Hello and happy new everything! How are you? I hope you had a really wholesome festive break, with loved ones close, fresh air walks and warming drinks by the fire.
The final weeks of last year were filled with a sort of half-hibernation vibe for us here in sleepy Stamford after all the major building work we had done in the house since July. Our wonderful builders finished on 20th December, so Tom and I had Christmas in the whole of the house again - but in its new form with a proper dining table, worktops in the kitchen and a working oven! Hurrah!
Although my 'official' new year doesn't start until March (I'll explain below), it is lovely to welcome January in and get to grips with hopes, plans and dreams for the next twelve months. There's something lovely and rhythmic about putting out fresh flowers in place of spruce, packing away the Christmas socks and having a more cleansing diet after all the cake and stodge. Although no doubt, it will take both of us a week or so to get back into the swing of getting up before 8am (what???!!), I am sure you'll be seeing the fruits soon.
So why do I start in March? Well, traditionally in non-religious customs, February is the month of release and cleansing. Perhaps this is where the term Spring clean comes from, although we are still in the grips of winter in Feb. March always feels like a more hopeful month to me - bulbs are shining their best in the garden with long awaited colour, it's the Equinox and a true feeling of rebirth and celebration is in the air. For Prenoa, it is the time I launch the new year's wedding charms, but it's also a time that orders really pick up for the year and I get swept into a flurry of post, tissue paper and so on. It's always been this way since I can remember, so I go with it and use the first two months of the year to get ready.
So what is new this year? Well, plenty. On a product level, you may notice some old faithfuls have been retired and the range is tighter, but with a high quality one would still expect from Prenoa. The signature necklaces, featuring the British sixpence and birthstone charm have been reworked. The snake chains have gone and they have been replaced with the newer fresher rolo chains that I was trialing last year. The pearls are a higher grade and to personalise, I now offer every initial in the alphabet to sit alongside these lovely pendants.
There will also be more unique pieces available this year. These are never to be repeated designs that we have worked on in the workshop over the last six months. Some will form part of a small collection, like lapel pins, perfect for weddings and hats, whilst others will be coins that are just too lovely not to be celebrated in jewellery. I have some beautiful gold and silver coins that are very old too, which I will offer on a very limited basis later in the year.
Bangles will continue to form part of the seasonal release and I have over twenty designs to choose from. I know how you love these, as they always sell out, so I will send out an email closer to the time. Make sure you're on my mailing list if you'd like to b one of the first, because these too will be one off designs in one off sizes.
The other really big change we have here at the HQ will be an addition to the team. Prenoa began with Cookie Bengal and I all those years ago and since then, the business has grown big girl pants and with a workshop assistant, admin manager and tech wizard (thanks Tom!), Prenoa continues to blossom steadily, sustainably and peacefully. Now, our youngest member will be arriving later this year and we can't wait to meet her. Pregnancy has not been easy, but seems to be leveling out now and we are thrilled that we have been blessed with the opportunity to be parents. The business will stay open while I take a short mat leave, albeit with a slightly smaller inventory, but it is hoped our new 'Chief of Distractions' will also bring even more light and fun to the working day and get on board with the sights and sounds of a busy studio once she is older.
This month, look out for the new 2022 collection of milestone jewellery on the homepage and over the next few months, keep popping back regularly for new wedding charms, limited edition pieces, one-offs and collectables. If you have a question, pop me a line at prenoajewellery@gmail.com as I would love to hear from you.
May 2022 be a bright new chapter for us all x