Author: DSB

Summer 2015 was quite a stressful time for me I was working as a Fashion PR, juggling the commute from Brighton to London with major fashion events and clients.  I was also working with my husband trying to save our men’s accessories company in quite a volatile department store market.

That Summer was also our third attempt at IVF, sadly this didn’t work for us.  With business crumbling and pressure rising I felt a jolt of anxiety and stress, that turned at times, into an overwhelming wave of depression.

We decided to close the accessories company and my husband landed a good job in London.  For health reasons, I decided to stop my work as a PR and concentrate on writing more.

I had started to write my blog as a fashion insider back in 2010, now I had a great opportunity to do something I loved and those summer weeks and months helped me to channel my stress into writing and getting better.

Although I loved writing from our studio shed in the garden I still felt lonely and craved other human interaction.  I started to volunteer at my local British Red Cross Shop in Shoreham by Sea.  First, for one day a week, and then two.

The structure of this gave me something to get up for in the mornings.  My back ground as I’ve said was fashion so I loved the fashion aspects, recognising good brands, sorting and pricing items.

During this time volunteers turned into friends and I found myself working in a way I’d not worked before, working not just as a shop volunteer but listening to others concerns and problems.  I felt genuinely supported and loved, something that you don’t always feel in Fashion.

People volunteer for many different reasons; sometimes it’s a link between not working for a while and paid work.  Sometimes it’s for companionship, friendship, or to work through a dark time in your life, for many it’s a happy safe place to grab a coffee, have a chat and sort some stuff both physically and mentally.

Two and a half years on and I now work for the British Red Cross, I help to manage the team at Shoreham and write pieces like this to highlight what an important place a Charity Shop can be to bring a Community together and engage individuals with problems that society can often overlook.

Our little shop in a relatively small seaside town took over £120,000 last year.  I’m so proud of the profits we make but I’m far prouder of our volunteers’ achievements which can be anything from speaking another language to gaining confidence or new skills.  My proudest moments strike when you least imagine, I overheard a volunteer with learning difficulties explaining how donating just £5 can save a person’s life.  Right there in that little second I felt so proud.

You can volunteer with British Red Cross by going to the website to find your nearest shop.

Or read the recent article in The Shoreham Herald 34https://www.shorehamherald.co.uk/news/health/charity-shop-offers-friendship-and-support-1-8354234

Love DSB

The last days of November can be bleak, it can also be so incredibly beautiful.  Clear bright skies but very cold nights.  December marks the beginning of Winter, so digg those woollies out!  

This time of year you can turn on the central heating but what truly warms your home is the little touches of love. 

I hail from the North East of England where it feels Baltic and freezation that is abominably cold on the best of days.  So We do Winter well.  Some folk now call it Hygge, I call it warming up for Winter.

Here’s my almost Winter tips.

Light a fire.  An open fire or wood burning stove comes into its own this time of year.  If you don’t have this luxury fake it.  We have two fireplaces but the previous owners converted the loft, taking out the chimney breast so a real fire is not possible.  We fake it in one room with twinkly lights and in another with a gas fire that looks like a wood burning stove.  It kind of does the trick of looking like a wood burner and boy does it knock out some heat!

Lighten up – light candles and switch on twinkly lights, mood lighting is so warming in the winter.  Lights can trick the brain into calm, and positive mood enhancing stuff, so soft lighting and fairy lights mean relax.  Harsh blue mobile lighting is not so good. Put the phone down after 10pm! 

Buy the biggest scented candle that you can afford and indulge.  Dont just wait for the weekends.  light in on a Monday night when you get home from work, and need a pick me up, its my first step to a chilled night in.

Now pile on the pillows.  More cushions and throws on your sofa, more pillows and duvets on your bed.  Start with linen bedding then add blankets and woollies.  Snuggle up.  Keep warm.

Smells like …Candles, sprays, perfume, whatever makes you feel good, evoke the smells of the season, pine cones, I love fresh flowers in the house and eucalyptus leaves, I’m also a fan of a good pillow spray, This Works does a good spray and roll on for bedtime.

Finally, Cook.  I cook more one pot cosy dishes in the Winter, soup, broth, casserole, stew, good cooking smells enduce happy thoughts.

Enjoy your Winter and embrace the season, Sending you all a big British hug, (not a Hygee) not offence to our Scandi neighbours but we got this, we know you Winter. 

Love DSB x