not getting on with my accounts

I should be doing my accounts for my tax return due at the end of january, instead i'm fiddling around with the design of my blog, this is not good!

stress buster

Taking my lovely daughter to Kings Cross station on the bus with two giant suitcases, mislaying my Oyster card, leaving £50 in the cash machine, some mornings are just very, very stressful. So I went for a walk up to Islington and found myself in Penhaligan's where the deliciously old fashioned smell of their Elizabethan Rose eau de toilette had a magical calming effect. It would make a truly delightful mother's day/valentine/anniversary/whatever present (yes, that is a hint!)

monoprix update

I didn't have a moment over the holidays to report back on the Monoprix story.  I had a fairly quick response from the Director of Homewares. They recognised the 'similarities' in the design, and told me that the product was purchased from one of their suppliers in India and they were going to question them about its origin. In the meantime they promised to withdraw the product from their shelves, which I hope they did. A later email informed me that they had had no explanation from their supplier, I wonder how hard they tried?
I don't think there is much more I can do, although I did point out to them that it is the retailers responsibility to make sure that the designs they purchase are originals and their suppliers are honest. Also, why not commission original designs from real designers? A quick look on the internet shows an overwhelming amount of creative talent out there. But of course that's exactly what the unscrupulous producers in India and elsewhere are doing - we must all beware.

Now - here are some originals! I have just put these daisybird screen prints into my etsy shop on sale at $30. The little ceramic bird belongs to my sister - I wish it was mine!

flower power

I like Christmas decorations but I really like taking them down and replacing them with flowers! One of my new years resolutions is to have more flowers so I am looking forward to sunday trips to Columbia Road flower market. My other resolution is not to buy so much from boot sales and charity shops but that is going to be a bit harder to keep, maybe an equal balance between donating and purchasing would solve my storage problem!

happy new year!

Happy 2011!

trendy string

How can string be fashionable? I don't know! But I jumped on the bandwagon and ordered 300 metres of the stuff from ebay (at a bargain price from a butchers supplier). So consequently everything was tied and wrapped with trendy red and white string this Christmas, even the cake.

happy christmas

I bought this tiny little copy of A Child's Christmas in Wales for my husband who was born and brought up in the Welsh valleys. It was published in the 60's and has charming woodcut illustrations by Ellen Raskin.
This poetic description of a child's Christmas is best read in a Welsh accent which he can muster very well after a few seasonal sherries. To the evocative descriptions of front parlours, snowy landscapes and presents, useful and useless he would add fond memories of the smell of his mam's festive cooking, she really knew how to punish a brussel sprout. Dear Marian, we will all miss you this Christmas.

I am now off to drink sherry, decide which end of the turkey to stuff and wish a Happy Christmas and thank-you to every one of my blog readers x