Put Up Your Feet!

So I am officially back up and running after Christmas holidays and Wedding extravaganza. It feels very weird not to have a side project whirling away in the back of my mind! My brain finally feels it has the space to do some stretching and slouching around (I realise that is a bit of a grouse visual but I assure you it is very happy in there).

The extra room has given me the opportunity to have a think about the business, plan my future goals and make some big realisations. 

1. The business has done really well this year. I have broken even and that is a great thing for my first year. I should feel proud and celebrate!
2. I need to push the business further. This means more markets, more advertising, and thinking of innovative ways to grow. Brainstorming time!
3. I need to get all the online stuff working in sync. Currently they are all separate and they need to be combined. I think my IT man (the new hubby) will be given that job!
4. I could not of got this far without my Mum! It sounds terrible to admit that I need my Mum but she has been such a positive influence, offered me support and been a great sounding board for ideas. Buy Mum some flowers!
5. I have also realised that I can not do it all on my own. I need the support network I have around me, and when I feel stressed out, I need to remember I can ask people for help, it does not make me a failure if I do.

The last point is a real eye opener for me! Generally, I am a 'if you want the job done, do it yourself' kind of person. To admit to myself that I need other peoples help is a big deal for me. I could not do this business without my other half keeping me fed and housed, my Dad being there for advice and my Mum being fantastic. One area that she has taken a lead is upholstery. My Mum has started an upholstery course, mainly for her own enjoyment, but also to help me with the business and one of the first things she has completed is this....

This footstool has been recovered by my Mum using vintage fabric we bought at a market. I got it home and placed it with my 1960s arm chair and the two have been inseparable ever since! 

I think it is appropriate that one of her first projects is kept in the family, I know that two seconds at any market and it would be snapped up! I think I owe myself a present for a very succesful year!

Thank you Mum for everything and here's to another great year!

xx

Wedding Mood Board: 1940s Shooting Party

I'm afraid there is no New Item this week as next week I am getting married! (and have been completely distracted with last minute arrangements.

I have planned the who thing myself and it is a rather quirky non-traditional wedding. I am extremely scared and worried that I have forgotten something important. We have 3 different venues - our ceremony in a beautiful town hall with a jazz music drinks reception, a high tea at our favourite intimate tea-rooms and live folk music and pie & mash at a fantastic country pub. It was basically all the things we love fitted into one day! Organising 3 venues has been tricky but more complicated is the shepherding of 80 people from one place to the other (even though they are all only 2 minutes walk from each other on the same High Street)! I thought I would share my wedding mood-board with you which has helped keep me focused on our vision.

When I first started planning my wedding I found a website called Snippet and Ink. It is a US site which gives fantastic mood-boards and inspiration for different wedding themes. I got very inspired! And I couldn't resist creating one of my own when we finally decided on our theme for the day. I say 'theme' but really a mood-board is to held focus the way you want your day to feel and look. We wanted a vintage traditional English shooting party feel with a few library themed element in the stationary. Brown and green are our main colours. The stag and pheasant are a running theme throughout the entire day and there will be lot of tweed!

I am keeping my fingers crossed everything goes ok! I will be silent the begining of next week but will share the results very soon.

Wish me luck!
xx

Treat Yourself to a Magazine Subscription!

January can be a very dull month....

I actually never find it dull as I got together with my other half in January so have our anniversary and my birthday is at the end of it. Plus, this year I am getting married in January!

...but I understand for the rest of you money tends to get a bit tight and there is not a huge amount to look forward to. My suggestion is, if you happen to have a little money left over from all the festivities, why not treat yourself to a magazine subscriptions. It means every month you get a little treat through the door, giving you a great opportunity to spend a little 'me' time reading with a cup of coffee.

Here are a few that have caught my eye.

Clockwise from Top Left:

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6

xx

Happy New Year!

Image found HERE

Happy New Year everyone!
This is the last day of December, and the last day of my holidays. 2012 has been a strange year full of travels, new houses, new jobs and wedding planning. It is at this time I like to think about the year ahead of me, which will hopefully be just as eventful! A wedding, an anniversary, hopefully another new home.....anything is possible.

This evening I am going to be spending an intimate evening with my other half sipping mulled wine and watching movies.

Have a wonderful new years and see you in 2013.
xx

Merry Christmas!

Image found HERE

There are no new items for today as I am off on my Christmas holidays! All of my hampers are complete and wrapped, the car is bursting with stuff to take back and my best winter knits are in my suitcase. I'm set for Christmas.

The shop will also be shut for the next week so that I can eat too much food, read too many books and generally be lazy. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I will be back around the 28th to share with you some wedding preparations and new year fun.
xx

My Christmas Wishlist: Books

So there are a few spaces on my shelves which are aching to be filled. With Christmas just around the corner I can't help but mentally form a list in my head of books I would love to fill the shelves with. I thought I should share it with you.....

All images were taken from amazon.co.uk where you can purchase the books

What would be on your book list this christmas?
xx

Gift Ideas: The Unexpected Guest

There are always those occasions when you get a last minute guest come to visit, or you recieve a present from someone else and need to find something quick. These are 4 suggestions that you can keep in the cupboard, just in case. Some would also be ideal if you need a secret Santa present or if the kids need something for school friends.

KILNER JAR FILLED WITH SWEETS

Kilner jars found HERE

This is one of my favrouite things to give as a Christmas present. I would get a gorgeous vintage jar and fill it with some colourful sweets such as jelly beans. I have to say I have done this with other containers; just last year I filled a butter dish and a glass flour shaker with sweets. You can always find out the persons favourite sweets and fill the jar exclusively with those. Lemon sherbets in mine please!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

A Christmas Carol found HERE

One year our work place did secret Santa slightly differently. Rather than pulling names out of a hat we all had a budget of £5 and had to buy something that was suitable for all. All the presents were put into a sack and we had to pick one out at our work Christmas meal. I bought a vintage copy of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol and a box of chocolates (I secretly hoped I would pick my own present!). It sounds a bit silly but since then, I have started buying vintage copies of A Christmas Carol whenever I find one. You can also find lovely modern reprints and they make a nice neutral present. Why not go completely modern and get a Christmas DVD - my favourite has to be Santa Claus: The Movie.

BOARD GAMES

Vintage Lotto found HERE

It may seem a bit cheesy but board games are an essential part of Christmas. You can find absolutely gorgeous vintage games, which add a bit of quirkiness but you can always buy modern versions. They are good family fun, work really well for secret Santa and if you end up not giving them away, you can play them yourself!

SIMPLE FOOD GIFT HAMPERS

Vintage colander found HERE

As a nice alternative to all the Christmas food why not make up a pasta kit; a colander, a bag of dried pasta and a jar of home-made pesto. This idea can be adapted to a range of different foods. Why not try a wooden chopping board, a selection of cheeses and some home-made oatcakes. Or how about the simplest suggestion - a small muslin bag filled with cloves, star anise, dried orange peel and cinnamon. Attach it to a bottle of red wine with a fresh orange and written instructions for making mulled wine. The great thing about these gifts are, you probably already have the items in your cupboard!

xx