Hyacinths, Susie Ho, Sally Smart and the W.I.

Sunday 21 April 2013


This is what I would wear normally. Jumper, jeans and some kind of footwear. Outfit finished. The end.

H&M Cotton Jumper, New Look Jeans, Primark Sandals


But yesterday was a little out of the norm. Yesterday I was doing the W.I. (Womens Institute) Village fair. I was getting stuck in with the Jam & Jerusalem girls. I was kindly invited to do the fair and I do have a fiscal target to meet this year so I got my act together and set up my stall. Hence the addition of neck candy to the outfit. I find that when things are set on a table, they can seem a bit static and people need that little extra visual help to see how a jewellery piece works. 

I was debating between the beachcomber necklace ......

Susie Ho Beachcomber Necklace


..... and the tumbled moonstone lariat.


Susie Ho Tumbled Moonstone Lariat


The beachcomber is my personal favourite but I went with the lariat because when the lariat is flat on a table - it looks like nothing and it's not till you wear it, do people notice it. People need to see things on to see how pieces work.

My white cotton jumper was half price (£6.50) in a recent H&M flash sale but has gone back to £12.99 now. It's a little long in the body but works well tucked in to jeans and loosened up a little. Good for all you tall girls out there and is a good light weight for the summer. This is a size 8 and it's roomy - you need to size down in this one but it does depend on the fit you are going for. And the sandals are last year's Primarni and the predecessors to my Krimbles. They are comfortable - three hours on my feet and no swear words.

I actually had a really enjoyable day. The sun was shining and the people I met were lovely. Especially Sally the florist who I met last year at the same do who gave me a bunch of narcissi at the end of day to send me on my way. She gets a special mention as I got another bunch this year as well :o)

This is Sally's stall. She always does well but how can she fail with a display like this? 



Very Country Living Magazine, don't you think?


I had a look on Sally's Facebook page and she runs flower workshops! I think this would make for a fun day with a couple of like minded friends. I did a one day workshop at Jane Packer's in Marylebone about 10 years ago. I was terrified sat amongst all the rather intense Japanese florists who had flown over especially to take the course but she (Jane) said I seemed a natural (my head swelled to the size of the bouquet I was putting together that day which was pretty big). 

And of course I didn't manage to take any good clear ones of my stall but here's a couple of pictures of the hyacinths I bought and a shot of the best seller of the day.



My best seller at this particular fair,


I never set out to do fairs when I first started - they can be hard work and I am not a natural sales person. But I have to say, you get excellent first hand feedback and you get to meet some lovely like minded people. I also found I had some repeat customers. Last year, I had a lady who really liked the jewellery but didn't have enough cash on her so she borrowed what she could from her friends there to buy a necklace. When her other half turned up, she got him to drive her to the cashpoint in the next village and came back to buy some earrings too. She was back this year and yes she purchased again - like she said "well I didn't buy a bracelet last year did I?". That's the kind of thing which makes my day :o)

But now I really must crack on with my own little web shop .... it's slowly getting there. Technophobe snails are faster admittedly. Besides, I hate it when I get set a challenge - I will meet that target!


------------------------------

Last note :

  • Any enquiries about any of the pieces seen today - drop me an email (see - I'm trying).
  • Any good advice you want to leave me about setting up businesses but not via a comment, drop me an email - I don't bite and I would welcome any help. 
  • This post is not a sponsored post for Sally. I just like her and thought I'd show you some nice flowers.
  • It's not a sponsored post if it's for your own stuff, is it :o?





56 comments

  1. I'm with you on the simplistic approach to outfitting. Love those shoes, I need something like that for this season. My fave is the beachcomber, it looks really nice against the white and not too long, I dont like long necklaces. Good luck with the online shop - very admirable x

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    1. I started putting it together last year and took rather a long break but I'm getting back on track now - the little fair gave me the push I needed to get going again.

      And it was such a nice day - the white jumper was the perfect foil for the jewellery. Simple, easy and comfortable. And I'm not very good with long necklaces either - not around children but nice for lazy girl lunches.

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  2. OK Sue, hurry up with that shop! I need that Moonstone necklace in my collection. You're absolutely right though .. I would have said the Beachcomber was my favourite until I saw the Moonstone on you. You're going to have to do a lot of modelling for your shop :) I can only imagine how much that prospect thrills you, lol!!

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    1. Funny that you should like the moonstone one - that's the one I always thought would suit you and it has pearls on too! I think this is how I see you wearing pearls with a pale top which is the best background to offset the necklace.

      The shop - watch this space! I might only have three things in it but I will get it going by hook or by crook.

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  3. It's very pretty jewelry ...you are very clever. I always find what I want to make never comes out quite as I intended. Can't wait for the shop!

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    1. Do you make jewellery too Claire? I know you are good with doing up the furniture and stuff so you obviously have a crafty streak. But it's always fun to try ... I started out knowing nothing and staring at a pearl bracelet I had and replicated it. It took a bit of working out but it all came right with a bit of luck and perseverance.

