What I Wish For You This Christmas

Well how quick has this Christmas come around, or

is it just me? I can't believe it's nearly time for the BIG MAN

to arrive.

So before we all get sucked into food comas and wrapping paper, 

 here's what I wish for you:

*the joy of finally "getting there" and the

realisation that what's not done can stay undone

*the joy of imperfections; perfection is over rated ;-)

*the joy of making real memories. Memories

that will be etched in your memory forever (for all

the good reasons of course).

*the joy of spontaneous memories that happened

before you could even find a phone to capture the moment.

*the joy of reflection

*the joy of  cheesy Christmas films

*the joy of meals thrown together in the

after-math of the big day as you decide to

channel your "inner Nigella".

*the joy of pyjamas becoming daywear .

*the joy of anticipation as you start to think about 

 dreams for the next decade

*the joy of having somewhere to wear an over-the-top

sparkly number; something you would not ordinarily

wear.

More than anything I would like to thank you for 

the joy you give me as you accompany 

me in this humble space I call 

my blog. I am not a writer and sometimes

find it difficult to come up with anything of value.

In fact most days I can't even think of words to string
a sentence together .

So I appreciate every single one of you who make

time to visit. I know how "time-starved" we all are,

so it means even more to me to think I have people

even reading my ramblings ;-)

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and

nothing but the best for the New Year;
I also hope we will continue as friends in 2020.

xxxx

Stop Your Damn Haggling

OK, here's the thing that's been bugging

me ever since I started my business.

Many of my wonderful friends are creatives

of some shape or form.

We are all creatives in some way I think.

So it really bugs me when people feel they have a right

to try and barter our prices down, or haggle

over a product they want.

Hey! I love a good bargain, but I would never

barter with a small business or creative/artist/maker.

In the same way if I was having something 

made, I would never haggle. I know that the reason

the price is higher than Target or Walmart is because

I am buying into the whole "process" of something 

being created just for me.

Even if you are a stylist, people are paying to tap into

your knowledge and for you to create a look for them.

Therefore, we should respect that and NOT haggle or

negotiate over the price.

I find it really offensive sometimes.

You see I get between 5-10 emails a week from

bloggers/influencers  asking me for FREE products!

In fact one "influencer" wrote a long email about how she was

getting married and how "she knew" I would "want" to give 

her one of my pieces so that she would promote it to all her

guests!!! Yes really people. This was a REAL email.

Don' get me wrong I know some AMAZING influencers.

But these women NEVER ask for products-that's the difference.

The"influencers" I am talking about appear

from nowhere and have NEVER even read my

blog or visited  my site. So they have never taken the

time to build a relationship with me, but then they feel

they have the "right" to ask for a free product as they

are a "fashion influencer"? Am I missing something here?

 It's the fact that they feel I should be "privileged" to

hat they "found me" on the Internet as in the case

of "Bridezilla" above.

I was always astounded by their audacity.

A couple of times I turned the tables and said

they could have a product if they show me

their stats, or they can have a product

if they pay the trade price.

Of course you never see them again for dust!

They just wanted the freebie.

Here's the thing. When you give someone something for free

 (and it's not given as a gift from you), you de-value

your product/service/time.

People never appreciate something they are

given for free. Even if they have to pay a

nominal amount, they will value the object/

service/person MORE than if they pay nothing.

Other times I have had customers who contact

me saying they like a particular piece, but THEY think

the price should be X!!!

Whooooooa! Hold on Tiger!

 Are you serious?

Would they walk into Neiman Marcus or

Selfridges in the UK and say to the store manager

they would like to purchase X but only if the price is

what they think it should be?

C'mon people get a grip!

If you want to haggle then go to your local market

or ebay (Morocco is also a good place if you like

haggling ;-)

But if you are buying from an artist who is selling their 

product that they live, sleep and breathe through,

then don't haggle.

If you want cheap and mass-produced, then there

are places where you can buy such products with

prices that reflect this. But most creatives are the 

antithesis of Amazon Prime ;-)

So this holiday season my wonderful friends,

please consider the makers.

And if you are the maker remember,

you have set your price for a reason, and if

that sets you apart from the mass--produced

tat that some of the bigger stores sell, then

be proud about it. 

The RIGHT customers

who know value, and who know your worth

WILL find you and they will never negotiate with you.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this (whether you are a creative

or a even "professional haggler ;-"- 

I know they exist. My sister is one of them ;-)

Add Some Petal Power To Your Look

Hair bands are having their day and gone are the days when it was only for 7 year olds!

Now head bands can cover a multitude of sins (especially if you are having a bad hair day). 
They are also said to make you look younger. Who couldn't do with more of that?

So below are some extra-special head-bands that would be great for the upcoming party season/holiday events, Winter weddings or if you just like that grown-up boho-chic look (as I do).

   Chrysanthemum-inspired gold hair band. Perfect for when you need a 

Winter pick-me-up. Get prepared for lots of oohs and aaaaahs.

Inspired by the Hydrangea flower in both gold and silver.
Don't even think about keeping it for best baby girl!!!

A stunning olive sprig to transport you back to those heady Summer days

Inspired by the Mimosa flower and the fern plant.
How can you ever have a bad hair day with these?


So there you have it. If you want to add some petal power to your
look, I have you covered.

xxxx

Things I've Loved This Summer

Oh my!!!! 

