Did somebody say Chocolate Eggs??

My website is currently off line for a couple of days so, no good directing you there until it comes back up, we are changing hosts, well at least thats what I think Sam at Pixelwood said was happening, he is such a wizz and I, being so dizzy.....Monday should see it all sorted and then I can shout from the hilltops, if i can find any hills in Norfolk. My Twitter is as good as any Hill I know, and I have lived on the West Coast of Scotland (I miss it so).
Easter.....Bunnies......Chicks.....it all comes back to Chocolate though dosn't it? A new British survey has revealed that 9 out of 10 people like Chocolate. The tenth lies. - Robert Paul

"After a bar of chocolate one can forgive anybody, even one's relatives." I like that one!

"If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly."

So that can be the excuse this weekend when the kids look like they may be struggling.
Does Chocolate make you Dream?? I know cheese is supposed to, but hey who could get all exited about cheese? There isn't a whole weekend devoted to cheese either, not like it's as important as eating chocolate eggs for 3 days. Hold on a minite have we lost sight of the real meaning of Easter? Is Easter becoming too commercialised?
So I think, whilst devouring the last of the kids eggs and clearing up after making the Hot Cross Buns, I shall remember how we come to have all these excuses......
and shall leave you with that thought....
With Love and Light

Olivia
xx

Sharing the Norfolk Snow

Thought i would share the seasonal Norfolk snow with you all. As i have many visitors and friends in far off places, I thought some seasonal weather would be good. The Wishing Tree has been quiet today, and i think many people have braved the elemements and gone into the city to shop, I think they are now wishing they hadn't, as reports of overflowing carparks and queues at checkouts fill me with woe.
So, has anybody ever seen a pair of kissing giraffes in the snow??
these little darlings come in 2 sizes and are priced at £15 and £12 so if you know anyone who needs one of these for christmas, give me a phone 01508 536008 or visit the website for more gorgeous gifts. or e-mail for other giraffe options iwish@thewishingtree.biz
Well I'm off home in a bit before the roads get too bad, hope you all get a bit of snow soon,
olivia
www.thewishingtree.biz

Thanx to all the Ladies

Hi all,
Just a note to say thanx to all of you who came to our Wishing Tree Ladies Cristmas Shopping Night. We had a great evening with lots of chocolates, to get us in the mood for the season of much eating. We woke up this morning to a covering of snow too, so now it is officially "the season to be Jolly". Watch out for announcments of our other special feature nights, we have a Childrens after school shopping night on Tuesday
2nd December, and we will stay open until 8pm on that evening, so you can come in straight after school or come later after tea if you prefer. We are handing out pop and sweeties for the kids and have lots of affordable pocket money gifts for kids to buy for their family friends and teachers. Much more fun than trailing round the busy city shops. Tell all yur friends and make it a date.
Also on the 11th December we will have our Blokes christmas shopping night, with beer and crisps etc. So no excuses for the perfect present this year, we are offering a free gift wrapping servie with this one. Has to be a date for the diary. So Ladies, get your men organised and point them in our direction, we will do the rest, and make your christmas wishes come true.
So, thanx again for the great turn out last night,
See you all soon
Love and Light
Olivia and Helen
xx

Halloween at Whe Wishing Tree

Did We Have Fun or What??

Our happy Halloween all got off to an early start last night, we had great fun in the shop, re-opening at 6pm and warming ourselves with Helen's hot fruit punch until 10pm. Lauren from Norwich was here, reading Tarot, we all had a taste of what is in store for us in the next year, with her 12 month forcast. Indian Head massage was also on the menu, with Jill. Lauren and Jill are collectively know as "Pagan Moon" and can be found in the Norwich area at the Mind Body And Spirit Fairs. Or you can contact The Wishsing Tree to get their contact details. And giving advice on Crystal Therapy, was Monique from www.coldsrteamtherapies.com we were feeling the benificial effects of some of her beautiful crystals and learning how they can bring us calm and inner peace, make us feel more energetic and give us confidence etc. Monique is a very talented therapist and we hope to be seeing more of her in the shop soon. You can visit her website to see all the treatments on offer, which also include, hypnotherapy and reflexology, Monique also works her treatments on animals, in particular horses and dogs, so don't put it off till tomorrow, why not contact ther today. www.coldstreamtherapies.com
Steve Sausage may be a name that is familiar to those of you with children. Steve, who is a childrens entertainer, was one of our visitors last night, he added to the fun with a few tricks of his own, visit his website or contact him to book your kid's party on info@steve-sausage.co.uk or checkout his website
www.steve-sausage.co.uk
So let us know what you think of our pumpkins, no dodgy comments please, pop back to this blog next week and Helen will be publishing her Hot Punch recipie, great for those cold winter nights, leading up to christmas.

