Local Markets and website updates...

We've been busy in real life and on the website

We went to the West Wycombe August craft market, which if you get the chance to go to in the future do it!  It's a small market, free entry but every stall is top notch.

I had my little helper for the day

I was much happier with the set up of the stall despite the much smaller space - think we've got it sorted now.

After a bit of trial and error, I've settled on the packaging for the tealights

Simple, functional and pretty as well pretty.

We've got the tealights all listed on the website, including a pick and mix option!  

I love dotting them around in the living room, trouble is I can't choose which jar to pop them in.

I've also listed refills for the reed diffusers

Hard to believe that the summer holidays are almost finished.

The back to school routine is starting in our little home, nights are starting to draw in.  It's funny but when I burn my candles in the evening they bring back little memories of days out, days in the pool, days just chilling on the deck.

I've got a Beach Days diffuser out in my bedroom, as for me it's been the smell of Summer 2017

Time Travelling...

I think I might be a time traveller on the quiet.

One minute I look at the calender and its March, I look again and June's here, look again and we're almost at the end of July!

How does it happen?

Like many of you I'm in the hectic count down to end of term.

With my youngest daughter moving up to BIG school this year, there are a lot of 'leavers' events occuring.

All lots of fun and all totally distracting!!

We took NW & Co Candles to Tidworth Polo Club at the beginning of this month

I've never been to a Polo match before and Tidworth were hosting the Rundle Cup, an Army v Navy event.

There was a parachute drop complete with flags & smoke, the Royal Marines marching band and of course a fair dose of Polo!

It was a smashing day, the weather was glorious

Candles in the heat can be challenging, but with a bit of movement we were able to keep the majority of them shaded

The tent smelt amazing if I say so myself, if I could have had a pound for everyone who said how lovely it smelt I would of had a weekend away somewhere sunny!

I'm so pleased with how it all looked on the day

The only thing I would change is to not separate the tables, as when it got a bit busy it meant instead of a flow of people one way there was a bit of crossing over!  Not the end of the world I know but what can I say?  Call me picky.  

The Vintage Range was a lovely talking point, lots of memories from Grannies tables

I can't end a post without mentioning the really important stuff!

We now offer all our scents in a candle, reed diffuser & also a room spray.

I'll make a separate post about the reed diffuser & room spray

They honestly do deserve a bit of a showy off post!

Needless to say it took a LOT of testing to get them both to be just right

full range available online at

NW&Co

**********

Jolly June...

I confess I have a new candle crush, turns out I can't single one scent alone as my favourite or my signature.

What can I say my heart is fickle

June is all about dreaming of holidays, white sands with crystal clear blue seas

'Beach Days'

Coconut, Bergamot and Almonds

Also available in tealights, ready to burn in these perfectly gorgeous silver mercuried love heart jars

We also have a selection of Vintage Jelly Moulds

 which give a beautiful glow when they're burning

All available to buy at

www.nwandco.com

NW & Co range is coming along nicely...

If I say so myself, the core NW & Co range is coming along really nicely!

It takes time when you want to give the absolute very best you can, you have to try it, try it again then once more just to make sure!

Then when once you finalise the scent mix you need to decide what jar or container to use.  I could follow trends or follow someone else but then that wouldn't be me and I couldn't get behind it 100%

So I can safely say that after a lot of testing of base carriers and reeds I have finally found the perfect combination!

Using vintage style school milk bottles, similar to the ones Priddy Priddy have stocked over the years.

They compliment the Utility Range candles perfectly and I can vouch how lovely the layered scent in a room is.  At the moment we have a Driftwood Candle and Driftwood Reed Diffuser in our bathroom. 

(and also a room spray) 

It's quite lovely to have the underlying scent in there from the Reed Diffuser; then when I want to relax in the bubbles I just burn the candle for an hour.

As well as the Reed Diffusers we will also be adding a New Range of Room Scents to the NW & Co core range!!

I have to be honest I was unsure about the Room Sprays, I don't use air fresheners at home.  Open windows, Candles and Reed Diffusers are generally enough but then there are those times when you can't open the windows or light a candle and that's where the room sprays have been fantastic.

