How I met my hubs…

There has been a bit of a craze recently for blogging about how people met their partners. I’m going to join in!

When I left college I managed to get a job as a nanny through knowing the child’s parents through my parents (it’s not what you know….!)

I was a live out nanny and commuted the huge distance of 4 miles to work. I started in 1999 and was given to look after a 12 week old baby with no relevant experience or knowledge! I know!!! Anyway, turns out it was the best job ever and through studying childcare whilst working with the baby and a bit of “winging it” we both survived. I realise now it was like being a parent but with a full 10 hours sleep, weekends off and more patience! (Oh and getting paid a healthy amount!)

It was through being a nanny I first met who was to be my future husband. As a nanny, I didn’t just look after the baby, I was asked to complete a few chores for the very busy parents. I would do the ironing, a bit of cooking, cleaning etc.

One of the jobs would be to go to the local Post Office and pay car tax, buy stamps, post items, get a birthday card and so on. In the Post Office was a man! A very nice man! His name was Andy.

I saw him on occasional Post Office visits throughout my time as a nanny and always liked him. The conversations between us (through bullet proof glass!) got longer over a couple of years until I found myself trying to think of an excuse to go in. It wasn’t too hard as I have an obsession with stationery (read here). I would buy a book of stamps, a posting box, pens pencils etc until my bedroom at home was starting to resemble a mini Post Office!!)

I finally plucked up the courage and was brave enough to push my phone number under the counter slot one day.

I changed my job in 2004 (unfortunately when the ‘baby’ started school I wasn’t needed any longer!) My new job took me 200 yards up the road to the local pre school (I never travel far!).

In 2004 our pre school and his Post Office entered into the local carnival. Whilst I was dressed as a pirate, Andy wandered over to me and gave me a lolly to the giggles of my colleagues and one saying “He fancies you”!

Well yes he did!

We went on our first date in August 2004 and that was it!

We married in 2007 with our daughters arriving in 2009 and 2012.

My nanny baby was pageboy as I would never have met Andy if it wasn’t for his brave parents! (He’s now 16 and seems to have survived my nannying ‘skills’!)

I now live above the Post Office and now the stationery is free (not the stamps/postage or car tax unfortunately!)

I must point out that when we finally were together, I returned all of the unwanted stationery to him and got my money back! I’d spent nearly £50!

Here we are on holiday a few years ago. One of my favourite photographs of us.

So go on, tell me how you met your partners. I’m a sucker for those stories! Please comment below!

Thanks for reading!

Love

Mrs Bash x

Stationery and all things paper…

I have a little secret, well an addiction really. It’s stationery – all stationery! It’s always been there, a small notebook, a fancy pen, an embossed writing pad…. *swoon*

I’m trying to think when it started and I can pin it back to my early teen days. I made a friend whilst holidaying in Blackpool and we decided to write to each other (before common email/Facebook/Twitter!) I had to buy some writing paper and stumbled across some illuminous paper and matching envelopes! Vivid pink, yellow, orange and green! It actually hurt my eyes to write on it but I didn’t care! From that day on I was hooked! If I saw any sort of note paper it was mine! I continued to write to my friend for around 5 years until we slowly ground to a halt. My paper addiction wavered and other things were more important.

Let’s jump forward from the early 2000’s to now. Hello #postcircle! When I discovered #postcircle through Twitter it appealed to me immediately! I had loved writing letters and now it was back in fashion! My stationery addiction resurfaced with a huge bump! Before I was even assigned my group I practically ran into Paperchase whilst on holiday, leaving the children in the middle of Salisbury with hubs, and hugged the writing paper section. I bought paper with owls on it (who knew that existed?), paper with butterflies and a wonderful set which had a drawing of an old fashioned typewriter on it! (One of my dreams is to own a typewriter, but that’s a story for another time).

I thought I was set with that, but I was introduced to something much more powerful… Washi tape! Oh goodness I love washi tape! I even have a dedicated a Pinterest board to it! This small sticky tape covered in gorgeous patterns. My first washi tape came from Amazon! Red with white spots! Fab! My obsession has grown and I now have 20 tapes all different but equally as lovely! My #postcircle letters and envelopes do not leave this house without being adorned with tape! It has to stop really, I don’t have loads of money but at 99p for 3 tapes from The Works, I’m not harming anyone am I?!!

I was fortunate enough that my husband bought me a gorgeous antique writing desk a few years ago. It was used as a bit of a storage space but not now! It has paper and envelopes in the correct slots with my washi tapes filling the drawers. I sit at it to write my #postcircle letters and it absolutely fills me with joy!

So there you go! My addiction is out there! I’m not ashamed, if only one of my washi tape adorned letters makes one person smile, then my work is done!

Love

Mrs Bash