CELEBRATING LIFE'S MOMENTS IN PICTON
Meet Deb, a local resident and the co-owner of The Celebration Society, a beautiful and unique retail experience in the heart of Picton.
Join us as we sit down with Deb to uncover her business journey and the joy she finds in creating exceptional experiences and spaces to celebrate life's most meaningful moments.
Let’s start off with a little bit about yourself
I have a deep passion for creating meaningful spaces and experiences where people can connect, share traditions, and celebrate their cultures. Whether it’s decorating for the holidays or setting up a beautiful tablescape for a casual dinner, I love crafting environments that bring joy and a sense of togetherness.
It became clear to me some time ago that my happiest moments are when I’m surrounded by family and friends, enjoying a table of delicious food in a home I’ve lovingly prepared for everyone to gather and create memories. My husband, Michael, and I are blessed with four adult children, a growing number of beautiful grandkids, and the sweetest cavoodle named Harlie, who truly completes our bustling household. Our home has become a hub for entertaining, relaxing, and cherishing special moments together.
Before diving into the world of small business, I worked in marketing communications across a variety of industries, including sports and property. These experiences gave me a foundation in storytelling and creativity that I’ve carried into everything I do today. Combining my love for family, design, and connection, I feel incredibly lucky to share this journey with others through the work we do.
Tell us about your business?
Our business journey began as a side hustle, a true labour of love, operating out of our homes with glitter in every corner! Initially, The Christmas Cart was a way to promote our first business, Milestones 2 Memories, which focused on bespoke photo gifts. While we loved creating meaningful, personalised items, technology was advancing, and the demand for our services waned. However, during a Christmas pop-up shop featuring our photo gifts, we introduced personalised Christmas baubles, and the response was overwhelming. That simple addition led us to pivot, growing The Christmas Cart into a thriving business with 23 pop-ups across Melbourne to Queensland in just a few years. By 2010, we launched an online store, which now boasts over 3,000 Christmas-specific products.
As The Christmas Cart flourished, we wanted to keep our team together year-round, which sparked our second venture, Gifts & Keepsakes. This brand centres around personalised gifts and thoughtful decor for life’s milestones; birthdays, weddings, new babies, and more. Inspired by our love of celebrations, we’re now expanding again with a dedicated online store offering a range of decor for all occasions, events and seasonal celebrations, outside of Christmas, which is www.celebrateinstyle.com.au, launching mid 2025.
In 2024, we realised a dream by moving our warehouse for our online stores, and creating an inspirational showroom and retail space, The Celebration Society, all under the same roof. The Celebration Society is a unique retail experience; it has a café, studios to create, and spaces to celebrate life’s most meaningful moments. We believe it fills a huge need in the Wollondilly Shire serving the local community well, and at the same time is a one of a kind destination for tourists and day trippers.
We believe that celebrations are incredible tools to create connection, honour traditions, share culture and provide a creative expression.
Who has been a great influence for you or the business? And why
Firstly I have to say my business partner Kym, she is amazing. We work incredibly well together. We’ve been in partnership for 18 years now and I just couldn’t imagine being in business without her. She challenges me, supports me and lets me be me. In some ways we are so similar, but in other ways, so different, and over the years we’ve learnt how to play to each other’s strengths. Sometimes I take the lead and other times she does. It just works.
But without my husband, Michael I’m not sure if I would have ever got started. He gave me both the courage and the opportunity to step out and “have a go”. He has been running his own business for 30+ years now, and I don’t know that without his influence, if I would have considered stepping out and starting out on this amazing journey.
What did you want to be when you were young?
I wanted to be working in Public Relations, which was my first degree, but after a while I realised I needed something a bit more business focused and so did my Masters in Marketing. I love creating new concepts and strategies and then coming up with ways to implement them.
What makes your business successful?
Our business is special because we focus on putting people first, whether it’s fostering a supportive and creative environment for our team, delivering exceptional experiences and meaningful products to our customers, or collaborating thoughtfully with our suppliers. We ensure that every decision we make reflects the values of connection, celebration, and care, so we can bring beauty, joy, and intention into life’s most important moments, while building relationships that truly matter and creating a community that honours traditions, embraces creativity, and helps people cherish what’s most meaningful to them.
Proudest Accomplishment?
Definitely my children and the family Michael and I have created.
Why did you choose Wollondilly?
Michael and I fell in love with the block of land we bought in Picton in 2012 and have never looked back. It was everything we were looking for and then some. It’s quite central to all our family and friends. We love that we are able to access the city and the coast easily. Most importantly, we felt “at home”. We love the mix of people, the rural setting and the “village feel” of life in Picton.
What is your favourite Dilly town and why?
I do love Picton. I don’t know any of the other villages anywhere near as well, but the longer I live here the more I appreciate how each village has its own unique traits. We have both personal and business relationships with people all over the shire. It’s so lovely to be able to be part of this special part of the world.
Other than your own business, which Dilly business is your favourite?
I struggle to name just one, but what I would say is that I do love the business associations that the Dilly has. The Wollondilly Business Chamber is brilliant, lots of excellent business operators who are fun and very supportive, the meetings are educational and well run, as well as Wollondilly Women in Business, which is great for making new connections and building friendships around business.
Where do you pick up your favourite takeaway in Wollondilly?
KTK Bakery in Yanderra. I might be a little biased as we are stocking their Christmas range this year, but seriously, they are some of best baked goodies I’ve ever tasted.
Do you have any new plans for your business you would like to share?
We have so many ideas! But one of the main things we would like to move forward on in 2025 is creating workshops and experiences for different groups in our community that need extra support such as people struggling with a mental illness or a physical challenge.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
We will be enjoying our family, our businesses and spending time working remotely and travelling.
