Showtime

Day 2 of the Country Living Spring Fair and we are still having fun. Yesterday was a blur – I had to go in 2 hours before the show opened in a mad panic to tweak the displays and make sure all was well. As per normal, the first day was the quietest, we had equal numbers of browsers and actual shoppers but it was still OK. By 10.30 this morning it was already obvious that it was going to be much busier and so it proved, we sold loads more. The finished stand generated quite a bit of interest and there was much admiration of the wall of flowers which had been painstakingly applied by Ari. Oh, the power of double-sided tape!

Today was great – it was sunny, it was warm, and the crowd were out to enjoy themselves. The absolute scene-stealers? The gorgeous wee lambs. The truism ‘never work with children or animals’ was manifested right before our eyes. Forget the little kids 🙂 it was brilliant watching grown men and women oohing and aahing over the little darlings. They of course gambolled and played like the precious divas they are. It increased the happiness quotient by a gazillion. The hens were total anarchists and absolutely bonkers. I could have warned them about the hens. When we were young my parents had a cockamamie plan to establish a poultry farm so I have experience of hens. I’ve loved them since then, they are nuts! Read more

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The Big Reveal

 

We made it to Ally Pally! It has been a hectic couple of weeks- I was in New York for 4 days then back to work for a week and now a pell-mell journey to Alexandra Palace. In the midst of that, sorting out tickets which didn’t arrive, ordering last minute ingredients, we have also launched a bath line– body cleansers, handwashes, as well as hand & body creams, and lip balms, all with new fragrances, all made by hand. Totally bonkers. Read more

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A Woman’s Work Is Never Done

The wonderfulness that is New London Pharmacy, East 23rd St. Big shout out to Ony.

Cake of splendour at Empire Cakes, 8th Avenue

Beautiful rings by Rhea Kulcsar at the Artisan market next to Downtown branch of Dean & DeLuca. That mother of pearl ring is boss.

 

Have you ever made and poured out 11 litres of shower gel? No? Well, I don’t advise it. How exhausted am I? Let me count the ways… or rather, let’s not. Let me just say that yet again, I fully understand why most people do not start their own businesses. I could write a 450 page Nordic saga on my search for blasted lip balm containers that actually conform to the dimensions advertised so that the labels will actually fit on properly. Ye gods and little fishes, it’s enough to make me turn to my duty-free Jack Daniels. Read more

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Brave New World

They actually really did. I never thought I’d see the day when the rule of law would be so comprehensively trampled into the ground in the UK. Of course, it’s been a long time coming but it’s still something to actually see it demonstrated so unequivocally. 412 MPs decided that the votes of 33.5 million people do not count. And yes, you do need to include those who voted to stay in the EU. If there had been a 70:30 ratio in favour of leaving or otherwise, they would still have done exactly what they’ve done to get the result they want. You may think delaying Article 50 is temporary but logic dictates that people who apparently can’t find a solution in 2 years will not find one in 3 months. What they are planning for is to completely countermand Brexit; we’ll have one crisis after another, security scares, etc etc. I’m sure you all know the playbook by now. The next time any of them pontificates about corruption in the elections of ‘developing nations’ or election fraud, I hope someone holds a great big mirror in front of their face and says’ Physician, heal thyself’

No one should be surprised at the ferocity of the battle; the fate of one of the world’s pivotal nations is in balance here. At least the veil is off now, and we can all truly glimpse that adversary finally. So, am I depressed? No, because I know that they’re about to get a salutary lesson in the ways of real power. Not the child’s play they puff themselves up with, thinking they are deciding our fates. I truly feel sorry for them. The UK is going to leave; all that’s happened is that they get a chance to cover themselves in infamy. Anyone who thinks this is a good result because they voted to stay should remember today when injustice and corruption become the status quo in this country. If your vote does not count on this occasion, why hold elections at all? The important people can just go right ahead and decide for us each time. Just think how much time, money and trouble that will save. I have not voted for any of the last five PMs but others did, we all learn to live with that. So, as they congratulate themselves tonight, I say, let them dance in the light of their fires. Let them also beware the Ides of March. Man is born free, but everywhere is in chains, to quote Rousseau who certainly knew what he was talking about. Remainer, Leaver, I pray peace, justice and freedom for us all. Have a good one.

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Roll Up, Roll Up

Hello dear readers. To get the real stuff out of the way first: Yep, AlaraApothecary will be exhibiting at the Country Living Fair at Alexandra Palace in London from the 28th – 31st of March. How excited are we? Impossible to quantify. In our usual spirit of generosity, we are holding a competition and giving away pairs of tickets to the Fair. To see what will be going on there, Read more

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