'Pure London' - a more glamorous trade (af)fair

So, as you know, I run a gift shop in Letchworth, Hertfordshire (http://www.roseanddylan.co.uk/ - web site still not quite up and running but should be really soon) - hence the blog title. Part of my job is sourcing new products for said gift shop - something that sounds like a lot of fun, and generally is - except for the fact that there is SOOOOO much out there, and sometimes I get totally overwhelmed with choice and just don't know what to do - I want to stock everything but have only a certain amount of shop floor space and buying budget! Tricky, eh?

One of the most fun and time efficient (not to mention exhausting) ways to do a bit of sourcing is to attend some of the many trade fairs there are on offer. This is a sure fire way to see lots of suppliers in one place. have a good look at their new products, place some orders for the upcoming season and generally do a bit of industry networking. (NETWORKING - yes, I said it! Aaaaargggh!)

Networking is a word that fills me with fear - as a naturally shy person (yes, it is true - I can only write this stuff down because I am faceless on here, you know!), the thought of mixing with a group of strangers, bigging myself up, offering my services in a competitive, disguised as friendly, forum is an absolutely abhorrent thought. However, I am not naive (about everything, anyway) and I know and understand that it is a necessary evil in business. In fact, who am I kidding? It's probably not an evil at all - many people find it very useful and it helps them enormously in business - I'm just not one of them YET. But I'm not ruling it out forever...

Anyway, I digress (so what's new?).

Out of all the trade fairs that I try to attend every year, Pure London - the trade fair for the fashion industry - is the one I find the most intimidating. A trade fair devoted to fashion - full of fashion people - beautiful, trendy, self aware, glamorous, dare I say, verging on superficial *wincing as I type that word, I hate it so much* at times, confident people. A mouse like me quivers at the thought of it!

Of course, I am only a mouse on the inside, not the outside. So, bearing this in mind, I got my hair done, applied the slap, tried to dress in a way that is creative enough for people to believe I belong in this industry yet not so wacky as for them to look at me as if i am sent straight from the outer reaches of a galaxy far, far away, and jumped in my car, heading for Olympia, taking my lovely Lo with me for moral support and another perspective on things! Oh what fun!

Actually, it was!

It might have been the best trade show I have been to since the demise of David's Gifts and the rebirth of Rose and Dylan!

Yes, it was all those things I have mentioned already, but do you know what - that was a complete non issue. That is something that only exists in the paranoid mouse's head, not the confident owner of a successful gift shop's mind!

The fashion on offer was gorgeous and inspiring - exhibitors knew of our shop before we came to them (OMG - can you believe it???) - our confidence in our customers and what we knew they wanted and thus, what we wanted from the fair, was soaring - we took chances on edgier, funkier stock, placed larger orders than we ever done before - found the chutzpah to ask for better deals, more support with displays, marketing materials etc - and generally got an awful lot out of it! It made me feel far less guilty than usual about taking more time off this week to look after the kids, knowing that this day was spent so productively!

Maybe its true what they say - it helps having a pretty girl on your arm! Don't get the wrong idea, but Lo really does look the part - she is incredibly stylish, beautiful - dare I say 'graceful' (without sounding like a bad rerun of a Seinfeld sketch), and her advice was invaluable. I am very grateful to her for accompanying me and helping me so much (all the time actually, not just at trade fairs!)

So look forward to seeing these new additions to our range, in Rose and Dylan over the next few months;

Miyabi - beautiful silver jewellery handcrafted in Thailand

Vendula - cute quirky handbags, purses and wallets

Quintessential - striking scarves and handbags

No Tail / Big Baby - funky jewellery cast in perspex and crystal in bold bright colours

Red Or Dead - handbags to die for - literally...

Ixli - silk slippers fit for a queen

Yakpak - canvas bags and purses in cool, funky prints

Disaster Designs - Design focused handbags with a giftier feel

Irregular Choice - handbags that share the same irrevant humour as the shoe brand that already has a cult following

Oh, and did I forget to mention - we've got NEW Cath Kidston accessories on their way to us VERY VERY soon!

I'm so excited I could just pee...

Ok, first things first - PLEASE vote for my blog in the 'Babes In Blogland' blog competition!

http://somethingiwantedtotellyou.blogspot.com/2009/07/babes-in-blogland-top-ten-contest.html

I am looking really sad and 'Billy No Mates' esque at the moment - come on! Please don't let me languish like this! I know I am still very new to this blogging malarkey and my inexperience probably does really show. I mean, to be honest - the other blogs in the ring are absolutely fab - so please go and have a look at them too ( and vote for them too, if you like), but PLEASE - give me a vote - I'm not proud, I'll take all the sympathy votes there are out there!GO ONI'll be your best friend! ( I always used to say that when I was small ...)

