we aren't open

It appears I have had upset a few people yesterday when I posted this on Facebook and Instagram. Apparently I have acted like the worst shopkeeper around by forgetting to change the hours on the sign on our door. I am sure that I posted everywhere that the shop would have its annual break and re-open on the 6th of January.... but perhaps I didn't.
We are closed until the 6th of January.
Of course as always you are welcome to call and leave a message and I will get back to you and we can arrange a time if you would like to visit before the 6th. You may have to put up with the shop in total disarray as this is the time of the year I turn everything upside down and give it a good shake.
The whole house is a mess and I am scared to open the store cupboards in the shop. As always at this time of the year I am in that morass of laziness and indecision about how to actually tackle any of this, perhaps that is why people go away, they just avoid it. I seem to be the type to wallow in it and just feel more and more helpless and hopeless.
I have actually managed to get out of bed today (or rather I haven't returned to bed yet) and did a huge pile of bill paying. The bank account looked heathy for a week there but now looks rather anaemic sadly. No more pavlova and cheezels here, we will be back to vegemite rations soon.
Anyway, enough of my moaning. Thought I would pop in and let you know about the opening hours (we aren't open) and see what you have been up to.
p.s. I thought the note was funny.

the eve is nigh

Just a note as I run out the door to a Xmas Eve breakfast.
We are open today from 10am until about 5pm, the closing time is a bit flexible as we tend to close when a.  the streets suddenly go empty and everyone disappears and b. we have had enough. If you are leaving it to the very last minute you can always call and check but I do believe there is a witching hour for present buying everyone should down credit cards by 5pm on Xmas Eve!
The huge shipment of enamelware arrived yesterday (!) and we have the prep sets finally, they consist of a mixing bowl, 3 pudding bowls and a colander, pretty fab! Also all the usuals like tumblers and beakers and tea pot and kettles and new milk pans.
We are going to be closed until the 6th of January but if you are in town and need a visit you can always ring on 03 9419 2430 to make an appointment.
I'm having a quiet day in bed tomorrow and can't tell you how much I am looking forward to an afternoon nap. I hope you and yours have a lovely day and celebrate it however you do with peace, joy and happiness. Take care and I'll see you on the flipside.
Pen
xxxxxxxxo

penultimate day

Just a quickie before I steal 15 minutes nanna nap and then open the shop.
It's the last two days before we shut for a little (well deserved) break.
We'll be open from 10am until 6pm today and 10am until probably about 5pm tomorrow (it depends on whether the day dies in the arse and we are too exhausted to cling on for the final bit).
I was out walking in the rain this morning after dropping the car off for new tyres (there's an expense you don't want just before Xmas!) and it was lovely out, drippy soft rain and luminous jacarandas, everything washed clean.I'm unbelievably tired and has one more present to make before I can call it quits for the year. I have a funny feeling our enamel delivery will arrive at 3.30 tomorrow afternoon, Xmas is like that.
OK, I am dribbling on here, that nanna nap might only be 10 minutes now.
Come visit! We have lovely things!

four to go!

So here we are at the last four days and I would quite happily slither back into bed and curl up.
I reached that point yesterday of getting a bit put out with other people's demands on me (it's a pre-Xmas thing) and then, after dashing out to North Croydon and back and then hotfooting it to Derrimut, I managed to get flat tyre #2. This morning was a tyre juggle to get a new tyre fitted to #1 rim so that I can swap it to #2 and then get the car to the tyre man to get him to fit the other three first thing Monday morning. It's not like the car warrants new (if cheap) tyres as it is crumbling away but it is the minimum to keep it on the road for a little longer.

On top of all of this, after being too exhausted to sleep and finally dropping off, to be awakened by my two doors up next door neighbour belting out extremely loud music at 4.30am with all the windows open. I have the footage if you want to hear just how loud it was, I sent that to their sublet landlady and shortly after the music stopped.....

