Talking Shop

This week I’ve been retracing the steps I took before Christmas, every panic filled, present buying footfall. I’ve been returning and exchanging the gifts that I got in haste (the lesson: beware of impulse buys for family - they won’t pretend they love them.) My sister’s sweater didn’t fit, my father had read the book I’d got him, and J didn’t like his new pyjamas (not soft enough.)

So I’ve been Christmas shopping: Round 2. And with the sales on it was even more chaotic, hence my shopping hangover. Consequently, the idea of going to next week’s Trade Show filled with gifts and interior accessories is making me feel queasy. This could be the wafer thin mint that forces me to finally explode.

I’ll have to harden my resolve, as it’s vital for my business. Top Drawer is a trade only event held at Earls Court for three days, today until Tuesday 19th, where we showcase our goods to shops and potential stockists. Full to the brim of top quality brands launching their newest products and designs, it’s serious shopping. It all happens here before it hits the high street, so it’s quite exciting to see future trends.

There are hundreds of stands competing for attention, and some are more glamorous than others. The truly extravagant have a team to bring in proper furniture and lights to perfectly display their wares, which then all seemingly collapse into a Mary Poppins style flight case at the end of the show.

SW, on the other hand, isn’t such a smooth operation on tour. We’re the smallest stand, with a very simple set up. Without a big budget to blow (the really chi-chi can cost in the region of £20,000) I rely on my products to speak for themselves. And I‘m relieved to say its always worked in the past.

What hasn’t worked is the travelling bit. For the get out, stands are allotted times for their vans to pass outside the building for quick loading, creating a seamless sushi-style conveyor belt. I forgot to book a slot last year, so our van was forced to park a ten-minute walk away. Not far, unless you’re dragging an un-collapsible table, two stools, a stepladder and a vast array of kitchen and tableware.

It’s always a palaver setting up for shows, but I couldn’t do it without Paul, the handyman. He puts up our shelves so efficiently that I had him make a huge bookcase that I have at home (and it always gets compliments.) With cowboy builders aplenty, Paul is a complete anomaly. He’s our knight in shining armour and our Milk Tray man and he goes everywhere on a scooter with just a Tardis-like rucksack. Feel free to email me if you’d like his details, I’m not selfish!

Come to think of it, if marketplace mania hits me and I do fall apart, at least I know good ol’ Paul’s around to repair me

Scarlett Willow

The Big Chill..

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! I’m huddled over my computer, exhaling, and I think I can see my breath.
I’m on my squillionth hot beverage, I’m wearing five layers including two fleeces and they’re talking ridiculous temperatures of - 22 degrees on the radio. What on earth’s going on with our weather?!

The snow in Scotland over New Year’s Eve was beautiful to look at and great fun to play in. But, now, back in London, I’m totally over it. Give me back bland British drizzle. Boo and hiss to this treacherous icy road and pavement situation.

For many, snow means a glorious day off work and a chance to frolic outdoors. But for me, it means late deliveries, irate customers and complete chaos.

I’ve been doing battle since well before Christmas:
First we had the postal strike. Then (as soon as they’d eventually cleared the backlog) the bad weather hit. The snow reprieve over New Year’s was clearly only the eye of the storm, because here we are, back at panic stations again…

Whenever there is delivery disruption I work hard to contact customers and apologise personally. It’s important to be courteous and let them know that I’ve been tracking their order. Most clients - but not all - are sympathetic.

It’s hard to know how to placate someone who makes no concessions whatsoever for events that are out of my control. So I end up being incredibly polite…and then having a little scream in the office bathroom on my own (my cherubic assistant turns a deaf ear…)

To add injury to insult, I slipped on the ice outside my office this week. (Grit! Grit! Our kingdom for some Grit!) It was a cartoon-style fall that swept my feet right up into the air, and landed my bottom on the ground (…at least it’s adequately padded since Christmas.)

I scraped myself up off the floor and cursed my zero traction Uggs. Yes, they are Ugg-ly. But boy, are they warm. So now I’m scouring the internet for the ultimate boot to combat this Big Freeze: snug, stylish and safe. Can such a thing exist?

My super-chic friend C swears by her Mukluks (www.muklukstore.com) They’re beautiful beaded suede booties surrounded by fur, that look ineffectual but are in fact traditionally worn by Canadian aboriginals for hunting in the snow. I was with her in Scotland. She wore them in the snow. They survived.

Given that Canadians consider our current conditions somewhat tropical for winter, their country is a good place to look online for boots. J got a pair of Sorels for a ski trip (www.sorel.com) and they look indestructible and impenetrable.  Their women’s selection looks seriously heavy duty: you can sort by size, price…and temperature. 

Closer to home, the Celtic Sheepskin Company (www.celtic-sheepskin.co.uk) make their boots in Cornwall. Their Aqualamb boot looks snug like an Ugg, but has deeper treads and is waterproof.

Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions….

Whatever I order though, I’ll be especially patient for their arrival.

Until then, I’ll be sellotaping some tennis rackets to my feet.

Scarlett Willow

The days between Christmas and New Year are always an eerily quiet vacuum. Finished with the fracas of Christmas and in anticipation of the hedonism of New Year’s Eve, it feels like its designed to inspire contemplation: on the year just lived and the year in waiting. It seemed particularly acute this time, as we enter into a new decade.

J and I went to the Scottish countryside, miles away from civilization, which was covered in a thick layer of snow. We stayed in a (freezing) house brimming with children who were all very loud, very lively and utterly loveable. Their tiny feet didn’t pitter-patter, but rather thundered down hallways. And meal times were especially cacophonous. Brothers and sisters thumped each other regularly and with real intensity, but miraculously always with laughter, no tears (Having had no brothers to beat me up, I think I’ve missed out on some serious character building and lessons in resilience.)

We had a New Years Eve bonfire with hot chocolate, snowball fights and some very excited spaniels. The grown ups almost missed midnight as we were still ploughing through a belly bursting dinner of slow roasted lamb shanks with mash, mountains of cheese and Tarte Tintin with custard. We had to frantically scrabble to find the champagne to pop the corks in time.

Now that we’ve left the self-indulgent Noughties, it may be time to discipline and re-educate ourselves. As the Teens stretch out ahead of us, there seems to be a shift in mentality taking place in which we know we need to grow up and be more responsible: socially, ecologically and financially.

Using ‘Unpackaged’ is one of my New Year’s Resolutions (www.beunpackaged.com) It’s a shop in Islington that sells eco-friendly, fair trade and organic products without any packaging. I store so many of my kitchen products in big jars and tuppaware anyway, that it seems to make perfect sense!

How it works is you bring your own containers to fill up as much as you need of their very reasonably priced essentials. With a great range of food, drinks, household cleaners and toiletries to choose from, their products are good for you, and for the environment. They even sell biodegradable chewing gum (have you seen the splodges of discarded gum all over the streets of London, by the way? Yuck!)

We always try to recycle packaging at home and at work, but reusing containers is definitely the way forward. I even use my old SW coaster boxes for buttons or safety pins. And the larger ones work perfectly to store ribbons or as a jewellery box.

The ‘Unpackaged’ philosophy is to reduce, recycle and reuse. It’s certainly a good lesson to learn for the decade ahead.

Happy New Year!

Scarlett Willow