Hello friends!! I know it’s a week late, but Happy 2013!!!!! My wish for all of you is that this year brings you joy and fulfillment. I think that, at the end of the day all that really matters is that we are happy, healthy and fulfilled in ourselves. Once we have that we will be able to achieve our goals, support our loved ones and handle the obstacles that cross our path…… as I write this I am thinking “are you listening to yourself and taking note!!!” We all have our challenges in our lives, and I hope that this is a year when things get a bit easier!! For all of us!

So – did you all have a wonderful Christmas and a good break? I am almost ashamed to say that I spent 3 weeks doing a whole lot of nothing!! I had ambitions to blog – alas it was not to be. The last month of work last year was really hectic, and I decided that I deserved my holiday. It also gave me some time to think about how Paperpeony has grown in the last year, and impacted on my time and family life. I really am going to try to find a balance this year between providing great, prompt service and my time with my family. Maybe no replying to website enquiries over evenings and on the weekends….hmmmmm??

I’ve put together a little album of pictures I took while we were on holiday at Pringle Bay. This was out first long holiday at the house and it was fabulous. I was very sad to leave, but reality had to intervene at some point. We had somewhat windy weather (very normal this time of year) so we didn’t spend much time on the beach, which is much better for my skin in any case. What we did do was late afternoon and early morning beach walks. We also discovered a little hidden beach about 10 minutes drive away and it is my new favourite beach! In these pictures you’ll see my Mom and Dad, my hubby and my cousins who were visiting. And they were all taken on my trusty iphone! Not bad for aim and shoot!

And the highlight of the last month – my Christmas present came home to us this last Friday!! His name is Samuel and he is about 3 months old. I am besotted with this little fellow and will be sharing a whole lot more about him in the coming months I am sure!! Welcome to our lives Sam!!

It’s great to be back!!!! Much love.

Hello everyone!!!! I’ve been thinking of you all and feeling SO BAD that I’ve been so silent! We had a wonderful week away, and after being back for 2 days I feel that I need a holiday all over again!! With 3 weeks to go before the Constantia Gift Fair the pressure is on to get everything finished and ready – stressing….!!!!! And this week is the last official week of school for my hubby’s eldest daughter before final exams start next week, so we have a school function every day!!!! (Any ideas how I can stop time for about a week???)

So – we went to Pringle Bay and slowed down for a week. My hubby slept, read, watched movies and I printed and trimmed about 400 calendars…..have 1 blister and 2 numb fingers, but they are done and are now being bound! YAY!!! Once I have them back and completely finished I’ll show you some photos. Now to get everything else done.

Here are some photos, all taken on my trusty i-phone, of our time away. It really is so beautiful here at the moment with lovely spring wildflowers popping up everywhere. The vegetation in Pringle Bay is all indigenous “fynbos”, and the birdlife is abundant. I’m also really happy to say that the babboon ”guards” are proving really effective and we never saw any of the menace the whole time we were there. Reason to celebrate!! 

I’ll be back again tomorrow!!