LENORE UYS

Lenore is the creative and driving force behind The Domestic Goddess Academy. The idea for the academy was born while she was flying around the country, training delegates for a large retail company. She was not a trainer of profession but got so many compliments while training that she decided to pursue her talents as an interactive trainer and facilitator. She started with putting together a decorating course specifically for the homemaker, who has no prior experience in decor. She believes that there are many corporate and business training courses out there but nothing tailored to suit the woman on the street or in the house or even the busy executive that needs a bit of inspiration or just time off.

In 2000 Lenore started Decor and Craft Academy that focused on craft and décor courses and in 2002 Ikhaya Interiors was molded that caters for corporate and residential interior decorating and makeovers. And then in 2006 came The Domestic Goddess Academy that cares about all the complicated facets of a woman in various stages of their lives and at various levels of the economy.

Lenore has a wide range of experience in the business field, with Industrial Engineering and Business Management Degrees. As well as experience in the retail environment as Distribution Center Manager, Planner, Logistics Manager and Project Manager. Lenore also has a diploma in Interior Design and is an Interior Designer and Aesthetic Project and offers a full design, planning and coordinating décor service solution while creating the most beautiful interiors tailor-made to you budget and personality.

Lenore understands the daily pressures of balancing a career, family life and being a woman, wife, mother, homemaker, and general organiser and not losing yourself while seeing to all aspects of a very busy life.

She believes that every woman is unique and has many untapped talents and interests that need special attention and stimulation in order to bloom to satisfaction.

She also does beading, paints, needlework, mosaics, and on request only, room make-overs. More recently, she is focusing her energy on putting together make up, wardrobe planning and styling workshops for the "Wo"man on the Street or Lady of the House.

LENORE's LIFE @ HOME...

Lenore Uys is married to Jaco, mechanical engineer, and takes care of the management of the Domestic Goddess Academy. The rest of the day she juggles her time between attending to her 2 year old daughter, Tara, love of her life, cooking meals for the family and being a wife and homemaker.

Her free time is spent teaching décor classes from home, writing freelance articles for the Burger and enjoys doing paint technique and stencil projects. Lenore makes some of her own clothes, jewellery and décor items like table clothes, cushions and curtains. Lenore also practices many crafts and do it yourself projects like mosaics, fabric painting and decoupage. She also I writes articles for The Burger Leefstyl and In en Om die Huis and she just launched her first e-book CD with 100 easy to use decor tips.

Lenore entertains friends and family with ease and even a braai is a memorable feast. Lenore is as comfortable barefoot and without makeup as she is in her elegant eveningwear when she entertains with flair. She always has an ace up your sleeve and an attitude of "a boer maak a plan" when in a tight spot. She believes you have to take bad news or a set back in your stride, as you have to deal with these issues from time to time in your work and personal life. Her attitude towards life is: accept what you cannot change but change what you cannot accept. She enjoys people tremendously and thrives on interaction with others in the business world and life at her training Academy exclusively for women, and Ladies club meetings and activities she arranges on a monthly basis.

Lenore's secret to entertain with flair and style is to recycle and to use items in different ways every time. Her philosophy is to have fun with everything she does and takes time to research ideas and makes them her own. Her entertaining is unique and revolves around an inspiration and theme for every unique function she plans. She plans meticulously in advance and is lost without her diary. Lenore believes that even in a very busy schedule you can find time to squeeze in something else in order to help out a friend.

Her philosophy revolves around simplicity and making others feel special, even when doing small things for your friends like homemade gifts and putting in extra effort in when wrapping a gift. Lenore believes in mixing and matching everything she has, old and new, what she can borrow from friends and what she got from her mother and granny.

Lenore is an endless source of energy and inspiration to her students, colleagues and friends, she is always ready for action, she has confidence in what she does, believes in herself, learns from her mistakes, has plenty of courage and perseverance, and is a firm believer in teamwork and being organised.

She believes in a little luxury and allows herself a cup of Latte every morning at her desk to start the day. After successfully completing a long hard project she believes you have to spoil yourself and allow yourself to be pampered even if you have to do it yourself like a foot spa or homepedicure.

In a nutshell to summarise Lenore - live all aspects of your life to the fullest and live life like it is your last day.