Supporting Friends In Business

Little Welly Gifts

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the preview and launch of Little Welly Gifts .  A beautiful gift boutique situated in the picturesque market town of Usk, Monmouthshire.

My lovely friend Sarah who I have known since our teenage years, firstly helping out at the local riding school, mucking out and gossiping which then moved on to terrible boy and outfit choices into our teens and early twenties.  But after babies and marriage things change, our outlook, goals and aspirations change.  We mature, we evolve and we have different priorities.

The name 'Little Welly' came from personalised, illustrated welly pictures that Sarah drew herself and sold through social media channels.  These gathered a huge following so other illustrations and gifts were also added to her business model and again proved popular thus propelling her into looking for ways to expand the business even more so.  Then finding inspiration from other home and gift boutiques around the country, Sarah wanted to open a  store, her gift boutiques ethos to be that they stock as many products as they can from the UK and if possible manufactured here as well.  She is also constantly on the look out for companies that ethically source their materials.  Sarah, didn't want to stock mass produced items, she wants to support British businesses and manufacturing.  To know where items are sourced and knowing those paid to make them have been fairly treated is very important to her and her business.

Some of the beautiful products Little Welly Gifts stock include Wild Olive bath products.  These deliciously, pretty soaps and bath melts are handmade in the Peak District, using natural ingredients, paraben free and vegan friendly.  Carrie Elspeth handmade jewellery from South Wales.  Luxury soft toys by Ragtales, handmade baby shoes by Starchild and handmade wooden toys all made in Britain.  There are also unusual and quirky gifts including scarves, ornaments, mugs and much more. 

On the night, I purchased a beautiful pinafore skirt and blouse for Harriet by Pigeon Organics.  They use fairtrade cotton and manufacture in a small factory in Nottingham.  The set is beautiful and very well made.  The babygrows are delightful and I cannot wait to surprise my friends with these beautiful gifts when their babies are born.

They also offer a free embroidery service which can really make your gift stand out from the crowd.  A unique and totally personal item you can treasure forever.

I was self employed, I ran my own ladies boutique.  I know how scary it can be to leave a job and start from scratch.  If you're passionate and it's something you believe in and you have a good a solid business plan then I say definitely take the leap.  Being your own boss can be hard, if you're ill you can't just call in sick, you have to make the difficult decisions, profit, reputation, success; it's all on your shoulders.  But the rewards definitely out weigh the bad stuff.  One of the things I will never forget is those friends that celebrated my launch and continued to support me.  They shopped at my boutique, they shared my posts on social media and they told their friends and colleagues.  For that I am forever grateful.  So it is important for me to do the same for my friends.

By spending your money at local businesses you are helping the local economy.  You may create more jobs as the business grows in popularity, you get that personal service and most importantly of all, it's fun!

Who doesn't love shopping and finding unique items makes it even more enjoyable!

Happy shopping all!

Victoria
xx

FRIENDSHIP, MEMORIES AND MADRID

With mixed emotions and heavy heart I headed off to Madrid for a hen party on Friday.  As excited as I was to celebrate and party with one of my oldest friends, leaving Harriet for the first time was extremely difficult.  At 18 months the longest I have left her is just over 24 hours and that was only once.  So to go away for four days, even though I was leaving her in the hands of Daddy and both sets of grandparents who are perfectly capable, it still left me in a panic.  Harriet is still breast fed, she would never take a dummy or a bottle, I am her comforter.  What if she woke in the night screaming and wouldn't settle without me?  What if my milk dries up?  What if she forgets me?  (Ok I agree the last one is slightly ridiculous but as a first time mum all of these crazy things swim around your head).  So with a list longer than her, and outfits laid out for every day plus emergency outfits, I left knowing that Spain is only 2 hours away and I could jump on any plane to the UK if I had to.

Meeting a group of girls for the first time can sometimes be daunting especially knowing you have to spend the next four days with these women in very close proximity.  A couple were close friends, some I haven't seen since school and some were complete strangers.  However we all hit it off straight away and from the moment I stepped into the airport lounge and saw the Prosecco was already flowing, I just knew we were going to have a good time.

Our apartment which slept 12 was situated on Calle Toledo in the central neighbourhood of La Latina. Most of Madrids important landmarks are within walking distance of this vibrant area and it has the highest concentration of tapas bars.  Nightlife in La Latina has more of an artistic and fashionable flair.  On Sunday's it is home to El Rastro, the world famous flea market.   This area is uber trendy (think Shoreditch).  Pretty tapas bars and trendy cocktail bars make this area a foodies paradise.

March is a difficult time of year, yes it's hotter than Wales (isn't everywhere?) but it can still be chilly.  My staples through out this break have been a leather jacket, nude flats and a fairly neutral cross body bag.  Nearly every item of clothing can be paired with one or all three of these items.  Flats are great for the amount of walking you do whilst away and nude goes with everything.  A leather jacket can toughen up or dress down any clothing.  It's warm enough for this time of year but easy to fling over your shoulders if the sun makes an appearance.  If you are planning a city break then I would seriously invest in a good pair of smart flats.  But make sure you wear them before you go, there's nothing worse than having to spend a lot of time walking with red raw blistered feet.

One of the highlights was an hour Flamenco lesson with Sara Martin Flamenco on Calle Santa Isabel.  The dance studio is above a market, totally raw and authentic.  The beautiful Maria taught us a routine.  It was hard work and difficult but such fun, we practised our moves that evening in the clubs (yes we did, we thought we were amazing after a few cocktails).  At the end she demonstrated her own dancing skills.  The passion and talent that she had was mesmerising, enchanting. It was beautiful to watch.  If you are thinking of a weekend away in Madrid, it is definitely worth booking this.

During this trip we ate, drank and gossiped the nights away.  Tapas, Paella, Sangria, we devoured the local food and drink.  I would name every restaurant and bar we visited but there are so many you will never struggle to find something delicious.

I left Madrid excited to see my beautiful girl and family and happy that the hen had had a fabulous time.  But I also felt grateful.  Grateful for the new friendships I've formed.  These beautiful, intelligent young women have made me laugh, shared secrets, shared hints and tips for all aspects of our lives, shown generosity and most importantly of all inspired me.

Thank you for the amazing memories ladies. Thank you for the super distracting What's App group that I am constantly on, thank you to the beautiful bride to be, thanks to Ally and Claire who organised practically everything.  I raise a glass to you all.  Here's to the wedding....

Victoria
xx