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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.......

Only 4 days and 4 nights to go and then I will be running the London Marathon, Yes me that slightly overweight lady who likes her gin and prosecco a little too much, oh and did I mention chocolate..... . I apologise in advance to anyone who sees me running or limping along on Sunday, my running face is apparently an unhappy grimace (I do enjoy it, honest), my face muscles just don’t behave the way I want them to when I’m focussed on keeping my legs turning over.  Have you ever seen those silly YouTube clips “What I think I look like when I run” Verse “ What I actually look like when I run”, well imagine that and you’ll easily be able to pick me out in the crowds.

I started this blog nearly 5 months ago to share my training adventures and boy have there been adventures and lots and lots of hard work.  Surprisingly though, I have really quite enjoyed writing up my weeks for you to read, so if you can all cope I’ll try and keep it up.  You are all probably keen to hear the update on my torn soleus (calf muscle for those of you reading for the first time)!  After a visit to the sports Physio this week  I was cleared to try to start running again; just one mile yesterday, two today and three tomorrow.  Now he offered no reassurances that my soleus will stay intact, but he was hopeful and so am I. 

Tomorrow morning I’m heading up to London to enjoy a few days rest before the big day.  I must admit to feeling a little strange, a similar feeling to waiting for your exam results, excitement and apprehension rolled into one.  Before my mishap I was aiming to finish just under the 5 hour mark now I’d be really chuffed with 5 and a half hours, sort of like I’d have really liked to have achieved A’s in my GCSE’s, but that was before I realised that I would have to do lots and lots of revision, so I was quite happy with getting C’s (not that I’d tell me kids that).

I hope all of you with kids to occupy during half term have survived the trials of having them home all the time.  Hopefully you had some fun too.  My two have reached the stage of constant battle, telling tales on one another at every given opportunity. At times I felt like my head would explode, I really want to lie on the floor and throw a toddler tantrum (like that advert with the lady in the super market many years ago).

I was working in my Tavistock store today and got a lovely surprise when I arrived; my team had decorated the store window just for me.  I’ve got to say this really made me smile and even bought a tear to my eye.  It means such a lot as for the last 13 years I’ve always done the window displays so to approach the shop and see balloons etc was amazing, I’m smiling just writing about it.

Well on Sunday I get to tick the London Marathon off my bucket list, last year it was Venice that got a tick, no comparison really but I actually can’t wait.  Massive thanks to every one of you who has supported me, in terms of sponsoring, wishing me luck and especially to those who have put up with my moaning (sorry). 

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.