I've kind of lost the passion to blog of late. So much has been going on with work that I just don't have the time to sit down and write. Also, I've had nothing of consequence to say.
I'm not doing this for anyone else ... I mean I write this for me. I'm not good at checking how many visitors I've had and I have no idea really how many people are interested in what I write, so numbers don't matter to me.
Having said that then, I could ramble away and assume my only audience is me, right? So what do I care what I write? But still I do care, just in case :)
I've been sick now for over 2 weeks. I'm tired of coughing and I have a pain in my sternum. The last time I was sick for this long was when I went to the US. I got sick 2 weeks before I left and was still sick when I got home almost 2 weeks later. I think I'm rundown and I need a break. Not just physically though, but mentally too.
Building this business, including the online component, has been so stressful. Every day I think about what to stock, how to do it, am I ordering too little, am I ordering too much, am I going to be able to pull this off and make money or stay in the black even! My brain is constantly thinking, over thinking, worrying. I am scared. I am excited. It feels like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, about to jump. Will I survive?
To be honest I'm not even sure why I'm crazy enough to do this whole online thing. I mean what the heck do I know about computers?? I can turn one on ... I can type, I can email ... I can whack a picture on a blog post ... what am I doing??
By Friday I have to put in an order for some summer stock. It is a brand new line, one that I am so excited about. I will be one of the first people to stock it. It will be available on my website ... but I don't get it til August. So I am nervous. This is the part of fashion retail that I hate. This ordering months in advance.
I think I'm getting an ulcer.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
A Moment of Selfishness
Okay, I'm going to be honest here.
I'm a pretty nice person. I'm open, I'm giving, I care. I do things for others without thinking all the time. I love to do random things to make other people smile. I love giving presents to people for no reason, other than 'just because'. I will do favours for friends when they ask ... help them ... listen to them. I think I'm a pretty good friend.
But here is the selfish part. Every now and then I wish I wasn't so giving. I wish I could say no. I wish I were a little more ruthless and outspoken. I wish I stood up for myself more. And I wish I could ask a friend ... "hey, I need to talk to someone, care to listen".
I'm a pretty nice person. I'm open, I'm giving, I care. I do things for others without thinking all the time. I love to do random things to make other people smile. I love giving presents to people for no reason, other than 'just because'. I will do favours for friends when they ask ... help them ... listen to them. I think I'm a pretty good friend.
But here is the selfish part. Every now and then I wish I wasn't so giving. I wish I could say no. I wish I were a little more ruthless and outspoken. I wish I stood up for myself more. And I wish I could ask a friend ... "hey, I need to talk to someone, care to listen".
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Fire
It's been a horrendous, anxious, stressful, emotional and exhausting 24 hours. Fires have ripped across the beautiful state that I live in. At the time of writing this post, the fire has killed 65 people. This number is expected to rise.
The last couple of weeks have seen unprecedented high temperatures across the south east of Australia. This coupled with years of drought had left the ground dry as a bone, primed and waiting for tragedy. Yesterday the weather conditions brought the highest temperatures across Australia on record and extremely high winds.
When I left work at 1PM yesterday, it was 45 degrees celcius with strong winds blowing the dust into the sky. We started watching the CFA (Country Fire Authority) website for updates on the fires burning shortly after I got home. The sky was grey. It looked like it was overcast. The wind was so hot that it actually burnt my bare legs. Conditions were horrific.
When we moved here, we knew that we would have to be prepared for the possibility of fire. Although we live just on the outskirts of town, we are surrounded by bush on all sides. I love it here. It is peaceful and beautiful. This beautiful tree filled lifestyle, however, also brings with it risks. We knew of these risks, so prepared ourselves by buying a pump and hoses. We have two 33,000L tanks, a dam, and a pool for water. But still, we're vulnerable.
In the early eighties, we lost our home to fire. I was about 5 and although I don't remember everything there are parts of it that are etched in my memory forever.
We lived not far from where I live now. It was my parent's dream house. A beautiful period weatherboard home on 20 acres of land. We had only been living there a few months. We had gone down to Melbourne to visit my Granny. I remember we had not been there long when the phone rang. Then my Uncle, my mum and my dad rushed out. Granny called my brother and I to her and cuddled us. She told us our house had burnt down. I remember asking her where we were going to live.
Some time later mum and dad came back. I stood in the driveway watching the car pull in. I will never, ever in my whole life forget the look on my mum's face. She was a ghost sitting in the car, clutching one single precious possession, blackened by the fire. Tears stained her face. She was still.
I remember the first time I went back to the house. There was barely anything left but three chimneys. I went to what was my bedroom. Everything was gone. Everything was ash. I found one of my favourite soft toys, a dog called Ralph. He was vaguley recognisable. I remeber standing there crying, my older brother (who was only 8) holding me tight.
We lost everything. Everything.
Next came Ash Wednesday. We lived in Kyneton then, so so close to Woodend. Mum had us packed ready to go. She had been there before.
The Maryborough fires a few years later were also scary as we had moved to Newstead then, also close by. I packed a little basket with my favourite doll in it.
Now I have my own family and last night all I could think about was sifting through the ashes.
The main thing is that we were all safe way back when. We lost everything we had, but still had our lives. In the last 24 hours 65 people have been killed.
I can't comprehend it. Cars full of people, including children, trying to escape, caught in the firestorm. Killed.
It took all day, but I finally cried about an hour ago. Then I thought I had to write about it.
Friends of ours were in the Bendigo fire. We spoke to them earlier and they are all, thankfully okay. However, they were saying they had no fire plan. They lived in the suburbs of Bendigo, they never thought for a moment that fire would be something to worry about. Boy were they wrong. It doesn't matter where you are ... fire can get you.
It is believed that some of these fires were deliberately lit. I told my hubby earlier what I would do if I ever caught an arsonist. He saw a violent side of me, truth be told.
I had so many things I wanted to write here, but I feel like I am just rambling. I'm exhausted. I'm emotional. I am terribly, terribly sad. My heart is aching.
Again, it's been said before by other people, but WOW. Twitter last night was a wonderful wonderful resource. And the messages I received from fellow twitterers were just so great and so appreciated. I was so scared last night even though we were not in any direct threat. I lay awake for ages listening to the silence, praying that the wind didn't pick up.
