What colour is hessian and dark gold?

I often often get requests for different colours and it's normally pretty straightforward. It is fantastic when the customer asks for something like Cadbury purple because then I know exactly what they are after. Of course, I still had to go and buy a bar of Cadbury's chocolate to make sure but that was purely for research.

This week however I've had requests for hessian and dark gold which is a little bit trickier. Luckily I managed to get it right first time but I had to have a bit of a think about what colour hessian really was. Is it brown or cream? And is dark gold more yellow or brown?

If you are wondering  .... dark gold is top right and hessian is bottom right and the two lots of bunting looked lovely. I particularly liked the hessian.

Mother's Day

Not long until Mother's Day (18th March if you need reminding). I've designed these Mother's Day Door Hangers for Mother's Day in the style of hotel breakfast menus but with a few little extras. As well as whether you'd like brown or white toast you can also specify whether you will allow jumping on the bed and what time you'd like to be left in peace.

I've also got these Mother's Day Tokens that can be personalised with anything you like.

The Perfect Mug

When I saw the blog post from Becky of Dots and Spots about her new mugs, I just had to put an order in. I had seen them at Top Drawer and, as I'm very particular about the type of mug I like to drink my tea from, I knew these were "the right ones".

It has quickly become my mug of choice. It's perfect you see because it's not too thick (fine bone china you know) and big. My Orla Kiely mugs are nearly right but not always big enough but this one is just right and so gorgeous.

The other bonus is that I no longer have to use the "I'd Rather Be Playing Rugby" mug .... because frankly I wouldn't.

So thank you Becky and thank you Stubbs mugs for providing me with the perfect mug. What I'd really like to do is get rid of all my other mugs and fill the cupboard with Dots and Spots mugs.

Whooops was that the sound of breaking china, how on earth did that happen?

Shrove Tuesday

We love Shrove Tuesday and we love pancakes. I thought I'd missed it last week when a friend started telling me what her children had given up for Lent but after some diary checking she realised her mistake. She reckons her children can cope with an extra week and I promised not to tell them!

On a whim in Waitrose yesterday I bought some chocolate syrup (yes chocolate syrup!) to go with the pancakes. Not sure why I did it really. I was in a rush and I suppose for a moment I thought it would be nice for the boys to have a change, but it was plain foolish. They did try it but honestly all you need is caster sugar and lemon. Some simple things are just meant to be and there is nothing better than lemon and sugar on your pancake. Lesson learned.

Branding Masterclass Mood Board Homework

I do love a mood board homework! Found this quite hard though as it was about choosing things that I wanted my brand to represent rather than just selecting pretty pictures that I like.

I got seriously sidetracked colour coordinating and making it look pretty whilst listening to the Archers rather than focussing on what I should have been doing but I'm happy with the end result.

It is supposed to convey Party / Tasteful / Bespoke .... did I manage to convey that?

Week two of the Branding Masterclass has been a bit of a challenge with orders, half term and a sickness bug but I think I'm still on track. I am finding it really, really inspiring and it is certainly an eye opener. Can't wait to see what we learn in Week 3.

I knew the day would come

Oscar asked me if he could sell his toy tractors.

He started his collection when he was very little and each year he would get more specific about exactly which model he would like and the collection got bigger and bigger. His Aunty Christy even built him a scaled down shed exactly like hers. He played with them for hours and hours and hours.

A few years ago if I'd said one day he would want to sell his collection he'd have laughed his socks off at such a foolish idea .... but time moves on and now he thinks they are too childish and he's worried that if any of his friends come round and see them they will laugh at him.

"Are you sure?" I say. 
"Yes and I've got a spreadsheet to work out how much I might make from selling them." he says.

I say "What if your friend Rory comes round? I bet he still plays with tractors." 
"He probably won't" he says.

I know he's right and it is time to move on but I feel a bit sad. Thank goodness Archie won't be getting rid of his lego collection just yet.

Matchboxes

I rediscovered Lobster & Swan's blog a few weeks ago and whilst browsing through the pages I found a bit about Kim Welling and her gorgeous little boxes. I had also enjoyed Sue's (The Quince Tree) post about A Multitude of Small Delights.

