The Habulous Blog result designer maker

Wow, it’s been a rollercoaster of a week; I became addicted to watching the voting for the Muddy Stiletto’s awards, I stayed up until 1am every night and only one of these was for social reasons. Attended a little awards drink presentation.  Finished off my card designs, sent 68 artwork cards to the printers, trained a new member of our team and managed one social walk, one run, a picnic and a great day out at our local summer fair , I also gained 2LBS (just like Bridget Jones!!!).  I’m breaking into a sweat just reading about it!

Yay, we did it, we won The Muddy Stiletto’s award for “The Best Gift Shop” in Devon, I have to say a massive thank you to everyone who voted for our stores, it was really quite overwhelming receiving so much support and hearing from so many people about why they love our shops.  We now get to put a rather beautiful window sticker in our stores to let you all know how good we are!

So rather than write any more (I want to sleep) here are a few photo’s that sum up my week. 

A great event hosted by Muddy Stiletto's to get all the category winners together.  Top right is the winner of the best Yoga fitness teacher, I tried very hard to persuade her to start a wine and yoga class, but I'm not sure she took the bait.  Bottom Right is Muddy Stiletto's blogger Sharon and of course me pulling one of my many silly faces (I am not at all photogenic).

I have missed writing my blog; it’s like the old fashioned diary I kept as an angst teenager, although most of what I wrote then was a load of rubbish about my latest boyfriend/crush.  I don’t know why, but writing about snippets of my life has a really calming effect on me, it might just be the process, I have to slow down and take time out, to review what’s been going on in my busy life before putting pen to paper or rather fingers to keyboard.

Today I’m sitting at my desk about to start a major admin job (admin is most definitely not where my skills are based).  I look pretty bad, my eyelids are buffed up and feeling like lead, so much so, that I am contemplating using match sticks to keep them open; It’s all my own doing of course, I’ve been working till midnight or later every week night for the last few weeks.  I’ve become totally obsessed with designing for our card range and whilst the desire to draw and create is strong I feel I must make the most of it.

Our card samples arrived on Saturday, I was so excited about opening that envelope, pouring the contents onto the kitchen table and then spending the next hour contemplating which card stock to choose for the real print run.  Decisions are now made and by the end of next week all of our designs should be with the printers, so in a matter of months we should be well on the way to selling our very own range of cards!

I’ve had a very busy time socially, that’s the way I love to live, a little bit like burning the candle at both ends all though I think it’s one of those slow burn candles as I can’t maintain the pace I set in my twenties.  Also a difference in how I burn the candle, yes sometimes it does still involve lots of alcohol and music but equally the odd walk/run or book club natter has started to dominate my social calendar, is this middle age?  I have been to a few really good events so I think I’ll do a couple of separate blog posts on these as they are most definitely worth a read.

Hubby Paul and I have been really pleased to find out that our stores had been nominated for an award “The Best Gift Store in Devon” by award winning blog Muddy Stilettos (well worth reading).  So as well as all of those standard work things we do, we have spent some time harassing anyone who loves our stores to vote for us.  We are currently in second place, we appear to be yo-yoing with the leader (I am one of those annoyingly competitive people) so you know what I’m going to ask.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, VOTE for us if you think we deserve to win this accolade (you could also encourage everyone you know, family, friends co-workers, pets, to do the same!!!) No I’m not obsessed......  click here to vote for Insideout in the Best Gift Store category.

Bye for now.  xxxxx

It's been a few weeks since my last blog, I have been quite lazy since my epic marathon run. I hardly moved the following week, every part of me hurt; I began to wish I lived in a bungalow, stairs equalled agony (and yes I have given birth, so I know what pain is). My body was trying to tell me not to move, it actually wanted to eat lots of chocolate and drink gin!  Incidentally I've established a new firm favourite on the gin front a Welsh number called Brecon, highly recommended to any gin swillers out there. With the help of this new gin and those marvellous juniper berries, I'm nearly fully restored (except for a wee back issue, but that is slowly healing). 

It's been a steady few weeks on the work front, my team and I have had our usual fun displaying our new stock, it’s one of my favourite jobs. I love merchandising, the process of putting different products together, to create an eye catching display. It's something we do really well, that might be because we have had lots of practice or just good old fashioned luck.

The real change in weather (excusing the downpour that’s currently going on outside my door) and the demand for our eco soy wax melts lead to a full week of melt making for me. It's now turned into one of those jobs my whole family are involved with, Ben and Ffion do all my packing. I'd love to tell you they rush in from school and get straight to work with a big smile on their face whilst we all merrily chat about our days; the reality is they slink in and hide upstairs until I twig that they are home and hunt them out, coaxing them down to help with various threats and promises!  The joys of being a family business, but on the plus side I do think it’s important that the kids are involved and understand what work is like. 

