Weddings, Funerals and Denial is not an option

Firstly - I can't honestly believe it's been 2  months since my last blog. There is not excuse but basically to cut a VERY long story short, I will put down funerals, weddings and Christmas - will you forgive me???

Denial about Christmas is no longer an option this year for me, I was in the uncomfortable position this year of being a retailer but someone who also thinks Christmas happens earlier and earlier every year. Most of my stock arrived in the early part of November and as I am such a small shop I had no-where to store it so out it went.

I've actually sold more than I thought I would already to customers who are either super organised or are jetting off to sunnier climates, which definitely makes me feel less guilty about getting all the stock out so early.

We have in some fabulous Lewis and Cooper Christmas Puddings which are so delicious and you could easily pass as home made - they also do a gift wrapped one which is just so pretty - they come in 2 sizes, one will feed about 6 people and one about 11. You should allow about 100g per person for Christmas Puddings but like most things that say "Serves 2" it's just a guide.

I'm sure like everyone else in the UK, I'm delighted about William and Kate (or Catherine as she seems to be called now) and a huge hurrar for giving us all another Bank Holiday - I can't wait but I really feel for Kate as it's nerve racking enough getting married without the whole of the world watching you....

The Pink Crusade is STILL ongoing - I put in planning permission last week so I'm really just waiting to see what the result is, who knows? I've given up hoping that common sense will prevail, sometimes the system is not fit for purpose.

So it's snow and ice falling everywhere this week and it's the Odiham Christmas Extravaganza tomorrow night, I dont' mind the cold but I really hope it's dry.

If it snows, I am not sure when we should all start panic buying? Talking of panic buying, the "Panic Saturday" has been identified as Sat 18th Dec which is the last Saturday when all the disorganised (OK, so I think they mean men) go out and just buy stuff, I have been a recipient of a Panic Buy and I can assure you that a Road Atlas and a Foot Spa didn't really do it for me.

If you do have a panic then rest assured that Swirleeze has Retro Sweetie Hampers from £15 - 35, fantastic tasting and looking Belgium Chocolates and stocking fillers

OK, so that's me for now - the Pug is snuggled up on the sofa in front of the real fire this evening and is snoring her head off - I might go and join her.

Keep warm!

Molly x



Press, Wardrobe Discovery and Lots and Lots of Pugs

The Pink Crusade is still ongoing - I was having the morning off and being super glamorous, you know, ironing in one hand and making a spag bol with the other when the phone rang. It was the shop and Pat said "There is someone from the Press who wants to take your picture and do an article on the Pink outside" - "Can you come now???" They had I assume read the article in the local paper and picked up on it:

http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/8431407.Planners_see_red_over_pink_shop/?ref=mr

Well of course I did after of course throwing on some make up, throwing on a bit more and trying to do something with my hair - and of course a couple of changes of clothes. During the brief time I was chucking most of my clothes onto the bed to find something I liked, I found a couple of really nice things that had been trapped in my wardrobe for a few months - fantastic, and then even better a really nice pair of shoes that I must of bought when walking was just from the car to the office - It was like finding that creased up £5 note in some old jeans - all the satisfaction of going shopping but with none of the guilt!! Unfortunately I was talking far too long delighting in all my "new" clothes that I forgot about the spag bol and the ironing - a heady mixture of steam and smoke was circling in the house...

I get to the shop and have had loads of photo's taken, the lady was lovely but kept saying, Look Grumpy! and unfortunately Odiham High Street was really busy, she had a long lense and was taking photos from the other side of the street - whilst I was on the other side looking grumpy (apparently) I must of looked like a right weirdo - one minute grumpy and the next my usual relatively happy self. She is going to see if the story is of any interest to the National Press, so here's hoping. .......

Shop news is that I've finally got in my Davenport Chocolates which are handmade in England by a lady who trained under a Swiss Chocolatier - they come in the prettiest of boxes and have a superb taste. We have obviously kept the loose Belgium chocolates for those people who want to create their own boxes but these make a nice alternative. I've also found a superb milk free, organic chocolate so I'm going to order a few bars and calenders for Christmas - it must be awful if you suffer from a lactose intolerance but miss chocolate. Maybe a bit like veggies always confess to missing bacon sarnies??

My Auntie and Cousin and her new baby Ned came over for a visit this week,it was really so nice to see them and of course I took over a stash of sweeties to keep them going during their trip and for when they get back home - there isn't really any sweet shops in Perth, so who knows maybe Swirleeze can go Down Under, although the round trip to the wholesalers could be a bit of a mission couldn't it?

We are off for a couple of days to Wales for a quick weekend and a Championship Dog Show with the pug  before the crazy Christmas season starts. I have also seen that there is an auction of pug "stuff" I have left the catalogue around the house with big, highlighted circles of what I would like - I've also sent my husband the link to the auction house, I'm not really sure if I can drop any more hints about it.

I know I am heading towards those people you see on the telly who live in a house filled with carrier bags of old newspapers - or in my case Pug stuff that everyone hates apart from me and my dear avid pug collecting friend Katie who at 92 has had a whole lifetime of stuff ahead of me

OK, that's it for this week

Viva Le Pink!!

My friend Katie who is now 92 with her Black Pug - Pompy

Pink is not the new cream

So an interesting couple of weeks in Odiham High Street.......

