Wednesday 5 January 2011

Another Year and Another Year Older!



Ahem, I have sorted my problem with Bloggger thanks to Sue. Ah the panic when it seems you have been cut adrift from the land of Blog. And so, once more I bid you a Happy New Year.



Like so many of you I love the beginning of a fresh shiny New Year. I love the chance to reflect on what has gone before, what went well and what not so, a chance to think about those New Year's Revolutions - a deliberate misspelling to bring my daughter Lauren to mind when some years ago in all her childishness the word 'resolution' really meant nothing to her, hence the inability to say it correctly. The word has stuck!



As I leave behind the remnants of the Christmas feast, the richness of the food making my mouth water even as I crave zingy flavours and chillies and fresh vegetables as a counterpoint to it, thoughts of the year ahead definitely seem to be coming to mind.



I have kept one of my little notebooks for myself to jot such notions into, a place to ponder and reflect and plot and plan my way forward. No doubt it will soon be full of lists of all kinds, but I love this and never feel bad anymore if these lists are not completed; why worry? If even some of the things are achieved then surely that is progress and should be cause for celebration?



The masks, by the way, are ones we all decorated for our little New Year's party where the glitter positively flowed - almost as much as the Pink Pussycat cocktails in fact!



Elias and Lucy in all their finery, and in case anyone is worried I will just point out that Elias acts as our cocktail waiter at any parties we may have - he is NOT drinking the stuff, but mixes it beautifully with a little help from Isabella.



One of the Revolutions I have written is to grow some mistletoe. I have planned to do this for years, but have never even attempted what I know is a very difficult thing to germinate. This year I will at least try and have the perfect place: a withered, gnarled old pear tree which grows in the hen pen, rarely fruiting much anymore and in desperate need for some attention. Maybe that will happen this year too.



This chilly month is also my birthday month. How typical of me to be born in the cold when I am by nature a cat, drawn to roaring fires, loving to be stroked (!) and always wanting to curl up in the sunny spot on the bed to sleep the days away... if only. Nonetheless, my birthday it is and High Tea at Charlotte's Tea Rooms in Truro was the destination.



The two littlest ones could barely contain their excitement at the silver stands festooned with pretty little sandwiches and cakes galore. And the eldest one (me of course) wasn't much better.



So here I am at the beginning of the year, my 47th year to be precise ...groan... and how am I feeling? Actually, I am excited. I had the busiest Christmas period for my business so far, almost so busy that I couldn't cope which is pretty amazing to me as I only started it just before Christmas four year's ago with tiny, demanding baby and post natal blues in tow.



To be honest, I was so tired I am not sure I really knew what I was starting, but I am so very, very glad I did it now. This year will see me moving it all forward, continuing to hopefully grow my customer base and expanding my range, being in the NOTHS spring catalogue and generally working as hard as I can to make it a continuing success.



New designs need to come to fruition, but I also am determined to keep doing the things that lie at the very heart of Pipany, the things we do here that have always been as necessary to me as breathing: tending my garden, creating whether with knitting or embroidery or machine, making wines and foraging the hedgerows, cooking with our children and building a home for them, a place where they can be safe and cosy and share special times together all gathered round our table in our far too tiny kitchen.



I know it all sounds a little twee, a little smug, but it is what we do and is how we have always lived, so perhaps my biggest New Year's Revolution is to do what we have always done - work hard and enjoy life - only more so!

What's yours? x

22 comments:

  1. Hello Pipany

    It all sounds just brilliant, not at all smug; it sounds happy and light hearted too :)
    I wish you heaps of success with every lovely thing you make and do, and I will enjoy reading about it this coming year. You and your blog are a favourite, and very inspirational in that lovely gentle way you have of blogging, that makes me think, in the midst of my own mayhem here that anything is possible.

    Sending love - and Happy New Year!
    Julia x x x

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  2. Thank goodness you sorted out your space allocation, how would we cope without your lovely pictures!!

    I hope you have a lovely birthday, those cakes and dainty little sandwiches look yummy. What a treat.

    And there's nothing smug or twee about you, your family or your Blog, it's life as it should be lived...happily, family orientatedly and to the full. Keep on doing exactly what you're doing, you do it so well.

