A Wee Blast From The Past

Hello Ladies,

After a rather long day in the shop I was just scrolling through my blog in reverse and giving myself a wee pat on the back at some of the lovely clothes and enthusiasm I've produced over the last few years. When I got to the very bottom of my blog page I found this, the first thing I wrote when I was designing my Therapy blog page. I hope you'll agree that it still holds true:   

 

Why Spending Money on Clothes is Important!

Many of us have husbands and partners who have no idea why we enjoy shopping.

When we decided on a name for our shop, I came up with Therapy. When Chris asked me what I wanted our shop to be I said that I wanted it to be a place where women could come and relax and have a nice time, whether they were shopping or not.

Retail Therapy. Yes it's a modern-day buzz word. But it's also true. Shopping is therapeutic! Okay, it's still open to abuse and I have been pretty much a shopaholic in my time. (My husband would argue that I still am!) but everything in moderation, as they say...

So, shopping can offer some "me time" or time with girlfriends, or time with our mum, or a boost to our confidence when we're feeling low, or a celebration when we're feeling good.

Just as clothes say a lot about who we are and the persona we wish to present to the world, shopping gives us a sense of hope, a pause in our daily lives.

The best way to enjoy shopping is to do it mindfully. Like everything, shopping should be a pleasure, whatever the reasons. Not easy when you're up to your eyes in Sainsburys' Fruit & Veg aisle, but definitely possible when you're mooching around a cute little boutique with friends.

So next time your other half looks quizzical, tell him that you need a little Therapy!

Laura x

 

Aw, it makes me quite emotional to read this again after so many years. It reminds me of the hope and optimism that I felt all those years ago when I first happened upon our beloved Petworth and realised that I'd found my Brigadoon. 

 

And it also reminds me that I still feel the same way, because sometimes we need reminding of the good things that we have in our life: The people we love, the home that protects us, the community that nutures us, our body that does so much for us (even though we wish it a different shape!) Yes, all the things that make our life complete and that we so often take for granted. So here's to a loving and laughter-filled festive season and a new year filled with gratitude.

 

Love, Laura xx 

Have yourself A Merry Little Christmas!

Hello Ladies, hohoho! Are you feeling festive yet? As you can see from the photos, I am!

This was Bess on November 27th - I like to plan ahead. Well, with the Petworth Christmas event taking place on the 2nd December this year I had to. But the idea is that we retailers transform the town early so that you can all enjoy our efforts and get in the mood in a gentle, beautiful way - rather than fighting the crowds on some boring high street. 

So I am in my element, I love Christmas and love to start my celebrations as early as possible because, let's face it, it's all over by Boxing Day. So I get my presents wrapped and my cards written asap so that I can devote my attentions to all of you lovely ladies (and a bit of socialising).

What do you think of this gorgeous blouse from Oui? It has Chinese dragons on it and makes a change from traditional red. But as you can see in the photo below, red is right on trend this season so we have plenty of variations on this rich and flattering colour! 
 

So our late night shopping event was a great success with more stalls than ever in the Christmas Market and loads of you supporting the town, thank you. 

But I have an extra Christmas event on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th December. 
Last year we started a new Therapy Christmas tradition: On this weekend we will be donating 10% of our takings to The Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice. 
After our contribution last year I was invited to visit the hospice to see the amazing work that they do. It was a real priviledge to see first hand the difference that this charity makes and we will continue to support them every Christmas.

 

Our Christmas shelves are a little depleted this year - but this is mostly because the rest of the shop is filled with loads of yummy presents! This year's most popular gifts have been our Tantrend faux fur tippets in various sizes and colours; our gorgeous Amazing Woman knits, our handmade Owen Barry leather bags and our unusual Tantrend jewellery. 

And as for what your giving as gifts to yourselves: Our Amazing Woman cord jeans are flying out the door - teamed with one of their fabulous knits of course!