I pray that I never have to pack up my family and flee. I pray for those that have lost everything. I know you are hurting, believe me, I do. I know what fire did to my mum ... I feel so much for everyone involved.
I have a houseload of furniture and household items including buckets of toys that were due for a Garage Sale. This will be donated. I urge you to do what you can, if you can, for those that have lost everything. As a kid who lost every precious thing I owned, every little hand me down I got afterwards was the best thing in the world.
I'm not sure I know what else to say. I know there was more in my head, but I'm a little numb.
Hell. It's been a weekend of hell.
The last couple of weeks have seen unprecedented high temperatures across the south east of Australia. This coupled with years of drought had left the ground dry as a bone, primed and waiting for tragedy. Yesterday the weather conditions brought the highest temperatures across Australia on record and extremely high winds.
When I left work at 1PM yesterday, it was 45 degrees celcius with strong winds blowing the dust into the sky. We started watching the CFA (Country Fire Authority) website for updates on the fires burning shortly after I got home. The sky was grey. It looked like it was overcast. The wind was so hot that it actually burnt my bare legs. Conditions were horrific.
When we moved here, we knew that we would have to be prepared for the possibility of fire. Although we live just on the outskirts of town, we are surrounded by bush on all sides. I love it here. It is peaceful and beautiful. This beautiful tree filled lifestyle, however, also brings with it risks. We knew of these risks, so prepared ourselves by buying a pump and hoses. We have two 33,000L tanks, a dam, and a pool for water. But still, we're vulnerable.
In the early eighties, we lost our home to fire. I was about 5 and although I don't remember everything there are parts of it that are etched in my memory forever.
We lived not far from where I live now. It was my parent's dream house. A beautiful period weatherboard home on 20 acres of land. We had only been living there a few months. We had gone down to Melbourne to visit my Granny. I remember we had not been there long when the phone rang. Then my Uncle, my mum and my dad rushed out. Granny called my brother and I to her and cuddled us. She told us our house had burnt down. I remember asking her where we were going to live.
Some time later mum and dad came back. I stood in the driveway watching the car pull in. I will never, ever in my whole life forget the look on my mum's face. She was a ghost sitting in the car, clutching one single precious possession, blackened by the fire. Tears stained her face. She was still.
I remember the first time I went back to the house. There was barely anything left but three chimneys. I went to what was my bedroom. Everything was gone. Everything was ash. I found one of my favourite soft toys, a dog called Ralph. He was vaguley recognisable. I remeber standing there crying, my older brother (who was only 8) holding me tight.
We lost everything. Everything.
Next came Ash Wednesday. We lived in Kyneton then, so so close to Woodend. Mum had us packed ready to go. She had been there before.
The Maryborough fires a few years later were also scary as we had moved to Newstead then, also close by. I packed a little basket with my favourite doll in it.
Now I have my own family and last night all I could think about was sifting through the ashes.
The main thing is that we were all safe way back when. We lost everything we had, but still had our lives. In the last 24 hours 65 people have been killed.
I can't comprehend it. Cars full of people, including children, trying to escape, caught in the firestorm. Killed.
It took all day, but I finally cried about an hour ago. Then I thought I had to write about it.
Friends of ours were in the Bendigo fire. We spoke to them earlier and they are all, thankfully okay. However, they were saying they had no fire plan. They lived in the suburbs of Bendigo, they never thought for a moment that fire would be something to worry about. Boy were they wrong. It doesn't matter where you are ... fire can get you.
It is believed that some of these fires were deliberately lit. I told my hubby earlier what I would do if I ever caught an arsonist. He saw a violent side of me, truth be told.
I had so many things I wanted to write here, but I feel like I am just rambling. I'm exhausted. I'm emotional. I am terribly, terribly sad. My heart is aching.
Again, it's been said before by other people, but WOW. Twitter last night was a wonderful wonderful resource. And the messages I received from fellow twitterers were just so great and so appreciated. I was so scared last night even though we were not in any direct threat. I lay awake for ages listening to the silence, praying that the wind didn't pick up.
I pray that I never have to pack up my family and flee. I pray for those that have lost everything. I know you are hurting, believe me, I do. I know what fire did to my mum ... I feel so much for everyone involved.
I have a houseload of furniture and household items including buckets of toys that were due for a Garage Sale. This will be donated. I urge you to do what you can, if you can, for those that have lost everything. As a kid who lost every precious thing I owned, every little hand me down I got afterwards was the best thing in the world.
I'm not sure I know what else to say. I know there was more in my head, but I'm a little numb.
Hell. It's been a weekend of hell.
Monday, February 2, 2009
A little more confidence, please?
I sometimes wish for more confidence. Today is one of those days. It's funny, because from one perspective this looks contradictory ... I post pictures of myself to flickr every day (particularly since I started this 365 days project I'm doing). That's easy stuff. Take a pic, post it. Done. No, the confidence I want is for words.
I wanted to ask someone their opinion the other day. Something very relevant to them and not very relevant to me, so their opinion would have been very useful. But I didn't get it. Not enough confidence to ask. Too scared to email them for help. And they were too busy to help me at the time I wanted the help.
So I thought I might throw the question out into FriendFeed or Twitter (it's a tech related problem so I thought that would be a good spot) but I couldn't. I type, I delete. Zero confidence.
The thing is, I know very little about technology and don't want to seem stupid. So, instead of asking things and possibly learning more, I clam up.
So, yeah, there you go, I'd like a little more confidence, please.
I wanted to ask someone their opinion the other day. Something very relevant to them and not very relevant to me, so their opinion would have been very useful. But I didn't get it. Not enough confidence to ask. Too scared to email them for help. And they were too busy to help me at the time I wanted the help.
So I thought I might throw the question out into FriendFeed or Twitter (it's a tech related problem so I thought that would be a good spot) but I couldn't. I type, I delete. Zero confidence.
The thing is, I know very little about technology and don't want to seem stupid. So, instead of asking things and possibly learning more, I clam up.
So, yeah, there you go, I'd like a little more confidence, please.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
32 years ago today ....
... I entered this world, no doubt screaming my lungs out and causing my mother a great deal of pain.
Not much has changed.
Except now I probably don't cause my mother the same amount of pain and I don't scream too much although I do talk a lot (those who know me will agree wholeheartedly). The only pain I cause my mother now is when I get a new tattoo and she sighs :D
My birthday always makes me reflect on the things I have done, not just because I'm older but because my birthday falls at the end of the year, so I always think about what I have done and accomplished in the year gone by.