    Sue xx

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  3. It doesn't sound smug, it all sounds wonderful!
    Happy New Year!
    Vivienne x

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  4. High tea, what a fabulous way to celebrate! Just one thing (she says, grinning)...you have now completed 47 years and are embarking on your 48th!! Just to make you feel even older....it's what my dear Dad says to us every year....don't worry, you can get your own back in April!!
    D xx
    (I can hear you cursing me, all the way from Penryn!!!)

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  5. Blooming right I am you rotter!!! I hadn't even thought of that! x

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  6. As always Pipany - lovely post. Happy New Year to you all.

    Jane

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  7. Happy New Year, it is my birthday this month too. It doesn't sound smug and twee at all. I think it sounds just lovely. I think you get to a certain point in life when you realise being content with what you have makes you a much happier person, I know I am :)
    Twiggy x

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  8. Glad you sorted out the Blogger problem . Belated birthday wishes , I know just how you feel as it's mine in a few days .... Good luck with the Mistletoe , I'm looking forward to seeing how that works out x

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  9. Pip, your posts are always refreshing - and never smug or twee. I always enjoy my 'Pipany fix' - seeing what you have all been up to down there in lovely Cornwall and marvelling at your gorgeous creations!

    Good luck with the mistletoe growing. It really is a wonder of nature and I can just see it growing amongst those gnarled branches of your pear tree...

    Happy Birthday dear Pip and a Happy New Year too!

    Jeanne
    xox

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  10. It doesn't sound twee at all Pip - I agree whole heartedly, what better intentions could a mum have?

    Your family look so very happy. What a smashing looking bunch.

    Well done on all the success you've worked so hard to achieve, hope 2011 is a hugely successful year too.

    Oh and happy birthday!! Looks like you had a wonderful time. Looking forward to more of your advenutres and creations.
    Lots of love Stephxx

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  11. so glad you are back - have missed you but soo glad it is work that has caused it - it is not smug at all - more people should have the same aims!good luck

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  12. Belated birthday wishes Pipany and good luck with your business in the months ahead. Lovely pics as always. Lesley

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  13. Happy Birthday and New Year too!!! I think your 'revolutions' are very sound and I think I will be doing much as I have always done too. x

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  14. Oooo Charlotte's Tea Rooms, I just love their high tea and their lunches and their sandwiches and their, well everything as my waistline shows. Happy Birthday and a Happy New Year to you and your family.

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  15. Happy belated birthday Pip looks like you had a lovely time. You could never possibly be smug you are a breath of fresh air with your positive family life and your wonderful pictures. Karen X

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  16. Pipany, let me wish you and your beautiful family a very Happy New Year.

    Glad that you got that posting test sorted.

    Let me tell you now, Ms Pipany, that you are really such a young woman now (perhaps that Isabella might rank as top Girl) and you should enjoy fully this part of your life.

    It is such a pleasure to visit you and beautiful Cornwall via your posts. Your textile creations are wonderful, and so connected to your Cornwall inspiration...that is the key to your well deserved success.

    Bravo, Pipany. xo

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  17. I wish I could have a bit of smug and twee, sounds wonderful.. Looking forward to your 2011 posts. Happy New Year to you all. dev x

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  18. Happy belated birthday to you pip, hope you had a good one, looks like you did! Wishing you a very happy and successful 2011, i bet it will be a great one for you, your designs are gorgeous xxx

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  19. Gorgeous photos Pipany, Happy New Year and Happy Birthday, you have so much to celebrate....what an exciting time. I haven't actually got as far as New Years Resolutions, but plan to have a busy fun filled year.
    Best wishes

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  20. I hope you had a wonderful birthday Pipany, it certainly loos as if you did! We are the same age and I keep thinking that someone has added up wrong, 47 sounds like such a big number and I feel like I am but a girl! I think having babies late in life keeps you young, my littlest one is 5, my eldest 20!

    You look fabulous and very happy x

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  21. You never sound smug, Pipany: just happy and rightly so. I enjoyed seeing your gorgeous pictures and a little of what you've been doing with your lovely family. Happy Birthday, by the way - your high tea looked delicious!
    Have a wonderful weekend. Helen x

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  22. Beautiful pictures as always. Your blog is a feast for the eyes. What a fabulous high tea (many happy returns). Hapy new year to you too. And not twee or smug, just lovely.

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