Have a Spooky and Safe fun Halloween
See you all soon in the shop or online or at one of our parties and events

Olivia and Helen
www.thewishingtree.biz
01508 536008
iwish@thewishingtree.biz

Hag stones and Halloween

Hag stones are a charm of folk magic that are found predominantly in European lore, and they are simply a stone with a hole in it. They are used to keep away hags or witches that may come a-knockin' at night time. If you were to hang one on your bed post you would prevent a hag from giving you a nightmare , and putting one in the stable would stop the hag from stealing your horses for a joyride and returning them in the morning exhausted, which was thought to occur often in older times. (Man, I hate it when they do that). Although hag stones are used to prevent encounters with beings such as witches, the stones are, in witch lore, considered to bring the finder good luck and fortune, and be a sign of favour from the goddess Diana.This conflict -it will ward them off, or bring them delight at finding good fortune - should make you consider if you want this to be your primary line of defence against invading nasties. There are a great many charms to ward against such things, from the simple horseshoe to complicated spells. Protection has never been this easy!! -Please note that I am referring to hags and witches as separate things. They are different things, and many modern witches find the term to be very uncomplimentary (crazily enough).

AND SO TO

HALLOWEEN.......

The Wishing Tree will be hosting a late night shopping evening with the Halloween theme. Helen and myself will be at our best, dressed as Witches, so get those hag stones to the ready. The shop will be open during the usual hours of 9.30 till 300 during the day and will re-open at 6.00pm until 10.00pm. Pumpkins on the pavement and much witchery going on inside. We have a guest Tarot reader, who will be offering taster readings for a small fee, and you can experience an Indian Head Treatment too. We will be offering advice on our range of crystals and serving fruity puch with a witchy kick and some spooky nibbles, so best you come along and cast your spell, we may even have a few special offers too. You never know your luck on a dark night!!!!!

Every customer wearing Halloween Costume will recieve a free gift.

Look forward to seeing you all here,

Give us a call 01508 536008

email iwish@thewishingtree.biz

web http://www.thewishingtree.biz

SHOPPING - NIGHTMARE OR NOT????

I've just returned from a trip to Tesco's, and while eating my lunch had a few thoughts, which i will share.

Thank the Lord that my children are all at school now and I didn't have the dubious pleasure of taking them to the supermarket with me! My heart went out to all the poor mums in there with the little ones in the trolley seat, grabbing stuff off the shelves and filling the already overloaded barrow with attractively wrapped junk. Aren't the manufacturers utterly brilliant at disguising complete rubbish as every child's dream, and don't you just know that once home it'll more likely be in the bin before bedtime. Those advertising folk have alot to answer for.....

Being a child-free shopper today I'm glad to say I avoided this expensive wastefulness at a time when we can all least afford it. The credit crunch is hitting so many of us, but the children (rightly) have little understaniing of the problems their parents may be facing. With Christmas well on the way now (only 12 weeks to go!) the reality of doing Christmas on a tight budget is hitting us all.

At our shop we're reacting to the current financial situation by trying to stock products that offer true value for money, yet still retaining that 'quirky and unusual' feel that we are so well known for. By shopping at The Wishing Tree in Long Stratton you can be sure that the recipient will be delighted, and probably dying to know where you got it from! Such a change from the bland feel of so many of the high street stores. You also have the peace of mind that we offer a no-quibble exchange policy on everything except earrings. Gift Vouchers are now available too for the truly awkward to buy for!!

By starting your shopping now, it spreads the load and gives you the pleasure of finding the right present without the expense of last minute panic buying. It also gives a wonderful sense of smug satisfaction............!

Whilst in Tesco's this morning I picked up a few Christmas stocking fillers which I will be squirelling away when I get home. If you are thinking of doing the same thing and getting ahead this year we have some very affordable little items just waiting for you.

So, a few ideas for under a fiver...........

Chocolate scented bunny keyring or belt fob for just £1.99,

Ceramic fairies any little girl will adore at £3.25,

Dreamcatchers starting at just £1.50, all sorts of hearts from £1.25,

VIVA Beads Earrings at £4.99,

CatsEye London purses at £4.25, and a wonderful array of crystals from 30p each which come in their own drawstring bag.

