Natural Gemstone Pendants - handmade by me in the United Kingdom

NATURAL GEMSTONE PENDANT NECKLACES - HANDMADE BY ME (SUZY) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

I make unique one-of-a-kind pendants using natural gemstones like Agate, Amethyst, Jasper and Quartz but at very affordable prices. If you want to be different from the crowd, then check out my pendants and other items. You will never see anyone wearing the same as you.

I design and make greeting cards too.

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Thursday 25 August 2011

Christmas earlier and earlier


I said I would post another riddle yesterday but then I decided to post the blog about Facebook basics so here is the riddle today (answer at the end).



I realised today that everyone seems to be promoting things for Christmas and realised that now I am selling online I need to think in that direction as well.  It just seems too early to be thinking of Christmas when it is still summer.  I know in the US they have Christmas shops selling decorations all year round but here in England we only tend to think of it when Autumn arrives.  When I was young (yes, I know, that was a long time ago), Christmas things only arrived in shops and supermarkets in November.  Nowadays they start selling Christmas things in September after the children go back to school and the leaves start to fall off the trees.  This seems normal, as thinking of Christmas and roaring fires with family sitting round doesn’t seem quite right when you are sitting sunbathing in the garden – yes I know, chance would be a fine thing this summer.  But it just seems too early to be thinking of Christmas presents yet.  I know we all occasionally see something early in the year that we think would be a great gift for someone and so buy it and put it away until Christmas.  But then 90% of the time we forget we have bought it by November and end up buying that person something else.  Still at least we have their birthday present ready when we come across the present in January and kick ourselves for not remembering.



This year, being on the other side of the fence, as it were, I need to focus on promoting my jewellery for Christmas I suppose.  I need to start thinking like a professional seller and make the most of the opportunity.  I have a Summer Sale on at the moment – maybe I should have promoted in as a Early Christmas Sale.  I did actually see things promoted in July as a “Christmas in July Sale” but this must be a US custom as I had not heard about it before and it was too late to join in when I realised, as I had only been selling online then for a month so it was (and still is) all very new to me.  With the economy as it is will people be buying sooner to spread the cost or last minute as they haven’t the money earlier to think about it.  Will presents be smaller (or should I say cheaper) as it has all got totally out of hand these days in how much everyone feels they have to spend on presents.  Back to the “old days”, well even 30 years ago, I am sure people didn’t feel the need to spend the same percentage of their wage on presents as they do today.  Do we feel we need to “keep up with the Joneses” and buy high priced presents because we feel we would look bad if we didn’t?  Personally I feel we should all go back to buying cheaper presents as it has all got totally out of hand and there are so many financial problems for people in January and February when they can’t afford to pay their credit card statements.  The trouble is that no-one wants to look “cheap” by not buying for “Mary” the type of item Mary would expect and would be giving them.  In truth, Mary would probably be more than happy to tone down the cost and quality of the present as she can’t afford it either.  How did we all let these presents creep up and up to spending on this scale.  Most of us aren’t particularly pleased with the presents we receive either so it seems a big waste in the current economy.  I have personally known of people who can’t afford to eat properly or heat their houses enough in February / March because they have overspent on presents at Christmas, and as they have just added it all to their credit cards it doesn’t “hit home” until the January statement arrives on the doormat.  I think we should do a nationwide “Save the Economy and Spend Less on Presents This Christmas” so that everyone joins in and receivers don’t feels it is personal.



The answer to the riddle is: 
All the other card players were women.  
I bet you are kicking yourself now.  I didn’t guess right either!  If you got it right, let me know J  If you didn’t, let me know what you thought.  I thought he had his name on his jacket or on a tattoo.

1 comment:

  1. LOL! Well now I feel silly - I had no idea what the answer to the riddle was.

    I know what you mean about starting to plan Christmas items for selling too - we recently did a Christmas card project and I'm thinking I really need to get onto printing up a heap more so that I have cards ready to put up for sale soon.

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