Day 328 - One last big push. xx

Sunday 24th November

The cold weather continues as winter asserts itself on the island.  The smallholding takes on a different shape at this time of the year.  We have so many wooded areas and when all the leaves have left the trees the shapes etch a lovely landscape. The die back is well underway and the wildlife are all looking for places to keep warm.  I am looking forward to this time next week when our biggest Christmas market is behind us and we can pace ourselves a little more.  George, Max and I need to get on with our bird cakes and get into a better bird feeding routine.  There are lots of little jobs that need to get done and I am just not available to help at the moment. 

Wreath making is still dominating my days but all the dry ones are now finished and I have a few days break to get back to candle making and sewing.  I am thinking that Thursday and Friday will require a whole family effort if we are to be ready.  The children are so good at stepping up when required and there will be a lot of harvesting to be done in a relatively short period of time.  I am mindful of when we used to offer wedding flowers and that really required a whole family effort.  Harry and I would spend hours conditioning the flowers before tasks were established.  George and Max are excellent garland makers and Molly makes lovely corsages and buttonholes.  I am starting to think about who might like to work with me on wedding flowers next year.  I am hoping to train new people that have never worked professionally with flowers before.  That way we can stay true to our style which is so important.  Molly is talking about returning home for the summer next year to earn some money for her masters degree so it will be lovely if she can, once more, work with flowers. 

We are thinking all things weddings at the moment to be ready for January.  Pete and I are planning the area in front of my studio as a place for more raised beds for cut flowers.  It will be lovely to show clients the space and then to use the studio for the consultations.  Ultimately, we want to bring other wedding businesses up to Hazelbank so that they might see what we are doing.  Not all the suppliers that we will be working alongside will operate full time from the island.  We are, therefore, hoping to offer up the studio as a satellite space for off island wedding suppliers.  That way they have a good space to meet the clients.  2014 is really a year of introductions and establishing good working relationships.  When in Derbyshire we became the heart of 'green' weddings working with businesses and clients who were committed to a more sustainable wedding.  We would like to pick this up as we can next year and have already began talking to key people who have the shared commitment.  We can offer more than just the flowers as we did before.  We offer 'green' wedding favours such as wildflower seeds,  memory wreaths that capture the essence of the day and handcrafted gifts for bridesmaids and mother of the bride.  The intention is to establish a directory of wedding suppliers who share a commitment to sustainable weddings based on the island. 

Molly and I are encouraged with the lovely feedback on her potential student funder campaign.  Lots of emails suggesting that this is a good way forward for her.  Molly will bring a lot to the table and I think people will appreciate that.  I am going to co-author her blog while she completes her year 3 at university so that she is not over-stretched in such an important year.  I am so looking forward to working with her.  It is through Molly that I have developed a passion for birds and even insects.  I learn so much from her and I think that will be a critical element of her campaign.  Her ability to put together stories that entertain and educate is so impressive and if I co-author she can concentrate on that work while I take on the tasks that require continual updating. 

So, still lots going on and I am looking forward to things calming down a bit.  It is always such a busy month but then December is my enchanting month.  The focus is back on the family and preparing for our Christmas.  Making mince pies, home made decorations and handmade gifts for my friends makes December really enjoyable.   One final push to ensure that Whimsical Wreaths is ready for its launch on Saturday and then a long walk planned followed by the first mince pies of the year.  Lovely. 

Until tomorrow. xx