricky client and team management issues. My closest colleague at work was planning to leave and I felt caught between my loyalty to him, my CEO (who asked if I would help come up with a Plan B if he left) and the firm. In the end, he decided to stay, but it was very stressful!

On the positive side, I had a catch up with one of our founding partners. Along with our CEO, he’s the most senior partner in the firm. I have a funny relationship with him - he’s a visionary, with really good instincts, but he’s quite erratic and you never know exactly where you stand. He wanted to catch up and talk about my plans for my team. He said I’ve changed so much since I made Partner; that I’m calm, confident and look like I have nothing to prove, which makes me more reflective when people speak, and more effective. Given that I feel absolutely exhausted, sleep deprived and like a headless chicken most of the time, I’m clearly getting on top of this “swan paddling furiously underneath” thing

My new manager and I are also building a relationship. We’ve never really known each other, and I have always found interactions with her to be challenging. But my CEO advised she become my manager when I made Partner earlier this year and I trusted her judgement. And my new manager and I have found a lot of common ground, and mutual respect in the past 6 months, to my relief, because I was dreading it! She told me that in Board meetings I’m already being spoken of as one of the next generation of Board members It’s insane. I know my CEO said to me more than a year ago that I’ll be her one day, but I thought it was just encouraging talk when I was down (!) not that anyone actually thinks about it except when they’re talking with me.

These past few years have increased my ambition so much... It’s scary. So far to fall!

I’m struggling with team management. I’ve always been good at giving direct feedback and helping people grow, but now that I’m a Partner I feel like I have to be much softer and more indirect because I can hurt people more easily with direct constructive feedback. The words from a Partner have more weight. I’m not adapting my style quickly enough! I’m not agile enough and possibly not emotionally intelligent enough But I’m trying...!

Now Mr Dawn and I are away for Christmas until New Year’s Day! Merry Christmas everyone

Anyways, on to some pretty pictures! Here is my Christmas tree. And my reorganised bag wardrobe (it was getting messy, got it back in order today )

Don't fear your ambition Miss_Dawn. Just get comfortable with it and keep growing. I love what the visionary founding father said to you! Breathe it all in and enjoy your journey

Merry Christmas to you and your family and to all the lovely tpf'ers that come here

 

[Addicted to bags]

I also forgot to update when my Lady Dior came back from the spa. She’s been completely re-coloured, with brand new handles; there’s not a scratch on her even though she’s lambskin and I’ve had her for more than a decade.

Mr Dawn went to Bond Street to pick her up for me. He got there just as the store was closing up so there were lots of SAs standing around. He asked one of them to bring my Lady out, and when she came back with it, she said “she’s so special! We haven’t seen this elegant baguette shape in so long. She’s vintage and perfect”. Because she was gushing, lots of the SAs turned around to look and gush. So poor Mr Dawn was stuck there explaining “it’s my wife’s; no, I don’t know how long she’s had it; yes, the colour is beautiful; yes, I’ll tell her it’s very special... yes, very elegant... can I take the bag now?!”

I didn’t take a proper picture of her, but here’s a close up from my wardrobe picture today (Ps. There’s a little plastic bag over the hardware in the picture, I don’t want it scratching the pristine leather!)

Lol about Mr Dawn explaining it's not his and he doesn't know it's history

 

[Miss_Dawn]

Don't fear your ambition Miss_Dawn. Just get comfortable with it and keep growing. I love what the visionary founding father said to you! Breathe it all in and enjoy your journey

Merry Christmas to you and your family and to all the lovely tpf'ers that come here

Thank you for this sweet message!

Merry Christmas to you and your family too, dear ATB, and best wishes for the new decade

It’s so funny - you said founding father instead of founding partner You’re so obviously American, my dear friend - we don’t have founding fathers

On my Lady Dior, indeed, poor Mr Dawn!

 

[Iamminda]

Merry Christmas dear Miss Dawn (and to sweetie Mr Dawn too ). Glad you are away on a relaxing holiday vacation. Thanks for your update. It sounds like a lot of stress, hard work and progress in this past month. Great to hear what your founding partner said about you — see, your hard work/dedication is noticed and paying off, keep up the good work. And don’t worry too much about your ability to provide feedback — I am sure you are fine and that you will find the perfect tone/“voice” in time.

Love seeing your updated collages — you make the best collages!!! What a funny story about your Dior! Mr Dawn is such a good sports (frequenting all these high-end boutiques to buy/retrieve your goodies) — the best husband ever!

Finally, wishing you and Mr Dawn a very happy holiday season and a fantastic 2020. And please continue to share on this thread — your friends love it and look forward to your updates .