Reclaimed pine furniture

Some days it feels like the sun is shining on my corner of the world and everything goes right.

Yesterday was one of those days. Well yes, I realise that the sun was actually shining yesterday, but there was an extra bright glow in the office because after much searching, we have found some seriously gorgeous furniture made from reclaimed pine.

The beauty of reclaimed wood is that it has that lovely mellow patina that only comes with age (or so my Mum tells me!) and has the added bonus of being environmentally kind too.

This new range will be available to order from our new look website, which (fingers crossed) should be ready for you to have a look at by the end of this week ~ hooray!

Well, the only way that the new site will be ready is if I go and get on with working on it and as Dave has already made me a cuppa to accompany the work, I had better go and get on.
Chat soon, Liz

All images and text copyright Pretty Practicals 2006 - 2008 except where stated.

Fabulous feedback

Painted florist buckets

I love to get feedback from our customers (even if it's to tell us that we didn't get something quite right) and today's feedback has been a delight. Two customers have just sent me messages to let me know that their orders have arrived safely and here's what they had to say.

Dear Elizabeth and all at Pretty Practicals,

I just wanted to give a big thank you for the items I ordered from you. I saw the metal pitcher in 'Period Living' and fell in love with it. It was exactly what I'd been looking for and had so far had no luck. When browsing your website I also saw the 3 florists' buckets and loved them too, so ordered them as well. Often when one orders online, the goods are never quite as good as the photos but in this case, they were far, far better. They arrived in perfect condition and beautifully packaged so thanks to whoever was responsible. Just thought you'd like to know how pleased I am and that I will be ordering more of your lovely things when funds allow!

Hi Liz, I just wanted to say thank you so much for rushing the 3 tissue box covers to me yesterday they arrived this morning just in time and will really make a special gift to our mum's at our wedding. Well, I'm off to get my beauty sleep... big day tomorrow! Thanks once again I will use your website in the future. Kind Regards Melanie Abrams (Soon to be Mrs Twinley!)

How can not be happy after two such lovely comments?

I hope Melanie (and her fiance) have a wonderful wedding day tomorrow and wish them every happiness in their future married life.

Painted floral jug

I hope you all have a good weekend, chat soon, Liz

All images and text copyright Pretty Practicals 2006 - 2008 except where stated.

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.

Mirror tissue box cover

This pretty dressing table piece must be one of the most popular accessories with our customers. Almost as soon as we get them back in stock, they are snapped up and sell out again very quickly.

Our delivery this week was double the number of the previous one and guess what? They are selling like hot cakes again!

Well, it's Saturday evening on a typically wet summer's day, Dave and I have feasted on stew and new potatoes (and are now feeling slightly overfed) and are back to our computers. Not as sad as it sounds, we are so close to being able to launch our new look website that I want to just push ahead and get it finished. One or two of my friends have had a sneak preview and tell me that it is looking good and is easy to use... which is the result we have been aiming for ~ hooray!

So here I am, on the sofa surrounded by my cats (well it's wet outside) with early evening entertainment on the telly and I am being entertained, but somewhat cruelly at other peoples' expense. It's some bizarre kareoke thing.

I have never understood the appeal of standing in front of strangers and singing one's little heart out... no hang on, that's exactly what I was doing only two weeks ago in Hyde Park. The difference being that I wasn't on the stage, I was in the crowd with 30 thousand other people also singing their little hearts out.

Mama Mia has come to our local cinema this weekend, but Dave doesn't want to take me in case I start singing and dancing in the aisle, so I will have to wait and take Cecily later in the week (I'll report back on whether we manage to sit still and silently through it).

Well, I have finished my cuppa so it must be time to start a bit more data imputting,

chat soon, Liz

All images and text copyright Pretty Practicals 2006 - 2008 except where stated.

Pretty Practicals at The Lounge

At the end of a hectic day at work I took a lovely telephone call...

Last year we supplied lots of mirrors, shelves, trays and a pink chandelier or two to a lovely lady called Michelle who was opening her first hairdressing salon in Brentwood in Essex called The Lounge. We chatted quite a bit on the phone last summer and I have often wondered how her new business has developed. Well, today she rang me to let me know some exciting news.

It is now almost a year since she opened her salon and things have been great and she is loving running her own business (hooray!).

Image courtesy of The Lounge, Brentwood.
She rang to let me know that the interior of her salon will be featured in The Hairdressers Journal magazine that is out tomorrow (11th July) and that Pretty Practicals gets a mention as supplier of the mirrors etc.

I have been to visit her website which has lots of pictures on it and I also spotted a discount voucher for first time visitors to her salon. Michelle and her team are at 41 Kings Road, Brentwood and can be contacted on 01277 232737.

Images courtesy of The Lounge, Brentwood.
I am delighted for Michelle that she is enjoying her work so much (and still with bucket loads of enthusiasm) and I think The Lounge looks just fabulous!

Chat soon, Liz
All images and text copyright Pretty Practicals 2006 - 2008 except where stated.