Introducing ...

The busy thing I talked about, well its still happening, but its turned slightly, its gone from stressful to really kind of exciting.  Its complicated, 'what isn't' I hear you say!  So I have just about completed my Level three Teachers Assistant course, but heck... there are are no jobs out there, a couple of vacancies advertised but when I went to college I found that the trainees in the schools had already got the job but the positions had to advertise. How frustrating is that. So whilst I still want very much to get a career in school I have to face the reality that the jobs are just not available.

 But I have to feed and dress my children... EK!!!  So here is the exciting part... I have taken the rather scary decision to make DOTTY RED my career.  I have been working with a business adviser to make sure everything is as it should be and I am walked through all the details that scare me, registering, tax, insurance etc... but its all good, did you hear that, its all good!

 I had to pitch my business idea and write a big and ever evolving business plan, it all felt a bit Dragons Den-ish, but here I am launching my new line of textiles. Lavender hearts have been a big part of Dotty Red and I will always make them, but I wanted something a little more designer in feel, with my passion for free form embroidery I designed these hangers.  Hangers as in you can hang them, on your coat hangers, on the wall, in your bathroom, add it to a gift or as these ones are filled with lavender you can pop them in your smalls draw and let the lavender smell waft out and do its magic. Pop one under your pillow for a sleep filled night!

 I loved making these, I drew and sketched, used my colour pencils and then once I had enough ideas, I started to put them together.

 A huge fan and collector of ribbon, modern and vintage not to mention my passion for buttons and a little liking for wool felt...

 Each day I designed a different hanger, I have to confess I have a pad filled with many more ideas, I have been asked to make Love Heart ones to, oh the possibilities...

 each one could be personalised, a babies name or date of birth...

 These Happy Birthday Bunting have been the most popular today, I think the country has gone bunting mad at the moment and long may it carry on, love a bit of 'smile inducing' bunting.

 But by far my favourite and I have a couple for myself, are the 'Beach Life' ones, designed after a fabulous weekend at the beach, (see previous post) they hold a memory for me, a special time that keeps me going when the rain falls.

So its been busy, but good busy, it saddens me more than I can share with you that after two years of serious study and over six years voluntary work in school my plans for the future have had to change, but with great support around me I am following my heart, something not many people actually will do, its scary and gives me butterflies, but it is thrilling and exciting and you know... I am going to give it my best shot because I don't want to say... if only!

After all the planning and the designing and making... I have my beautiful, funny and ever growing boys for a full week, so we are packing our bags, buckets and spades, picnic basket and the odd waterproof jacket and we are heading out for a beach week.  I am longing for long walks with 'Rosy the pup' on big open beaches, popping into the best beach cafe for a tempting bacon butty and a side of chips, pottering around the art shops and beachy places, there will be nights snuggling around the camp fire and the toasting of marshmallows. The diary is full on my return so this week, no watch, no meetings, no school runs... its all about family, play, relaxing, friendships and being in love with life... Then the work begins...

Have a fabulous Jubilee weekend, smile and as I keep being told by numerous people, you gotta role with it.  Have a blast!

Beach life...

You know when things just go mad... super busy... actually a little stressful. Well that's the place I am in right now. My little business is doing really well and I am trying to get my stock updated with the all the summer lines, yes a lesson to be learnt here and that's start it earlier, its all a learning curve.

 The house viewing did not result in a sale, very disappointed and seriously out of pocket having spent money on preparing the house, redecorating a room and summer planting in the garden, still its nice to enjoy it. The people viewing viewed my house and a neighbours, I was too small and my neighbours too big, it is the same house with two more rooms...Hey ho!!! Looks like we will be here for a little longer, the children are overjoyed, they get so upset about this process, its their home they want to stay and they are not afraid to let me know about it... Oh the guilt!!!

 Add into the pot my final assessment at college and sitting my Math GCSE... Oh help!!! Setting up the legal side of the business is daunting but I have a great mentor who is helping me through, oh my when did the liability insurance get so high! When you cant see it getting more complicated... a letter arrives with the news that my ex husband is returning to the solicitor, yet more pennies to be spent.

 So someone very kind took me away for a weekend away from it all at the beach.  Bliss Bliss Bliss...

 We met up with friends, took a couple of chairs, wine and nibbles and spent the day on the sand soaking up the warmth from the sunshine.  The first evening fire of the season as we pitched up as close to the flames as possible on a cloudless night, the doggies had a ball playing together...and balance was brought back in to perspective. Sometimes this single parenting thing gets a little overwhelming especially when three years on I am still fighting my corner, but you know, when you take time out and see the big picture... Life is good!

So what do you do when you have found the house you want and you cant move until yours sells, me and how many other I am sure... But I can dream cant I...
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22866378.html

PHOTOS... Lavender Hangers...part of the summer range! Making me smile!

Jubilee...

So here I sit at nearly midnight, with my cup of Lady Grey and a very nice fried egg buttie, oh yes tonight I am all about class... seriously though its been a hectic few days... and I am a believer in going with the flow and that flow is pretty fast at the moment so it calls for a late night unhealthy snack to keep me going whilst I finish my post and prepare for the day ahead...

 School uniforms to iron, pack lunches to make, dishes to wash, meetings to prepare for  and dogs to feed etc. Usual Mum stuff.

 Who said the Bank Holiday was a time to relax and catch up... get 'behind' more like... Actually its been a time shared with friends and eating far too much whilst hours have passed by and important conversation of 'putting the world to rights' have taken place while wine was sipped.  My kids have also had all their friends round to play at some stage of the three days and I have had very little time to spend in my sewing room.  A play date sleep over which settled down to sleep at eleven and started again at five the next morning!  More coffee please.

 However, I was inspired to put together a few Jubilee lines when I sneaked off for a few moments in my sewing room, I wasn't going to work on anything linked to the jubilee but I was asked what I had...

 So a few ideas have come together and a few ideas still need to be tried out. The nice thing about this weekend was I had a viewing on my home, so I gave up two days to do housework, 'stuff' was hidden away in boxes, bags taken to the charity shop and a day spent in the garden with some new plants needing homes.  The house was clean and homely. The viewing lasted twenty minutes, oddly the agent did the viewing and it all felt a bit uncomfortable being asked to step aside while these people went through my home, mind you I disliked poking around other peoples home, it feels very invasive.  The viewers seemed really nice but the house isn't for them but it took five days to find that out, oh the stress.  The rush of house hunting for me has slowed down now with great relief, the advantage to it all was I had a lovely clean and tidy house all weekend and all the housework was done... A TREAT!

I could almost hear the intake of breath as they stepped into my dinning room, which of course is my sewing room/studio.

Hope your weekend was filled with fun and laughter and you surrounded yourself with nice people.