We are in the NEWS !!!!

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It took me a while walking around the larger newsagents in Bury St Edmunds before I tracked down a copy of the Eastern Daily Press, Norfolk's daily paper. But I couldn't believe it when I eventually found the article (my apologies to the other customers in Lorfords for the noise I made). A page and a half article, PLUS, a small picture of me on the front page below which was the caption "More women who have given up the 9 to 5". Most of my friends would have a bit of a smile about that line as a 9 to 5 routine has never really been my sort of thing.

Many months ago I wrote to the paper with an idea for an article about MyPearlBox because our very creative web designer, Ella Goodwin, along with my 2 daughters who provided the artistic graphics for the site, all went to the Norwich School of Art and Design (now known as Norwich University College of the Arts). As it happened the paper were already planning to publish a series of articles about women who had given up mainstream jobs to start their own businesses and, as I was at one time working as a teaching assistant in a Newmarket school which I had to give up whilst I recieved some hospital treatment, this was the angle they decided to use.

Anyhow the article was fantastic, just a shame about the photo they took to use, my only centrefold picture ever and it makes me look ghastly.

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A Fine weekend

I have had a good weekend satisfying three of my interests; family, food and making jewellery.

The BOF and I travelled up to Norwich to visit No 2 daughter, Charlotte, who was in need of a little tlc. She is in her first year as an NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher)in a small rural Primary school. Like so many schools in England it is underfunded and she is responsible, largely single handedly, for 30 young children at the most important stage in their education, when they can absorb the fundemental skills for their future learning. But she is not looking after one year group, but two, and with very mixed abilities. On the one hand some of the youngest do not know what the different colours are let alone the intricassies of an alphabet and at the other end of the scale she is teaching the older ones their "times tables". I could go on but maybe this is not the best place.

Anyhow despite the shortcomings of the system she loves her job, and loves her kids,but is working herself ragged trying to satisfy too many demands on her time. So we decided to get her away from her worrying and take her out for lunch followed by a bit of retail therapy.

Like all members of the family, Charlotte enjoys her food and appreciates something prepared well. We chose something nearby so popped into Yellows, Delias New York style diner, under the stands of the Carrow Road Stadium. Norwich City were playing away so it was not very busy but the service and the food were excellent, especially the BOFs choice of Cincinatti Chilli.



We then had a slow meandering walk through town dropping in to the textile and art exhibitions that have been set up in some of the city's
old churches. We ended up at a favourite bead shop run by a family that import furniture and knick knacks from around the Far East. Upstairs in one of their shops they display a treasure trove of interesting beads from sea washed glass from Bali, fabulous heavy cut glass made from old television sets in Afghanistan, silver from Indonesia, the list goes on. Anyhow we both ended up buying bags full and got very excited about what we were going to create. Pictures will be posted once I have made something up.

And how did the day finish? What could be better than feet up on the settee watching X Factor and Match of the Day?

Proudly Introducing...

This is my website! My friends have all loved playing with my pearls around the kitchen table and putting together there own designs so in the workshop of my website you can do just that! Play with different colours, templates and crystals and if you design something you like I'll make it up for you! So you can design jewellery to exactly match your dress or bring out the colour in your eyes! Or to give your girlfriend on her birthday. Oh the possibilities! Come and have a play, click on the picture to take you there!