I spent another late night in the shop last night unpacking the new shipment of Lisa B socks (the reason for the Derrimut Dash, thank you Fedex). We've got new designs in cotton and new colours in the pin dot cottons and now we have the men's socks in cotton too, there is a men's striped sock colourway that just might end up in my stash. So you need socks for your Xmas stocking? Well we have them! Women's, men's and bubba's!
And I've made new wax print chemise dresses and  a few new indigo dyed velvet and linen cushions.
After selling out of our first two shipments of Ball's mason jars we've got more stock in again, there are the anniversary blues, two sizes in the quilted, 4 sizes from 250ml up to 1litre and more of the Weck preserving jars in the tiny weeny size and the 290ml. I have to admit I have been nicking a few mason jars to do the Xmas sugar based hampers- jams, cookies and salted caramel sauce.
The bonsai scissors and padlocks are back.
There is only one 'ammo' bag left, a stunning range of Cambridge Satchel Co satchels, lots of our handmade granny and 'lumina' zip purses and a lovely bowl full of our indigo gingerbread hearts.
And although we have run out of some birds we still have a lovely selection and there are still stock of our beautiful glass decorations.
Time to get moving.
I'll be here until 5 this afternoon and open again tomorrow.
Pop in!

10 and a bit days to go

I was up ridiculously early this morning, a quick jaunt to the Coburg Farmer's Market to pick up a stash of Dr Marty's Crumpets (some to eat, some to freeze, ha) and to ditch the cardboard recycling (which I am getting phobic about as it was the cause of Topple #2). I am quite weary, I can't believe that it was only a week ago we were all in the kerfuffle of the BDM, it feels like yesterday or a year ago. 

I'm in the shop again today, I am a little confused by which day it is having worked yesterday and working again tomorrow. There is a change to Sunday trading hours as the Xmas party has been sadly cancelled due to the pneumonic plague (chest infection) in the home of the hosts. No pavlova, no lovely company, no delicious food.... but that is OK as I would rather healthy hosts who have the strength to enjoy their own party!! So the Cottage will be open 12 noon to 4, same number of hours just a slight shift into the afternoon and a little sleep in hopeful.

In shop news just a little warning that we are getting low on a couple of things. We are down to one lone chai tea glass set, three large Turkish towels and a handful of handtowels, the enamel Turkish coffee pots have sold out in some sizes so only a few left in the extra large and small (hopefully we can get another order in next week of these), the small enamel beakers are low as well but if the stars align we might get the new delivery of enamel later this week with new styles and top up of existing stock (fingers crossed) but I suggest not leaving the enamel to the last minute just in case (gulp) and some of the birds are close to selling out, especially the tiny ones.

We still have stock to arrive and I need to get back into the studio of one last making fling. And somewhere in all this I need to get some jam, biscuits and caramel made. 

Oh and I still haven't done the Xmas window.

Anyways my friends, you know where to find me. 

overtired toddler

Thursday already.
This week has been firmly on the 'recovery' setting. By Monday I was exhausted and managed to burst into tears at my hand therapy session, I spent most of the day sobbing like an overtired toddler. I have actually managed to do errands and hunter gathering that I seem to have had no time for all year, visiting specialist textile agents and investigating and ordering things that I have either had no time or money to sort out. I needed to get these done now before time/money slipped once again from my grasp, not there is a lot of either but I felt like I needed to get a few things ticked off before the end of the year flips over.
The Cottage will be open everyday from here on up until Xmas Eve but it's probably a good idea to check on Saturday and Sunday trading hours. We will definitely be open this Sunday but only from  11am until 3pm as I have a party to get to and if I don't get there in time I will miss out on Maggie's pavlova..... sorry but I am not missing out again this year!
Jethro isn't too keen on December as his routine gets a bit shaken up, he loses his Sunday shop day and hates missing out on our usual sleep in. He had a great deal of fun helping me refit the couch cover last night. It was almost up there with the sheet change shenanigans.
I am shopgirl tomorrow (Friday) and for the following two days so you know where to find me. I also have a meeting with the real estate agent tomorrow morning so the shop might be shut for 5 or so minutes at some stage.... our building is going up for sale next year it appears.... this frightens me just a tad. I bet she makes a disparaging comment about the piles of stuff everywhere, she did last time and I so wanted to retort with something pithy about how she could slink back to her (quite probably) characterless suburban abode.
I'm longing for that time between Xmas and New Year when I shut the shop and get to sleep, loll about and renovate. The kitchen has to be done. The walls need freshening. Crap needs to sorted.
We are still waiting on stock to arrive so stay tuned over the next few days when I start bombarding you with Xmas present and shop talk!

big design market.... day 3

Last day!
Doors open at 10am.
Come and visit!

