Wandering through the weekend. February has to be in the running as our favourite month, the winter landscape is beautiful. Plus, we get a guilt free weekend to properly switch off, not easy when you’re self employed. This year in particular we’re really making the most of the quiet time, things are about to get crazy. Not least because we’re soon to be opening the shop 6 days a week
Our ode to the snow. It’s been a brief but perfect snow day here in Clevedon. The walk in to the shop was a winter wonderland, the walk home you wouldn’t of known it had even snowed. Most the day we’ve been consumed by a dilemma, it’s Katherine’s 20 week scan on Monday - do we find out the sex or not?!?!
Clevedon in winter. It’s been a perfect crisp, cold and calm day here. No snow, just a fresh chill in the air
Bright corner in a pottery studio
Today has taken us by surprise. We were fully expecting a quiet January day, reading a book doing a few odd chores. We didn’t expect a busy day with lots of visitors, especially nice to see @erintrezisewallace , @lucyauge_art and @esme_winter . In these quieter months we are so grateful to anyone that makes the journey to see us in Clevedon, let alone throughout the rest of the year! Have a lovely weekend everyone
At last we’re slowly feeling the rhythm again. Not in full swing, obviously! - it’s January, but we are getting there. The web shop is being updated regularly, especially as deliveries of Claire Kinsella & Lin Lovekin Baskets have just arrived. Some of which are available now
Snap shots from the weekend
January is for weekend wandering. The end of the year with Christmas is so crazy busy we always try to make sure to appreciate the quiet time now. Fresh air, long walks & Bailey standing like a meerkat
Love this time of year, the dark days of winter are slowly being met by the expectations of spring
The shop is CLOSED tomorrow, Tuesday 15th January. Apologies to anyone planning a visit. As annoyed as Bailey might look about the closure, he’s actually over the moon. It’s Seamus’ birthday, the big 3-0! so we’re taking the day to quietly celebrate as a family
Fresh air and muddy boots
Today we took stock of where are are and where we’ve come from. It was this time in 2015 that we thought it would be a good idea to start a website called Midgley Green, selling crafted products by British makers. We had no experience in websites, very little money (we really mean that, very little) and next to no clue how it was going to work. Every spare moment and penny was ploughed into growing our business, we didn’t take anything back for a long while. It took a huge amount more work than we could of imagined, but thanks to Instagram our audience has kept growing. We’ve managed to stick to our ethos organically, which makes us very proud. It’s surreal to think that we now have an online shop, bricks & mortar shop and not only support ourselves but also many craftspeople too. We’ll never be rich, but I know nothing else will ever make us happier
Katherine hasn’t had it easy of late. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt during this pregnancy so far, it’s morning sickness definitely doesn’t happen just in the morning. Any people out there who really struggled with this, we feel your pain!
Fresh start, fresh display. Feels good to be back in the shop, ready to tackle 2019 head first. Haven’t started the year badly, thanks to your nominations @the_shopkeepers . We’ve been recognised as one of the worlds best interiors & home shops - bonkers!
Winter on the hills. We couldn’t of asked for a better end to our break than spending it with Naomi @collateinteriors up on the Quantocks. Not only does Naomi have a gang of beautiful spaniels, she also owns one of our favourite shops. So of course we spent most of the day talking shop life and getting excited for small independents in 2019 - alongside getting muddy and breathing in the fresh air... (swipe left for more photos)
Slow days. We love the quiet of the early part of new year. Still resting, haven’t got back into the swing of things, feeling like we’re in a daze
Dream day on Exmoor, taking it slow. We had our belated Midgley Green Christmas meal in one of our favourite pubs. Of course Bailey won all the awards - Rear of the Year, Employee of the Month (every month) and the People’s Choice Award
Happy New Year from the Midgley Green family. We’ve started 2019 as we mean to go on - walking up and down hills with this mad thing
These quiet in-between days are so relaxing. The buzz of Christmas is slowly petering away, giving us a chance to take in this years journey. It’s been a confident year, less jagged, less scary, a lot smoother. We couldn’t be more grateful for all of your custom and support in 2018. Every penny you’ve spent has helped us grow our support for a network of independent makers, keeping old crafts alive. Tomorrow the shop will be open 10-5 and then we’re taking a short break to catch up on a few day trips before we dive head first in to 2019
This year has been incredible, we honestly can’t thank you enough for your support. However we’ve got a feeling next year might just top it - all being well, in June a new member of the Midgley Green family will be welcomed into the world. Can’t tell if we’re more excited or more scared, and who on earth knows what Bailey is going to make of it all?! Merry Christmas everyone. Lots of love, Katherine, Seamus & Bailey x