Two years on

I am a great believer in planning, experimenting and adapting to respond to changes. I don't necessarily do all these things as well as I would like to, but I do them all the same.

In early spring three years ago, I completed a new business plan outlining my vision for Pretty Practicals for the next few years. I carefully set about putting my plans into action and 15 months later (by late June 06) I was ready to present my business to the world. Although I had undertaken some serious market testing beforehand, Pretty Practicals was to be officially launched on 23 July 2006.

My parents have always been amazingly supportive of me and have followed, encouraged, supported, laughed with me and celebrated along the way.

I can hardly believe how quickly the last two years have flown past and this week is especially memorable for me because as I start to celebrate my business's 2nd birthday, there is also a tinge of sadness thrown into the mix.

On 17th July 2006, just 6 days before I officially launched Pretty Practicals, my father passed away. In true Dad-style, a stiff upper lip will be shown by our family tomorrow, a thought or two (and more) will stay in our minds of how much we miss him and then we will celebrate as best we can, all the good things that he gave to us and to everyone who's life he touched.

At Dad's funeral, his closest friend Peter Baskett (who sadly also passed away earlier this year) paid tribute to him, these wonderful words sum him up to a tea. To read this beautifully composed obituary click here.

A new year for Pretty Practicals is just about to begin and I am planning a little party to celebrate, so watch this space and I will tell you all about it shortly.

As always, it's time to put the kettle on,
Chat soon, Liz
All images and text copyright Pretty Practicals 2006 - 2008 except where stated. Image on this blog entry is property of Mrs Zorab.

A taxing time

I have spent the last couple of days with my head full of numbers, preparing our VAT return which was actually much more straight forward that I imagined it would be ~ hooray! I have never really thought of myself as much of an administrator, although I am pretty organised about filing paperwork away in the right place. The ease with which I have accessed all the information needed by our brilliant book-keeper has surprised even me.

Today would have been my father's birthday and last night I put a few words together in his memory...

Still missing you.

To the man

• who was so dedicated to his work that he visited his patients on Christmas day, but also found time to take his children and grandchildren on great days out


• who was a stickler for being properly dressed so always wore a tie, but wore a red Acapulco sun hat in the operating theatre


• who kept the biscuit tin high up on a shelf so the children couldn't help themselves, but treated his dogs to KitKats every Saturday morning


• who continued to study and learn about medicine his whole life and introduced me to The little Grey Rabbit, Ant and Bee and Dr Suess


• who hated own label products in the supermarket and loved Callard & Bowser Nougat (shame they stopped making it) and Gentlemen's Relish (though not together!)


• who made the world's best tasting fudge and kept a pot of jelly babies on the shelves in the dining room


• who hated injustice, fought for the less privileged, worked to improve medical knowlegde in developing countries and here in UK


• who always hated roller coasters, but took my daughter on one because it was her birthday


• who, despite being dreadfully ill for years, rang me daily when I was poorly, to make sure I was okay


• who knew to turn the radio off when they played Leo Sayer's 'when I need you', the day my first serious boyfriend dumped me


• who taught me to drive and to find my own inner drive.

To the man who is no longer with us, but is in my mind each and every day. Happy Birthday Dad.

Floriforous gift

I just wanted to share this picture of the beautiful flowers that Dave gave me for my birthday.

Today has been amazing, despite the weather being foul, absolutely everything has gone right! Whooppee! Work has been lovely, the telephone has rung steadily, I finished all the packing that I needed to get done today and the delivery that we thought wouldn't arrive until around 6 pm arrived at 5 instead, so we were able to come home a full hour earlier than we anticipated.

Dave has been working flat out on the websites (even though he is starting to get a rotten cold) and has come home having acheived everything that he planned to do today. We both have a cosy feeling of satisfaction and are planning an evening together curled up on the sofa watching something that requires no imput from the grey matter.

Well as usual, I am off to find the kettle, chat soon, Liz

Brown paper and birthdays

After taking the day off yesterday and having a half day on Saturday, we have spent the whole day so far packing parcels in preparation for the couriers and post office. I love wrapping our quilts into brown paper parcels ~ I imagine them to be like parcels I've seen old films, where the hero goes off on a train with his parcel of things wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. Good grief, I must be getting nostalgic in my old age (well not so old really, but you know what I mean).
I've had my birthday this week; it's one of those times when I take stock of 'my lot' and this year I felt rather happy with things. I love my work, my family and friends ~ what more could a girl ask for (except more tea and chocolate)? Actually, I would have really liked one of these cards, they are handmade for us, by one of my super-talented friends but I suppose my family thought that I wouldn't want one that I stock in the shop (I'll drop better hints next year).

I have found time since Christmas to get my sewing machine out once again and create a few cushion covers. I love the fabric on this one, I don't know who or what the scene is supposed to be depicting, but I imagine that it could be Bodicea (I Googled the spelling and there are about 5 variations!). If you know the fabric, please drop me a line. Oh, I digress again, one of the reasons that I enjoy working with this fabric is the quality of the linen union that it is printed onto and despite the bobble trim being so fiddly to work with, it does give cushions a lovely finish! Some time ago, I was lucky enough to pop into a haberdashery shop during a sale and I picked up dozens of different colour and length zips, so now I always have the right one just when I need it. Zips in cushion covers are a must for me, I hate finding I can't remove a cover to change the inner pad or clean it, but so many fixed cover cushions seem to be sold, or even envelope back cushion covers ~ I don't know if we sit on our sofa funnily or something, but the inners never seem to stay inside the cover if it doesn't have a zipped closure. Okay ~ cushion rant over!

Our sofa at home is covered with assorted creations that I have made over the years and the wonderful thing about having learnt to sew is that if I get bored with the design of the room; I can make new blinds and cushions and hey-presto, a whole new look!

My plan for my spare time over the next couple of weeks is to redecorate Cecily-Daisy's bedroom. Now she is at uni and only at home during holidays, it seems the ideal opportunity to make it look a bit fresher in there for her. This, however, is not the easy task I thought it was going to be. Working my way around the post-holiday chaos and her walk-on wardrobe (well, that's what Dave calls the heap of clothes she leaves on her bedroom floor) will be the easy bit ~ my dilema is what do I put on the walls?

Cecily's choice I suspect would be a plain pale bamboo paint that she can put posters and momentos onto when she is home. My choice would be a vintage design wallpaper and as it is me who is doing the decorating, guess what she'll end up with? Next problem, which design? Having hoarded Laura Ashley fabrics and wallpapers for years and years, I have dozens of vintage designs to choose from and I can't decide whether to go for my favourite plum colour (we have lots of matching bedding, curtains, cushions etc. so I could create a really good 1970's room for her) or whether to use a more traditional large flowered design on a white background ~ great for making a room look larger, but it's an enormous room already, so doesn't need the help or to go for a 1930's style design and give the room a Bloomsbury look.

Better think on it for a bit longer and go and find a cup of tea instead, chat soon, Liz