So it just remains for me to wish you all the very merriest of Christmasses and here's to a healthy and happy 2018.
Love, Laura x  

The Perfect Trousers For This Autumn

Hello Ladies! Autumn has blown in with Storm Brian and we are definitely thinking about our cold-weather wardrobes. As I dressed yesterday in my new favourite cropped black jersey trousers it reminded me that here at Therapy we have a fine selection of shapes and sizes in these:

From left to right we have my favourite Part Two crops; a Part Two evening trouser with fluted hem; Lysee tummy flattening leggings & NYDJ straight leg trousers.

Last week a customer asked me about our "grey tracksuit bottoms with the elasticated waist". Another customer's husband was watching as I looked askance. "I don't know what you're talking about, we don't sell trackie bottoms here!" I exclaimed.

And we don't...but we do...She was referring to our Lysee leggings - sleek, tummy flattening, stretchy and perfect to wear under knee high boots for an elegant (but oh sooo comfortable) day or evening look. "Trackie bottoms for the discerning woman".

Stretch black jersey is the perfect winter fabric: It always looks smart, feels comfortable and will take you anywhere. After years of skinny jeans preventing me from wearing my beloved cowboy boots, my black jersey crops have now given them a new (elegant) lease of life. Teamed with a simple statement knit or top and a practical, fun scarf I felt well put together and as comfortable as if I were in my pyjamas!

Of course I wouldn't want you to think that we'd given up on skinny jeans or colour so here is a wee photo of my favourite layered look plus some others of the new Autumn stock to get you in the mood for breezy walks & lazy lunches with your family and friends:

And just a reminder that you too can look like one of our crazy, fluffy Jellycat birds in these Rino & Pelle pompom hats. What fun!

So wrap up warmly, look great and feel comfortable this Winter - we make it easy!

Laura xx  

A Blustery Spring!

Hello Ladies! I'm emerging finally from my Winter hibernation. Not literally of course (what a delightful thought) but metaphorically I feel as if I am breaking out of the gloom into the light - just like these beautiful flowers that I'm enjoying on my morning dog walks. 

This is my favourite time of year in Therapy: The remnants of our Sale have been banished to our basement and the fresh, new Spring collections are flooding through the doors, brightening our mood and infusing the shop with colour and freshness.

I hope you'll agree that Therapy is looking bright and perky in her new Spring colours. We have two new clothing collections for you this season. Unintentionally they both hail from The Netherlands but, like Part Two from Denmark, the Dutch style and proportions seem to be particularly in tune with us Brits. 

The first is SANDWICH. This is a fantastic co-ordinates collection that I have been keen to stock since we first opened thirteen years ago. "All things come to she who waits"! I've always loved this range and my patience has been rewarded because we've had a wonderfully enthusiastic response from you too. 

The second collection is called ZILCH. Chris spotted it in a trade magazine and thought it looked "very Therapy". I have learnt over the years to trust my husband's judgement, after all this is the man who brought NYDJ jeans to Petworth! Zilch is a lovely family business featuring flattering, well priced dresses and separates in viscose & modal jersey (that's yarn made from Eucalyptus and Bamboo - cool, breatheable & easy care). I'm thrilled with the dresses which are sooo flattering on you lovely customers - perfect.

NEW SHOES!!!

Yes that's right - the new La Badia Spring colours have arrived! In a break from tradition only the sky blue and mint green pumps are suede, the other colours are in beautifully soft nappa leather. Now I've always avoided choosing leather over suede because it doesn't have the same instant appeal, but I think it's time that we embrace nappa leather! It will soften and mould to your feet in the same way as suede but will be harder wearing and easier to maintain. I'll let you all "talk with your feet" and see if I'm right!

Well as usual it's all or nothing with me - you wait four months for some Therapy news and then I bombard you with information! Still I hope that you're as excited about Spring as we are. I'm guessing that you are from the number of you who've already been in to look at and buy the new collections. Thank you! 

Love, Laura x

Autumn Colours Are Nature's Jewels!

Hello Ladies!

I know, I know it's been too long! Like you all I've been busy over the summer with life and finding every excuse not to sit down and apply myself. And why not?! It's been much more fun to be out and about and engaging with you all!



