..but this box of addressed envelopes (and all the other boxes taking over my sitting room) are the result of me trying to get as much done in preparation for the book turning up this week.

Geometric Beadwork should arrive here Thursday morning and then leave again Thursday afternoon. In between I have to sign and pack hundreds of books. The worry about doing it all in the time available is already keeping me awake.

But keeping me happy are some packages which popped through my letter box this week. First up are some shiny new Melissa shoes. If you have ever met me in real life at any time in the past 3 years then chances are I was wearing Melissa shoes- I adore them. Our love affair began when I first bought some back in 2009 and has continued ever since. I scour Ebay for pairs, hunt them out in shoe shops and track down lost pairs in old stock rooms. They're made of rubber, are great for wide feet and are supremely comfortable but on top of all that they come in the most amazing colours and textures. I have plain rubber and flocked ones but the glitter style are new and I couldn't resist them in gold (and pink) and then there were the pairs with bows on...

The other package was some fabulous bitters from Bitter Tears. I am a big fan of crowd-funding (which is pretty much how Geometric Beadwork has been able to come into existence) and had found the company's Indie GoGo campaign and when I saw that one of the 'rewards' was some custom bitters I signed up right away. After a bit of pondering I asked for tonic bitters for those days when tonic water just needs an extra kick, or any drink needs that kick, and I got those and some others as a reward for my patience. I already owned their cherry bitters (bought when I visited The Meadow last year) but these are just wonderful. A real treat. I can't wait to get back to The Meadow soon as stock up on some more unusual bitters.