anna&sally in the UK
Posted on November 4, 2008
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When my friend Emma said to me she had discovered a new website she thought I might like (called www.notonthehighstreet.com), neither of us had any idea it would be such a perfect launching pad for anna&sally in the UK…yet here Anna & I are - albeit 18 months and 1 new baby each later - expanding into new territory with notonthehighstreet.com as a perfect partner.
Notonthehighstreet.com is a website set up by two friends, Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish, that represents talented small businesses, their high quality products and personal service. I love it because they only select the most gorgeous, stylish and unique small businesses (hence why we were thrilled to be selected!) so in one easy order you can choose a variety of lovely treats from Britain’s best small businesses- and not least you do not have to battle with shopping on the crowded (and more often than not, lacking in unique boutiques) High Streets!
So why are we expanding in the UK? As you have probably already read, Anna & I have a long history of pottering about together creating things. We did this primarily in the house we shared in Balmain, Sydney- painting old chairs, gardening, drawing, sewing, cooking, hosting dinner and birthday parties. We also naughtily used to love going for walks on dusk so we could admire and be inspired by the lovely gardens and interiors of our stylish neighbours!
Here we are now 10 years later still pottering about but living at opposite sides of the world, channelling our energies into anna&sally.
Having moved to the UK for ‘2-4 years’, my husband and I are now in year 8 of our temporary move and this year welcomed our own little British citizen, Max, to the family. Our plan is certainly to come back home one of these days but for now life is happy and settled in Hampshire after the hectic pace of London for many years. Perfect timing for my ’sea change’…
So, as Anna did when she and her family moved from Sydney to the beautiful South Coast of NSW, I am now following in her footsteps and growing the business, and family, here in the UK countryside.
Watch this space for more developments as our business grows…
New Studio!
Posted on August 13, 2008
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Yey! We have moved into our new studio space at Huskisson. For those of you from the area we are above the café, Fresh at the Bay in Owen Street. Go up the stairs and we are the second door on the left. We even have waterviews and I am so so thrilled! I have been working from home now for 3 years and it was certainly time to give myself and the family some boundaries. I’m enjoying leaving work at the end of the day and “switching off.” I’m enjoying not seeing boxes of stock, the sewing machine and fabrics and watercolours and tissue paper and shelving and delivery boxes and all of the other lovely bits that make up my business. I’ve rediscovered my love for cooking and decorating, not to mention being sane, calm mother and wife.
Here are some pics so far. I’ll add more as we do more. But to be honest, with tax time, new website, new collection, packing orders, renovating with munchkins under foot … it has been a bit slow going. But I’ll get there!
Customers can buy direct from our studio. But at this stage by appointment only. Ring 0402 199 054. If you walk past and I am in - you can pop in and have a shop. But probably best to view our website first to get an idea of what you are after. I do not have display areas set up yet. And am still trying to work on activity stations for Ethan and Elijah, (my two little men) whilst I work.