When we refurbished the shop in May the outside was looking a little scruffy so we painted it a light candy pink - not realising that Odiham was in a conservation area and as such the colours of the shops all need to be first approved by Hart Council. We have had a meeting with the conservation officer at Hart Council, who has stated that the pink clashes with the outside brickwork and therefore it needs to be changed to cream or cream with a hint of pink (so in fact cream)

Since the pink front has existed we have had a lot more visitors to the shop, lots of pictures have been taken by tourists and in general people love it! However, Hart council are still in insisting the colour is changed to cream, even though it looks great pink and really adds to the personality of the High Street. We really don't like making too much of a fuss about these things but we felt so strongly about keeping the colour that we asked our customers what they thought, if our customers didn't like it then fine, we will change it in a flash - over 600 people have now signed to confirm they love the colour which includes local people,businesses and members of Odiham Parish Council..

Molly has had a number of interviews with the BBC including radio 5 Live (all very early in the morning!) to discuss this situation, our next meeting with Hart Council is next week so fingers crossed!!

We have recently ordered the most fabulous hand made chocolates, they should be coming in towards the end of September and then we will start gearing up for Halloween.

I was having a rare day off on Monday and went into Winchester which is the most beautiful City, there were a couple of sweet shops there and obviously we had to go in and have a nose. I am happy to report that not one was as nice as Swirleeze - not that I'm biased or anything!!! It was a bit depressing, even though it was a warm day and I had a T-Shirt on, there was a lot of shops that had all their Christmas stuff out - it just gets earlier and earlier doesn't it every year?

That's it for a couple of weeks - will keep you updated on mission Pink!

Live and Kicking!

So finally the website has gone live!! I'm really excited about the fact that we are going out into the world

Monday we went to the Speciality and Fine Food festival at Olympia in London - we are passionate about finding interesting, UK based suppliers with delicious products - not necessarily award winning but if they have then so much the better! I went with the mission to find an additional chocolate supplier, Christmas puddings and cakes and something interesting.... It was really worthwhile going but my poor tummy afterwards - after eating lots of sweet things, I then had to have some sour stuff with chillis in etc and then back to the sweet, then some ham just because it looked delicious (and it was) How we suffered for our art

There were so many different trade stands there, some from France, some from very large companies and some from small independent businesses like ourselves. It is a hard life but I tried about 10 different chocolate companies and finally decided on Davenports Chocolates a small business based in Newcastle, the chocolates are created by Artisan Chocalatier Jane Williams and the chocolate taste is just outstanding as well as looking incredibley pretty- I've ordered some and as these are made by hand just for us they will be arriving in a week or so. I am really looking forward to getting them in the shop and online and getting the response from our customers

I'm yet to 100% make my mind up about the Christmas puddings - I've made a short list of 3 and I shall be having the folks over for dinner for the final blind taste and decision (don't tell anyone, but I don't really like Christmas pudding and therefore need assistance from my willing volunteers) It will be a bit like the X Factor but with more fruit - mind you some of the contestants are 100% fruit loops

We recently had a customer come into the shop and tell us that they had recently been to America and that we should definitely stock candied crickets, maggots and beetles as people in Odiham would buy them. Now maybe I'm missing a trick here but some people can find chilli chocolate and salted caramel a step too far so I think I can categorically say that we will never be stocking creepy crawlie - Yuk!!!!!


The hot baby news is that our pug is "probably" pregnant with at least one puglet - it does mean that I can't go to a friends wedding and I'm not really looking forward to waking up every 2 hours just to feed them, however I am sure it will all be worth it in the end.

I was hoping to go to the gym today to work off all the food from Monday but I forgot my trainer! Oh well, looks like I will just have to think about it - they do say it's the thought that counts?

The Launch of new website into the world

Hi All, It's a rainy old August isn't it?  Well a bit of sunshine on the horizon, after many months the new Swirleeze webiste will be finally revealed to the world - http://www.swirleeze.co.uk/ Seriously I had no idea how long it was going to take to create a whole new site, I was thinking a couple of week should be enough!!!

I'm really excited about this as it will be a big step for us. We are a small shop based in Odiham High Street in a really pretty part of Hampshire and it will mean that we can reach customers anywhere in the UK

We will be attending the Odiham farmers market on Bank Holiday Monday and I am really hoping for good weather. We've got our pop up sweetshop in attendance and will be ringing Martha of Martha's Kitchen for more of her fantastic home made fudge. Hopefully we will also have enough time to pop back to our village as they are having their annual duck race which I would like to support if we can.

Congratulations on David and Samantha Cameron on the birth of their new baby girl - that is certainly a holiday they will never forget!! Talking of babies, we have tried to get our black pug pregnant, we found her a lovely husband and she's been showing all the signs (needs a bigger cup size and eating like a machine etc)- so on Sunday I battled around the M25 for 2 hours for a scan and nope, nothing - she's just a big fat faker, no more roast chicken breakfasts for her. Maybe next time if it doesn't clash with Crufts - amazingly she  qualified and I'm taking her come hell or high water, hotel booked already (yes I'm sad)

Looking outside it's raining AGAIN - I am thinking it might be time to put away the garden furniture but then we never really got around to it last year so it's gone a bit yukky now anyway - maybe I shall let it weather in a bit more?

Well, I am now going to sign off and start ordering all the delicious Christmas products - I need to get them ordered before the end of August. Think I may need to put on the Christmas CD now in order to get in the mood.....