But now Autumn is upon us and I'm feeling in a more reflective mood. Now I'm in the mood for snuggling. And judging by what you lovely ladies are purchasing from Therapy's Autumn collections, you are too.

                                    

                                                                                        

   We've been selling lots of  soft and snuggly knits, velvet jeans from Amazing Woman in  every colour from on-trend orange to go-with-everything taupe. Toni Pons have done themselves proud once again and we have boots of all kinds from flat and furry to chic and wedge heeled - but all of them super comfortable - because we discerning women of a certain age demand comfort and style in all things!

Now what do you think of this yummy teddy bear coat? Isn't it fab?! I know you love it because I sold out of the first delivery. I've managed to get two more but I don't suppose they'll last long. Never fear though - I have some other delicious fake fur creations from Rino&Pelle so do pop in and take a look.   

And haven't we been lucky with the weather this year?! I think this is the most colourful Autumns we've had for a long time. I love layering up my clothes and swishing about with Bess in Petworth Park. Recently I've been taking my binoculars with me so that I can have a close up view of the magnificent stags and the glowing Autumn leaves - bliss.

Yes I'm counting my blessings and looking forward to getting my wear out of my yummy winter wardrobe over the coming months - perfect!

In store we have not only a shop full of gorgeous clothes but a full compliment of lovely staff headed up by our fully fit and newly promoted Ann Harper - congratulations Ann! We are joined by Yvonne Rowe who some of you may know from Jaeger. We're delighted to welcome Yvonne and her stylish ways into the Therapy family along with young Charley Jefford who is shaping up nicely in her role of Saturday Girl now that Dani is off studying law at Exeter University. Lovely!

So all in all we at Therapy have lots to celebrate and I hope you will all be joining in the celebrations with us this season.

We look forward to welcoming you into our bounteous emporium!

Love,
Laura x
                        


Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside!

A few weeks ago Chris treated Bess and me to a stay at Bailiffscourt Hotel at Climping. If you're not familiar with it then take a look at their website. It is a wonderful collection of old buildings set in beautiful grounds and only a few minutes walk from Climping beach. The staff are warm, the food is sublime and they are not just "dog friendly" they love dogs. 

The three of us spent many happy hours on the beach with Bess splashing in the sea. Back in April the weather was still "bracing" but despite this we still returned to the hotel uplifted and energised. (At which point Bess discovered the resident Peacock and spent the rest of our stay eagerly searching for it from our bedroom window - see above!)

And now we have had a glimpse of summer and our wee family has been back to the beach enjoying the ozone & the sparkling sea. A day out to the seaside is a special treat but at Therapy we are inspired by all things nautical! So even when you're tied to your desk you can carry the spirit of the seaside with you.

 

Since we had a burst of warm weather we've had a run on our fab Toni Pons espadrilles - help! Happily TP in Spain have come to our rescue and are sending out the missing sizes in our best-selling styles. They'll be arriving next week so don't leave it too long to stock up on your summer shoes. This is a new style for us & proving very popular - not too high, made from cool linen, designed to stay firmly on your feet and only £50!

 

NYDJ have once again excelled with their skinny ankle jeans in lots of colours (not skinny at all, just the perfect fit & length) and their linen/tencel mix stretch trousers which look amazingly flattering and are a nice antedote to the skinny silhouette.

And for proper "nautical" we have an abundance of stripes and fresh navy/white combos to keep you looking effortlessly chic. Add a pair of NYDJ linen trousers & your biggest sunglasses and channel Katherine Hepburn or Coco Chanel...ok, so I seem to end up more Popeye - but I think that's just me!

 

But that's enough for now - what am I doing on my computer when I could be outside in the sunshine dreaming of the sand between my toes?! 

Enjoy the sunshine ladies & we'll see you soon!

Laura x

Calling All Easter Chicks!

 

Happy Easter to all you gorgeous chicks!

I've no doubt that you will all be running around after husbands and children, cooking, cleaning, entertaining guests and wondering just what is so relaxing about this "Bank Holiday Weekend"!

