It has come to the attention of the small brain that the shop is not doing what was intended! No ... it clearly has other ideas, and while I was busy painting things purple and other important things it changed into something rather special :)
It has, in fact, become Hippo HQ!
We knew that the site being where it was, and the state of the economy and other sensible things that it was never going to turn us into retail millionaires. However, what we absolutely did not allow for was the people we would find along the way and how much better that made it.
We asked some friends to sell with us in the shop initially out of a sensible business decision but had not realised what lovely friends they would all become. We set up craft fairs and had not anticipated people popping by to show us what they were planning to sell on the day and also teaching us some of their craft too. And such a mix too - we've met people from all crafts and walks of life and can't wait to see who turns up next!
Parents - although my mother (the little tinker as my friend calls her now) decided to run away with the float one night also helps out in the shop so I can off and do sensible things. Ok, not always sensible but does give me some time to do errands (ok, ok, divvying around on facebook!). Friends that offer to ring round to help get advertising for our next event - admittedly we are going to sit through the Jubilee stuff on telly while drinking bubbly and wearing deeli bopper headgear, err isn't everyone??
But basicially what the small brain has noticed is that Hippo HQ is becoming a rather interesting thing to be involved in, and I love the fact that it evolved organically from the people that support the Hippos. And now, having read back through what feels like some sort of gushy acceptance speech I will end with the fact that Hippo will probably be careering onto the site tomorrow with yet another 20 bags of stuff for the shop that clearly needed three trips back to the car but was too idle to do that - that leaves you with a more normal image of my daily routine!!
