ArtView February 2014 | Página 11

Bella and Darcy “The Real happily ever after” www.bellaanddarcy.com About Renee Slansky Renee is an established model, TV presenter and businesswoman in Sydney whose love for romance and heart for women has compelled her to start this online community for women called www.bellaanddarcy.com . From a young age she started leading and counselling women and was often called on by strangers and friends for relationship advice. With no professional training but rather what she picked up in experience, teachings and observation, her writings offer a witty and relatable outlook with practical advice on life and romance in the 21st century. Here is what she has to say: I used to say to people the best way to describe me would be that if I was a piece of furniture you’d find me in the shabby chic section (I’d probably be some ridiculously overpriced white chair!) So it’s safe to say that I’m a combination of the old and the new, a woman who gladly sits at home dreaming about roses and romance and white weddings whilst sipping tea and gazing longingly at the Calvin Klein model... turn the page and in reality I'm still working out love, building my career and dealing with the onslaught of everyday life. I was born a romantic, always envisioning my perfect Mr Darcy/Edward Cullen riding in on a white horse with his top three buttons undone revealing a bronzed chest. Oh, I had it all planned out, and of course when you do that, nothing actually ever goes to plan and all of a sudden you’re flat on your bum in your skinny jeans that cut off the circulation, thinking what the hell went wrong?! I’ve visited “Square 1” enough times to consider building a home on it, I’ve climbed exboyfriends’ fences and cried on bathroom floors at popular nightclubs (to avoid embarrassment we shall bleep the names!) I’ve been loved, hated, revered and ostracized. I’ve been at the top of Success Mountain and tumbled down to the bottom again and again. I’ve dated men with children, men who live at home and men who... well... just aren’t man enough. I am just like you, woman to the core. And it is my passion for every woman to live a joyful life, to live to their full potential. So let this site be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, or a corkscrew to your bottle of wine! You are not alone. Xx Renee