This past year has undoubtedly been the single most eventful year of my 32 years to date. I have: bought a house, had a baby, sold 2 businesses, moved interstate, travelled overseas for the first time AND did it on my own, bought a new business, went back to work full time after 4 1/2 years as a stay at home mum, renovated said house, moved into that house, had a massive family Christmas and I'm still alive. I think the only thing I didn't do was get a divorce and thankfully that looks unlikely! ;P
2009 looks set to be another big year, with a lot more firsts, but I am hoping it will be far less stressful than the year I have just endured. I'm not sure I could ever do what I have done in a 12 month period again. No thank you.
I'm not big on new year resolutions but I do set myself goals every year. I know I am going to achieve the goals I have set for myself for the coming year, because I will not let myself fail. My drive and my passion are strong and my optimistic streak pushes me to always do my best.
I am thankful for many things that have happened to me this past year. Things that have helped to continually shape the person that I am. To all of you that have had a part in that (and I'm sure you know who you are), thank you.
I have a great feeling about 2009. It's going to be a great year. Mark my words :D
Not much has changed.
Except now I probably don't cause my mother the same amount of pain and I don't scream too much although I do talk a lot (those who know me will agree wholeheartedly). The only pain I cause my mother now is when I get a new tattoo and she sighs :D
My birthday always makes me reflect on the things I have done, not just because I'm older but because my birthday falls at the end of the year, so I always think about what I have done and accomplished in the year gone by.
This past year has undoubtedly been the single most eventful year of my 32 years to date. I have: bought a house, had a baby, sold 2 businesses, moved interstate, travelled overseas for the first time AND did it on my own, bought a new business, went back to work full time after 4 1/2 years as a stay at home mum, renovated said house, moved into that house, had a massive family Christmas and I'm still alive. I think the only thing I didn't do was get a divorce and thankfully that looks unlikely! ;P
2009 looks set to be another big year, with a lot more firsts, but I am hoping it will be far less stressful than the year I have just endured. I'm not sure I could ever do what I have done in a 12 month period again. No thank you.
I'm not big on new year resolutions but I do set myself goals every year. I know I am going to achieve the goals I have set for myself for the coming year, because I will not let myself fail. My drive and my passion are strong and my optimistic streak pushes me to always do my best.
I am thankful for many things that have happened to me this past year. Things that have helped to continually shape the person that I am. To all of you that have had a part in that (and I'm sure you know who you are), thank you.
I have a great feeling about 2009. It's going to be a great year. Mark my words :D
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Wait a second ... it ain't over yet!
I just wrote a blog post about my year and then just as I was about to post it I realised that there are still two major events to occur this year so you'll just have to wait a few more days!
One of those major events is my birthday, so I'm hoping for a particularly bloody marvellous one this year!
One of those major events is my birthday, so I'm hoping for a particularly bloody marvellous one this year!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
We will return to regular programming soon ... I promise :D
Dear blog readers ....
I will write again. I promise :)
I'm just crazy busy doing this whole retail at Christmas thingy (it's my 17th year doing retail at Christmas ... I am insane).
I promise a blog post full of wit (or something that rhymes with that) very very soon!
<3 Spi :)
I will write again. I promise :)
I'm just crazy busy doing this whole retail at Christmas thingy (it's my 17th year doing retail at Christmas ... I am insane).
I promise a blog post full of wit (or something that rhymes with that) very very soon!
<3 Spi :)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Flat out like a lizard drinking!
It's been an extraordinary few months and so much is going on at the moment. Working 5 and a half days a week leaves little time for socialising or relaxation and with Christmas rapidly approaching ... lets just say I'm flat out like a lizard drinking!
I have invested a lot of money into my shop and it looks amazing. The difference since I took over is awesome and the feedback I have been getting is fantastic. Next week I have a web designer coming to see me. I was planning on waiting until after Christmas to work on my site, but as fate would have it one Saturday afternoon shortly before closing I h ad some customers in who were just totally in awe of my shop. The following Monday I received a phone call from this guy who loved the shop so much than when he got home he checked to see if I was online. When he hit my site and saw the coming soon page he called me up to ask me if I had anyone lined up. I told him I had nothing set in concrete so he offered to come to me to talk about it! I was stoked. With time being so short, having someone willing to come to me is a huge bonus. So this week I will be meeting with him to start designing my site. I'm quite excited by this :)
My plans for the direction of my shop have been somewhat dampened however by this whole stupid economy at the moment though. I am trying to deal with a few international suppliers but it's damn hard with the dollar the way it is currently. I'm still going to go ahead, but I'm crossing my fingers that it's not TOO long before there's a bounce back, otherwise I'll have to come up with a new objective. Luckily for me, I'm not the most stupid person around so I am working on a few other more profitable (for the time being) ideas. Looks like I might be making a little trip up to Sydney again soon for one of these reasons :D
There's a few big trade fairs coming up, a massive one in Sydney in February and another in New York in March that I am going to try my hardest to get to. Just gotta get through Christmas first ...
So, it's all good in my little world at the moment, and I hope it stays this way!
I have invested a lot of money into my shop and it looks amazing. The difference since I took over is awesome and the feedback I have been getting is fantastic. Next week I have a web designer coming to see me. I was planning on waiting until after Christmas to work on my site, but as fate would have it one Saturday afternoon shortly before closing I h ad some customers in who were just totally in awe of my shop. The following Monday I received a phone call from this guy who loved the shop so much than when he got home he checked to see if I was online. When he hit my site and saw the coming soon page he called me up to ask me if I had anyone lined up. I told him I had nothing set in concrete so he offered to come to me to talk about it! I was stoked. With time being so short, having someone willing to come to me is a huge bonus. So this week I will be meeting with him to start designing my site. I'm quite excited by this :)
My plans for the direction of my shop have been somewhat dampened however by this whole stupid economy at the moment though. I am trying to deal with a few international suppliers but it's damn hard with the dollar the way it is currently. I'm still going to go ahead, but I'm crossing my fingers that it's not TOO long before there's a bounce back, otherwise I'll have to come up with a new objective. Luckily for me, I'm not the most stupid person around so I am working on a few other more profitable (for the time being) ideas. Looks like I might be making a little trip up to Sydney again soon for one of these reasons :D
There's a few big trade fairs coming up, a massive one in Sydney in February and another in New York in March that I am going to try my hardest to get to. Just gotta get through Christmas first ...
