Winter 2012.......

The 2 sprouts are in their pool & I am sitting in the shade of the mulberry tree mixing & matching some gorgeous fabrics that have arrived for the Winter 2012 range. I am really looking forward to bringing out a new range after having taking a break last season... my sewjo is back!

Don't be afraid of the Edge.......

When I started my business 4 years ago from my lounge room all I had was a hand drawn shorts pattern on Christmas wrapping paper my mother gave me, a $189 sewing machine from Kmart, a $119 overlocker from Aldi & an old laptop. It was then up to me to find out how to buy fabric, where to buy it, how to source wholesalers, how to register for a business name, how to sew etc etc. My one big set back was that I lived in Kalgoorlie which meant no Spotlight, all my fabric purchases were from the local craft shop at $24-$30 metre for a fabric, scary to practice on & my fabric cost more than some of the things I was making but I didn't care as I loved to sew.

I searched forums & websites for hours on end trying to find resources, I emailed people & asked questions & was either never replied to or fobbed off with "I paid my dues you have to pay yours". This frustrated me at the time because I didnt want to copy what designers were doing, I respected them greatly & was genuinely trying to find materials as there were none where I lived. Luckily I stumbled upon someone who mentioned Etsy, thankyou Lord for Etsy! I was finally able to buy fabric that was not available where I lived, it also helped me to research the Australian distributors of fabric & from there on I haven't looked back.

Since then I have made it a point that if ever I am asked about suppliers or resources I have always been more than willing to supply to them any knowledge I have no matter how small or insignificant & I love to see & support other small businesses like myself blossom & grow.

Unfortunately my sharing, as I have been told, became an issue today when I posted a link on my facebook page to a pattern that is for sale to anyone all over the world. I have always been positive on my page & have never had a reason to post anything negative however after I received numerous personal messages that another persons facebook's page nasty update was referring to me I was shocked. I found the update disturbing both in its agressiveness & the fact that children were mentioned. I decided to post this update in the hope that if it was meant for me that this person would be ashamed of what they wrote & even if it wasn't meant for me they still should be ashamed & others out there that have been bullied shouldn't accept this type of behaviour.

I am saddened that after coming so far personally there would be such haters out there, I am not hurt by the comments as they are ridiculous but I do think they are disturbing & sad. I refuse to become a business that does not pass on information because at the end of the day I am but a small fish in a big pond & there is plenty of business to go around.

Stop your Flippin' Whingeing............

We have just driven back today from a great night up at Hoover House in Gwalia, it is actually our third visit because we love staying at this B&B. Not only does it have a fantastic museum that you can walk around, after 4pm the gate is locked & you have the whole place to yourselves.

My favourite part of the area is the ghost town of the miners houses that the local residents have restored themselves.

It is a grounding & humbling experience to walk through these homes, the stoves that needed wood to cook, the toilets that were non existent, the sewing machines that needed a foot to get them going. By visiting these places it makes me stop & think the next time something miniscule annoys me in my modern life to say to myself...'Victoria Stop your Flippin' Whingeing!'

I was once told that my attitude of being grateful & thankful of what I have will not help me be successful in business as I am too nice to succeed & I should care if others are trying to belittle me or compete. Well if being grateful or thankful for what I have rather than spending my time & headspace caught up with what other businesses are doing will make me a failure then I am more than happy not to succeed.

Slow & Steady Wins the Race.......

It's been a busy time at work & at home for the past 10 weeks. The store has now been re-located over to 77 Hannan St, it has been a bit of a mission moving as I had no idea how busy I would be in the new store &  I am so happy to have had such a positive response, thankyou Kalgoorlie :)

Also on the agenda has been the new Boutique Candy Buffets so Deb & I have been spending alot of time collaborating with other local & out of state businesses with cross promotions.

On the home front Mr Sprout & I have been getting the spare bedroom ready in anticipation of becoming foster parents for our local community, something we are both very excited about.

Please excuse me if I am a little slow to see any facebook messages/comments or emails, my daily internet time is now very short due to my store/community/family commitments & I do appreciate all comments & likes.

I have chosen to be a slow & steady turtle for 4years now & though my ideal finish line is quite a way off I know that I am on the path to winning not only my buisness but my personal race..............

Chocolate on a spoon?....mmmm yummy!

So in my intrepid travels around the www for my new venture Brusselsprouts Boutique Candy Buffets I came across a photo of chocolate on a spoon with loads of yummy goodness stuck to it.....unfortunately because I am an intrepid traveller I cannot give you the link to the page or give the person who blogged about it the praise & respect they deserve & for that I am sorry.

However what it boils down to is this, chocolate on a spoon is the bees knees.....I know because Mr 4 & 2 told me so. These are the same Mr's 4 & 2 who refuse to eat anything that looks non yellow or non red meaning they only like strawberries, spaghetti, toast &  bananas everything else is "ukky".

My telling them it was 'chocolate' which is a magical word they hear once a year as I am a terrible mother that only hands it out on special occasions piqued their interest somewhat & once they got over the fact that it was pink they were keen to consume it......& like it.

All you have to do is melt some chocolate, I did mine in the microwave it took 30 seconds, add some food colouring, pour it onto a plastic spoon & then add whatever decoration you like. Just a quick note though, dont fill the spoon up all the way before you add the other items as it will overflow.....yes I am an overfiller.

A few small Changes......

are happening at Brusselsprouts. Firstly the Porter St store is moving.....around the corner onto the main st of Kalgoorlie, Hannan St. It is a cute little space & with the different size & shape of the store will come a new layout & some new products.

Handmade will still be available in store, with 12 labels from the eastern states & 5 local there is a great selection. Some small run international labels will also soon be gracing the racks along with the likes of Noah & Belles and the larger mainstream will slowly be phased out.

And most exciting is a new venture that I am in the stages of developing now which will take Brusselsprouts in a whole new direction....I will divulge more when closer to release date :)

It has been a fantastic time at Porter St & I have enjoyed every minute. I have been very lucky to have had such wonderful support from so many handmade labels who encouraged me from day one 3.5yrs ago when I started out & continue to do so today. I have also found the larger suppliers to be very helpful to such a newbie as myself, if it wasnt for their items I would have had an empty store on many occasions & would not be in business today.  I know firsthand that when it comes to handmade, stock doesnt & can't get made overnight, we have children, husbands & many have other jobs, which makes it all the more special & why it sells so quickly. I love to sew & won't ever stop.

Tomorrow will be the last trading day at Porter St....sob....but onwards & upwards with the next step in the journey of Brusselsprouts, a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a woman who had a dream & made it a reality, thankyou to each & all of you xx

Wordless Wednesday........