:)

xxxxxxxxxxxx

20% Discount Weekend!!!!

Yay! Twenty percent off everything in the shop ALL WEEKEND (sat 9.00-5.30 and sun 11.00-5.00)

Also 20% discount in Davids Bookshop and Tim's Art Supplies too.

Phew! Life doesn't get better than this, kids! :)

An Interview With A Bright Young Talent (and a Gorgeous Gift Shop Girl)

Presenting to you, an interview with Natalie, our Gorgeous Gift Shop Girl. She is the genius responsible for all of our amazing design work here at Rose and Dylan, and we are very very lucky because she also works here part time! Our team really are so ridiculously over qualified for this work - I am a very lucky Gift Shop Owner (and I know it) - having such a talented bunch around me!



K(Me); What is your full name?

N (Nat); Natalie Dunne - no middle name - my sister has one, but me and my brother don't - don't know why...

K;How old are you?

N; Twenty Four

K; What do you do for a living?

N; I work here at Rose and Dylan (http://www.roseanddylan.co.uk/) and I also illustrate for a card company, Trinity Publishing, at the moment. (http://www.trinitypublishing.co.uk/page2.htm)

K; Tell me more about the illustrations...

N; They're called 'Earl Grey', this first range - and it is based on tea parties! Cakes... and tea cups...bunting...lots of muted colours - pinks, greens.... it's pretty!

K; Why did you choose tea parties?

N; Because we needed something summery, something very English. I brainstormed with Steff and Justine (the owners of Trinity Publishing) - and we came up with that! That is going to be the first range - the next one is going to be a collage, with buttons, and maybe more floral, I think. But still cakes - cakes are popular on cards at the moment. They seem to be a big seller. I don't know why - apparently it used to be shoes and handbags - now it is cakes, butterflies and dragonflies. And pets - cats and dogs are always good...

K; What did you like drawing the best?

N; Erm.... *stops and thinks* That's tricky... 'Cos its the image as a whole really, isn't it? Hmmm... 'Beach Hut' is probably the best one - I like the finished result the best.

K; Which took the longest?

N; Oh... I don't know... probably the 'sympathy' or 'thinking of you' card... just because it is a hard subject - you don't want it to be overly depressing, because of the subject matter anyway, you don't want it to be a sad image - well, I wouldn't, anyway, if I was sending it to someone. I wanted to brighten it up but not be - you know, you know what I mean! It's a tricky one. So yes, I suppose that took the longest - just trying to come up with the idea of what to draw...

K; Did the creative process sort of 'flow'?

N; Yes, most of the time it did. I would find that I would do three or four at a time, and then I would have to stop and think about the next ones. There are a few garden ones, some interior ones, a few cakey and teacups and others which are more floral.. so they come in stages really.

K; Was it all freehand drawing, or did you use your Mac? I know you love your Mac...

N; Freehand drawing. Then I would scan it in to colour it. It makes it bolder and flatter, rather than pencil colouring, which I don't think would have the same impact. It would have been too twee for the subject matter. Watercolours would have looked hideous, if I had done them!

K; So, had you done anything similar before?

N; In sketch books, but I'd never done anything with them before. People tend to prefer to use vector images, because of formatting. You can blow it up really big or have it teeny weeny and you don't have to worry about it going all pixellated. That's the only reason - cos an illustration is just for a particular thing, isn't it? So if someone need to draw it for something then thats the size you do it. Whereas if its going to be for logos and stuff you don't really want it to be hand drawn, because you can't really change the size very well.

K; Which do you prefer, drawing on the Mac or by hand?

N; A bit of both, I think. It's a completely different look for each. It's easier to draw by hand! But you get a different effect. It's a cleaner image if you do it on the Mac, so it takes a bit longer. You can get some good effects with layering and stuff which you can't do by hand.

K; Did you imagine yourself doing this whilst you were training at college?

N; Yes, I think I did. I got bored with graphic design... I just wanted to draw... rather than do magazine page layouts and all of that sort of thing. Thats not my thing really... I'm happier doing this...

K; So what are your plans for the future then?

N; Who knows??? The future is bright at the moment. I'm carrying on with different ranges for Steff and Justine, so hopefully I'll just get my name out there!




