We are thrilled to feature Effie on this month's Female Founded Feature, where we celebrate the women in business that inspire us. We are lucky to have met and worked with Effie this summer on our very first mural at the Lake & Oak headquarters. Effie is super talented at her craft and inspires us everyday with her art, vision and positive mindset. Take a read below to learn more about Effie + lzysunday.
NAME: Effie Theodosiou
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Ottawa
DESCRIBE YOUR WORK WITH LZYSUNDAY IN ONE SENTENCE: I always call it wavey, whimsy, wonderful!
GO-TO COFFEE OR TEA ORDER: When I am at home I always make a half oat milk/half vanilla soy milk latte. When I am out it is usually a vanilla iced coffee made with oat milk!
FAVOURITE LOCAL RESTAURANT: My favourite local restaurant is probably The Third. They have such great veggie options, great craft beer and it is so well priced! Also, the atmosphere is awesome. Just a fun, chill place to hang out!
FAVOURITE LOCAL BOUTIQUE: My favourite local boutique is definitely Viens Avec Moi in Ottawa, they have so many cool pieces and it is so well curated! When I am in Cornwall (that is where my family lives) it is Love and Lee! It is a wedding dress/apparel shop! If you are ever in Cornwall you have to check out all the amazing home and apparel Kelsey brings in (and check out the mural I painted in the fitting room)! She is also the sweetest human ever!
FAVOURITE SUPERFOOD & WHY: I really love spinach and berries. I have a berry vanilla protein smoothie nearly ever day and I love adding spinach to it! You don't even notice it is in there and it's an easy way to get a lil' extra vitamins!
FAVOURITE INDULGENCE & WHY: This is hard because I feel like I have way too many haha! I really like going for drinks with my boyfriend and getting some fries, it's just a great way to disconnect and chill out! Besides that I am a sucker for Boston Cream Donuts, they are SO good!
HOW YOU GOT STARTED WITH LZYSUNDAY: I was working a corporate job (which is how every good story starts I think), and I needed a creative outlet. I started drawing a lot and finding different illustrators on Instagram that were all doing amazing things. Then I started saving up for a tablet so I could create digital work. This worked a lot better for me as I hate a mess and creating digitally is pretty much mess-free haha. Eventually, I started doing custom portraits, prints, postcards and stickers! After my corporate gigs in Toronto and Montreal, I moved back to Ottawa and started working as a Display Artist at Anthropologie. This really helped me find a new love for creating art installations and murals. It honestly was the best job I have ever had. I found it tough juggling a full-time job with product creation, shipping orders, client design work and murals, so I decided to narrow in on client work and I stopped creating products. I do miss that aspect of the business, and I often think about making wallpaper!
FAVOURITE LZYSUNDAY WORK SO FAR (BESIDES L&O OF COURSE ;) ) Yes! Honestly, I am very grateful for anytime someone wants to hire me for my work. It feels like an absolute dream come true and I pour my heart into every project so it is hard to pick! I think it would be The June Motel! It was my first time travelling so far for a mural and I was on cloud 9. The owners April and Sarah were so inspiring and kind to work with, and it was just a surreal experience for me.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU NEED TO DESTRESS? Bath + glass of wine + cheesecake - if I am lucky enough to have some around.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU NEED INSPIRATION? I like being out in the city. Just walking around and soaking it up. I love taking the train and I am so happy Ottawa has an LRT now. I don't need to do anything particular just roaming around works for me. Seeing all the people, how they style their outfits, different quirky cafes, the architecture of the buildings and walking by the canal. Honestly everything!
BIGGEST CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW IN YOUR BUSINESS? Right now in my business, the biggest struggle is having a full-time job on top of my business. You can only grow so much when half of your time is occupied elsewhere. I often have to turn down projects because I simply do not have enough time. I feel like I am nearly at the point to pursue my business full-time but that is a very real and scary decision to make. I hope the universe sends me a sign or I get some courage!
OBSTACLE YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF OVERCOMING: Hmmm. The obstacle I am the proudest of is that when I finished University in the UK and moved back to Canada, it was very real to me how much my entire schooling cost me. I worked super hard to buckle down and pay off any student loan debt I had, and FINALLY, I did it. That was a very freeing feeling.
FAVOURITE QUOTE: "Remember that you once dreamed of being where you are now" Anytime I am doing self-comparison or thinking about where I want to be and how I am not there yet, I think of that quote. It is very easy to get caught up in everything and forget to pause and appreciate how much you've learned, grown and how far you have come.
Comments (0)
Back to The Journal