Then at 5pm we start packing up and lugging it all home. I am longing for a sleep in and a big relax but I have to put the shop back together, have an appointment with the fracture clinic at 9.15 tomorrow morning, need to clean the house, write emails, sort out stock, make new stock, send out wholesale stock, pay bills....... looks like no sleep-ins for me!

We are stand D25, go under the star chandelier to the 'west wing', down where the workshops and seating area are. Look out for our pennant wall.

big design market.... day 2

Just a quickie today.
I'll be at the Big Design Market again today. The shop will be open too with Dell making a return appearance, just a warning we have had some EFTPOS machine issues (perfect/worst timing, thank you CommBank) and have had to resort to the click-clack machine, they might deliver a new SIM card if we are lucky this morning..... but we can still do purchases.
OK. I'm off to pack some more stock and lug it up to the Royal Exhibition Buildings. We'll all be up there from 10 until 5 this afternoon.

big design market... today!

And so it begins.
It was a huge day yesterday with boxes everywhere in the shop (an the Tara enamel shipment arrived at the same time) and general mayhem with all the market preparation happening. I ran out of room and had to wait for the lovely Ramona and Alan to come and help move everything up to the Exhibition Building before I could sort and pack the next bit. I really couldn't have got everything shifted without their amazing help (I was also told off repeatedly for carrying things). Jen then came in to help me set up and finally we had the stand sorted.
So for the next three days you can find me working at the Big Design Market at the Royal Exhibition Buildings. The Cottage will still be open with Elise and Dell looking after things and yes we will be open on Sunday too, 11-4 both days. Our stall number is D25 which is in the West Wing (as we like to term it) just near the coffee and workshop areas..... so don't spend all of your money as you walk in the door!
Even if you aren't into shopping or the whole design market thingy I suggest you come along anyway, just to see one amazing thing..... Maryann Talia Pau's amazing '1 Million Stars to End Violence' installation. It is incredibly beautiful.
Anyway I better shake a leg! I still have a thousand things to do!
See you at the Big Design Market!

p-p-p-pennants!

Just a quick post before I totally collapse into bed.
Thought you might like to see our new pennant designs.
I think they are rather smashing.
(There is one missing... poor Coburg accidentally got left out.)
I am racing out to Dandenong first thing in the morning, the cushion insert makers stuffed up and made the wrong size so they are remaking and I'm going out to pick them up. Then back to keep packing and organising for the Big Design Market. The shop is full of boxes and is a complete mess and I have a delivery of enamel arriving tomorrow as well. Mayhem.
I am trying to be slower about the set up as we have from 2pm tomorrow afternoon until the doors open at 10am on Friday morning so there is time to tinker. Still not sure how it will come together.....
Time for a quick shower and to collapse into bed.

almost time

So bump in starts at 2pm tomorrow... am I ready for the Big Design Market? 

No fucking way. I think all those years of winging it maybe coming to a resounding splat. Everyone seems to have faith I will pull a silk rabbit out of a sow's hat but I am not so sure, it's the competitive marketeering that has me confused this time. And a stupid run of falling on all fours injuries that has sent my plans into a heap. Oh well, I'll do what I can do.

We have one more box of stock to arrive, which Auspost seems to have lost in its tracking system. Other things have arrived, satchels and the fabulous Paul Cocksedge Studio recycled LP smart phone speakers. Tonight the box packing and sorting will happen but first I need to get the biggest box of pennants sewing. Rebecca's designs are looking absolutely amazing and I really want to get them all done. 

Off to the studio.

Oh, before I forget, a new batch of enamel has arrived, not everything but a we have the little pie dishes back in stock, the tumblers and mugs too (perfect for giving Xmas biscuits in I think) and the new style extra large milkshake cups in enamel have been delivered. These are fabulous and you could use them for cutlery or paintbrushes too. 

OK got to go now.