You can get in touch with Natalie through us here at http://www.roseanddylan.co.uk/, or you can email her directly at purple_shoe@hotmail.com

Ok, first things first - PLEASE vote for my blog in the 'Babes In Blogland' blog competition!

http://somethingiwantedtotellyou.blogspot.com/2009/07/babes-in-blogland-top-ten-contest.html

I am looking really sad and 'Billy No Mates' esque at the moment - come on! Please don't let me languish like this! I know I am still very new to this blogging malarkey and my inexperience probably does really show. I mean, to be honest - the other blogs in the ring are absolutely fab - so please go and have a look at them too ( and vote for them too, if you like), but PLEASE - give me a vote - I'm not proud, I'll take all the sympathy votes there are out there!


GO ON


I'll be your best friend! ( I always used to say that when I was small ...) :)

xxxxxxx

I'm not going grey YET

Just read a post on the Mamapop blog talking about Jim Carrey's impending 'Grandfather status'.







http://www.mamapop.com/mamapop/2009/07/jim-carrey-to-be-a-grandpa.htmlis




Strange though it may seem, of course it is completely possible and actually not even half as odd as it first appears - Jim Carrey is 47 - his daughter (by the way - congratulations to you, sweetie) is 21, making Jim 26 when he had her - not too young. Definitely a man. Probably not really a grown up (I'm basing that assumption on the fact that most of the 26 year old men I have known have been generally about as emotionally mature as my 10 year old son is now! I'm not expecting much more progress from him, truth be told...)


Anyway, I digress... My point is it that it set me to thinking...


I had E when I was 23. Ad was 28. She is now 11 - I am 34. He is 39. If she decides to do what I did and have a baby at 23 too, I will be only 46 when I become a grandmother, and Ad will be 49.


SHIT!


At 23, 34 seemed a long way away - now that I am 34, 46 seems just around the corner. I know its obvious, time goes more quickly as you grow older. But am I alone in the way I grow sillier and sillier, the older I get? Surely not...


postscript I have told E that she is absolutely not to do what I did and have a child at 23 - not that I regret my decision - au contraire - it is the best thing I ever did. Of course I have my beautiful gorgeous daughter to show for my good sense! I am young enough to have not forgotten (completely) what it feels like to be in the throes of adolescence, and thus we enjoy quite a close mother-daughter relationship. I am in the enviable position of being able to have a good clear run at a career for myself, now that she is a bit older and doesn't need me to be at home with her as much as I was when she was small - no child rearing break looming ahead for me. I still have (nearly) enough energy to devote both my home and work life, as I wish - and sometimes I even have a bit of a social life too! But no - E is not to have children at such a young age, as I have clearly informed her that I WILL NOT be old enough to be a grandmother at 46! That is final.



Of course, E is still only 11 so when I announced this to her she looked at me blankly for a minute, sighed and told me "Duhh Mum.... I'm never having kids anyway. That's gross! Like pooing a basketball... yuk!"


Silly me.

I shouldn't really be writing this right now...

Yep, that's right. I shouldn't really be writing this right now. Right now I should be cramming my head full of facts, figures and arguments that I can present to an appeal board this afternoon, whilst persuading them that my daughter should be allowed into the school she wants to go to.

Hmmm... it's the day of reckoning.. school appeal day. I don't mind telling you I am absolutely bloody petrified! I have never 'presented' anything before - I have no idea how to use powerpoint. I have never spoken publicly before, never debated, never ever had anything in my life happen that will give me a single solitary shred of experience to cling to for this situation.

AAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!

I'm scared.

No, stop being a Baby! You have to do this, Katrina. You ARE a grown up... you may spend most of your life in denial about it, but accept it this time. If you don't do this now you will never forgive yourself, and Edie will never forgive you.

Even if it fails (don't even say that word) at least you can sleep at night knowing you have tried. That's what parents do for their kids isn't it? Kids take you out of your comfort zone - you would try to move a mountain for your child wouldn't you? Isn't that right?

Am I going insane with nerves? Probably.

What was the point of this blog post? I was supposed to post pictures of the new Storm Bags that have just arrived at the shop, and some of the new jewellery. No, just a random bunch of waffling about how nervous I am.

I'll give you some nice pics of pretty things tomorrow. Today, I'm afraid, is not about work. Today is about Edie. Focus, use the nerves, breathe deeply and get back to the figures. Blog later.

Thank you and goodnight (well it's technically morning, but you know what I mean..)

Peace x