Well perhaps you can escape for a brief moment and join us at Therapy for a wee glass of Easter fizz, some illicit chocolate eggs and a therapeutic browse round our delicious Spring collections.

I know the weather forecast is looking fairly typical for a Bank Holiday weekend - i.e. rain - but we'll have the heating up, the soothing music on and will welcome you with a smile. 

I'm delighted to say that you are all loving our new shoes (see below if you haven't already been in to drool) and you're starting to think that Spring is on its way. So be kind to yourselves and sneak off for a little "you time" this Easter.

Therapy will be open on Good Friday from 10am to 4pm and on Easter Saturday from 10am to 5.30pm. We'll be closed on Easter Sunday and Monday because I'll be in my pjs, watching old movies with a G&T and a pile of chocolate eggs!

Wishing you all a very happy Easter and here's to sunshine and long days!

Love,
Laura xx

PS: just a few glimpses of our yummy collections to help tempt you in...

 









Spring Has Sprung At Therapy!

Oh it's been a joy to change Therapy over from it's drab winter wear to it's fresh and gorgeous Spring collections. And I am delighted to say that the weather has very kindly followed suit!
Today the sunshine is beaming down on Petworth from blue skies - perfect for showing off our yummy new clothes and oh so pretty shoes.
On Friday we received a whopping 250 pairs of espadrilles from Toni Pons:

  

What do you think?!
I've bought some new styles with the heel height that you all like, so hopefully these will prove popular.
I know, you can't imagine wanting to buy summer shoes yet, can you? But since Friday we've had customers pouncing on them - not wanting to miss out on their favourites and stocking up on new colours. Yum yum!

 

Ooh, that's a slightly strange photo - the contents of the window look like they're floating around! Still, I just wanted to give you a quick snap of our first Spring 2016 window.

I am over the moon to find green making an appearance again this year. it is so fresh & uplifting, and mixes so well with other colours.

The suede coat (£149) and the cute faux leather jacket (£89) are from a Dutch company - new to us this season. (I've just placed an order with them for the snuggliest fake fur gilets & jackets for winter). 

 

So I am going to post this before it becomes another  6 months since my last blog! I am feeling distinctly Spring-like and very positive about 2016. I hope you all are too.

 

Love,

Laura x 

I'm Running Away To Join The Circus!

Hello Ladies, 

The end of July/August is one of those times of the year when I am involved in intense juggling. 

The summer season (should be) still at its height - linen is still selling and frocks for Goodwood and weddings are sought after. But the fashion industry is no respecter of seasons (nor is our British weather) and I'm already inundated with deliveries of new Autumn stock. As if that weren't enough to confuse me, I am busy placing orders for Spring 2016. Help! At this point in the year I can forget who I am!

So what am I doing about it? I'm hedging my bets, that's what! Some of the stock in our latest window above is new for Autumn, we still have a great selection of cool linen dresses for those of you bound for sunnier climes, and we even have a Pre-Sale sale rail in the basement crammed with bargains for those of you who can't wait for our Sale proper. Something for everyone I hope. 

The photograph below is a wee taster of Part Two's new Autumn range. Do you like the deep red? It's very sumptuous and looks great with grey or navy. Oh and we have received our new Autumn colours from La Badia already! I only have three new options for you - there was a wee problem with availability on some of the leathers I chose. But I hope you'll like them as much as I do. My favourite is a yummy Zebra print cowhide with black leather heel and toe - I've tried on my size already but am resisting temptation in case any of my customers with size 37 feet are tempted too!

And while I'm still optimistic that we have more sunny weather to enjoy before "Summer" is over, I am looking forward to delivery in August of our Toni Pons boots. (Am I allowed to admit that?) I've chosen some fantastic new styles - all of them as well-priced, comfortable and good looking as my previous favourites.

The photo above is a close up of the new Desigual knit that I've put in the window. The colours and floral print are so striking that I just had to post it again! 

As for what yummy things I've selected for new Spring 16 - I think you'll be pleased with my findings. Although it's confusing to juggle three seasons at one time, it does mean that the best and worst of the current season's sellers are fresh in my mind when I go out to buy, as well as your feedback on sizes and styles that you'd like to see. So hopefully I do a better job for Therapy and for all of you! 

