Weekly Catch Up and Random Ramblings

Hi Tribe,

well it's been a mix bag of emotions kinda week, which is becoming the norm rather than the exception. 

The makeshift counter has once again moved from right in front of the door to the side. 

The Government guidelines are still rather sketchy on how we operate face to face contact in a small consulting area which changes on an almost daily basis.

I can't really criticize as we all seem to be winging it. 

My original idea of putting the counter slap bang in front of the door felt a bit too intrusive, especially as the area is so small and coming out of the work/shop meant that I would be within 2 metres of them when they walked through the door.

I have to admit I wasn't keen on customers having their hands all over my stock, but when it's your main USP I am reluctant to give this up.... more deep thinking! 

It's a really odd situation. We have to be prepared for customers to return, but we have no idea when and I have no intentions of opening until I decide when I feel it's safer for me to do so. At the moment I don't! And I know I'm not alone. 

I thankfully have the website set up already, so it's possible for people to buy on-line and use video calling on Messenger, so this may be an avenue to explore.... Virtual consultations. 

The good news is everything is clean and fresh and Steve's done a sterling job of repainting all the outside and making the sanitising station. I really don't know how I would have got through this without him! 

In other news.... THE CHARITY KITS launched!

And they are all ready to go.  I really do hope that these take off! I make no money on this what-so-ever. Only the postage is covered in the price.

I don't think I was prepared for the amount of time it takes to make up kits and write the instructions, but we'll see how we go.

I'm currently debating on which of these 2 cards to put in the JULY kit.
I love the idea of the pop-up box card, but writing the instructions is a bit complicated and I don't want people to struggle to make them.

The concept is easy when you get the hang of them, but whether that converts to explaining it on paper may be another thing altogether.

I may make kits with these z fold cards. I'm currently at the R&D stage of things....so a blank card is all I have to show you!

BAD HAIR DAYS!

I swear it was my neighbours' young daughter who made me do this! Especially when she said 'Sue....your hair has gone all grey!' I have to admit, it shocked me too! I looked like a cross between my mam and BoJo. 

Something had to give! Now, I'm one of those people that think if something worth doing you may as well go for it... life it too short.... I'm right aren't I?

What the hell.....you only live once!.... so this happened!

My hair is thick and dry, but even the hairdresser leaves my colour on for an hour....otherwise it simply washes out.

The instructions advised 3-15mins.... and so I bottled out at 15...I should have just gone for it and left it on for half an hour!  Anyhow....this was the result!

WHAT'S KEEPING ME GOING?

After almost a month of beautiful sunshine, the weather had to go and spoil things. However, I was glad that the garden didn't need watering for a few days. 

I was shocked at the hailstone though... now that I wasn't prepared for! 

If there's one thing I am truly grateful for during this lockdown, it's the chance to really notice and appreciate the garden. 

I've seen flowers open that normally I only get to see in a brief moment during the year, usually when I finish work and before tea. After the rain came the water irises, always a joy to see how well they grow and with the pond always filled with water they take no looking after! 

The fish have long since gone from the pond and the flowers have all but spread over the whole pond. Water buttercups with their sunshine yellow and Water irises the colour of summer skies. Natures natural beauty.

I've loved watching the bees all over the flowers of my white Hebe. In Autumn and winter, it just looks like any other evergreen shrub. Come Spring the flowers burst into life and it's covered. Perfect for bees! 

Well, that's my not very eventful weekly catch up. Strange how the weeks are starting to fly by. At the start of lockdown, a day felt like a week!

I hope whatever you are doing, you are keeping safe and well. Please leave a comment and let me know you've visited the blog. It's great to see the old familiar names and faces connecting once again and new readers joining in too!

Until next time, Love and bright blessings, Sue xox

If you want one of our CHARITY KITS we still have a few left
CLICK HERE the buy button is at the bottom of the post.

Weekly catch up and random ramblings

Hi Tribe,
We ventured into the studio yesterday, mainly to catch up on maintenance and get this kit idea off to a start. 

I set Steve to work on rubbing down the paintwork on this dilapidated cottage that I fondly refer to as my second home. But first.... he needed to trim back the bush as he couldn't get near the windows!

 During this lockdown I've noticed how blue the sky is. Something I haven't seen since I was a kid! I doubt anyone believed it when I used to reminisce how blue the skies used to be, but thankfully they've now seen it for themselves. 
In a selfish twist, I'm glad the plane companies are going out of business. Not only for the environment but the economy too. If more people spent their money here we would be more financially stable as a country and don't even get me started on the carbon footprint all these travelling planes cause. 

I have to admit, it was a hot day... perhaps too hot (Did I really say THAT?). It was so hot Steve went on a mercy mission to get the last remaining ice cream lollies out of the home fridge. 

I finally put all doubts and worries aside and the work on the new Charity Kits has started! As I said in a previous post it's really bothered me that the smaller charities are down on their vital fundraising. Their shops are closed and the events that they rely on so heavily cancelled. So, I'm making it a priority. 

Oh the irony of paying a small fortune for a diary this year! I bought this and remember almost fainting at the price.... but it went with my branding so I clenched my teeth and bit the bullet!

Now it looks like it's going to end up being a notebook, what with all weddings cancelled and such like.

Perhaps I'll buy a cheap one next year!

I'm thinking of launching the Charity Kits on the first Friday of every month.
This will give me enough time to make the kits, write the instructions and get the blog post written.

I've designed the cards already. I just have to decide on how many to make available and what charities to support.

Steve managed to get the paintwork rubbed down, but the more he sanded the more wood fell out. The heat was unbelievably hot and too hot to paint. So we ended the day on a high, but knew when to stop. at least.

Yesterday seemed much more optimistic. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it was when the government announced that we can meet in groups of up to 6 people? And while I have no intention of leaving my little town at least for the time being, it does mean we can see the grandkids, which is brilliant news.

Regarding opening the work/shop. While I'm happy(er) to be in there I am not happy to be open to the public anytime soon. Even though I have all the measures in place that I physically can, it all seems too soon and way out of my comfort zone right now.

The numbers may be dropping as a national average, I know fine well that they are NOT dropping here and while R number is nearer 1 than 0, I won't be opening to the public.

I have a website and I'm happy to do messenger video calls, so the only advantage of opening is that the public can see and touch things. Touching things is not permitted under the government regs even with hand washing.

Whether this is a good idea or bad, I have no intention of putting my life or the lives of my family at risk... it's as simple and clear cut as that.

We drink very little and haven't had a drink all lockdown, but last night it seemed right to crack open the Pimms that has been in the cupboard for at least 2 years and have a celebratory drink.

I'll leave you with my only lockdown ' non-essential' purchase.....my beautiful, solar, moon-gazing hare and the beautiful blackbird friend that serenades me first thing ona morning and last thing at night.

If you read my blog posts all the way through, please can you leave me a comment, a message or simply a quick hello? It will be nice to have something more than a thumbs up that we usually get on FB.

With love and bright blessings, Sue xox.