It's summer in the Northern Hemisphere at my parents' home. I've left Brad behind for the next month and a bit in near freezing temperatures down South. I'm not sure which I like better - the hot and humid weather that I'm sweltering in or the continuously cold and rainy days that I've temporarily
August is a quiet month for me as far as market attendance. If you've checked the monthly calendar you'll note that I will only be at the Boyanup Farmers Market on the fourth Sunday this month. I'm enjoying my break and making a list of all the tasks that I hope to accomplish including
My free postage deal for purchases of $50 and over has been working a treat for many. After some thought, I have decided to keep this on for at least until the end of the year. It is something I intend to review as time goes on. Along with my customers, I have also
It is now established. No more markets for the foreseeable future until this current crisis is over. So where does this leave me and my business? I’ve had the luxury of free time to mull this over. Suffice to say that I am in a place of quiet rest and creativity. The cash flow
There are some key words that are foundational in my business. Local is one of them. A major portion of products at handmadeandmarina depends on raw materials from local sources and outlets. As I have often reiterated in the past, no local resources, no handmadeandmarina! So it follows that my
I'm amazed that the chillie plants are looking their best at this time of the year! In the little plot pictured, I've got 7 varieties growing happily oblivious that we've entered Autumn and about to usher in cooler climes. These chillies will make their way
It's Autumn here already in this corner of Australia and I've got a number of gardening projects that I'm hanging out to get started on! The rush to start planting out winter vegetable seedlings might be a bit premature though as there are a few more 30'C days ahead of us. Last Sunday's seedling
Can you believe it's the end of 2018 already? I've been having a great break catching up on a number of unfinished projects including my blog update. Time flies when you are having fun. It's summer here in the southern hemisphere and as we brace ourselves for another hot Christmas day (something that those
It takes approximately three months before I make my natural handcrafted soaps available for sale. I often describe my soaps as fine wine that gets better with age. That is the nature of these pure olive oil soaps created without extracting the glycerine by-product beneficial for the skin or the addition of synthetic alternatives.
It’s hard to fathom that 2017 is nearly drawing to a close! I've had a good year balancing work, family, leisure and everything in between. Where to begin? There have been a few markets dropped and a few new ones added. I'm no longer at Gelorup Markets and the Stirling Street Art Centre Flea