Enough With The Whinging

Chelsea's birthday celebration - and a gaggle of my favorite people.

This is a bustling time of year. As I had a fury meltdown in the Newark airport on our way home from Portugal, the one notion that gave me peace was thinking of coming home to decorate for Christmas and bake sweets and wake up in the morning without much to do that day at all. We left immediately after wedding season. I hadn't dumped the water buckets, restocked the shelves, or taken apart the flower arrangements. I left all that in the garage to rot while we were away. I'd come home, clean up my mess, and then settle in for a cozy December's holiday.

Mom took care of my plants while we were away.

Joke's on you Big Lu. In recent months I'd been scheming my Lux & U marketing tactics. So far I've gotten by with Instagram, minimal trade show efforts, and word of mouth reviews, but I looked ahead to my 2019 Spring Season and was unimpressed by the numbers.

"It's time, you tightwad." I heard me say to myself.
"What do you mean?"
"You've got to market your business."
"Bleh. I hate people that market their businesses."
"That's because they have money and success."
"But I don't actually want to book more weddings. I don't want to do anything most days."
"I get it, but you can't let people know that. Especially Brett, he can't find out about your desire to be a "stay at home plant-mom", at least not until he gets his official engineering qualification. Then you can spring it on him. And anyways, what would you do all day?"
"I'd be bored."
"You sure would. Go on. Go do your work."
"Ugh. Fine!"

So I did a little marketing thing that went out while we were away and I came home to a heap of inquiries and quote requests and emails. I now have more weddings booked for this Spring than I usually book in a full year. This really is great and exciting news ... but my lazy December and holiday baking plans had to be squashed way down next to my childhood desire to be trapeze artist and I've just been working non-stop.

The girls help with laundry.

Brett and I did go for our first Christmas Tree and I used the leftover wedding lighting around the house even though I think the white cord is garish. In the twenty days that we've been home we've been to two birthday parties, four Christmas parties, and a handful of friend dinners. We have prepared our home for Christmas, done just two holiday bakes, and been scooting around town on the present hunt. Christmas shopping makes me feel guilty because I always wind up finding a bunch of crap I love and forgetting that I need to be thinking about others.

As of yesterday, I'm caught up with all work things. All proposals and quotes have been sent off, and coffee dates and phone calls completed. I'm putting an away message on my email today. Your weddings can wait! I've got things to bake. Last night I made Oggies for dinner - handmade puff pastries filled with lamb and potatoes and other goodies. I covered the kitchen with a layer of flour and thus, my baking season has begun.

Grace longs for more.

Lastly, enjoy this photo of Puppy Pippa that Hayden found in the Pet Helpers archives. We'd almost forgotten her name was Rasta. I'd give anything to hold her when she was so small. 

What a life she'd fall into.