2017 Goals ~ Let’s go with Healthy, Wealthy and Wise… and a couple donkeys

I absolutely adore that the advent of the New Year gives one a sense of renewal, a chance to reflect and consequently focus on ones short and long term goals.  We have lots of changes planned for 2017 and, I must say, yes, I must, that we are very, very excited (and a teeny bit scared).  We will be putting all our eggs into our  entrepreneurial basket and focusing our time specifically ~ Pumpjack’s to our new wine business Terroir au Verre and me, Piddlewick, to my Pumpjack & Piddlewick  Shop and the life that goes on behind it, so our blog will get a bit of a face lift too this year.

Welcome 2017! It’s make or break time.
(Hmmm, maybe not a good euphemism when talking about entrepreneurial eggs.)

Morning Coffee – time to rejuvenate and rehydrate my skin

I wrote a post about this ages ago, but decided today that anything worth doing, is worth doing again. And yesterday I treated myself to just this concept, making the time to make my luscious coffee scrub again. This time of year, dark, dank and muddy for us, just begged me to cheer myself up with this treat. My skin has been feeling so dry, what with the heating on and lots of wool clothing, so needs must, and my goodness I feel rejuvenated, rehydrated and ready to take on the rest of winter.

Our Stairs were designed to catch out advancing Knights with swords drawn

If you have ever visited a castle you may have heard the reasoning that a staircase curved upward clockwise to hinder an advancing enemy, who, normally right handed, would have his drawn sword consequently on the inner side of the stairwell as he climbed, whilst the defender would be free to advance down with his sword extended.

Why am I thinking about this? It’s our stairs. They are wonky. I mean really wonky. Our petite maison is very old, probably about 1600s. We think. And whoever built it, either didn’t have a clue about how to build stairs or was seriously out to put off advancing rogues.

Chamomile has taken over my garden – tea any one?

Last year I planted Chamomile, with no great success. I tried it in various places and had a little grow in one of my pallet planters. It produced one really good bunch of flowers, which were duly harvested and made into Chamomile tea.

But what I had forgotten, when I had been, with desperate conviction, trying to get my chamomile to grow, was that I had ‘lost’ almost half a packet of seeds that had spilled out of the envelope. Fast forward to a little over a year later and I now know where the seeds have gone.

Frost by Nature – Bud Burst Busted

In the past, I personally wouldn’t care that spring has been tentative in coming. It might not have even registered in all honesty other than to complain it was a bit chilly. But now that we manage vineyards and are looking to buy grape juice this next harvest, what happens now affects our future. So, I am noticing.

Naming a Wine and Designing a Label is harder than you think!

You watch the vines come to life in the spring and then slowly the leaves start to unfurl and tiny grapes begin to make themselves shown.  You harvest, you press and ultimately you make wine. Then you watch, wait, test, test again, keep testing, adjust, taste, adjust, put in a barrel and finally!… bottle.

Through this all it never really occurs to you what it will be called.

What’s In Store – From Us To You

We have been travelling the world for the last few years, making wine. In 2014, we took a leap, to follow our dream and make our own wine in France. To assist in supporting this dream, and with true entrepreneurial spirit, we are also putting our creative juices (or should that be wine?) to the fore in making a variety of additional items, crafted from the world around us, to sell in our shop Pumpjack & Piddlewick.

Making a Hanging Garden Bed

I admit it wholeheartedly, I am in love with pallets. They are right up there with shipping containers in versatility ~ but maybe, just slightly, more transportable and easier to work with. So, when I came across a picture on Pinterest for a hanging garden bed made from pallets, I fell in love. It went top of the project list

Turning my hand to handmade beauty products

Something I have been aware of as I get older is the sheer quantity of chemicals I have been putting on my skin over time.  It took moving to the countryside and a complete lifestyle change (and a lack of expendable money) to finally get me to do something about it. And now I am asking ~ what took me so long?!?

Breakfast in Bed Pallet Headboard

Today was a lovely day. Sun shining, daffodils starting to show their faces, hanging out with  the rabbits this morning. And, I built a simple headboard out of pallets, complete with shelf and hanging pockets for pillows so we can lean against whilst having our breakfast in bed, comfortably, everyday. Tick – off the list.