So, it's all good in my little world at the moment, and I hope it stays this way!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
I wanna be a kid again!
Wasn't life sooooo much easier when you were young? I mean, you lived at home, no rent or mortgage repayments, no bills, your mum did your washing, cooked your dinner and drove you around. All I had to do was feed the kitties and keep my room clean. I had a weekend job and any money I made was mine, all mine!! I paid no tax (cos I earned no money basically lol) and had zero responsibility.
Sure, I had relationship problems. I had an on/off boyfriend how was basically a total jerk, but I 'loved' him sooooooo much that I kept forgiving him for all his shit. The little jerk was such a wanker but hell he was cute, so .... ;P
He broke my heart, but a week later I had a new love. He too broke my heart, then I broke a few hearts, then ... oh I think about then I turned 18 and started to think and try to act like an adult!!
At the time I thought my life was so full of complications and problems and hassles! If only I knew what was to come ....
Retrospect is a wonderful thing, but geez it pisses me off. All those things I could have avoided if only I'd known. But on the other hand, hell I've had some fun making mistakes!
These days I'm responsible for 3 little kids. I'm responsible for feeding them, clothing them and keeping them happy and safe. It's the single most biggest stress of my life. Because I want them to never want for anything. I want them to always be in good health. I want them always to smile. I never want them to experience hurt. Of course, I know these things are inevitable.
Now I am the major breadwinner for our family my stress levels have gone through the roof. I think I now know what my husband has been going through for the last how ever many years. I constantly worry that I'm going to fail ... yet at the same time I have such ambition to make sure that I don't. My moods yoyo from extreme optimism to self doubt. I feel like a totally hormonal bitch at times, which is so strange for me as I am not your 'typical' chick. I've never had hormonal swings before.
So, yeah ... take me back to being 17 again ... hell it was easy back then!!!
Although, you know, with all that I have had and all that I have experienced ... all my heart breaks and all my loves ... all the people who have been a part of my life and helped to shape who I am ... all the conversations I have shared with those who mean the most to me .... most of these have occurred in the years since I became an adult. So, on second thoughts, maybe I am happy where I am, with the knowledge that there is more really good stuff (and really shitty stuff) to come.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
One month down!
So, I have had my shop for a month now and it looks so different to the day I took it over. I am getting lots of feedback on how much BETTER it all looks now, which is totally awesome! I am at the moment organising a bit of a grand re opening of sorts for next weekend. There will be balloons and cookies for the kids and .... a face painter!!! I love face painting. So much so in fact that I will get my face painted on the day too I think! I'm putting a half page ad in the local paper next week for a little promotion, so I hope it brings in a few peeps and of course a few dollars :D
As usual, my mind is about 100 miles ahead of where it should be and I keep telling myself I should be slowing down and taking it one day at a time, but I have this ambitious streak that has hit me head on and I feel like I need to act on it. I suppose time will tell what comes of it all. In the meantime, I damn well hope this economy picks up, particularly the Aussie dollar against the US, as that has a fair bearing on a major element of my future plans .... definitely just have to wait and see there.
People are starting to buy for Christmas already which is good but also daunting! It's still October!!! Not that I'm knocking it! Bring it on, I say!!
As usual, my mind is about 100 miles ahead of where it should be and I keep telling myself I should be slowing down and taking it one day at a time, but I have this ambitious streak that has hit me head on and I feel like I need to act on it. I suppose time will tell what comes of it all. In the meantime, I damn well hope this economy picks up, particularly the Aussie dollar against the US, as that has a fair bearing on a major element of my future plans .... definitely just have to wait and see there.
People are starting to buy for Christmas already which is good but also daunting! It's still October!!! Not that I'm knocking it! Bring it on, I say!!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Year 12 runs amok
It was Year 12 Muck Up day in town last night and the streets are littered with little polystyrine balls and shaving cream adorned windows! My shop escaped unscathed luckily! My window cleaner came in this morning and we got talking about the muck up day and it turns out that I went to school with his daughter! We got to laughing about her in her costume for the day which was a giant nappy! So funny. I remember her clear as day in that get up too! So I've been remembering my muck up day quite fondly. I dressed in my 'modified' school uniform for the night. I cut my skirt to just below my bum, had knee high black socks and high heeled boots, a white shirt unbuttoned to reveal a black bra and bright pink hair!! It was such a riot of a night. We stayed out all night drinking and causing havoc to the school and town, which we were then made to clean up the next day hung over as all hell! It was a good night. I remember a photo of me sitting on the edge of the basketball court with my hair in pink dreadlocks caused by flour egg and god knows what else getting into it! I was covered in permanent black texta from all the phone numbers of friends written on me .... making me laugh know as I think about those kids doing what I did some 14 years ago :D
Slowly growing :)
Quite an exciting week so far. I finally received my clothing line from the US which is getting rave reviews from all that have seen it so far. I am dressing my middle feral in it and letting her wander the streets (just kidding) as advertising! Lots of people are saying how wonderful it is to see the shop full of stock again and I have also had quite a few say that they like it more than the previous owner! Of course, being a small town I still have my doubters, and I always will. That was always to be expected.
I am planning my next trip to the US. I can't give away too much but it will have a significant effect on what course my career takes. And hopefully that course is success of course! Hopefully in mid January I will be in LA again and also San Francisco. I had planned to go to New York as well, but with the Aussie dollar looking the way it does, I may have to stick to the west coast for now and head to New York later next year. All going the way I *hope* it goes, this shouldn't be a problem by then!
It's strange being away from the kids. I miss them a lot. I don't miss the tantrums and random screaming matches for no reason, but I miss their voices and kisses and cuddles. I have also learnt that my kids are freakin awesome really, compared to others! Some of the kids that visit my shop should be locked up!! Not to mention the parents! The other day, I was about to lock up the front door to close for the day when I heard a little noise. There, in the playroom was a little girl of about 7 ON HER OWN. I asked her where her mummy was and she said 'in a shop shopping.' Seriously, who does that? Who leaves their little kid to wander aimlessly? Morons. And don't get me started on the ones who think that my stock is a free for all play area and that it costs me nothing if they break all my toys. Makes me so mad. Totally not the kids fault though. They need the guidance of their parents .... which I have discovered is sorely lacking in too many cases.
