I'm so excited to tell you about a new little business my friend and I have set up. 

Last year we both talked about how we really need to find a way to make an income that can mould around our family life and commitments. We both love transforming spaces, whether home or commercial, so we came up with the idea to work together and make the most of our previous experience and help each other.

We are both from the Isle of Wight, but we can travel around a bit, and also offer an online styling advice service too. We can't wait to get up and running with this. Here are lots of photos from the past, to give you an idea of what we are all about, and there is lots of info over on our website too >

Every year we go to our local woods to see the bluebells and it is always amazing every time. We went on a dull drizzly day, which I think is just the right time to see and smell the woods. This woods is just five minutes walk from our house...next to the river. This I will miss very much when we move. 

(By the way, this is Mill Copse which is a very short walk from Yarmouth ferry terminal if you are planning a trip from the mainland without a car, lots of things to do on the river too).

Sorry for the overload of photos here but I couldn't chose which ones to use. I love the ones of my grumpy moody kids the best.

Apart from trying to stay sane, I have been working on the house, ticking off a lots of diy jobs and sorting the garden to look presentable for selling it (a bit hopeful now all things considered but steps in the right direction) and also, something I'm really excited about...

I'm making a new jewellery collection for my brand-new very own jewellery company! I will be running it completely on my own, so designing and making everything by myself. This way I can build up things gradually and keep my overheads as low as possible. When I can hopefully buy my own home (fingers crossed!) I'm hoping to have a bit of space to set up a little workshop area in which I can run my business.

I'm currently doing lots of wax carvings to be casted and sketches and I will be working on a logo and website next. I will still be working for RU.ST too, but will be a bit more from the sidelines as I have been for the last year when I handed over my post-sales role to Nao and our other employees. This is my plan and I will keep you all updated as to my progress! It's kind of scary as I have been working for RU.ST since I was about 25 so it will be strange to start a new thing but at the same time, I am so excited about it!

I will also be starting another little business with my friend and fellow mum of young kids, we will be doing interior design, photography and styling for homes and shops...more to come on that too!

It is very hard to work out ways to make an income when you have small children and not much available time (or energy). So we have worked out ways that we can use our skills and still be there for our kids. Jewellery making is perfect too because jewellery is tiny and I can work from home. Fingers crossed this will work out for us all!

I hope you are all keeping well and coping with the isolation. It is starting to effect me a bit, I really miss going to the pub with my friends the most, but is a small price to pay really, and I have been using my lockdown time as productively as I can. x

(P.s I have done a lot of lying on the sofa and drinking tea ALL DAY too...but I call it work if I am thinking about what I am going to do with my life, right?).