Friday 16th January, 2026

In Which Expectations Are Ambitious and Reality Has Other Plans

I came in today feeling determined - today would be the day I finally caught up on everything I needed to do. Inbox, admin, stock, planning, all of it. I even had a mental list arranged in neat rows like obedient little soldiers.

Naturally, none of it happened.

It was busy again - a steady stream of customers, questions, and conversations - and then Mum arrived for a visit, and she stayed for a lovely, chatty two hours. Between that and helping customers and putting out new stock, the day evaporated. My to-do list remained untouched, looking at me with growing indignation.

Running a retail business is something I adore, but I don’t think I fully grasped how never-ending the behind-the-scenes work is - the admin, the networking, the finance, the stock, the planning, the paperwork. There’s no “after the shop closes” moment where the work is magically over. It just… continues.

It’s a lot. And today it felt like a lot.

But there was brightness, too. Kris decided that the first completed piece in her clothing line will be a men’s brocade vest, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Seeing her in her happy place, surrounded by fabric, patterns, and possibilities, makes everything feel a little lighter.

And the shop, ever patient, simply adjusts her pace and waits for us to catch up.