So my juggling continues and although I am tempted at times to run away and join the circus, I think on reflection that I'll hang around and enjoy the fruits of my labour. I hope that you all will too. 

Laura x

Sunshine & Flowers At Therapy!

Therapy is wearing her summer colours - courtesy of the wonderful Spriggs Florist - even more wonderful when I tell you that the price of this beauty includes watering every day! 

It's lovely to see everything in full bloom, although I would love to have a consistent spell of sunshine. It's not just because Therapy has lots of wonderful summer dresses in stock, but because the sunshine is such a balm to our spirits! We blossom in the sunshine - just like the flowers.

Oops! When I started writing this we weren't having a wee heatwave! Aren't we funny? Longing for sunshine and then sweating and expiring when we get it! Well, all the more reason to pop in and see our range of summer dresses. I've attached a couple of photos. The white dress is linen from Luca Vanucci. I have one in navy and it feels lovely. They do fantastic long linen skirts and cute little jackets too - and the prices are excellent.

The dress above is from Desigual. They are such fun! The Spanish certainly know a thing or two about combining colours. We have lots of different shapes and prints - all in easy-wear jersey. Add a pair of Toni Pons wedges for a dressed up look or throw it on with a pair of flip flops for a casual day out.

But if dresses aren't your thing then worry not: We have crop jeans from Amazing Woman, unfussy skirts from Natural Wave and some innovative stretch linen trousers from NYDJ - and we all know what a brilliant fit their jeans are.

Other news:
We are open on Sundays from 11am - 4pm. We have our lovely new Saturday girl Danni working on Sundays for the summer. We'll take a view on whether it's worth continuing in the autumn. So if you can take benefit of our extra day's trading then please do!

We have a wee sale rail in the basement again. There are some bargains from last summer's sale as well as current season's stock at good reductions. We won't have our sale proper until August so do come and check out our pre-sale goodies.

I'm about to start buying for next spring and looking forward to finding lots more gorgeous things for you to wear. But I'm feeling very languid in this heat and happy in the meantime just to waft around enjoying this beautiful county. I hope you are too.

Laura x 

New Shoes!

How wonderful to be enjoying the Spring sunshine! And what better excuse do we need to don our summer shoes. Now if you're anything like me there's a bit of work to be done before you can reveal your winter-white tootsies. But isn't it a pleasure to pamper our hard working feet with pretty nail varnish and a bit of sunshine?

I've included a wee photo of Therapy's summer shoe selection so that you can get an idea of which styles might be a perfect addition to your wardrobe this season. The great thing about our shoes...well, there are several great things!

Firstly they're all comfortable. 

I don't know about you but the older I get, the less I can tolerate sore feet! I have lots of gorgeous shoes lurking at the bottom of my wardrobe. I open up the boxes and look longingly at them, but I put them back and put on my trusty La Badias or Toni Pons esapdrilles.

Secondly they're pretty! I can flit about all day in the shop and still look and feel good. I know that hundreds of you will agree with me that wearing our La Badia pumps is like wearing our favourite slippers. But when those slippers are suede and the prettiest pink or blue or gold then why would we wear anything else?!

But sometimes we have somewhere special to go, or we feel like glamming up our jeans with a bit of a heel. And then our Toni Pons espadrilles are our new best friend. I'm a country girl now and I realised long ago (after many a mishap in my unsuitable city footwear) that wedges are best. So much grass, so many uneven surfaces - nothing is as stable as a wedge - in whatever height you like best. My favourites are the ankle strap, mid heel ones. I have them in loads of colours (but still not enough!) But our peep toe, high wedge court shoe is hugely popular. They elongate your legs, support your feet and look great with dresses and skinny jeans. Sigh.

Yes I miss having our shoe shop. I was devastated when we had to close it, and I still dream about my favourite shoes! But commercially it makes sense to sell our two best selling brands in with our clothes. We sell more shoes this way than we did in our shoe shop! 