So I'm more than a little bit giddy and happy to say that there will also be Room Sprays available in all the scents that we carry.

The Amber Glass Apothecary bottles look stylish and are a practical solution.  There will be re-fills available so once you've used your spray simply rinse and re-fill.

There is a lot of real life work behind the scenes here, so if I am a bit quiet for a few weeks please do bear with me!

NW & Co Candles...

NW & Co Candles

A long time ago now I started making candles to sell at the Vintage Fairs.

It took a long time to get the mix of oils right to give the very best scent throws, to choose which wicks to use, what wax, legal legislation - oh the list is long

Then just as I thought I was ready to go there is another well established company with a name so very similar to Priddy Priddy

What could have been a real blow actually turned out to be the best thing!

It gave me the push in the right direction to actually dedicate some time & energy to give the candles their own stand alone identity

NW &Co

Well I'm the NW, Nicola Windsor

the Co are my large family who have all offered practical help, support & encouragement

Together we make an awesome team and even better candles!

It's early days, the website

nwandco.com

is still in the making, but you can buy candles

Im no website designer so things take a little longer to get done but every part of this journey is being created by me.

There is a core range that I aim to offer:

The Utility Range

Clear jars - simple, pretty & functional

Wax Melts

Tealights

Taster packs of 3, a try before you buy

Packs of 6

The Apothecary Range

Beautiful Amber Glass Jars

And 500g Apothecary jars

There will be a base range of 12 scents and these will be available in your choice of container, melt, tealight, diffuser & room spray

There will be in time reed diffusers & room sprays, a candle club and special offers

Please pop over to the new website, sign up and be the first to keep up to date with new products and special offers.

I'm still a way from the finish line, but it is in sight and I hope to see you there!

Nicky

Vintage Wedding Hankies...

When I finally got married it was 20 somethings years after we'd first met and 5 children later!

My dress came from e-bay, my shoes from Jimmy Choo's and we arrived at the small reception for family by helicopter.

It was unique to us and perfect for us.

On my wedding day my mum lent me a small hankies, it had printed blue forget me knots.

It was the something old, something borrowed & something blue.

It was very pretty, unexpected and it was one of the many little things that made my day extra special.

I don't have that handkerchief, I gave it back a couple of days later but I do have a lovely selection of beautiful vintage wedding hankies.

Some are so fine and delicate, some have lace, some are hand stitched, some are a little more loved but all are absolutely a small snippet of a by-gone era.

A time when ladies carried a dainty hankies in their handbags.

It's not a huge collection I bought them all in one bag and I'd like to think that the lady who'd they'd previously belonged to would be happy to know that her little hankies were going to be used and cherished by a modern bride or mother of the bride!

I will be listing them to the Etsy shop in time for the up coming wedding season

Sunny Saturday...

Sunny Saturday

Sunshine, it's a game changer isn't it?

I can literally feel my happy levels rising with the sun, to feel that sun on my face and the warm glow it gives when you close your eyes

Part of the positivity for 2017 is to list what I can on Etsy, clear the cupboards

If it's not seriously sentimental or seriously useful then it should be on the Etsy shop shelves

So with that in mind I've taken full advantage of the sunshine and managed to get lots of photos

They might not be the best or the ones I'm going to stick with but they have got a few more bits stocked!

That pretty sunflower set above ^^^ it literally just summed up my Saturday in a nutshell

Bright, sunny and happy

These pretty, naive little paintings, I've been keeping them in a little box for some time but I can't justify hiding them away, they deserve to be seen every day

But then I am a sucker for anything floral or botanical

If you can mix that floral love in with a little barge ware inspiration then if you're lucky you might end up with something like these gorgeous hand painted enamel trays

And vintage glass just comes into its own when the sun shines, the old cut glass catches the rays so prettily

However I am teasing a little as I've definitely saved my favourite till last

Colclough Vintage Fine Bone Porcelain 

*sigh*

Colclough made fine bone china accessible to the masses and boy did they do it in the prettiest of colours

A lovely little set of 4 trios, milk jug and sugar bowl

I still have quite a few boxes and cupboards to go through, it might take a while to get through them all, they are spread throughout the house!

Fingers crossed for lots more Sunny Saturdays