Smile for the camera...

Very exciting week for us at Beaudisse & Boodles. With the website coming along full steam ahead we have enlisted talented photographer (and slightly humerous) Mike Worsnop to take photos of our skirts, dresses etc as well as our product photos. His photos are excellent - you can check them out at www.mikeworsnop.smugmug.com/ .

Spring has sprung!

Well, another market under our belt! Yesterday was a glorious sunny spring day, and it was surprisingly quiet at the Tirau market! Everyone was feeling it and the general opinion around the market was that as it was the first sunny weekend day we had had in a while, people were probably at home in the garden. While some stall holders were thinking about other things they could be doing with their day, we were making the most of the child-free zone (no 'I want...' or 'can you get me...') and taking the opportunity to brain storm ideas for our spring/summer stock. We seem to have some of our best ideas while we are sitting under that gazebo!

Other stall holders have commented that we should try the Tamahere market, but the bad experience of winter 2008 is still too fresh in my mind - the ghosts of markets past. We were the obvious newbys on the block and it was a cold, wet day. It wasn't until the rain starting falling heavily that we realised dad's gazebo that we had borrowed, wasn't waterproof. Well, that was what the Canadian tourists alerted us to when they tried to seek shelter from the rain. Luckily we had thought to bring a tarpaulin, so managed to cover our small table to protect our products, but it's difficult trying to sell things that people can't see! And then the wind got up. [NB - may pay to mention that when Jacs and I get together, it doesn't take much to send us into hysterics, so by this stage we were in uncontrollable laughter and hardly able to speak, let alone communicate with potential customers]. It hadn't occurred to us to bring anything to weight down the gazebo, so we had to stand as human weights on each side of the gazebo as the strong winds blew us from one side to the other and we unsuccessfully attempted to stay dry.

So I'm sure you can understand my hesitation when Jacs suggested we try the Tirau market.

Willie Nelson said it best when he sang......

"Blue skies, shining on meeee... nothing but blue skies .. do I seeeee....."

Its been a gorgeous (and surprisingly productive) spring weekend - managed to get several of our adorable new spring dresses cut and most probably managed to drink 6/8 cups of coffee still warm!


Have stocked up the shop at Alphra Lavenders with plenty of our product as things are already starting to get busy out there. Our lavender bonbons are flying off the shelves! We love working in the shop - there is a fantastic vibe that starts this time every year. Many of the regular customers start to appear and the tourists start to arrive. Mum gets into "tour mode" and with lavender shortbread close at hand its not long before she is educating bus loads of people on growing, harvesting and the benefits of lavender.

Definately worth a visit if your passing through the Waikato!!