Anyway, all is progressing nicely and I am finally making some head way into developing my website. Oh and when I say developing, I mean paying someone else to do it of course! I'm way too much of a nuffy to even think about doing that myself!
I am planning my next trip to the US. I can't give away too much but it will have a significant effect on what course my career takes. And hopefully that course is success of course! Hopefully in mid January I will be in LA again and also San Francisco. I had planned to go to New York as well, but with the Aussie dollar looking the way it does, I may have to stick to the west coast for now and head to New York later next year. All going the way I *hope* it goes, this shouldn't be a problem by then!
It's strange being away from the kids. I miss them a lot. I don't miss the tantrums and random screaming matches for no reason, but I miss their voices and kisses and cuddles. I have also learnt that my kids are freakin awesome really, compared to others! Some of the kids that visit my shop should be locked up!! Not to mention the parents! The other day, I was about to lock up the front door to close for the day when I heard a little noise. There, in the playroom was a little girl of about 7 ON HER OWN. I asked her where her mummy was and she said 'in a shop shopping.' Seriously, who does that? Who leaves their little kid to wander aimlessly? Morons. And don't get me started on the ones who think that my stock is a free for all play area and that it costs me nothing if they break all my toys. Makes me so mad. Totally not the kids fault though. They need the guidance of their parents .... which I have discovered is sorely lacking in too many cases.
Anyway, all is progressing nicely and I am finally making some head way into developing my website. Oh and when I say developing, I mean paying someone else to do it of course! I'm way too much of a nuffy to even think about doing that myself!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Super busy ... my brain could do with a day off! :D
There is so much going on in my life at the moment and I have barely had a moment to sit down. The times when it is quiet at the shop I relish, as it gives me a chance to kick back and relax. Having said that though, I seem to be constantly doing something!
This week I advertised in the local paper and the response has been quite good. I am getting customers coming in and talking to me as if they know me!! This is due to the fact that the paper ran an editorial on me and basically told my life story!! hehehe
The editorial also resulted in some companies contacting me wanting me to stock their products. Happily there are a lot of high quality, high end companies liking me, which is my ultimate goal, particularly once I go online.
Also at this time we are doing a major house extension and renovation which is frustrating but also exciting. My dream home is being built and once finished will be damn shit hot. I have only managed to go to the site a couple of times as I have been too busy, but it looks awesome and I cannot wait to move in. Will of course post pics once it's done, probably with before and after so you can see the difference. Exciting times!
I still haven't started my website yet. The biggest hurdle I have at the moment is that I work 9 - 5 and as I am on my own at the shop, making phone calls can be tricky as obviously the customer comes first. Web developers have the same office hours as me so not quite sure how I'm going to go about this. Might have to get me a minion!! It's frustrating too because I want the site up and running ASAP as I am sure this is where I am going to be the most successful. Particularly with the ideas I have for it. I believe what I want to do will be quite unique to Australia so I am very very excited!! Big ideas I have!!!!
Now I am indulging in some much needed wine ... been super hot today and I am loving the change in the weather. Will be loving it even more when I can swim in my pool that is coming with my reno ... YAY!!
Happy days :)
This week I advertised in the local paper and the response has been quite good. I am getting customers coming in and talking to me as if they know me!! This is due to the fact that the paper ran an editorial on me and basically told my life story!! hehehe
The editorial also resulted in some companies contacting me wanting me to stock their products. Happily there are a lot of high quality, high end companies liking me, which is my ultimate goal, particularly once I go online.
Also at this time we are doing a major house extension and renovation which is frustrating but also exciting. My dream home is being built and once finished will be damn shit hot. I have only managed to go to the site a couple of times as I have been too busy, but it looks awesome and I cannot wait to move in. Will of course post pics once it's done, probably with before and after so you can see the difference. Exciting times!
I still haven't started my website yet. The biggest hurdle I have at the moment is that I work 9 - 5 and as I am on my own at the shop, making phone calls can be tricky as obviously the customer comes first. Web developers have the same office hours as me so not quite sure how I'm going to go about this. Might have to get me a minion!! It's frustrating too because I want the site up and running ASAP as I am sure this is where I am going to be the most successful. Particularly with the ideas I have for it. I believe what I want to do will be quite unique to Australia so I am very very excited!! Big ideas I have!!!!
Now I am indulging in some much needed wine ... been super hot today and I am loving the change in the weather. Will be loving it even more when I can swim in my pool that is coming with my reno ... YAY!!
Happy days :)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Blue
It's Mental Health Awareness Week and twitter is awash with blue avatars of wonderful people supporting this cause.
One of my favourite charities is Beyond Blue. The reason for this is because four and a half years ago (or thereabouts) I suffered from a form of depression that is so very common yet rarely talked about even now: Post Natal Depression.
It was a very horrible time in my life. I had a form of post natal depression that was fueled by anxiety. I was certain that my newly born son was going to die. It haunted my every breathing moment. All I wanted was to shield him from the world and protect him forever. I was certain if someone tried to do anything to him I would put myself before him. Had anything happened to him, I would have quite possibly never made it myself.
On top of this anxiety that harm would befall him, was my inability to breast feed him. We struggled for 11 long weeks. I had to use a nipple shield which meant I barely left the house, because as anyone who has ever had to use one knows, it's impossible to feed in public without everyone getting a good look at your breast and I was not at all the type of person comfortable with flashing my boobs in public (4 yrs and 3 kids later it's a different story!!! lol). We were virtually isolated inside and I was going insane. Literally.
I rang the breast feeding association. I have to say, I encountered the most unhelpful woman ever. I was crying. A lot. I could barely talk. My son wasn't feeding. He was crying. You know what she said to me? She said, "let me send you an info pack, it's obvious from your tears that you're desperate to breast feed him" ... an info pack??? Hello? My life was and had been in hell for the past 9 weeks. An info pack? Lady, I needed help, and I needed it right then. As I was living in Perth at the time, I rang the local parent help line at Ngala (wonderful peeps who continued to provide support for 4 years) and got a wonderful woman on the phone. She had suffered exactly what I had been suffering. She knew the pain I was in. She asked me, very gently, "Will he take a bottle?" "Yes." I said. We had been giving him bottles in between breast feeds as he was starving. "Then give him a bottle and DO NOT feel guilty about it. DO NOT." I gave him a bottle. He stopped crying. I stopped crying. I also made the decision to stop breastfeeding him and use bottles. He became a different child overnight. I became a diiferent woman. My depression lifted remarkably quickly as I was able to leave the house and not spend hours of every day crying.
