Getting To Know ... Allison from Lark

I am passionate about … Many things. I’m a very passionate person. I have big, lifelong passions like my work and family, social justice and animal welfare, travel, food, history, and I have lots of little passions, things that I obsess about for a short while, like currently I am collecting vintage wallpaper, I can’t stop looking for it wherever I go.

I get frustrated when … I see someone walking out of an op shop with a pile of interesting-looking things just as I pull up outside.

I started my business (Lark) because … I had wanted to do it since I was small. For as long as I can remember, I have always been planning business ideas in my head. Having kids gave me the push I needed to finally take the plunge.

My favourite TV show is … anything starring Rupert Penry-Jones. Sigh.

If I could be anywhere right now I’d be … In an old pub in a pretty English village, with all my family around me, sitting near an open fire planning our next adventure.

I am most proud of … My oldest son’s ability to make friends, and my youngest son’s passion for learning about the world.

I think the biggest obstacle our kids will face in the future is … Narrowed horizons.

My favourite item from our product range is … Our hand-knitted play food. And some of the other lovely ranges we stock in our shop, like Belle & Boo and Cath Kidston.

I love listening to ... Loud music on my iPhone while I am folding and putting away the laundry on a Sunday evening. It’s the only way to get through the monotony of it.

My heart sings when … I kiss my kids in the morning, and they smell of sleep and milky cereal.

The hardest part of running my business is … Not being able to buy from all of the talented designers and makers who contact Lark. I would love to support everyone who takes the time to contact us but it just isn’t possible, that’s the hardest thing.

I love sipping on … A cup of English breakfast tea, until 5pm when I’ll happily switch to a large glass of wine.

The best part of my day is … Dinner time.

My favourite food is … Middle-Eastern food. I’ve been a vegetarian since my twenties, and I love the delicious vegetable dishes you find in Turkish and Lebanese cooking. I was recently taken to Greg Malouf’s restaurant, Momo, for my birthday. Yum!! I love pretty much all food, actually, and my husband is a really good cook. That’s how he originally won my heart when we were both 21, living in a student share house, and he was cooking this amazing food.

I struggle with … My weight, especially since having kids. I just love food too much. I am doing Weight Watchers at the moment. I’ve lost 14 kilos since I started last October.

Friendship to me means … Liking someone for who they really are, being loyal, and sharing lots of laughter.

I just can’t live without … Worrying.

Find Lark at Mathilda's Market in Melbourne at the Malvern Town Hall on Sunday 30 May, and at Mathilda's Market in Melbourne at Caulfield Racecourse on Sunday 21 November, 2010.