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Monday 28 November 2011

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

It's the Kensington dolls house festival this weekend. The Christmas one. EXCITING!!!
In a cruel twist of fate I'm unable to go! Boooo!
If anybody reading is lucky enough to get over there please stop by and tell me all about it?!

I am seeking solace in decorating the big house for Christmas. There was a mega dust to be done before the fun,festive bit but got there in the end.







Final thought: item for mini wish list for next Christmas - Advent calendar!!
The shop I worked in used to have some amazing ones but can't remember who they were by! Any suggestions?!

Ta Ta for now!
X

Sunday 20 November 2011

Mini mission

I love how optimistic I get on Sunday evenings. I always have the best intentions for the week ahead and have usually resolved that by this time next week my flat will be tidier, my diet healthier, my hair more groomed etc.

This week my hit list also has a mini agenda.

I'll be returning to the motherland for little sister's graduation. This is highly exciting and important but I'm also quite looking forward to being reunited with...my dollshouses!!

They've been thoroughly neglected over the last 6 months. The big one in particular as my attention has been lavished on the makeover of littleun.
So here's my plan

Big house:
Major dust
Put in skirting boards
Attach chimney pots
Put up Xmas decorations!!!!

Little house:
Finish gutting
Sand and prime rooms
Try to salvage staircase
Finish exterior paint
reattach quoin stones


I already know it's unlikely I'll get half of this done inside 5 days but I'll give it a good go.
Also, If I had more time and pennies I would also definitely be joining in with 'I'm a giant challenge'!! Been following some entries in progress and it looks like such a fun idea, can't wait to see the finished projects!!

Have yourselves a lovely Sunday, hope to bring you work in progress shots later in the week!

X

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Whats the plan?

"So, what's the plan?"

If I could just have a £ for every time I've been asked that in the last 3 years then frankly there would be no need for a plan! I could just hang around relying on this ever predictable, probing, and in my opinion, some times quite rude actually, question to rear it's head once again, thus providing with a steady and constant income.

I may seem a little defensive?
Here's why.
4 weeks ago, after much careful consideration and 18months of blood sweat and tears I handed in my notice at the magazine.

The immediate question on everybody's lips "what's the plan?"

The truth is I don't have a plan as such. A reality that for the most part I am at ease with, but, for whatever reason has left those around me quite un nerved!

Yes, I'm aware that there's a recession and people with much fancier credentials than i are struggling to find work.
I'm also aware that unemployment in the under 25s is at it's highest in 9 years or so. And yes. I know it's Christmas in 40 days. But I'm still quitting, with no plan, and already it feels like one of the best things I've done all year!!

Ironically, the only people not enquiring as to my master plan so far are my parents.
As mum oh so sensitively put it
" Well, you're 24, you've got nothing to lose, no valuables to be repossessed and no commitments. Now's as good a time as any to give it a go."

See, it does pay to be single, skint and childless! Hurrah!

What I do have by the bucket load however, is ideas. Hundreds.
It's exhausting!

That and the realisation that no job I've had before or since has topped the dolls house shop.
You know that sicky, excited feeling in your tummy? Maybe you get it at Christmas? Seeing your other half after a few days apart?
What ever it is that triggers it, you know the feeling, yes?

Well, I used to get that feeling every time I went to work. When work was a dolls house shop. Clearly I've peaked too soon as no job since has topped that!
It seems to me that the thing to do now is get to a point where my job, rather than being an endless source of stress beating the enthusiasm from you on a daily basis, instead gives me that overwhelmingly excited feeling again, every day if possible
THAT ladies and gentleman is my plan.

X

Sunday 13 November 2011

Sherbet Lemons grand day out

Well, after bleating on, threatening to do it for for the last three years today I took the plunge and ran Sherbet lemon's very first stall!

Now, it wasn't strictly minis.
It was advertised as a craft fair, but I thought what with it being the run up to Christmas it was worth a shot ( + the stand cost next to nothing which is ,unfortunately, rarely the case with specialist fairs :( )

So, armed with a few lunch boxes full of my most appealing minis ( + a range of felt and fabric Xmas decorations for posterity!) I hopped on the bus with my Aunty to an out of the way, slightly chilly, memorial hall in Hove.

Upon arrival we were allocated our trestle, quickly tarted up with some patchwork sheets I whipped over the summer , and set about making our stall look enticing to the hoards of visitors due to burst in in less than an hour.

Well, it only took 10 minutes to set up as we had opted for a 'capsule collection' ( in other words hadn't made half of what I'd planned due to horrible disease striking me down this week). Then we sat back and waited.

It soon became clear that there had been a distinct lack of PR for the event, we weren't particularly fussed as this was more of an experiment for us than a day of hard selling, that said there were some unhappy chaps around ( said chaps had spent considerably longer constructing their custom made stands, had boxes of bulky stock and were used to working much busier crowds!)

So, by early afternoon it was clear that nobody was going to be making the big bucks today, when to my disbelief and delight two ladies came over, all whispers and pointing at the mini's.

Why do people feel the need to whisper around mini's by the way?!

After a few minutes chatting they revealed that their mum is a dolls house nut just like me. They chose a cute, round Xmas pudding from the table, and bloody bought it!!!!

Now, we didn't even come close to breaking even today, Besides the pud we had one other sale ( a felt toadstool decoration) but that one mini sale was worth it!! It's been a long time coming and hopefully is another teeny tiny step in the right direction for mini world domination.

When the doors closed there was a definite feeling of satisfaction, ( for us at least!) We'd done what we set out to do. Made a sale, got sherbet lemon out of my flat and in front of people.

We took 10 minutes to pack up and walked off feeling slightly smug as most fellow stall holders negotiated time slots to bring cars around for loading up their partially dismantled, massive displays.
Though before we disappeared off into the sunset we signed up to do the same thing all over again next Sunday!!

Fingers crossed it's a bit busier next week! :)

I'll leave you with some snaps of our stall, not massively detailed but you'll get the idea.

X


Tuesday 8 November 2011

Where theres a will, theres a way!

And the way, my mini loving friends, is smart phones!!

(Before I continue I would like to state I am not being sponsored by any phone companies...though if Apple do fancy funding the building of my mini empire that would be lovely!)

After many frustrating weeks of no Internet or laptop I had all but given up hope of returning to blog land, until today!
As I lay bored and pathetic on my sick bed I began cruising the app store in search of etsy related apps when to my delight I discovered blogger finally have an app for iPhone?!!

Hurrah!!

Full steam ahead! Just as soon as I shake off the flu. Meh.

In other news I have signed up for my first ever fair!
It's all craft rather than exclusively miniatures so we'll see how it goes but exciting none the less.

Will let you know how it goes!!

Ta ta for now.
X