It seems like an age since I last wrote a blog post.

No excuses. Life just got in the way.

But I am back.

OK so during one of the hottest Summers in history (yes
it reached 40+ºC here in the UK!!)  here are 
some things that have made life more bearable during the heat.

So this is my new fave podcast. I listen to a lot of podcast when working
etc. This one is by Sheri Salata (Oprah fans will know her as Oprah's Executive
Producer for more than two decades) and her BFF for 30+ years Nancy.

It is like listening in on these two best friends as they "chew the fat" over everything
that women of a certain age love to talk about.
They also have some really good guests. Some episodes are hilarious
and there are other episodes that make me realise I need to get certain
things in order. In fact I think I have bought every book they have recommended
(like I need more books in my life right now!!)
I absolutely LOVE this podcast and have recommended it to 
so many of my girlfriends already. 
I listen on my phone and use the Castbox app to listen to all my fave podcasts.

So this Summer I decided to teach myself to sew. It's going very......slowly, but it 
has me looking at fabric all the time. However, it doesn't matter how much fabric I 
see, I always come back to the gorgeous selection at Liberty London. Liberty is
one of my fave shops in London. I head there every time I am in the city. I have such an
affinity with this store. You see my Mum and Godmother were both buyers for Liberty
way back when I was a child. So a trip to Liberty's was always on the cards at least once 
a week. Just look at these gorgeous jewel colours which make me really
excited for Winter.  See the gorgeous selections here

OMG!!! This book reads like a thriller except it is a true story. How does a 
19 year old college dropout  have some of the biggest investors in the world, 
tripping over themselves to invest in her company? How does she become 
voted the youngest BILLIONAIRE by Forbes whilst running the biggest fraud 
since Enron. Her company could not produce anything she claimed;it was all
a con!!! The case is now going to court (thank God! for investigative
journalism). But how she duped all these big investors is mind-boggling.
A real must-read.

Sometimes you just need to be taken back to the
crystal blue seas of the Mediterranean and this
ring does it for me every time. It's my Summer plus-one ;-)
You can see details here

This Netflix series has been my guilty pleasure this Summer.
I had to stop myself from binge watching it so that it would last longer!
It's called What If  and Netflix describe it as "a neo-noir social thriller that explores the
ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things".
Throughout I kept asking myself "what would I do?" It's not as cut and dried as you 
might think ;-) 

I am a sucker when it comes to a new, fresh perfume and have been trying out
niche perfume label NCP Olfactives. I have been using 101 Clementine and Violet Flower
which is just perfect for Summer. You can see all the varieties to choose from here

Finally I eventually got round to updating my website and am absolutely
loving it. One thing I have done is add more of my personal story and why
I really do have sparkles in my DNA. Go here if you want to read more

That's it Lovelies.

I'm Back

OMG!!! It's been a LONG time.

I'm not even sure what happened.

I think after Christmas I just felt a little burnt

out with nothing to say.

Normally I am "spewing" from all directions and suddenly

I was as dry as the desert.

So I decided to take a break.

But here's the thing.

I missed the connection I have with my blogging

friends; some who have been with me through the sad and

the happy. You've given me advice, mopped my tears and

generally made me very happy.

So I decided to step on the gas again. Maybe not put the car into

fifth gear, but  just poodle along in second gear for a while and

see how it goes. 

I hope we can pick up where we left off?

What I Wish For You This Christmas

Well how quick has this Christmas come around, or

is it just me? I can't believe it's nearly time for the BIG MAN

to arrive.

So before we all get sucked into food comas and wrapping paper, 

 here's what I wish for you:

*the joy of finally "getting there" and the

realisation that what's not done can stay undone

*the joy of imperfections; perfection is over rated ;-)

*the joy of not missing the last mail collection

* the joy of always having someone to share "something"

with however small that may be.

*the joy of not caring which cutlery you are supposed

to be using and when

*the joy of sometimes being able to afford the thing

you really have longed for, rather than the thing that

will do

*the joy of kicking back and savouring the moments.

*the joy of belly laughs

*the joy of enough good memories to see you through any down moments.

Memories that will be etched in your memory forever (for all

the good reasons of course).

*the joy of having enough

*the joy of  finding the perfect present for someone and

being there when they open it

* the joy of a card from a long-lost friend

*the joy of spontaneous memories that happened

before you could even find a phone to capture the moment.

*the joy of amazement that is always better than you dared expect

*the joy of some quiet time-even just a few minutes

silence will be so refreshing

*the joy of sparkles everywhere

*the joy of  cheesy Christmas films

*the joy of meals thrown together in the

after-math of the big day as you decide to

channel your "inner Nigella".

*the joy of pyjamas becoming daywear (you

just now call it "lounge- wear").

*the joy of anticipation as you start to think about 

 dreams for 2019

*the joy of appreciating where we are and

excitedly anticipating where we would like to be

Finally I would like to thank you for 

the joy you give me as you accompany 

me in this humble space I call 

my blog. I am not a writer and sometimes

find it difficult to come up with anything of value.

In fact most days I can't even think of words to string
a sentence together .

So I appreciate every single one of you who make

time to visit. I know how "time-starved" we all are,

so it means even more to me to think I have people

even reading my ramblings ;-)

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and

nothing but the best for the New Year;
I also hope we will continue as friends in 2019

xxxx