Annoushka continues her My Life in Seven Charms podcast with guest Peony Lim, one of the leading and most recognisable luxury lifestyle content creators in the UK. Her pioneering blog has not only changed her life but has also reshaped the way we are influenced. With a variety of content from fashion and food to travelling and beauty, she has an impressive portfolio creating content for some of the world's most prestigious luxury brands, including Chanel and Hermes. In this episode, Annoushka delves deeper into the person behind the content, unravelling Peony's personal stories through seven meticulously crafted miniature charms designed by Annoushka herself.

Peony's first charm is a delightful nod to her mother's fantastic cooking—a bowl of scrumptious pasta with tuna and olives. This piece features a white gold bowl decorated with blue sapphires and is filled with yellow gold fusilli pasta. Black and brown diamonds are sprinkled on top to represent the tuna and olives, with a plain polished base perfect for engraving. This quirky piece takes Peony back to when she'd sit on the back steps of her home, surrounded by her loyal family of dachshunds, enjoying a dish that brought immense comfort. This heartwarming tradition has seamlessly carried over to Peony's own family, where she now prepares the same meal for her children. It's a gesture of love through food, firmly grounded in Asian culture.

Her next charm is a very nostalgic piece that honours her late Aunty; a bathtub filled with bubbles. It’s a vintage-inspired Victorian bath with feet in yellow gold. The bubbles inside glisten in white gold and are set with little diamonds that catch the light, much like bubbles do. It doubles up as locket where a photograph or little note can be kept close and is finished with an aquamarine drop dangling from its end. During her aunt's battle with cancer, she lived with Peony's family, becoming like a second mother. Their cherished memories revolve around bath times when she'd lovingly wrap them in towels like parcels, and they'd playfully emerge as animals or anything they wanted to be. She was a kind, compassionate soul who always united, never divided.

Keeping the theme of childhood alive, there is a miniature book charm. It's designed like an old-fashioned book with blue sapphire borders and an orange sapphire cross. This charming locket opens to house treasured notes and photographs. The book represents the comfort Peony found in a family prayer book during her boarding school days, helping her navigate homesickness during sleepless nights.

Peony’s next charm represents a pivotal moment in her life - the spiral notepad that triggered her creative journey into blogging. Annoushka recreated this in yellow gold, complete with round springs that bind the pages together. The notepad features lined pages, each delicately engraved with tiny ruling marks, giving it the appearance of an inner ruled book. When Peony first started blogging, Blogspot was the main platform available, which came with limited, preset templates that didn’t align with her vision. To bring her ideas to life, she turned to a friend skilled in coding. Using a notepad, Peony sketched her ideal homepage. This humble notepad became the catalyst for her very first steps into the world of blogging, marking the beginning of her creative journey.

After discussing her blogging journey and the evolution of the industry, the conversation takes a musical turn with a cassette charm. Crafted in blackened white gold, it features 'Katie Melua' on the front and 'Nine Million Bicycles' on the back, with a red garnet heart signifying love. This charm ties back to a romantic proposal story involving a heart-shaped pebble on a secluded beach and a chance encounter with that very song on a South Kensington pavement.

This leads us to the next charm in Annoushka's collection for Peony: a set of yellow gold miniature girl charms representing her two daughters. One wears a skirt with pink sapphires, while the other has blue sapphires. These charming doll-like figurines feature wobbling legs and movable arms, allowing them to hold hands. One has dark hair, and the other has blonde hair, both beautifully textured. Peony and her husband had always shared a strong desire to start a family. When they finally welcomed their daughters, it was a dream come true, giving her the opportunity to experience the beautiful mother-daughter bond for herself. Their conversation naturally transitions to the challenges of balancing work and motherhood, acknowledging that achieving true balance can often seem like an elusive goal.

Her final charm; a Birkin handbag represents all of Peony’s luxury experience. It’s a miniature gorgeous yellow gold Hermes Birkin bag that opens as a locket with moving handles, with her name engraved inside.

Peony's story is one of family, creativity, love, and the delicate balance between work and motherhood. Each charm represents a significant chapter in her remarkable journey. While choosing just one charm was a ‘heart-breaking’ task, Peony's choice—the bath charm—stands as a beautiful tribute to her aunt's enduring legacy.

Listen to the full conversation on the My Life in Seven Charms podcast here.