As a bit of a postscript, I would like to mention that the lady from the Breastfeeding Association never did send me any information. I would also like to note that my 2nd child breast feed like a champion for 8 months, even after being a neonate baby and tube fed for the first week of her life. My third child was also a champion feeder, though I felt I was slipping into the depths of depression again after her birth, so I made the tough desicion to stop breast feeding her as I wasn't eating or looking after myself at all, so was therefore not really looking after her either. We lasted 3 months the third time.
So many people have an opinion about post natal depression. Every one is a doctor in their own heads. A couple of years after my depression I was finally able to talk about it. My cousin laughed at me and told me I was "sleep deprived". Even my own mother questioned whether I had had depression. No wonder we don't talk about this stuff. Every one laughs at you or tells you (ironically) that you are 'crazy' for thinking you're crazy.
After 3 children I am happy to say that I only suffered PND once. I was lucky to have a wonderful husband who stood by me and understood. Who helped me and who helped me get help. Who sat with me in the middle of the night and held my hand while I cried and tried to get Sprat to feed. He also knew the signs to look for after kids 2 and 3 were born and he read books and articles to better understand. Without him, my story might have ended differently, or after a lot longer.
So to anyone who suffers depression ... I know. I know how dark it can be. I also know that I am lucky to have come through unscathed, and after such a short time.
One of my favourite charities is Beyond Blue. The reason for this is because four and a half years ago (or thereabouts) I suffered from a form of depression that is so very common yet rarely talked about even now: Post Natal Depression.
It was a very horrible time in my life. I had a form of post natal depression that was fueled by anxiety. I was certain that my newly born son was going to die. It haunted my every breathing moment. All I wanted was to shield him from the world and protect him forever. I was certain if someone tried to do anything to him I would put myself before him. Had anything happened to him, I would have quite possibly never made it myself.
On top of this anxiety that harm would befall him, was my inability to breast feed him. We struggled for 11 long weeks. I had to use a nipple shield which meant I barely left the house, because as anyone who has ever had to use one knows, it's impossible to feed in public without everyone getting a good look at your breast and I was not at all the type of person comfortable with flashing my boobs in public (4 yrs and 3 kids later it's a different story!!! lol). We were virtually isolated inside and I was going insane. Literally.
I rang the breast feeding association. I have to say, I encountered the most unhelpful woman ever. I was crying. A lot. I could barely talk. My son wasn't feeding. He was crying. You know what she said to me? She said, "let me send you an info pack, it's obvious from your tears that you're desperate to breast feed him" ... an info pack??? Hello? My life was and had been in hell for the past 9 weeks. An info pack? Lady, I needed help, and I needed it right then. As I was living in Perth at the time, I rang the local parent help line at Ngala (wonderful peeps who continued to provide support for 4 years) and got a wonderful woman on the phone. She had suffered exactly what I had been suffering. She knew the pain I was in. She asked me, very gently, "Will he take a bottle?" "Yes." I said. We had been giving him bottles in between breast feeds as he was starving. "Then give him a bottle and DO NOT feel guilty about it. DO NOT." I gave him a bottle. He stopped crying. I stopped crying. I also made the decision to stop breastfeeding him and use bottles. He became a different child overnight. I became a diiferent woman. My depression lifted remarkably quickly as I was able to leave the house and not spend hours of every day crying.
As a bit of a postscript, I would like to mention that the lady from the Breastfeeding Association never did send me any information. I would also like to note that my 2nd child breast feed like a champion for 8 months, even after being a neonate baby and tube fed for the first week of her life. My third child was also a champion feeder, though I felt I was slipping into the depths of depression again after her birth, so I made the tough desicion to stop breast feeding her as I wasn't eating or looking after myself at all, so was therefore not really looking after her either. We lasted 3 months the third time.
So many people have an opinion about post natal depression. Every one is a doctor in their own heads. A couple of years after my depression I was finally able to talk about it. My cousin laughed at me and told me I was "sleep deprived". Even my own mother questioned whether I had had depression. No wonder we don't talk about this stuff. Every one laughs at you or tells you (ironically) that you are 'crazy' for thinking you're crazy.
After 3 children I am happy to say that I only suffered PND once. I was lucky to have a wonderful husband who stood by me and understood. Who helped me and who helped me get help. Who sat with me in the middle of the night and held my hand while I cried and tried to get Sprat to feed. He also knew the signs to look for after kids 2 and 3 were born and he read books and articles to better understand. Without him, my story might have ended differently, or after a lot longer.
So to anyone who suffers depression ... I know. I know how dark it can be. I also know that I am lucky to have come through unscathed, and after such a short time.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The first week
Well it has been a very busy first week back at work. We spent the week cleaning and remerchandising the shop. We moved everything around, added new racking and shelving and the shop already looks a million times better than it did. Unfortunately in the past week I have discovered just how many mistakes the last owner had made, so have been busy fixing those too. My dollar figures for the first week were up around 40% on her sales too! This is all very good!
I'm still waiting on a lot of stock, mostly the clothing I have ordered. The fantastic brand that I picked up from Santa Monica is still yet to arrive and I am waiting for it with such excitement! It's truly beautiful stuff and I want to put it on display soooo badly! Hopefully it will arrive sometime this week.
The kids are loving having a toy shop to play in! Mr 4 even helps me ... he greets customers and makes sure all the toys go back in their correct spots when people have been playing with them .. so so cute :D
I am so exhausted though. We went out on Saturday night to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary (!!) and one of our best friends birthdays and after dessert I nearly fell asleep at the dinner table! So embarrassing! Luckily they're our best mates and I didn't offend anyone :)
So today is another Monday morning for me. It's foul weather, raining and gloomy, so I'm not expecting a very busy day ... might give me a bit of time to build more gorgeous wooden toys and play with them! I'm such a big kid! :D
Anyway, I'm off to a good start and my next step is the advertising. Will be giving that a red hot crack this week. Then it's time to get to work on my website ... and by get to work I mean get someone else to get to work!! I'll be paying peeps to do this for me as it's really something I don't want to stuff up! As soon as it's done, I'll post a link then you can all start shopping with me no matter where you live :P
I'm still waiting on a lot of stock, mostly the clothing I have ordered. The fantastic brand that I picked up from Santa Monica is still yet to arrive and I am waiting for it with such excitement! It's truly beautiful stuff and I want to put it on display soooo badly! Hopefully it will arrive sometime this week.
