Valentine's Day is just a fortnight away, if you're looking for a gift, card, wrap or decorations for Cupid's big day take a look at the green gables' Valentine's offering. And if eco credentials are important to you almost everything is made with recycled paper!
It's taken me a while to finish but finally I have Christmas-ified my kitchen dresser!
I stuck with my favourite Christmassy colours of pinky red and icy blue, and couldn't resist hanging up half a length of my Christmas star paper bunting. I haven't changed an awful lot, it was more a matter of adapting than chucking out the old and in with the new. I've piled up some silver baubles on the glass cake stand and the candle lamp on top of the dresser is from Ikea. I forgot I had this set of fairy lights and I think I'm going to keep them up all year round, just like the lights around the mirror in my sitting room.
Inspired by a post on bright.bazaar I filled a clear glass jug with paper cupcake cases which you can see to the left of the vintage typewriter. I love how cute the candy canes look in the little blue jug, they're going to be used as part of my gift wrapping in a couple of weeks' time.
I put eucalyptus branches with the red berries so there's a faint but lovely aroma wafting from the dresser. And if you look closely you can just see the little fairy perched between the vintage china! My sister gave me her years ago and she usually sits on top of my Christmas tree. But as this year we've decorated branches instead of a tree I thought she'd be happy nestled in between some pretty china.
And in case you missed the photo of my Christmas branches, here it is!
Are you feeling Christmassy?
Day 3 of the 5 Days of Christmas means another special offer, today it's 50% off Christmas star bunting! The discount has already been applied so no need for a code, simply take a wander round the virtual aisles of thegreengables.co.uk/shop and make the most of the half price festive decorations! Tomorrow a new special offer will be revealed…
This Saturday the place to be is Milford Village Hall near Guildford in Surrey! There you will find me along with lots of other lovely small businesses as it's the venue for a festive Christmas Gift Fair, organised by the clever Lisa Cooney from Out of Love. You'll be able to find lots of your Christmas gifts, decorations and wrapping at the fair as well as enjoy a well earned cuppa and slice of cake. I will be bringing along my stationery gift sets, bunting, Christmas cards and gift wrap, along with lots of other favourites.
You can read the full list of who will be exhibiting at the fair here. The fair is open from 10am until 4pm and the full address is Milford Village Hall, Portsmouth Road, Milford GU8 5DR. If you can visit be sure to stop by my stand and say hi!
I got lots of non-work 'stuff' done this weekend. Like many self-employed, small business owners, I can get absorbed in my work so I find myself with no time to do chores and jobs around the house. But then they build up over time and nag at the back of my brain until I just need to get on and do them! So, this weekend, as well as the usual chores, I did some gardening including transplanting leeks, and sorted through the mess that is my wardrobe. After filling four carrier bags of shoes and clothes for recycling and another four bags of clothes and, er, bags, for the charity shop I have a much tidier wardrobe. It feels like I've created a bit more space in my head too. I wanted to get some jobs done before Christmas really starts to kick in and I feel like I can concentrate better now that I've got them out of the way. Perhaps the weather is making me want to do the autumn version of a spring clean!
Above is a snap of some personalised fabric bunting I made for a friend this weekend. I haven't sewn in quite a while so it felt good to flex my creative muscles in a different area. She's giving the bunting to a relative as a gift so I just hope they all like it!
The photo above shows my plantable wildflower paper heart bunting on display at one of my lovely stockists – House Envy in Boverton, Vale of Glamorgan. I think it looks lovely on the front of the table, and it seems the customers think so too! There are so many gorgeous things to look at and it only shows part of the store. If you're anywhere near House Envy I suggest you pop in for a good browse.
My new business cards arrived today, and I am so pleased with them. This is the third order jamjarprint.co.uk have printed for me and I would definitely recommend them. The recycled stock they use is great and their customer service is excellent, thoroughly nice people!
Have a lovely weekend, and if you're watching the Olympics, enjoy, and if you're not, enjoy whatever else you're doing! (The 25% off offer on Union Jack bunting at thegreengables.co.uk is still on till Monday!)
The Olympics are almost here, finally! Feels like a v long time in the making but this weekend sees the opening ceremony and the first events. The road cycling races are coming through my village in Surrey on Saturday and Sunday and I'm rather excited about a) being trapped in my village because the roads are closed b) seeing an Olympic event for the first time and c) Tour de France champ Bradley Wiggins racing past me at high speed!
So, if you want to get in the mood and show some patriotic spirit take advantage of my 25% off special offer on 2.5m and 5m lengths of Union Jack paper flag bunting! Offer lasts until Monday 30 July at thegreengables.co.uk. Go Team GB!
You still have time to order Union Jack bunting for your Diamond Jubilee celebrations! And of course you can bring it out again in a couple of months' time for the 2012 Olympics too.
Find hand drawn Union Jack paper flag bunting, available in 2.5m and 5m lengths, and designed, printed on FSC paper and made in the UK, at the green gables here.
This week I'm v pleased to see the green gables' products pop up in three different publications! And, unsurprisingly, it's all paper bunting as Diamond Jubilee fever picks up and wedding season gets well under way.I don't always find where the green gables appears in the press so if you ever spot one of my little lovelies in a mag you're reading do let me know! And so thanks to @project_goddess on twitter for telling me about Good Homes. What a shame I've had to buy these mags to add to my press page, I'll just have to have a cuppa and read them in the sunshine!
