Blogs

Tuesday 1st July 2025

What a difference a year makes!

Who’d  have thought this time last year that we’d end up with a shop. Not just any shop but the most lovely flower shop in my home town of Chester le Street.

Things took a turn last year when markets became too much for both myself and Michael and with his recent diagnosis we felt that moving boxes of products on a weekend just wasn’t for us anymore. One day I was sat in the car outside the library with a delivery box of flowers on my knee, I looked at the shop in front of me and could see its potential there and then. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t an easy decision to make and right up until I signed I wondered if I was making the right decision but now I know I did.

The support from people around me has been nothing short of amazing with friends and family always offering to lend a hand. Customers have said how much we needed it and have had people throw their arms around me to thank me for bringing it to them. 

I wanted to involve the community within the shop and have already held my first wreath workshop on the premises. We had a great night with lots of positive feedback and wonderful makes. More of them to come!

I also wanted to ensure other businesses had an opportunity to show their talents and so I have some amazingly talented folk on my shelves, including candle makers, jewellery, perfume,  artists, pottery and books. This collection is growing all the time and will be available in store as well as online soon. 

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support, custom, shares and just being fabulous! Long may it continue.

See you soon.

Nicki x

Friday 17th May 2024  

Welcome to my flower blog which seems to grow further and further apart! I suppose that's not a bad thing with all the things that are going on, I am finding it hard to sit down and put fingers on the keyboard.  

It's amazing to see the sunshine appear, after what felt like the longest of Winter months ever! I soaking up every bit of it in the garden when I can, choosing to create outdoors rather than at my dining room table.   

I have been lucky enough to be creating arrangements for many weddings this year and this has kept me well out of trouble and fully in the creation zone. What never fails to surprise me is the variety of colours and styles that brides can go for these days. I absolutely love listening to ideas and helping to put them together to get a clear idea of vision and style. After giving up work last year, I am starting to get recognised as a go-to dried and silk florist which makes me incredibly proud and happy.  

So whats new for 2024? Loads! I have been busy renovating a flower bike to take to markets and hire out for events and weddings. Aptly named Betsy, she is an absolute dream and now holds her own page on this site. This was a family build, with my Dad being an amazing joiner, created a florist on wheels out of an old crepe bike. I did all the design and paintwork, sourcing the products and putting together all the finishing touches. The wheels thought?! Dont even talk about them. My goodness they had me around the bend and I had been to and spoke to every bike shop going with no luck. Until a turn of events happened and my nextdoor neighbours son got a wheelchair out of the car, and bam! Thats what the wheels were. So that solved that huge problem, I mean you can’t have a bike without wheels can you?!  So what's next for Betsy? She will be pedaling her way to Dalton Parks Spring Artisan Market on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th May, where she will be used as a flower bar to create your own bouquet. What could be a nicer activity for Spring, and you get to take it home with you. Let's hope the sun has its hat on!  

In other news its been a bit of a strange year for us health wise. I started the year off with a bout of pneumonia which really set me back work wise, thankfully I recovered fairly quickly. The same week, our son Oliver was diagnosed with type one diabetes which shocked us all as he is twenty-one and never had any symptoms up to then. Then to top it off my husband Michael has been having investigations with his heart (which are still ongoing) and has been trying to take things as easy as possible. It’s so strange what life throws at you but we are really trying hard to work through it all and hopefully will come out stronger for it. In better news, we got a little puppy to put the biggest of smiles on our faces. Cooper the Cockapoo jumped right into our lives at the beginning of April and its like he was always here. Our late Spencie Doodle would have been the best big brother.  

I was interviewed for my first podcast by Kylie Dixon of the Northern Lass Lounge in March this year. It was a nerve-wracking experience leading up to it but during, I realised I shouldnt have been as it was just like talking to a mate. Kylie has been a strong part of my business since the beginning and I have been part of hers, with the NLL helping to strenthen my business in many ways, too many to mention! So tick. Done that one now and I really enjoyed it. My next bit of media was featuring in the Sunderland Echo as a being one of the businesses joining others at Dalton Park this month. I was super proud as the only business to be asked to write a quote and there it was in print. Fabulous!! So this is where I leave you. I have holidays pending which after all of these weddings I know I will need! I hope you all have the most loveliest of Spring and Summer and thank you for reading my blog and keeping up to date with Pretty Busy Blooms and the life and times of the Barrons.   

Love   

Nicki x

7TH JANUARY 2023 
 
Hello and a very Happy New Year from all of us at Pretty Busy Blooms! 
 
I just want to start off by thanking everyone who has supported my business in 2022.  
 
It has been a funny old year, full of ups and downs!  At the beginning of the year, I was finding my sales were fairly slow and I was concerned that because of the financial situation that we are all facing, that this was the way it was going to be, therefore I must get my finger out to ensure it didnt happen!  So I got myself into gear and plunged myself into social media training.  It meant spending alot of time on Facebook and Instagram investing time in lives and scheduled posts.  I was so happy that I started to get bookings for salon and home installations, which looked fab when finished and is definately something I am super proud of.  
 
The downside of spending more time investing in my business was that I felt more and more torn with my job as a HLTA in a primary school.  I loved them both equally but due to workload, driving miles to and from work and struggling with my work-life balance, something had to give!  In November I reached crisis point and really felt as though my mental health was suffering.  I then did something that I never ever thought I would...I handed my notice in at school and put it out to the universe that I would (I definately would) find something. 
 
I had been working with a lovely lady called Hayley from CDC in Chester le Street, on growing my business.  We talked about how stressed I was feeling and I decided after that meeting that I needed to do something and that was to find a part time job working from home.  The idea behind it was so I could grow my business in my studio around my new job without having to leave the house!  I was delighted to find out that I was successful in my interviews and I start my training for my new part time job in March this year.  I can't tell you how happy this has made me feel and how this is going to change my life for the better! 
 
I haven't even told you about my workshops were last year either have I?  I am so so proud, honestly.  So in the summer of last year I had a meeting with the owners of The Mood Food in Birtley.  Its a beautiful venue (if you've not been, literally where have you been?!) and so much care has been taken to ensure customers have not only great quality food but a fantastic atmosphere too.  Chris and were amazing and we discussed their ideas for myself to hold their first Halloween workshop.  It was a bit of a challenge for me (not really a fan of that time of year) but I set about organising it and it sold out within a week of advertising - brilliant!  We had a great morning, creating some fab wreaths for adults and children with paints and even broomstick making!  
 
Next came Christmas, what a whirlwind!  My husband Michael and I (also roped in my 16 year old too lol) spent the majority of our weekends in November and December cutting up spruce and mossing wreaths!  It was soooo tiring and I am so pleased I had him by my side to help.  Michael has became my wing man and for the first time ever have worked as a team to make my workshops a success. With two sold out events at The Mood Food, two at Crinnions and a private event at Chesters, I felt delighted to be asked back for more in 2023. 
 
So what is there to look forward to in 2023?  So so much!  More workshops, new products, two wedding bookings, an installation and Christmas bookings and its only January.  I am really looking forward to sharing news with you and can't wait to see where the new year takes us! 
 
Nicki xxx (Wearing hugely positive pants)