Loving Winter

Soups (this, this and this).  Furry Fat Face slipper boots.  Knitting socks with sparkly yarn.  Reading under a blanket with a snoozy dog on my lap.  Savouring my favourite Christmas chocolates.  Meeting good friends in good pubs.  Mittens on string.  Binge-watching Grey's Anatomy season 10.  Listening to the Grey's Anatomy season 10 soundtrack (amazing 80s covers).  Knee-length socks, long dresses and petticoats.  Black Forest hot chocolate.  Drawing, doodling.  Inspiring doodle how-tos on youtube.  Lanterns and woodburners.  Slow cooked lamb and potatoes; comfort food.  Baths before dinner.  Yoga by candlelight.  And, today, an early morning walk in the snow, at last.  Lizzie loved it too.

Busy-ness

Hello hello!  I have been so busy this week, it has been ace but only now do I feel even remotely organised or relaxed.  I had quite a big House Doctor order delivered to me earlier in the week which I'd placed before Christmas and it has taken a lot of work to sort through.  I was really excited for everything to come because the glass candle boxes are so different from a lot of things that we get here in the UK.  The rustic simplicity of them looks perfect with the faded florals I love so much.  I'd sampled a few candle holders prior to ordering but I've sneaked myself a copper one and the gorgeous pinky tint of the metal looks really lovely with my white John Lewis lantern in the conservatory.   I'll do a bit of a show and tell either tomorrow or Tuesday because obviously there are some in the shop for you too!  :)

I still have some bits and pieces to upload and I'll have new stock coming in on a weekly basis so I'm trying to get myself into a bit of a routine.  (Currently obsessed with this website at the moment, where inspiring people share their morning routines!)

It's hard work having my own little shop but I'm enjoying every minute of it.  I am gaining experience in all areas of small business and it's a learning curve doing everything myself.  I lug heavy boxes around (thanks to Health & Safety training at my previous job I've got the golfers' lift off to a tee*), I sumo wrestle with giant rolls of bubble wrap and my vocab is far more varied than it used to be - you should hear the swear words I've blurted out when struggling with techy things on my website.  I'd make a sailor blush.  I'm not earning any money so I can't afford treats but I'm happier than I have ever been.  

Although I've had some late nights with stock and orders, this week I've still managed to spend an afternoon knitting in front of Once Upon A Time, took my niece to toddler group and had brunch on Friday morning with a lovely new friend.  

We went to my MIL's for one of her amazing roast dinners today and I came home to cuddle up with a book and a blanket.  Promptly had a two-hour nap.  It has been the most perfect day.

Have a good week everyone!

Nicki 

xox

*sorry

PS My site doesn't automatically accept paypal payments; I am working on an acceptable solution (learning curve, much?!) but if you'd rather pay by paypal please feel free to email me and I'll send an invoice super-quick for you to pay.  

Candles on a Grey Day

I repurposed my zinc tub for kindling by the fire.  This is the larger of the two which I am selling in set in my shop.

These glass candle boxes will be in stock soon!  Hoping by the end of the week. 

Winter Cottage and Waiting for Summer, both by Kirsty Elson.

I still have a few of each of the candle votives in stock - these are the large and small fluted ones together with the cupcake votives.  I have had mine for a few years now and they look lovely year round.

So far so good.  The January blues haven't hit me yet.  I'm not sure if it's because I've had a change of direction in my life or because I've been taking vitamin D supplements, though I suspect the former.  It's dark enough to trouble any SAD sufferer though, wouldn't you say?  It has been super grey here today and by 2pm I had to admit defeat and switch a few lights on.

It *must* be dark, because the Amazon delivery man has taken to wearing a head-torch.  I was engrossed in something at the dining table earlier this evening and he gave me the shock of my life when he tapped at the window and caught me in his full beam.  Too many episodes of Criminal Minds over the Christmas break has, admittedly, made me rather more jumpy than usual.  (Saying that, it's no surprise I'm jumpy when you consider my upbringing.  I have a mother who thinks it is beyond hilarious to make her children shriek with fright.  If you knew the amount of times she leapt out from behind a bed/door/sofa in my youth to shout 'boo', you'd forgive me for being the nervous wreck that I am.  Unfortunately for Andrew, I too find it hilarious to leap out unexpectedly to frighten him.  I can't resist it if I'm in a room and he doesn't know I'm there when he walks in.  I keep telling myself I must stop, it probably isn't good for his health.)

Inspired by lots of lovely light, bright and white interior photos on instagram this morning, I decided to spruce up the living room a bit.  Having removed all of the Christmas decorations, the house felt a little bit less cosy and it suddenly felt like there was too much empty space everywhere (seriously, what did I keep on the dining room sideboard before I set up my winter village? I have no clue.)  I started by giving the inglenook fireplace a good going over with a damp cloth and the hoover.  Bad move.  It was so full of cobwebs that I had to tuck my trousers into my socks and wear a hanky on my head (my Cath Kidston ones are lovely and big for that very purpose) in case of abseiling spiders.  Perhaps more alarmingly, there was so much dust that when I turned back around to see Lizzie blinking at me from the sofa, I thought someone had set off a smoke bomb!  

I felt a bit deflated cleaning the living room, I'll be honest.  We chose this house because it is small, cosy and quirky but in these light-starved mid-winter days I wish we'd picked something with higher ceilings and bigger windows.  I gave myself a talking to and pulled out all of the candles and lanterns I could find, to cheer things up.  I'm pleased with the living room now, it is sparkly clean and fresh.  I am definitely going to paint our oak furniture to help brighten things up a little, though.  

Speak soon,

Nicki 

x0x

PS Did you see the little Kirsty Elson piece in my photos above? It was a birthday present from my grandma and it's called 'waiting for summer'.  I think it looks lovely on the skinny shelves in our living room next to the winter cottage piece I bought for myself just before Christmas.

Happy New Year!

Happy new year!  Are you ready for 2016?  I am.  

Although I *loved* our Christmas and New Year celebrations, I have been champing at the bit to start a new year.  2015 didn't start off very well and a small incident shook my confidence massively.  I got a grip of everything towards the end of the year and just felt impatient to work on my new venture and my 'self-development'.  (Sorry, I have to warn you that this year is going to be a huge learning curve for me and I bet I'll be getting deep and using knobby psychobabble.)

Anyway, we saw Wicked! at the theatre yesterday in London.  It is my new favourite show.  At the very start I had a sinking feeling that it wasn't my cup of tea but came out singing "Wonderful, they call me Wonderful" as you do.  Loved the whole back story of the witch.  Seriously, a sparkly pretty good witch and a green, dark, bad witch on stage together being besties?  Perfect.  Really want to take Izzie, my little niece, to see it.  She would love it.  

** I just have to interrupt this blog post to let you know that I had new, wireless, headphones for Christmas and oh my word they are a revelation.  I can dance about the house without getting in a tangle with the cable.  Currently doing a seated shimmy to that bonkers song about peanut butter jelly.  As you were. **

We've had a really relaxed day today and it has been super cosy.  Fires roaring in both rooms downstairs and a spoiling breakfast of huge English muffins with smoked salmon and scrambled egg.  I'm cooking mac and cheese later and then I promised to join Andrew for a game of Rock Band on the ps4.  Can't decide whether to be lead singer or lead guitarist.  Decisions.

(The random photo above is of Lizzie on Wednesday.  I changed the seat covers in my sewing room to ivory linen and she's not allowed on them with her mucky paws.  Isn't she a cutie.)

Have a fab weekend!  

Nicki 

xOx