What's your favorite thing for spring?

So I was sitting here in the library (our office/stockroom/playroom) where I have an excellent view of all the fab products that PilLove carries. It's a really inspiring place to be but at the same time it's daunting as you have a complete overview of all the things that you have yet to sell!

I had my accountant here the other day (closing the books for this year) and I was happy because I had a positive result this year....I had roughly around 1000 sek in profit this year and then I hadn't been able to withdraw any salary for myself for the last one and half year that the business have been running. So if you wanna get rich don't start this kind of business ;-)

I do love it though and I have learnt so many things in the last couple of years that I wouldn't trade the experience for any money in the world (...well maybe 10 million Swedish crowns could change my mind ;-). I have taken the position from day one that this is something that I will do as long as it is fun, and if I can bare the thought that it's not gonna make me stinking rich (I will have to make do with a pillow cover or two ) then that's fine.

Coming back to our library/office/stockroom....I was looking at all the pretty, colorful and just lovely items that we have adorning our walls, I decided that if I were to close down my business today I have an ocean of lovely items to decorate and make our home even prettier. That's when it hit me....what are my favorites at the moment and so here they are....here's my wishlist for Spring/Summer 2011:

Let me know what your favorites are and also if you'd love to see me stock a brand or product that you have a hard time finding on the Scandinavian market.

Lots of love,

C.

So here below you will find a pic or the item that's on my list:

1. The most wonderful flower pillows, handsewn in designer fabric.

2. A beautiful Suzani at the end of our bed (first picture shows one of the two Suzanis that I have fore sale in the shop)

3. Pillow with a statement. Organic felt pillow covers with cool statements.

4. Now these owls will never get old, they are ful of personality and just says "fun". Handmade by a woman in Malasia.

5. Lovely pillows from Bonjour mon Coussin my favorite - Flower - second from top.

6. An explosion of colors are the covers in PilLove's own collection. Usually done in kimonofabric or batik fabric. Here's a selection of the range.

Me on being a stranger....

I really feel bad about not being more active on the blog, and I know I keep saying that I will get better and I will....and I will tell you why....keep reading!

The thing is I'm desperately trying to juggle a full time job with being a mum and running the business on the side and the 16 hours ( I need to have my 8 hour of sleep! ) that I have available just aren't enough! Now I know it's important to update a blog, why else have one!? I just hope you can excuse me for being a stranger on the blog.

One thing I've learnt is that it's not easy to reach customers when your products are only available online. This goes especially for textile products like mine, where the customer tend to want to feel the fabric, look at the colors and maybe even borrow a cover or two to see how they would look like in their counch or together with a particular bedspread.

Ok, so for the good news that I wanted to share! I will be more available in the near future (starting this summer). You see I have a little one baking in the oven, and he or she is expected to arrive in the end of June or beginning of July. My hope is that I will have more free time on my hands (good luck to me with two small kids, right!) ...one can dream! ;-)

For this time I'll leave you with some inspirational pics that I found yesterday when browsing the world wide web.

Take care & lots of love!

Charlotte

Now I never get tired of the utter beauty and craftsmanship of Suzanis and the story that they tell (if you buy the real deal). Pic no. 1 show an alternative way of using a Suzani. Maybe if you have a Suzani that has lots of damage to it like tears and/or holes or spots, you might dare to put the scissors to it and cut out the pieces that are still intact and make a beautiful ottman like this. Second pic is stolen with pride from Nest Decorating and the last one showcases one of the two Suzanis that I have for sale. This one is a silk Suzani from Uzbekistan c:a 1976...STUNNING!

Beautiful cottages in Kent, pic borrowed from Steffan MacMillan on flickr. Now that's daring....imagine painting your house in any of those colors! I'd love to live on that street! I imagine you wake up with a smile every day or at least when you go outside to pick up your newspaper ;-)

All images above are taken from my decorating guru no. 1 Anna Spiro at Black & Spiro. It's from one of her many fab decorating assignments. I could just take it all and incorporate it into my house and be happy for the rest of my days. I JUST LOVE IT! She always use bold and daring colors...just the way I like it!

I just had to include this pic that I took with my iPhone this summer when visiting a garden exhibition held in a the gardens of Sofiero castle, just outside Helsingborg, Sweden (the castle used to be the Swedish king's parents summer estate ;-) Now that's a flower arrangement!