So I'm happy to edit our selection knowing that I'm providing the best offer for you, dear ladies. And I'm sure you'll all agree with me that there's not much better in life than a pair of new shoes.

Laura x 

Oh I nearly forgot! We have a cobbler coming to town! They're opening soon by the carpark, where the greengrocers was. I'll be first in the queue to spruce up my favourite shoes. 

A Very Happy Easter To All You Therapy Bunnies!

Happy Easter Ladies! 
Bess looks as if she'd love to devour the chicken & the chocolate eggs. But in fact Chris is crouching behind the camera with some Gravy Bones! Which inspired me to share with you one of my favourite sayings: "Fake it til you make it". 
There's many a time when I need to be at the top of my game but I'd much rather stay in bed. (Chance would be a fine thing!) So instead I do my hair, put on my makeup & my favourite clothes and smile. It's amazing how quickly my mood catches up with my outward appearance. 

Now many of you have been bemoaning your winter bodies - reluctant to expose any pale, untoned skin and feeling that the lighter colours of the Spring collections give you nowhere to hide. But don't despair, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the new season's clothes. A bit of fakery can go a long way! 

As you can see in the photo below, I've layered a pair of our Amazing Woman jeans & a fab Part Two linen knit top with a cute Luca Vanucci linen dress. (Actually, I got the idea from a customer- thank you!) I think it's a brilliant way to extend the life of our summer wardrobe and be able to cheer ourselves with Spring colours even when the skies are grey.

I took this photo for our website "outfit of the month". I just love this denim blue in a shoe. It seems to go with every colour & it's so cheery! I'll be posting the full range of the new Toni Pons espadrilles on our website, so take a look then come in and try them - yum! 

It's Good Friday as I type this and the day is typically driech. But in Therapy it's warm and everything looks so pretty and Springlike. I hope you'll join us tomorrow and Easter Monday for a wee glass of fizz & some of those chocolate eggs. If you don't then I'll end up eating them all myself! 

Wishing you all a happy & relaxing Easter weekend. 

Love, Laura x 

Mad March Hares & Mothering Sunday

Hello Ladies, how are you all?!
I don't know about you but I'm starting to feel a wee spring in my step. Light mornings, longer days, birds tweeting madly, buds bursting into life - hooray Spring is here!!
Having finished my buying for this Autumn, I've finally got stuck into the shop and have had great fun putting out the new season's stock and making everything look beautiful.

The Spring season is a great excuse to get whimsical so I make no apologies for my flock of paper birds!

 

I decided to leave this pretty window in for Mothers Day. The Avoca prints are so delicate & Spring-like. I hope it makes you smile as much as it does me.

We've just had a new delivery of Tantrend jewellery from Barcelona - I think they are so clever with their colour combinations. Every piece is just that little bit different.

My head has been filled with all the lovely things arriving in the shop every day. Did you get my mail with the new La Badia spring colours? If not, here they are!

 





Enough photos now - I'm being lazy! Still, I hope this wee taster will encourage you all to visit.

I can't believe we're almost half way through March. Although I did have a whole week of birthday celebrations with my girlfriends while Chris was in France...so I think I've lost a week! It's been a long time since I did that (ouch - now I remember why!) 

On the 27th March it will be a year since our rescue dog Bess joined us. Many of you will have seen her in the shop or around the town with Chris. She's settled in so well that we can't imagine life without her. We are now unashamedly besotted with her - dogs just give so much love.

And it is love that I'm sending out to all of you with this blog. I hope that 2015 is full of love for you all - even as it presents its challenges. I for one will be enjoying the little moments of beauty and wonder and reminding myself of everything I have to be grateful for - including all of you!
See you soon.
Love, Laura xx 

January Blues...and Pinks, and Greens...

Happy New Year Ladies! 

I find it's hard to get going after the Festive Season (is that why my Blog is once again so tardy?!)  