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  4. Brilliant!! It looks so much fun - very Vicar of Dibley:) I adore the tumbled moonstone lariat!! As you know I treasure my Susie Ho bracelet and I can't wait to add to my collection - make sure you can accept international payments lol:) One of my favorite things to do is arrange flowers - I never buy pre-arranged bouquets - it's that little creative gene making a rare appearance...xx

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    1. Joanna, I will make sure I accept international payments - we are paypal experts aren't we?

      And I'm really surprised to find that you like a bit of flower twitching too. I have to say, I don't like pre-arranged flowers either - I like to give it a whirl myself too. If you were around here, I'd be dragging you off to one of the flower workshops and then a pub lunch.

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    2. Oh don't say things like that - it makes me want to move back - we'd have so much fun! xx

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  5. That's exactly what I would wear most days too - jumper, jeans and footwear! How did I miss that jumper in the H&M sale - I'm always in there! Love the beachcomber necklace. From what I can glimpse of the pieces on your stall they look lovely - worth waiting for! I'm excited for you - can't wait! :)

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  6. Although I realise I've contradicted myself with the whole 'wait/waiting' thing - bad combination of words - you know what I mean!

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    1. It's a very nondescript jumper. A bit like all my other jumpers and tops. A little nondescript and plain. But they're always the best backgrounds for anything else you want to stick on. You honestly wouldn't notice the jumper but this is the type of thing I'm always buying. Just make sure it's cotton or linen so it doesn't pill.

      And thanks for the nice words about the jewellery!

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  7. So cool! I love to see people taking that sort of initiative and making stuff and putting it out there, and how wonderful to get that kind of instant and direct feedback! I'm actually curious to know how you're going about setting up your website, I'm looking into online options myself for an idea I have in the works, but I'm just at the initial stages of research. Have to say that places like Shopify or TicTail seem to make things pretty darned easy... Would love to hear more about your process!

    www.nomadicd.com

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    1. Hi Defne. You're quite creative yourself aren't you? Still love the snow globe! I was going to say - drop me an email offline and I will tell you what I'm up to behind doors. I couldn't find an email address to contact you.

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  8. oh the flowers are so beautiful. actually haven't had any flowers at home recently and you've inspired me to send my boyf a cheeky note :)

    steph / absolutely-fuzzy.com

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    1. Does he need telling? Yup - they all need telling don't they ;o)

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  9. The boyfriend jeans again! I love them - will def have to find a nice pair. Really like the jumper too, it's casual but not a regular sweatshirt. The flower stall is v pretty :)

    Sara at BelfastBeautyLove xx

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    1. Hi Sara, have you not got a pair of boyfriend jeans then? It's coming up to the summer - you need a pair of these to work the easy breezy look. And the jumper is pretty good actually. First time I wore it on the Saturday and it still held up really well by the end of the day - by that I mean, I didn't look like a crumpled train wreck which is always a good thing in my books.

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  10. oh heavenly outfit - so simple yet so good - I love it
    I also love the Tumbled Moonstone Lariat - good choice to show and tell.
    Do you make all the jewellery yourself?

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    1. I do Fiona. All self taught and all stones sourced from lots of different places. I took a trip to China a few years back to take a look at the pearls there and what they had. I really was that keen to get the business going but then I fell pregnant and babies took over. But I'm going to give it a really good try this time.

      The moonstone lariat's lovely - even if I do say so myself. Really soft colours.

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  11. Simple white top, and jeans totally set the backdrop for your pretty jewellery.... The W.I. Is definitely having a big revival now with young women! xx

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    1. They are having a bit of a revival. I confess I joined the W.I. in a neighbouring village and attended two meetings (partly because I knew the chairwoman?). I received a coupon book with lots of money off vouchers and discounts but I have to say they were mainly for chairlifts which I am glad to say I have no use for as yet. But the wine tasting and the belly dancing sessions were quite something - it's not all jam making you know!

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  12. Great look! I was also in jeans and jumpers most of last week and this week til it gets a touch warmer.
    Your jewellery is lovely! I think those necklaces are very flattering and the bracelet is gorgeous! Get going with the webshop please :-)

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    1. Thank you SPD (I love calling you SPD - I always want to bust some power ranger moves when I see the initials SPD). Sorry - I'll grow up now.

      The shop - I'm getting going, I'm getting going. Honest.

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    2. Haha! Power Ranger away! My son was obssessed with the mild mannered Bob the Builder when he was little like your George.

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  13. Love your outfit Sue, can't believe I missed that cotton jumper it looks really expensive too. Love the tumbled moonstone necklace, even though I'm a big fan of ststement necklaces at the minute, it's stunning. Can't wait to see your web shop up and going!

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    1. Thanks Trea. I can't wait to see the web shop up and running either. It's like it's hanging over me. I'll just start small I think with a couple of pieces and just load up with a different piece each week - that's about the speed I work unfortunately. I keep doing things like writing blog posts and laundry instead.

