Put a Spring in Your Step

“Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer.” Anita Krizzan

Brighter Days are on the Way

It’s Spring. It IS. Really. The sky is blue (well, sometimes), the birds are singing, the sun is setting later and later, and the trees are in bud. Daffodils are fluttering and dancing in the breeze (apologies to Wordsworth). The pure, unadulterated optimism of crocuses heralds brighter, sunshiney days ahead. Now Boris has spoken of the roadmap to freedom from lockdown and restrictions, happy days are (almost) here again!

“I have heard it said that winter, too, will pass, that spring is a sign that summer is due at last. See, all we have to do is hang on.” Maya Angelou

School’s IN for Spring

Monday 8 March was the first of hopefully many happy days as home-teacher hats were hung up across the country. It seems apt that Mothers’ day follows shortly after, this Sunday in fact. Then it will be Easter.

Soon, we can say goodbye to Zoom meetings, online quiz nights and kitchen discos. Although, actually, we may keep the kitchen disco once we can have guests. Who’s upgraded their kitchen for that very reason? Go on, admit it…

Going Out OUT

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” Leo Tolstoy

What do you have planned? Late afternoons and long, lazy evenings in the beer garden? Oh, how I long for a large, chilled glass of wine with the girls… Long-awaited parties with friends? Festivals, race days, weddings and picnics? We have a LOT of catching up to do.

Buy Some Brightness

I predict that come Summer, we’ll all be wearing the brightest shades we can to make up for the past dull, dark days of the year. Maybe money can’t buy you happiness. But it CAN buy you handbags, and that’s a bloomin’ good start – so feast your eyes girls, like the kid in the metaphorical sweetie shop. Goodies galore and handbags of happiness!

Zara

First up, look longingly at the beautiful and elegant lines of Zara (not for too long, mind – she’s selling fast). I am LOVING the Royal Blue. Bright enough to lift your spirits but classic enough to go anywhere and go WITH anything. The Orange is rather glorious, too – reminiscent of a sunny Mediterranean Taverna terrace. There’s also a simply exquisite silver and gold. Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but all that luscious beauty and brightness comes with literally bags of room, too.

Cartmel Collection

I can’t stop waxing lyrical about our EXQUISITE Cartmel collection. These sumptuous, luxurious leather goods – with their history and provenance – have been as loved as I expected. They’re equal to – if not exceeding – anything the designer handbag companies produce. But they’re British. They’re made right here. There’s a little bit of the Lake District in every one.

Fleurette

I am also more than a little in love with Fleurette in the brilliant, bold red. Unapologetic, in your face and nodding to pillar boxes, London buses and telephone boxes. Other colours are of course available, each equally lovely in their own right. But. The red. Wow. Fleurette is dinky and diminutive but with plenty of room for keys, phone and purse, plus enough make-up for touch-ups on the go.

Honey

Oh! And a little bit of appreciation for an eternal favourite, the Honey crossbody saddle bag. It’s hard to say which cheery shade is my favourite, but do you know what? At a smidge under £40, treat yourself to a couple. The royal blue, the fuchsia and the bright, bold green are ALL lush. But then, so are the soft yellow and the dusky green…

Onwards and Upwards – in Style

I could write all day to sing the praises of everything in our collections. But, pour yourself a glass of something good. I shall leave you to browse, enjoy – and treat yourself. You SO deserve it. Maybe treat someone else, too. Did you know we can send a gift directly, with your own special message included? Rather more personal that a voucher, n’est pas? And if we’ve learnt anything from the past year – no more saving your beautiful things for a special occasion. Life IS a special occasion. Live it – and buy the bag!

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We Wish You a Cashmere-y Christmas and a Handbaggy New Year

What a strange year 2020 has been. It’s almost as though nothing would surprise us. We’ve learnt a lot this year. We’ve learnt to value home, and friends. We’ve learnt to adapt and diversify. And we’ve learnt to never take anything for granted (let alone loo paper or dried pasta!). One day, hopefully not too far away, we’ll look back on this time like it’s been a strange dream.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

No matter what, we all need something to look forward to, and Christmas was always going to be special – it always is. To quote the incredibly wise Dr Suess, ”Christmas will always be, as long as we stand heart to heart…” Sure, we’ll miss the nights out; the house full of guests at all hours; the champagne and bonhomie of New Year’s Eve. But we will adapt and diversify here, too.

There is something magical about Christmastime, regardless of your age, no matter if you have children. Surely, we are never too old to look up and search the sky late on Christmas Eve. Or feel a tingle at the sound of Away in a Manger. Or drive round on Christmas light magical mystery tours. What are your Christmas traditions? Or indeed, your Christmas foibles?

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? There’s still time, don’t panic. We have lots of lovely new goodies which will make perfect gifts. Normally we’d suggest you sink into a comfy chair with a glass of wine and have a browse, but December nights call for Bailey’s hot chocolate. Topped with whipped cream.

Feast your eyes on the cosiest of cashmere scarves (surely it’s the law to have a new scarf for the Christmas Day walk?) and our most-wanted new Cartmel collection. As ever we have some beautiful jewellery pieces from contemporary cuffs to antique-look pendants and of course a bag for anyone – the MyExquisite favourites and some shiny new stars of the show. And if you’re done, dusted and all wrapped up, treat yourself. You are SO on Santa’s good list!

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

We’ve talked a lot about the magic of Christmas, and the truth is, you don’t need to be under ten, or believe in Father Christmas, to experience it. Edwin Osgood Grover describes the magic of Christmas, and the man himself, thus: “Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy; who gives himself by thought or word or deed in every gift that he bestows.”

“What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.” Agnes M. Pahro

“Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” Edna Ferber

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others.” Bob Hope.

“I don’t think Christmas is necessarily about things. It’s about being good to one another.” Carrie Fisher

“Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind.” Valentine Davies, ‘Miracle on 34th Street’

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” ELF

Jingle Bells

And to finish, the words of Zuzu Bailey in Christmas Classic, It’s a Wonderful Life: “Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” Keep those bells ringing and ringing out, everyone. Stay safe, hug those that you can and let the rest know how much they mean.

We’d like to thank you, our customers and friends, for your support this year for this small business. It really does mean the world, and somehow, despite lockdowns and tiers – and even tears, sometimes – we’re entering our fourth year with justified optimism. As we said in an earlier blog, we really have enjoyed hearing from you and being tagged in your Insta posts.

Have a wonderful Christmas and here’s to 2021 – may it be a brilliant, bright new year.

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