The weekend was a mixture of work and pleasure with yet another visit to London for a trades how and a catch up with some fantastic friends.  Saturday was fun filled with too many cocktails, lot of laughing and some excellent food.  We normally head towards Covent Garden but this time we stayed south of the river; starting near the Old Vic and heading to the Borough Market.  Like most of inner London, this area has seen lots of change over the last 10 years and now boasts some excellent places to eat, drink and shop.  As I have family close by, it has become one of my favourite haunts.  Our top places at the end of the day were “The Baltic” on Blackfriars road and the Oxo Tower although if you have more than one cocktail in the later, you may have to think of re-mortgaging your home (the views are well worth it!)  The Baltic is a polish restaurant with a very interesting menu and top notch cocktails.  If you’re a foodie Borough Market is a must, now London’s most renowned food and drink market with over 100 stalls to tantalise your taste buds. 

Sunday was all about work, checking out potential suppliers for our stores.  Pulse is a small but good tradeshow which tends to showcase new designer/makers as well as some of the more established companies.  I always feel very inspired by the work I see there and hope when it arrives in the shops my customers will too.

Before heading back to Devon on the Monday I managed a trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum.  I love spending time inside its walls.  Not only is it a building of true beauty but it is a great inspiration for my ceramics and just art and design in general. 

My weekend wouldn’t have been complete without a few minor mishaps, luckily nothing too drastic. I can only confess to conditioning my hair with moisturiser. This was an accident, I didn’t want my hair stuck to my head for the weekend honestly.  How did I do that you may wonder, well I have a habit of filling small bottles with my weekend supplies then forgetting what’s in what bottle.  I should have twigged when it didn’t want to come out of said bottle but no my brain did not work out what was wrong, so after 3 hair washes normality resumed.  On my train journey home, after making use of the facilities I was trying to get the tap to work to wash my hands, a sign indicated you pressed a button, I couldn’t find the button anywhere then suddenly I noticed it under the sink.  Strange place I know, pressing the button I then waited for the water to flow, instead my ears burned with a high pitched alarm, panic ensued. (I was in the disabled toilet).  I quickly made my exit red faced and feeling every single set of eyes on me in the rather packed carriage as I made my way back to my seat.......

It’s amazing the influence the weather has on my life,  Its early morning and I’m beginning to feel very frustrated with the grey skies, fog and drizzle that have descended upon us for the last few days; as I’m typing this I can hear the weather becoming more and more aggressive outside my window.  I need sunlight and lots of it (preferably whilst I’m on a beach, sipping a cocktail and reading a great book).

Even though I’ve had my fill of fog and damp, (I often question my decision to live on Dartmoor), I had the most breathtaking drive to Exeter last week.   The whole area looked as if it had been dusted  with white icing like a  freshly baked cake, everything was coated with an even sprinkling of frost with pockets of white mist suspended above, the mist looked as though it had been produced by  an over worked smoke machine from a night club in the early 90’s.  What made the morning so stunning was the contrast between these pockets of white and the bright blue skies with lush green landscapes. In several places it looked like a line had been drawn in the ground between the two scenes, as the sun burnt away the frost in one area and not yet reaching the next. It is at times like this I feel the opposite to today and ever so lucky to live in an area of such outstanding natural beauty.

The week has been one full of shop displays and deliveries as the new stock ordered from Top Drawer (the first tradeshow of the year) slowly trickles into the stores.  I can often be seen in store scratching my chin whilst pondering the next theme for our window display, what I’m really doing is desperately hoping inspiration will come and stalling for time.  On this occasion I was lucky, whilst I was forcing the cogs in my head to move, a delivery of rather beautiful ceramics by a new Nordic supplier arrived.  Needless to say they are now proudly displayed in the window of our Exeter store; I do love it when things unexpectedly come together.

The week was over taken by the stores and making more of our Eco Soya Wax Melts, I had a sudden panic when I realised that I hadn’t any of the best sellers made up, so I had to get on top of my supplies. With the best sellers now back in store I can breathe a sigh of relief and focus on my pottery, which is without a doubt something I love to do. The kiln is on right now performing the final firing of jugs and bowls I made a few weeks ago.  So later this morning I’m going to slowly open the lid of my kiln and peer in, hoping to see wonderful results from a new glaze I’m trying out, I have my fingers crossed.

I actually started this blog at the suggestion of a few friends (bet they regret it now), in order to share my efforts of training for the London Marathon. The last week has been a poor one on that front, I have managed to get out there and do my long runs but I really have had to force myself, I’ve felt lack lustre and totally lacking in energy. A few weeks ago I easily ran 14 miles and this week I struggled with 10 (I have to confess to walking some of that 10 too), its amazing how different you can feel each time you run.  I’m starting to worry about the amount I have to raise for my golden bond place with Back Care, so if you fancy helping me hit my target and providing motivation please, please sponsor me, every penny is truly appreciated.  Sponsorship link here.  If you are enjoying or even just persevering with my blogs please like the social media link, or leave me a comment somewhere.  It’s good to know and keeps me motivated to carry on.