Better late than never!

I have been very tardy of late with my blog entries - I blame it on my to do list. You see my to do list is constantly evolving - some entries have been on there for months, constantly pushed to the bottom by more demanding items. Wrapping and packing orders always takes precedent over any other jobs, although of late even those are taking place by the midnight oil. I am quickly discovering that babies and puppies require a lot of time, ok scrap that, all your time! The sleeps and snoozes are getting shorter and more random, whereas before I could set my watch by them, and plan my business day, now it is snatched moments here and there. Whilst I have been living this very un Virgo like circumstances, Autumn seems to have crept up on me, and suddenly there are more jobs. Due to the unseasonably warm weather the tomatoes I had been saving for Green Tomato chutney have turned red, and so were turned into Asian Chilli jam. I just look despondently at the apples falling off the trees, with no spare hands to pick them, as I take my hourly turn around the garden with the new puppy and baby! (Puppy nappies would almost be a good idea less accidents!).
The toadstools have been popping up all over the common, and the leaves dropping faster than a strippers feather boa, due to the high winds, and dry conditions.

But I am slowly ticking things off my list - our kitchen now has water and heating (all mod cons here!),  the bathroom is liveable and "almost" finished. The garden is looking well maintained (ok I didn't actually do it, but it was on my list!). Business wise the new samples are underway for our Spring launch, the photoshoot date is booked, and the new brochure layout is almost there. My main problem at the moment is when I do get a quiet moment, when the two babies are sleeping, I am blinded by to do lists - the main one, the scribbled down by the phone one, and the when I have time one..... now I better get started on my Christmas one!

Autumn Already!

I can't believe that the leaves are falling off the trees already - I know it's been a dry summer, (albeit without much sun??), but it does feel so early. Autumn makes you want to curl up in front of a fire at night, drink hot chocolate and have long walks through woods kicking leaves around. I wish! Life is just as hectic as ever - Baby Ochre is teething, which means lots of distraction techniques are required to help the poor wee chap forget about the erupting white ones.
Our new Ochre And Ocre brochures have arrived -so me and Mr Ochre have spent the past few nights sitting in front of the tv with a glass of vino, (so not all bad!), stuffing brochures into envelopes. Once again it's not until you do this exercise that you realise how many typos you've made! Despite scouring the mailing list before printing off the postage labels -I still managed to type Newscastle?!
The other exciting thing happening is preparation for the pending arrival of Puppy Ochre - stairgates to be fitted - play pens to be built -multi purpose obviously for both Baby and Puppy Ochre! Plus many a happy if late hour spent web browsing for cute new collars and harnesses in which to dress up our new arrival.
Our third Birthday seems to have past in a whirl - without us hardly having chance to celebrate the fact we are still trading through tough times. But no rest for the wicked only a 1000 or so stamps to stick onto envelopes, and I'd better get my screwdriver out to fit those stair gates!

Autumn

Apologies, I know this poor blog has been sadly neglected as of late, but in the Ochre And Ocre world lots of Autumn fairs have been keeping us busy.
We are very excited to have received our new sample colourways of Isabella And Madelaine, ready for the Spring launch, and we are just starting to pull together the props for our forthcoming photoshoot.
Once again aided and abetted by the talented photographer, Rachel Spivey, we will hopefully be working our magic to turn a kitchen showroom into a homely, chic kitchen.
On the home front, the Autumn harvest has been done, our giant pumpkins are picked, the last of the marrows despatched to willing recipients, (I don't think I will put in quite so many Courgette plants next year!), and the apples are picked ready for storing. All around us on the Malvern Hills, the trees are starting to turn their leaves, the fern has been cut down, and the smell of bonfires is in the air, as people tidy up their gardens before the winter. I promise I will get out there with my camera soon, so I can post a few pics of the beautiful scenery around us, but for now I must get on with making Lavender Hearts in preparation for the photoshoot!