Farmers Markets, Craft Fairs and Giveaway Results

This weekend sees the end of an era.  We are doing our last Craft Fair on Saturday and then on Sunday our final Farmers Market in Tetsworth Village Hall, we did our final Great Haseley one last Sunday and went out with a flourish, with lots of bargains for the customers and lots of good wishes for us (and a box of handmade chocolates off one of my favourite customers).

Over the last three years the stock has changed slightly, going over to more handmade and homegrown lavender goodies and away from the bought in things I used to sell in my little lavender shop in Cumbria.

But always we had fun setting up stall and enticing the customers over with the lovely soothing smell of lavender.  During the Summer we sold lots of freshly laid free range eggs, Lovely Hubby's worm tea and compost and took orders for our lovely pork products.

It's been an interesting three years, we've had stalls in all sorts of places, village halls, town centre squares........

... windy deserted car parks, thanks to Jason our Gazebo didn't blow away, but he had to hang on tight!!

The best seller has always been my handmade soaps and loose lavender, with Essential oils coming in a close third.

It really is the end of an era, but one which although we've enjoyed thoroughly, will be happy to see the back of.  No more trying to feed animals in the dark and then getting changed and trying to get away on time, lugging boxes and boxes of stuff in and out of the car, trying to set up stalls on windy days or desperately trying to get warm in freezing cold village halls.

Next year in our bid for self sufficiency we will be concentrating on ourselves, growing for ourselves and making for ourselves and we are really looking forward to it.

And the winner of my little giveaway the other day chosen by a random generator thingy (which I could not figure out how to pop into the Blog (sorry)) is number 21 which is.....

Shaheen

If you drop me an email Shaheen with your address, I will post you a little selection of the goodies I have been selling over the last few weeks at our Farmers Markets and Craft Fairs. (My email address is on my righthand side bar.)

Oh ......and yesterday in the words of Margo Leadbetter  .... 'Christmas was delivered'.  Our yearly luxury hamper from Lovely Hubbys generous contract agency arrived and is now snuggled next to the Christmas tree holding lots of yummy treats for us for the festive season.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Sue xx

Moving on, using up, making money......

A lovely basket of Hyacinths bought at Sundays Farmers Market.

This Sunday saw me bright and early at the Farmers Market, after this one I have only two Farmers Markets and two Craft Fairs left, then I am hanging up my retail hat to concentrate on our forthcoming move and setting up our new small holding.

We went to view our new property for a second time on Sunday afternoon and talked everything we were planning through with our prospective new landlords.  Luckily all the plans are gelling so well,  they are happy with what we want to do and that we can look after their two lovely cats while they are abroad for three years, and we are thrilled with the little bungalow and the four acres of land that we will have available to us.

In the meantime I have lots of stock to sell off to make moving house a little easier, and this time of year is the perfect time to let my loyal customers have some good bargains.....just in time for Christmas.  These soaps are about to be gift packaged, now I just have to get my thinking head on and figure out how I am going to do this.

The sort of stock I have, if not sold will be useful for us to keep anyway, candles, soaps and cards always come in handy, and our next few years of living frugally while we attempt to save super quick to buy our forever home is a good time to have a little stash in the cupboard.

I'm off to play in my little workroom to see what I can make out of what I have left.

Sue xx

Remembrance Sunday

On Sunday Lovely Hubby will be in the village hall for the Farmers Market, running my stall in my absence as I am zooming up the motorway to spend 2 days with my Mum and Dad. 

Being Remembrance Sunday the Farmers Market goes on for an extra hour to allow stallholders and customers the chance to go to church if they want to or to visit the Memorial on the corner where the wreaths will be laid.  It's very poignant in this village as one of our own lost his life in Afghanistan two years ago.  There is also a two minutes silence at eleven o'clock as we, like millions of others all over the country stand to remember our fallen heroes from past and current conflicts and wars. 

 Each and every soldier, sailor, airman and woman is a hero in my opinion.  We also remember those that have returned to their families injured, in body or mind, and pray and hope that these sacrifices will not be in vain, that one day this world will find peace.

I always give thanks that my two brave, brave men came back to us, to rebuild their lives, to move on and to continue loving and being loved by us, their family.

Wear your poppy with pride..........and remember.

Sue xx