I've worked out that my best plan of action is to keep busy - doing things that don't tax my brain too heavily but that give me a sense of satisfaction on completion. In the shop that means Spring cleaning, remerchandising, staff rotas, writing tickets for newly arriving stock and Sale planning. In the winter months when business is quiet it feels good to look forward and to know that when our lovely customers do emerge from hibernation that Therapy will be spick and span and ready to shine. 

So what do we have in store for you?

Well our Sale starts this Saturday 31st January. I'll be mailing you all later this week but I can tell you that we're having a bit of a clear out on our La Badia pumps. I know it doesn't happen often so this is your chance to stock up on colours that won't be available again. We'll have our usual broad selection of winter clothing (plenty of time still to get your wear out of them) as well as scarves, gloves and the remaining stock of our gorgeous Avoca rugs.

The reason we'll be clearing some of our homewares is that we're hoping to move our shoe stockroom to part of our basement. As many of you will know, our shoes are currently stored in a room above Therapy - meaning that we have to do a quick sprint out of the shop and up the stairs every time you request a shoe. While this is undoubtedly good exercise, it's not terribly practical! So be prepared for a wee bit of chaos while we make this change.

Sale time is always one of mixed emotions for me: It's great to clear out the previous season's stock ready for all the new deliveries, but I spend a lot of my prep time wondering what on earth I was thinking about when I bought some of the items languishing in the stockroom!

But the thrill of receiving a new delivery buoys me up again and I start to look forward to the coming year. The trees are ripe with buds, the birds are tweeting, the days are getting longer and Spring is on its way - hooray!

You'll all be pleased to hear that Ann is doing well after her operation. She still has a number of challenges ahead (as I'm sure many of you do) but we are looking forward to seeing her back in Therapy on a part-time basis very soon. We miss her! 

I hope that 2015 brings peace, contentment and satisfaction for you all. I read once that suffering is the gap between expectation and reality. So my new year's resolution is to expect less and enjoy "what is" more. I'll let you know how that goes!

Until my next post we'll look forward to seeing you during the Sale and getting your feedback on the new Spring 2015 collections. I for one have a good feeling about this year!

Laura x 

Festive Greetings From All At Therapy!

Hello Ladies, are you feeling festive yet?! 

I must admit that up until yesterday I was feeling more "bah humbug" than "deck the halls". As I discussed in my last blog, our duties and responsibilities can overtake the joys in life and leave us panicking instead of enjoying the moment. But after a fun Saturday in our wee shop I am now ready for Christmas.

Okay so we don't have any snow (a good thing really) but Therapy & Petworth are looking cheery and twinkly and the prospect of this Saturday 6th December's Christmas extravaganza have got me well and truly in the mood...

Oops - as you can see, I started writing this blog a couple of weeks ago and my lack of technical knowhow plus some computer glitches have delayed me once more. (Note to self: First New Year's resolution is to get up to speed with my computer skills!)

It's now Thursday 18th December and lovely Ann, our fab and loyal part - timer, is off to St Richards for an operation. Not much of a way to celebrate Christmas, but a reality for many. Ill health is no respecter of traditions and this time of year is difficult for a lot of us. But the thought that the New Year will bring a positive, healthier, happier state is worth holding on to. I'm sure, like all of us at Therapy, you will wish Ann a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming her back in 2015.

December is always a time for reflection, for taking stock of the year that has been and expressing gratitude for all that we have. Any good fortune that we have been blessed with is all the more precious because of the tough times that we have survived. Christmas can be stressful but it is also a delightful way to join together and show our appreciation of our family and friends - to say thank you to everyone who has supported us and shared their time and love with us.

The last few trading days before the Christmas break are my favourite: not because they're the busiest but because they are the happiest. By the time our customers come to us, all the boring tasks are complete and they're feeling relaxed and in the mood to celebrate. 

This year I have persuaded Chris that Therapy will be closed on Saturday 27th. This means that I will have four days off. Hooray! This is the best Christmas present that I could hope for. I wish you will all a little time to yourselves over the festive period.

I'd better get this posted before Christmas is over! Have a wonderful time and thank you to all of you for your continuing support. Here's to a happy and healthy 2015.

Love, Laura xx