apothecaries and apologies...

Again it seems as though I have abandoned this poooor little blog.

Spring has sprung on the south coast, and the amount of work I am trying to squeeze into the time my eyes are open has expanded beyond the time my eyes want to stay open. Subsequently, the blog has been a little neglected.

But no matter, I am here now, so I thought I would write a true diary post about what I have been up to.

I have attended a wonderful seminar, arranged by the Design Council and South East Design all about Designing for Sustainability, which was held at the truly beautiful Stanmer House. There were other wonderful people there and we spent the afternoon talking about carbon calculations, life cycle analysis and closed loop designing before redesigning an object that one of us had brought with us as an example of bad design.

The main speaker for the event was James from Giraffe, who was fantastic - just like a brilliant lecturer who can get you excited about the strangest of things, like carbon calculations. For example, using carbon calculations, you would have to use a ceramic mug 1000 TIMES before it outweighs the amount of CO2 used in the manufacture, transportation and disposal of the traditionally eco baddie that is the expanded polystyrene cup. Interesting eh?

But do not despair. Do not rush out and fill your kitchen cupboards with disposable cups (unlike our local hospital....). Just continue with your mugs and use them till they bust. Then continue to use them as plant pots or crocks.

I also trawled around Lewes looking at fantastic antiques that I cannot afford. Including these AMAZING apothecary drawers, which one day I will have an entire wall of, or I will find a lovely lovely client who will allow me to specify mountains of them for an interior.

We walked around a preserved iron age barrow and settlement and met a dog called Rory and his owner.

I also met a new client, have designed a micro market stall for a local trader using reclaimed timber and done my end of year books. My printer has broken, but the engine of our Morris Minor is being fixed (piston number 4 needs replacing). I have redesigned our website, but have not programmed it yet.

We also created a range of teacup bird feeders for Gaynor Witchard (who will be using them for her show garden at Cardiff at the end of the week), using these lovelies, and started to assemble another batch for a forthcoming showgarden at Malvern.

And of course, Malvern is getting dangerously close. Even though we have been on site since February, the show suddenly seems just around the corner, and the relentless countdown on the Meet at Malvern site is not doing much to calm my nerves. But things are going well, and I have been told that our decorative pool is so large I will be able to do my lengths in it every morning. Sounds good to me. Oh - I have also started to blog for both Meet at Malvern and the Three Counties Agricultural Society website, so take a look for my specific show garden ramblings.

Last but not least, I have been involved in the setting up of a new and (almost) completely unrelated business to my own.

The wares are natural and delicious and more details will follow very very soon...

can you guess what it is yet?