Good morning from D&S
What another beautiful if breezy day out there today! What day is it again? Oh - Friday!
It's 7 weeks since we were both furloughed from our day jobs and, like many of our lovely friends and customers, it's getting a bit wearing isn't it? G&T is our new sparkling water, and most items in the house have been cleaned and repainted or if not due to be very soon!
One job that we didn't mind so much was the tidying of the fabric cupboard in our workshop. It sparked the conversation we've had over several weeks about if we could make facemasks. Do carry out your own research and make your own choice on wanting to wear one, but we decided (as you will have now seen!) to try our hand at making them.
Last week we both felt really alive again. The sewing machine was going full pelt, we had our Etsy shop "pinging" every few moments. Feedback from customers and friends was really lovely, and it's been very exciting to see our quirky taste in fabric travelling off around the world. We're even been able to reinvest into some new fabrics that we hope will feature in our other products like ties and pocket squares when it finally gets to us.
The biggest benefit we've both felt from this project is the mental health benefits.
We've got up and "gone to work" in our kitchen, followed our own advice to "Do Well, Live Well and Dress Really Well" and open our own departments (cutting, sewing, packing)!
Our cats have become HR and we have an excellent food and beverage team
Which brings us to the title of this blog - some days getting the spark to ignite is harder and some days it's easier. Being kind to yourself, being okay with not being okay, and having a phone call with someone can all help. If you have someone in lockdown to hug, do it as regularly as needed (Dave our mannequin has been a great extra source of hugs!)
And if you are having a video call and need some great accessories or feel the urge to wear a facemask to the shops - you know where to find us.
Stay safe - keep well.
Rob & Jason
Dapper & Suave