The kids are loving having a toy shop to play in! Mr 4 even helps me ... he greets customers and makes sure all the toys go back in their correct spots when people have been playing with them .. so so cute :D
I am so exhausted though. We went out on Saturday night to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary (!!) and one of our best friends birthdays and after dessert I nearly fell asleep at the dinner table! So embarrassing! Luckily they're our best mates and I didn't offend anyone :)
So today is another Monday morning for me. It's foul weather, raining and gloomy, so I'm not expecting a very busy day ... might give me a bit of time to build more gorgeous wooden toys and play with them! I'm such a big kid! :D
Anyway, I'm off to a good start and my next step is the advertising. Will be giving that a red hot crack this week. Then it's time to get to work on my website ... and by get to work I mean get someone else to get to work!! I'll be paying peeps to do this for me as it's really something I don't want to stuff up! As soon as it's done, I'll post a link then you can all start shopping with me no matter where you live :P
Sunday, September 28, 2008
It's here ... Takeover Day!
Well, today is the big day. I'll be leaving for work in around 1/2 an hour. There are lots of formalities to go through today. I have to pay for the business (ugh) and the stock, pay my lawyers, contact the landlady, merchandise all my new stock .... and hopefully serve lots and lots of customers!!!
I'm really nervous. Have felt physically sick now for the last three days. Not sure of my abilities but I want to be the best in the business! I always reach for the stars, and I'm a bit of a perfectionist which is only adding to my anxiousness. I'm want to do the whole online shopping thing but I am UBER nervous about that, as I have never even created a basic webpage before and now I want to do a massive website ... oy. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry.
Anyway, I hope to take some pictures today, although I am still waiting for lots of stock. The shop looks a little empty at the moment and I want to show it off looking good of course, but I might take some teaser pics just to keep the peeps (particularly @mediamum) happy!
Tell you all about my first day later :)
I'm really nervous. Have felt physically sick now for the last three days. Not sure of my abilities but I want to be the best in the business! I always reach for the stars, and I'm a bit of a perfectionist which is only adding to my anxiousness. I'm want to do the whole online shopping thing but I am UBER nervous about that, as I have never even created a basic webpage before and now I want to do a massive website ... oy. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry.
Anyway, I hope to take some pictures today, although I am still waiting for lots of stock. The shop looks a little empty at the moment and I want to show it off looking good of course, but I might take some teaser pics just to keep the peeps (particularly @mediamum) happy!
Tell you all about my first day later :)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Nearly mine ....
So it's Friday morning and at work I am halfway through the stocktake required for the takeover of the shop. It's damn tedious work and leaves you feeling exhausted by the end of the day. But it is also imperative that it happens as I have to pay for all the stock in the shop!
I have started to receive some of my deliveries of stock that I have ordered which is very exciting as well! Opening the boxes is a lot like Christmas! :D
I have also had my first supplier mini war which looks to end today. Basically a company that have been stocked for the previous 4 1/2 years have decided to go ahead and sell to the toy shop around the corner from me. His shop is a tacky Toy Kingdom type affair and not deserving of gorgeous products. However when I asked for exclusivity and placed a 2 and a half grand order with them, they told me that they would not be exclusive to me. I immediately cancelled about 2 grand worth of the order, then spent last night searching for a product to replace the other part of the order. I have found it, and will call that company today to request that I stock their brand. If the answer is yes, then I will completely drop the other company as I am totally pissed off with them and quite frankly won't put up with non loyalty! I'm pretty sure they tried to call my bluff, but it has backfired badly for them!
Monday is rapidly approaching and I am nervous as anything. My mood switches from being very confident in myself to wondering if I can actually pull this whole business woman thing off. It's killing me emotionally and I really wish I had more confidence in myself sometimes.
I got my Moo minicards in the mail yesterday and they are soooooo gorgeous! Can't wait to start handing them out! :D
I also can't wait to be able to post some pics once I have the shop looking awesome! Keep your eyes out for them.
Time to get ready for work now ... will be another big day of mind numbing counting for me. And on Monday it will all be mine!!!! :D
I have started to receive some of my deliveries of stock that I have ordered which is very exciting as well! Opening the boxes is a lot like Christmas! :D
I have also had my first supplier mini war which looks to end today. Basically a company that have been stocked for the previous 4 1/2 years have decided to go ahead and sell to the toy shop around the corner from me. His shop is a tacky Toy Kingdom type affair and not deserving of gorgeous products. However when I asked for exclusivity and placed a 2 and a half grand order with them, they told me that they would not be exclusive to me. I immediately cancelled about 2 grand worth of the order, then spent last night searching for a product to replace the other part of the order. I have found it, and will call that company today to request that I stock their brand. If the answer is yes, then I will completely drop the other company as I am totally pissed off with them and quite frankly won't put up with non loyalty! I'm pretty sure they tried to call my bluff, but it has backfired badly for them!
Monday is rapidly approaching and I am nervous as anything. My mood switches from being very confident in myself to wondering if I can actually pull this whole business woman thing off. It's killing me emotionally and I really wish I had more confidence in myself sometimes.
I got my Moo minicards in the mail yesterday and they are soooooo gorgeous! Can't wait to start handing them out! :D
I also can't wait to be able to post some pics once I have the shop looking awesome! Keep your eyes out for them.
Time to get ready for work now ... will be another big day of mind numbing counting for me. And on Monday it will all be mine!!!! :D
Friday, September 19, 2008
I typed in my name and ... Oh My ....
What's Sexy About Your Name |
 You are sexy because you are very physically attractive. You're the type of person many people find sexy. And you make sure that you always look your best. You love turning heads. You have major sexual chemistry with a lot of people. You provoke strong emotions. Some people strongly dislike you, but it's only because they want you so badly. And you're not above turning enemies into lovers. You're a true rule breaker when it comes to sex. No one is going to fence you in. If it feels good, you're into it. Physical gratification is the most important thing to you. |
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Getting closer ...