It was therefore a lovely surprise to see Lobster & Swan's Matchboxaday challenge and inevitable that I would love it. I haven't been able to do one every day but here are the ones I have done, not a patch on Jeska's which are just beautiful little works of art, but it is great fun and I love seeing how everyone interprets the theme.

the water one

the recipe one

the gold one

the love one

I bought some more matchboxes today so hope to do a few more before the month is out.

Just Engaged Bunting

As it's Valentine's Day tomorrow I wonder if there will be an influx of orders for Just Engaged bunting later in the week?

I hope so but feel a bit sorry for today's potential proposers. These days the poor suitors seem to have to work harder to come up with a unique proposal. There seems to be a trend for flashmob proposing ... ... and I thought they must be made up because I couldn't see how you could get it to work. But then I saw a tweet the other day asking people to join a facebook group for someone who was setting one up and from the responses on the page it seems people really do volunteer.

Can't really decide if I think it is cringeworthy or romantic. As ever I'm very glad I got engaged/married before the days of the internet!

Monthly Photo 2012

I remembered to take a photo. Just hope I keep it up because I already like this idea and I've only done two!

Fun and frolics in the snow

I hate snow ..... apart from on Sundays when I don't have to go anywhere. Good job the snow started on Saturday night then and, as I'd already invited some friends over for lunch on Sunday (who live in the village), we could just relax and enjoy the snow.

In the morning I walked around the garden taking pictures.

Oscar tried snowboarding on an old skateboard.

Archie just slid around.

And tried to creep on his brother with a large snowball.

Then after lunch we went out to a bigger hill ...

where the adults had as much fun as the children and Jake the dog.

Branding Masterclass

Today I'm staring a Branding Masterclass with Flourish Studios and as I've changed brand image three times since I started Daisyley back in March 2011 I think it is not a moment too soon.

I've heard wonderful things about Fiona Humberstone and her team and I'm really looking forward to going back to 'school' for a bit albeit online.

I wonder what I will learn in the next few weeks and whether you will notice any changes?

Mum .... Yes .... Can I ....

Sue of The Quince Tree made me laugh out loud with her recent post FAQs where she told us that the most frequently asked question directed to her is What's for tea?

I get asked What's for tea? What can I have to eat? Where is my ....? continually but the one thing that really gets on my nerves is why oh why do my boys have to say "Mum" to which I have to reply (wherever I happen to be in the house) "Yes" and then they ask the question.

Why can't they start with "Mum where is ...?" "Mum can I ...?" without me having to say in a tetchy irritated way "Yes". They would say it's because they need to make sure I'm listening .... but of course I always listen and give them my full attention ..... mmmmm maybe they have a point.

To add insult to injury last night at 2am Archie shouted out "Mum Mum". I have to admit I didn't answer as I hoped he was sleep talking (he was) but I then lay awake listening in case there really was something wrong. I really hope that won't happen again ....

I know that one day I shall miss the constant Mum, Mum, Mum so shouldn't complain but honestly sometimes I say Yes about a million times in one day!

No New Clothes Challenge Month 1

First month of my no new clothes challenge. Have I been tempted ... yes. Have I succumbed ... no.

I seem to be able to look without buying at the moment although when I see anything clothes related (website or catalogue) I am hoping with fingers crossed there aren't any lovely white tops. It seems the only thing I'm worried about is finding that elusive perfect white top.

The real bonus is that going shopping is so much quicker. I can pop into our local town and do all my jobs in under an hour because I'm not "just popping into" any clothes shops.

When I went up to London the other day I was tempted to go and have a browse round Liberty and Anthropologie but I was too scared so stayed on the tube. I wish the people around me could have heard my internal struggles as I was deciding whether to get off the tube or not! I really was having an argument inside my head,


"Don't you'll just get tempted."
"But I'll only look I won't buy."
"Yes but if you get off you'll be late back."
"But I won't be long, I promise I'll be really quick."


On and on it went until eventually I had gone too many stops along so it was pointless arguing with myself any longer!