Hello February
by Lisa McGowan
Hello February,
Huge big welcome to February. Isn’t it just the best to see the back of January girls? The month that seems to go on forever and ever. When I came back from the work trip I could see the stretch in the evenings which I really love to see. I hate the short evenings but we are progressing and another four weeks will see even brighter evenings which means long evening walks thank the Lord.
As January’s go though, mine was a very very different one from my normal one. Chelsea, Linda and I travelled to China to meet some of our manufacturers and also to meet new clothing producers. We have manufacturers all over the word, including Ireland. What a trip it was. I won’t lie, we were all completely wrecked after it. The days started at 06.00 am and finished at 11.00pm non stop. The people we met were all so lovely and looked after us so well. It was amazing to be able to sign off on so many new products when we were over there. Wait until you all see the amazing pieces we have coming this year. Just amazing and I am so happy with the pieces and I really think you will all love them as well girls. It was great to be able to have the alterations made when we were onsite. The companies have what they call “Masters”. The Masters make all the changes to the clothing and are very experienced, generally older people. I suppose we would call them master tailors here. They advised on design and fit and literally made the changes while we were with them. It speeds up the process so much and gets the product into production so much faster. The owners go nowhere without their Masters and I understand why now.
We were taken to amazing Restaurants although the Chinese food is not a bit like the Chinese food that we have here at home. It is all sharing platters and we never got to see a menu. The hosts have all the food pre-ordered and it is literally on the table when you arrive into the Restaurants. It is so so different, chickens feet is not something we would be used to eating over here lol. Some of it though was beautiful, the pork and beef in particular. The chicken is very different and the duck is also quite different. The breakfasts are huge. Buffets full of dumplings, noodles and full dinner dishes like. The egg section is so small and almost there as an add on to the buffet. The fruit however is amazing, so fresh and tasty. Breakfast is the biggest meal of the day over there and the meals get progressively smaller with dinner the smallest meal almost the opposite to us. We learned lots of eating etiquette that is for sure and we did get better with the chopsticks as the days progressed but still no expert…
We travelled a lot to different locations and factories. The bullet train is the high speed fast train and travels at 450 kmh. They literally fly and get you around so fast. They go bang on time so there are no delays over there. To enter the train stations it is like going through an airport with security. Bags go through just like the airport and passports are needed to board the trains even. Everything is so clean though, like spotless. You see no litter and they are constantly cleaning even on the trains as you sit the aisles are getting mopped and cleaned. It is such a huge country 1.4 billion is the population. The Cities are amazing with the high rise buildings all lit up at night. We learned lots of culture and we asked so many questions from our hosts and it was genuinely so interesting and so different from the Western World. It is a long journey though 14.5 hours from London Heathrow and they are eight hours ahead so the jet lag is real. On the way home we hit the storm so our flight was cancelled so an extra night was spent in Heathrow. We were lucky that Aer Lingus cancelled our flight though. Lots were travelling all over the place or circling the airport.
I will have lots to show you now in the coming months and cannot wait to share it with you all. Our black t-shirts launched last week and flew out the door, they are all sold out now girls! We have a restock on a couple of things coming tomorrow morning, so if you had your eye on anything, definitely check it out. Delighted to say I will have my perfume available again and a small quantity of aviators will be added also.
Lots of newness coming to Lisa & Co. for the Spring girls. My makeup brushes will be launching at the end of February and I cannot wait to get them to you. I know you will love them and they are the exact brushes we need for our makeup routines. Each brush tells you what it is for which makes it even better. I know I always struggled with what brush to use where. This set does all that for you lol..
That is about all my news. Some great deals are coming for February. Long weekend also coming girls. Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.
Lots of love,
Lisa x
What’s New for February?
My blogs and newsletter just would not be the same without Pamela Scott. Every month since I started Richard and his team have been on the site. Last months cardigan was a huge hit as well as the joggers which are always a winner with you all. So comfortable yet fun. Loving my newsletter dress this month. Ideal for the Confirmations that are starting in February.
Helen and her team in Nina’s just never fail when it comes to fashion and that is for sure. This month again Nina’s have cracking looks for me to share with you. It really is a one stop shop . If you need a casual outfit or a complete Wedding look they have it all. I just love working with them. Lots coming this month as well so watch this space.
Ah Rachel is back as always. Never a dull day with Rachel. Wait until you see the Wonders I have for you this month. I know you will all love them so much. She really has the best footwear and is constantly looking for new looks and new brands. She looks after us all with the discounts as well and who doesn’t love that lol…
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