I was in the bathroom - a job that takes a little while for me at present. I hear the husband, still in bed, talking. To whom I'm not sure… so when I come back out I ask “Who were you talking to?” Looking seriously sheepish, he says - Um the blanket, thought it was little dog and wondered why she wasn’t moving when I spoke to her. It's been that kind of few days. I had surgery on both hands last Friday so have been living in a comedy since then. The key question from family and close friends has been...

I can’t believe the week is nearly over, before it's begun really!It's an exciting time in Cambridge with the Dragon Boating ladies from all over the world in town this week. Celebrating their lives and that of love ones living with cancer. Pink is the flavour of the week, with a big dose of courage.I decided it was a great opportunity to give back, so, until Saturday when they finish races, in Midnight Ivy, we are giving 40% discount off all the undies and bras… so it's worth getting into the shop and taking advantage of this massive discount.One of...

Is it worth getting sick for? If its a hot cross bun… Dam right it is! I've been gluten free for years, but there's 1 thing it's worth getting sick over and that's a mighty fine Easter bun.Thing is, I'm not a top girl… its all about the bottom… If Im going to break the rules it better be worth it and the tops of a hot cross bun aren’t as good as the bottom. Just saying.It is an egg citing time of the year for kids and its the break where there's more days off than Christmas. As a...

I ventured outside this morning as the sun rose and walked back in saying jeepers that was nippy on the pippi!I was about to sit and write this having been ejected from bed by the helpers invading my space. They too were cold.My plan was to say something about the Gabriels shop facelift (we can talk about) and how it's exciting and nearly all done… But the best laid plans seem to keep moving on me… enough is enough and we will be moving back in this weekend.Please don't let 1 April be my fool's day!!The desk top is held...

Well this week sure seems to tick some extra boxes in our house. Right now the house is quiet apart from the little dog helper sitting not so quiet at my feet… still in shock…The husband had to help as little dog had a haircut tonight - Girl kid, videoing on her phone, Mumma still playing hairdressers she laughed as she filmed. Little did she know husband had his hair cut this morning, in her bathroom… so mine wasn’t covered in hair 😉😱💃. But a little dog sits at my feet and pants, Still recovering from her ordeal. Odd little...

"Not a fan of this kind of morning" said our girl kid this morning at 7, Oh I'm not so bothered I love a good snap of cold in the morning, with pretty mist, my reply… You know you're alive for sure. “But it's dark at 7” she said. Just think in a couple of weeks 7 will be 6 I reminded her… Yes here’s that weirdo time of the year when seasons change is here again.Helped not at all by the full moon this week. Im finding more often the week of a full moon some people have the...

When a lady said “sweet mother of Jesus” woman how have you done that!? And in 2 days no less. It did make me stop - without thinking I said "no *&Ck%$g idea". 🤭 face came out and I apologised for my bad word. Her reply "I'd use that word too". That was the raw of it late Sunday afternoon as the final items were being wheeled into Midnight Ivy building. The team were so awesome and I really want to say a big thanks to them for coming in and helping get it done. We so appreciate that. The upside too, is they know where...

Having just spent 5 nights at my sisters it reminded me how we can all be family, yet be so different. When we were kids we used to say Same Same but different. We were a blended family, so that was one answer when people asked how we were same age and not twins. Back in the 80’s nothing was so P C. We’d all just laugh and say same same but different!That's summing up the next few weeks for us at Gabriels and Midnight Ivy… Same Same but different… When working out the how’s and when’s of putting Gabriels...

Well, it's always the best laid plans A?! What a total week of it…I'm certainly embracing the just roll with it. For families, we love in the displaced areas we are certainly thinking of you all.As for displacement we are about to have some of our own. Thankfully not under tragic circumstances.Gabriels is moving in with Midnight Ivy while its building is earthquake proofed. (so just next door) It does mean Gabriels gets a long awaited and needed face lift - It's both exciting and daunting.My sense of humour has all sorts of words tumbling around regarding face lifts -...

I had a saying when I was hairdressing when the nearly impossible was asked of me, lucky for me my clients had been mine for 30ish years so when I said… “It's a comb today not a wand” thankfully we both had a laugh and got down to sorting them out in a realistic fashion. Funny in retail for these past 7 years there's times when clients are looking for a very specific thing, and nothing else will do, no matter what we suggest. (We have a really good idea of what's been made, as we see everything from the...

The funny thing is I have family who I call my pink tornadoes- and last night (quick trip to the Naki for last family dinner in the now sold family home) 1 of my pink tornadoes said "Aunty Fay you’ve got a cyclone" - Gabriel - Husband quick to pick it up said "Charlotte, Fays more like a hurricane!" But you could have a Gabriels cyclone of a sale… He got a quick hurricane response of “we’re already in a super crazy sale, you’ve already told me off that stuff is marked down less than cost in some cases, so...

I’d just finished saying to husband – “can you believe it; we’ve just had six days away without any hassles” We survived! It’s been a magic week, and we have re-named Rays Rest to “Fays Rest” A week spent chilling out, reading, bike riding and meeting new people as they parked in at the beach beside us. Swapping life stories and learning stuff I never knew I needed to know. The perfect recharge. There’s been a couple of life lessons we will pay attention to moving forward.1. That buzzing sound is a mossie!2. Don’t drink the water at a dump...