Karen Mortland is a very well-known around my neck of the woods (St Lucia/Indooroopilly). Actually she’s my Real Estate Agent! And when I meet someone who leaves me with that “Wow, doesn’t she just ooze style?” feeling, I always tell them. In this case I’ve gone a step further. I felt I just had to share her with my readers because this is one woman who really does have STYLE – inside and out.
It was obvious from the very first time I met Karen, that she really knew her stuff. She takes you under her wing and supports you throughout the whole selling process which, as we all know, can be very stressful indeed! From bringing over flowers for the photo shoot (and arranging them beautifully) to vigilantly providing buyer feedback after every inspection (we sellers like that!) and even scooping leaves out of the pool before inspections for me when hubby is away. She has that special something. An open, honest, warmth and genuineness. So, let’s get to know this lovely woman a little better now shall we?…
At 60 years young, Karen could easily pass for 50. An Aquarian, she has three children – Alexander, Tom and Sophie (who is also working with her mum and can I tell you, the apple certainly didn’t fall far from that tree! She has an incredible sense of style – more on her in a future post). Karen loves her kids because “they are always there for her” and says they love her “because she gives them the shirt off her back”. And if you saw her taste in shirts, you’d understand why that’s a really good reason to love her! Karen also has two beloved Scottie Dogs – Hugo and Harriet (love those names!) who love her because she “cuddles them lots”. (Harriet is pictured below)
Karen describes her personal style as “casual and unique” and wears a base of mainly black (give me time, I’ll be putting my two-bob’s worth in there). In the photo below, Karen is in the fitting room at DJ’s (her favourite store). She’s texting daughter Sophie for her thumbs up or down on this Alannah Hill cardie. Sophie replied with a “yes” but was actually answering her previous question. When Karen arrived home with said cardie, Sophie nearly fainted! Karen kept it regardless. In fact she wore it out in Chicago recently, and “Everyone loved it”! Hilarious.
Her wardrobe favourite is a Feathers coat (that’s the label, it’s not made of feathers – I did check). It’s navy inside and black outside and rolls up which is great for travel, which Karen also loves to do. She describes her most memorable fashion moment as “when I wore a kaftan and matching Turban!”. Now THIS was a story I had to hear. I thought it was perhaps just one of those holiday things – you know, “When in Rome Arabia do as the Romans Arabians do?” Well, seems I was wrong – Karen sets the record straight here saying “The Kaftan and turban was a date with someone I was trying to impress. I must have looked so outrageous – the restaurant table staff kept changing so each of them could come and see the girl wearing this ‘outfit’ ! So, funny, oh well I’m sure Maggie Tabberer has had similar experiences wearing her turbans?!”
Karen’s favourite feature is her “skinny legs” while her least fave is her “fat middle” which only leads me to something that I totally concur with, which is her favourite personality feature – her sense of humour! Karen’s secret styling tip is Sabastian Clay. Now I must admit, I had to Google that one, but if her funky cropped-do is anything to go by, that’s a best-kept beauty tip well worth sharing. Her style icon is SBS presenter, Lee Lin Chin, and I can see shared elements of her style in Karen too – she always wears super-cool glasses!
More quick Karen-facts:
She prefers rugby to AFL, black to white, is a Royalist, prefers the bush to the beach, morning over night, winter to summer, and for exercise, she walks. Her favourite food is Indian and her favourite drink, a dry Riesling. (I must make note of that for next time we share a wine, being more than a bit partial to a Sav Blanc myself!)
Karen and I share the next few facts in common: She loves wine (definitely a shared weakness!) and people who are open and honest; she dislikes those who are rude or arrogant and her pet hate is “facades”. When she leaves this earth, she wants to be remembered for being nice. I must add here, it’s all of the above that truly makes Karen a woman of style to me – she keeps it real, has a wicked sense of humour. What I like to call a “no BS” policy.
A keen photographer, Karen is also truly passionate about gardening and says when she grows up she wants to be a gardener. Right now, she’s getting in lots of practise doing a major landscaping makeover on her own home. When asked where would she like to be in 5 years time, if money were no object, this down-to-earth girl simply says she wants to be “on her patio reading a good book.”
I asked her what she’s most afraid of, to which she answers “I’m fearless”. In the short time I’ve known her, I can see that too. This is one woman with a heart the size of a lion, and courage to match. Her parents taught her to “always be herself” and what she’d really like the next generation to know is “how to stand on their own 2 feet”. She says what makes a person truly stylish is their inner glow, and I think anyone who knows her would agree that Karen is positively radiant!
