This was going to be my first December as being self-employed, and as the month started out, I didn't even have a product to sell. The final pieces were coming together, and the excitement grew as I took deliveries of jiffy bags, pencil sharpeners, coloured pens and pencils... all I needed now was a book! So if you haven't managed to check out my new baby www.ziggleit.co.uk have a look. Essentially I am working with incredible artists to create colouring books for big kids! A new world for me, but one which has reconnected me with loves of old - books, colouring and stationery. Who knew a grown woman could squeal with delight over the arrival of 200 boxes of colouring pencils. And then it happened, mid-December we took delivery of 100 colouring books. With pre-orders in, and new orders making their way in too, I set about sending just over 50 books around the globe for Christmas.
In years to come I will look back and giggle at the fact that we only shipped 5o odd books, but for now it feels momentous, huge! I had an absolute ball tagging up the bags with Ziggle-It tags, filling our cotton bags with goodies, folding the bags and stuffing them lovingly into jiffy bags. Then labels, a thank you sticker and they were off to locations such as America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, Norfolk, Essex and London. There is plenty of work to be done in the New Year to ensure that the Ziggle-It love is spread further and for all to enjoy, but had you told me in September that my December would be this much jolly fun. I would never have believed you.
December is the month where I would usually race around visiting clients to drop of Christmas goodies, but this year I spent it catching up with friends, making personal deliveries to Ziggle-It fans, and generally having a ball.
There were Christmas lunches and dinners, catch-ups with friends who really do make our lives in London worth cherishing. Nearly 8 years ago we landed in the UK with 5 people to consider as a social circle, and now find ourselves sitting at tables with people whom we adore and who have all become incredibly important to us.
Private dining at the Roof Gardens was superb with the first women (and their men) I met in London back in 2005, this group of wonderful people have become like family to us, and although our meetings may be fleeting, every catch-up is as fun filled as the last. Then there were Tapas with our DO&CO Family, once again work colleagues who have become an integral part of our London life's. These are the dangerous lot, where lunches last for 12 hours... but surprisingly for once - we managed to eat out, only drink two bottles of bubbles and head home before mid-night. We must be growing up.
With mulled cider drunk at every opportunity, Oxford and Regents Streets adorned with beautiful Christmas decorations, and the chilly London days all adding to the "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" feeling; we were further spoilt with more drinkies with friends, eating far too much on many occasions. And December truly was a month of connecting with people, some of whom we hadn't seen all year. Feeling incredibly fortunate to have all of these people in our lives, there was little time to focus on self pity of my girl not being here this year. Instead I felt filled with the satisfaction that time with people you love and value leaves you.
So with a train ticket to Scotland, Mr B and I headed to St Andrews for Christmas. A fine Christmas for two where the only activities on the agenda included coastal walks, wandering through the old town and golf courses (in freezing conditions... but all worth it), relaxing, reading, eating, sleeping, swimming and more eating and drinking. I think The Fairmont St Andrews has spoilt us for future Christmas' as we didn't have to think about a thing. Although, I did manage a quick turkey roast on our gift opening day at home before heading away for our blissful trip to Scotland, this year we did escape the usual pre-celebration panic. There was nothing by R&R on the menu.
As Miss 18 prepared for Christmas with her Aunt in Melbourne, Mr B and I had a fabulous tour of Scotland. 5 days of five star treatment, followed by 3 days of touring the countryside and visiting the spectacular Isles of Argyll. Being witness to some of the most spectacular scenery, we were pleasantly surprised that Scotland offered such beauty even in the wettest darkest month of the year. We sampled all the wonderful fare, with Haggis being a daily ritual on the breakfast plate for Mr B and porridge for me. We ate our way through a wish list of goodies, and dined on fresh Mussels fished out of Loch Fyne as we looked out over the Loch and dined at the infamous restaurant itself. Stumbling across a memorial to Linda McCartney on Kintyre was moving, and has left the song (Mull of Kintyre) quietly being played in the back of my head. Finding a castle used in Monty Python movies, driving to Ben Nevis to see the resting place of a friend, and having our breath taken away around every corner; has meant that our last minute escape fuelled my love of adventure and filled some of the big space that was left from having our girl away at this special time of year.
I will look back on December with nothing but warm memories. Laughter with friends at Winter Wonderland, inspiring meetings with inspiring women, fun filled catch-up with a friend and her darling girl, laughing till my sides hurt at a fabulous comedy show, creating wonderful Doodles at Doodle Club, seeing an dear friend whom I just don't see often enough, wandering through Borough Market with an old work colleague and as she walked towards me after having not seen each other for 6 years it felt like she had never left, and lastly, just being. My Happiness Experiment kept my emotions on an even keel, and by taking this time to recount some of the fun and adventures we have had, I can not feel anything more than gratefulness to have the strength and desire to follow dreams, and to have so many people to share the journey with.
Farewell 2012, here's to a stunning 2013!
No comments:
Post a Comment