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  14. Sue, you should add another page to your blog which links to a store. Pop in a Paypal cart and payment logo and you're off. That's totally my outfit there!! Great minds think alike :P

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    1. That sounds so tempting and there's a part of me that says I should just get on and do it but I've started putting a shop together and a shop I will have ... even if there are only two items being sold on it. I will start small ... very small infact.

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  15. Your jewellery looks lovely as does the beautiful flower stall. Why not open a store on tictail.com - attach it to your blog, facebook, twitter etc x

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    1. I'm going to! The tictail shop is in the pipeline but the rest takes a bit of getting used to - I will need a phone permanently at my side to do all this tweeting stuff and as for Facebook, I still haven't uploaded a profile pic of myself after all these years. It's all too much - runaway, runaway!

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  16. OK - I NEED the moonstone necklace. It is beautiful, as soon as you set up, let me know. If you take orders for one Id happily order it:) I think 'Chocolate Cookies and Candies' idea sounds perfect to begin with. The most important point for me when ordering online is Paypal. It will make it easy forme and all your other international customers:))

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    1. I can do Paypal! That much I can do. I have to work out p&p too. I went to the post office today with a few items I'd ebayed out and I'd grossly underestimated how much it would cost. Drop me an email offline if you are interested in the moonstone necklace and I will sort it out with you. I can do international!

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  17. That jumper is perfect - love simple pieces like this, and a bargain! Would love to see more of your jewellery:)

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    1. The simpler the better for me generally and the fact that it was such a bargain makes it rather sweet. I confess to rather liking white cardigans and white jumpers for the summer. I have to remind myself that three similar white cardigans is enough for any sane woman.

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  18. I was going to suggest what Marlene said! Just add another page to your blog and list the stuff with a picture. There's sure to be a Paypal gadget to add? Ok, so I'm not really sure what I'm on about but have a look at What I Bought Today - she has a shop page and I think she mentions the company that gives her the HTML functionality behind it. Will stop now as I'm sounding like I know more than I do!
    LOVE the jewels and am in awe of your talent. Oh and the sweatshirt is fab too - you have an amazing ability to make the plain & inexpensive instantly look expensive and stylish. Jammy. x

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    1. Thank you Avril - I can say the same for you too you know. And muchas gracias for the advice. I might stick another page on to Ebay to get me going or I could just hurry up and go with what I've already started. I really need to just work faster but that means I have to stop blogging ... arghghg.

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  19. Oh Sue you are clever. Let me know as soon as you have your online shop up and running....I love long necklaces

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    1. Will do Claire. We still need to sort out a lunch meet don't we?

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  20. I actually didn't realise that you created your own jewellery - you're so talented as from what I can see in the snaps, they look gorgeous. I think you could easily put together a tictactail store or etsy? All that's involved is taking photos and writing descriptions. Not too difficult!

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    1. I've started the tictail shop - it's the pictures which I'm not enjoying doing and for some reason or other, I find it hard to write descriptions. Not difficult but difficult at the same time. But I am going to sort it out for definite this week (not tomorrow - out all day - see excuses already). Time for bed!

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  21. Ohh lovely bits and pieces, do you make the jewellery yourself? xx

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    1. I do indeed. It's quite therapeutic and unfortunately once I start, everything else goes to pot as I get so absorbed.

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  22. What a pretty bracelet! It's surprising how jewellery can suddenly transform an outfit and jeans with a three-quarter sleeve top are great for this time of year.
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Thank you. Jewellery does have the ability to make an outfit - I should wear more but I'm so used to going without, it feels a little alien when I do wear the stuff.

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  23. Hi there! your jewellery is totally gorgeous and I wish you every success with selling it, I'm sure it will all fly out! love your jean and sweater combo too, the necklaces look fabulous against this minimally stylish outfit xxx

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    1. The necklaces work best against such a plain background - they have nothing to contend with.

      Shop is coming along - won't be long now.

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  24. Gorgeous stuff! Do post the link when you have your website set up (I'm sure you would anyway!!) Aw, that flower display is gorgeous. Definitely take the course-sounds fun. I used to buy Jane Packer flowers when I was a student and living in Marylebone and I have never been able to buy a regular bunch from the supermarket without a nostalgic twinge since.

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    1. I'm sitting here thinking how can you afford flowers from Jane Packers when you were a student ... in London!

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  25. Oh I can smell those flowers from here - that white t at the top has the prettiest neckline and just sings with that Lariat necklace!

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  26. PLus love your sandals - what brand are those?

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    1. I've been smelling the hyacinths for days - they're gorgeous but they've just about had it now. They don't last unfortunately.

      .... and the sandals - Primark's finest ;o)

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  27. Thanks for stopping past - I'll pop along to have a look.

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  28. Sue those stalls look so beautiful. I wish we had markets/fairs near our home like that. You necklace is gorgeous!

    xx Mandi
    Find Me A Muse

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    1. They are quite fun these little fairs though I prefer to visit them as a customer rather than doing a stall - I just don't like putting myself out there - weird isn't it? Okay blogging in cyber world but up close and personal - scary stuff.

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  29. White jumper and blue jeans pairing is so chic. I like your moonstone lariat too. Goes so well with the outfit.

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Susie So So