So I actually wanted to vlog this, but I have a couple of ferals who keep yelling out in the same room as me, so it's not going to happen right now! Maybe later.
I have ordered a lot of stock for the shop and I am starting to get nervous about it all being my responsibility in just over a week! I went in and worked at the shop the other day, very easy job, but then again I didn't exactly do a lot! I just sold stuff to peeps :D In a weeks time however, I will have to reorganise the whole shop. The layout it not how I want it and it needs a good clean. I also need things like a vacuum cleaner, a mini fridge, kettle, yadda yadda ... I have so much to do!
This morning I placed an order for a beautiful environmentally aware baby product. Gorgeous onesies made from bamboo. They're divine. The fabric is so soft and beautiful to the touch. They also have gorgeous vintage fabric accents to make them oh so unique. Very excited.
One thing I have noticed is the sheer amount of products out there. There are so many companies on the market and it can be very overwhelming. I can see that I am going to learn a lot along the way. Having always been in fresh food retail the good thing about this is that my products won't have an immenent expiration date! Other than seasonal changes of course.
I did learn the other day that in the area I live, which is a relatively small town, has 160 births every year. This is great for me as they can all buy their newbie gifts from me!! :D
My next step is to get online. Quite scared about that. I am quite a noob technically so I hope I get someone willing to explain things to me in noob language and guide me through everything! I hope that eventually the majority of my sales come from my online business that way I can offer things that I simply could not offer in a small country town. There is some money here, but also a lot of people tight with their money! It's going to be interesting to see how some of the labels I have secured go. Hopefully good.
I will be going in to the shop later today and could quite possibly be alone for some of it. Not really happy about that, as it's still not mine, but the other option was having the shop shut for part of the day, and that actually will hurt 'my' business. So, I'm heading in!
Then of course, it is the buying fair in Sydney this weekend. Such a hardship!!! I love Sydney and can't wait to go back there again. Also staying at The Rocks which is my fave part of Sydney. Should be GREAT :) Methinks cocktails on the harbour might be in order!!
I have ordered a lot of stock for the shop and I am starting to get nervous about it all being my responsibility in just over a week! I went in and worked at the shop the other day, very easy job, but then again I didn't exactly do a lot! I just sold stuff to peeps :D In a weeks time however, I will have to reorganise the whole shop. The layout it not how I want it and it needs a good clean. I also need things like a vacuum cleaner, a mini fridge, kettle, yadda yadda ... I have so much to do!
This morning I placed an order for a beautiful environmentally aware baby product. Gorgeous onesies made from bamboo. They're divine. The fabric is so soft and beautiful to the touch. They also have gorgeous vintage fabric accents to make them oh so unique. Very excited.
One thing I have noticed is the sheer amount of products out there. There are so many companies on the market and it can be very overwhelming. I can see that I am going to learn a lot along the way. Having always been in fresh food retail the good thing about this is that my products won't have an immenent expiration date! Other than seasonal changes of course.
I did learn the other day that in the area I live, which is a relatively small town, has 160 births every year. This is great for me as they can all buy their newbie gifts from me!! :D
My next step is to get online. Quite scared about that. I am quite a noob technically so I hope I get someone willing to explain things to me in noob language and guide me through everything! I hope that eventually the majority of my sales come from my online business that way I can offer things that I simply could not offer in a small country town. There is some money here, but also a lot of people tight with their money! It's going to be interesting to see how some of the labels I have secured go. Hopefully good.
I will be going in to the shop later today and could quite possibly be alone for some of it. Not really happy about that, as it's still not mine, but the other option was having the shop shut for part of the day, and that actually will hurt 'my' business. So, I'm heading in!
Then of course, it is the buying fair in Sydney this weekend. Such a hardship!!! I love Sydney and can't wait to go back there again. Also staying at The Rocks which is my fave part of Sydney. Should be GREAT :) Methinks cocktails on the harbour might be in order!!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
My first fashion fair :D
So yesterday I went to my first Trade Fair for the fashion industry. I have to say I had an awesome time and I am so excited to be a part of this. I feel like I have found my niche.
I am so very excited about one particular label I managed to secure. They are based out of West Hollywood and have stockists all over the US but have only just brought their brand to Australia. I will be one of the first to stock them. They are funky and eclectic, fresh and fun. Not to mention absoulutely gorgeous. I had to buy pieces for my own kids while I was ordering for the shop! I have big plans for this label, I hope that it does as well as I am expecting.
On that note, the next thing I need to do is start building my website. Currently there is a dodgy site for my shop, but it needs MAJOR work and I also want to introduce online shopping. I have zero idea what I am doing here, so I have been researching companies based out of Melbourne that I can get to do all the work for me :D
I have a few other US brands that I am eager to stock and will start contacting them as soon as I take possesion of the shop.
Other exciting news to come out of the fair: Whilst I was talking to the girls about their brand they mentioned a big trade fair that is in New York and recommended that I try to make it there to see it. I mentioned this to hubby and he seemed to green light it! Will try to incorporate it in my trip to the US early next year.
So all in all, a successful first foray into this new career of mine. I am just so excited about it all.
Oh and in other news hubby bought himself a mini digger yesterday. No idea what for other than to say, boys and their toys!
I am so very excited about one particular label I managed to secure. They are based out of West Hollywood and have stockists all over the US but have only just brought their brand to Australia. I will be one of the first to stock them. They are funky and eclectic, fresh and fun. Not to mention absoulutely gorgeous. I had to buy pieces for my own kids while I was ordering for the shop! I have big plans for this label, I hope that it does as well as I am expecting.
On that note, the next thing I need to do is start building my website. Currently there is a dodgy site for my shop, but it needs MAJOR work and I also want to introduce online shopping. I have zero idea what I am doing here, so I have been researching companies based out of Melbourne that I can get to do all the work for me :D
I have a few other US brands that I am eager to stock and will start contacting them as soon as I take possesion of the shop.
Other exciting news to come out of the fair: Whilst I was talking to the girls about their brand they mentioned a big trade fair that is in New York and recommended that I try to make it there to see it. I mentioned this to hubby and he seemed to green light it! Will try to incorporate it in my trip to the US early next year.
So all in all, a successful first foray into this new career of mine. I am just so excited about it all.
Oh and in other news hubby bought himself a mini digger yesterday. No idea what for other than to say, boys and their toys!
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