So come along to the shop, or visit our stall at one of the many events we will be attending, check it all out online at our website, or book a wishing tree party, where we can bring it all to you. For details of all the ways we can make your wishes come true look at the website, or give us a call on 01508 536008 or email me iwish@thewishingtree.biz

Make this christmas the best one ever

Love and Light

Olivia

VIVA BEADS AT THE WISHING TREE

"Live it Wear it"

Lori, mother of four daughters, and Jill, a single mother of two, came together with courage and belief that they could better thier lives. they held hands, committed to their vision and began building their business one step at a time. From a kitchen table-top company, the two women were determined to keep moving, growing and developing against all odds. Lori and Jill's will to succeed is the driving force behind the Viva Beads brand which symbolises individuality, determination, truth and commitment. To wear Viva Beads, is to understand that each individual has their own journey to follow and dreams to capture.

The Wishing Tree is proud to stock Viva Beads and share this beautiful range with you all. You will find a selection of Viva Beads on our website, and also in our shop in Long Stratton. Particularly lovely new additions to our range is Viva Beads Jumbo Stone Bracelet in the stunning Mojito design and at £16 can be an affordable addition to your jewellery collection. Also the funky and Chunky Square bracelet in Blue Fabric, at only £13 is a must. For the first time we are now holding stocks of earings for that christmas stocking filler idea, check out the Jumbo Stone Black Lace Earings for starters at £6.50.

We have loads more affordable stocking filler ideas both online and in store so get your shopping in early this year and spread the cost of christmas a little bit further. We are also offering christmas shopping home parties now too, so book yours to avoid dissappointment. See our website for more info on home parties and register an interest with no obligation.

Looking forward to seeing you all

Olivia

The Wishing Tree

MONDAY MORNING SUNSHINE

It is a beautifully sunny Monday morning and ballons are beginning to be found now. That's 3 now and only another 97 to go, well not really as several are still wrapped round the telephone wires in Long Stratton and a few are in the field behind my house in Topcroft, never really got off the ground, but the kids enjoyed letting them go friday morning, who am i to argue. The finds have all been in more or less the same area, Poringland, Brooke and now Shotesham. Prizes will be won by the launcher and the finder, so keep the calls coming, we will decide the top prize for the best story and anounce it at the end of next week. Iwill just share this with you though, Kate phoned me this morning and said she had seen on the blog that her balloon had been found, she had taken it home to Kirstead to let it go in the garden, reported finding was in Poringland so it went a little way up the road, it was then taken home to Mrs F's house, can you believe it, in Kirstead. We are now offering round trip balloon flights.....ha ha.

That's it from me for now i need to go and look through the Willow Tree catalogue and do that order i was telling you about the other day. We have some great gift ideas in stock from the Willow Tree range so have a look on our website and make a start on that Christmas list.

bye for now

Olivia

WE ARE BUZZING AND THE CAKE IS HERE

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS CAKE

The cake has arrived as you see, it was made by Cheryl, who makes wonderful cakes in all shapes and sizes for all occasions. If you wish for one of Cheryl's cakes you can contact her through my website and mark the e-mail as re-cake and i will forward your request. We are all looking forward to cutting it later on.

The shop has been buzzing this morning and lots of balloons have been launched, we are having some more delivered this afternoon so come in and get yours, the race is on.

We are also doing a free raffle for customers, so leave us your e-mail address and we will put you in the draw to win loads of great prizes.

Helen and I worked real hard this week to get the shop looking great look at these pictures and see just how good it looks. New stock in too, loads of new Viva Beads in the shop will be on the website next week.

Also see the willow tree figureines and let us know if you have a special request as a new order is being put together next week for delivery around the end of September. We will be ordering picture frames and plaques etc for christmas pressie ideas.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE WISHING TREE

Today is the day we have all been waiting for, The Wishing Tree is now 1 year old, it's official.

It dosn't seem possible that it was a whole year ago that we first opened the doors.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US

So on with the week and on with the fun, the ballons are starting to come in and go out already, the wind is strong today so we are hoping they will be far travelled when we hear back. It only costs £1 to enter and launch your balloon, and a prize for each one returned as well as a special prize for the one which creates the best story or travels the furthest. The people who return the balloons also get a prize as a reward for playing the game. So come in and join us and get involved. The balloons have been supplied by Court House Occasions, the card and gift shop in Long Stratton. so we thank them for helping us with this and hope you visit their shop too while you're here.

The ballons will be available for purchase all week until Thursday night at 10pm when we close.

So keep following my blog to find out how the ballons are doing and all the birthday news during the week, as we will be reporting daily.

Other highlights are 10% off every purchase during the party period, 2o% off if you have one of our lucky flyers, wine and cake on offer to all who come to see us on Thursday 11th for our evening party, free sweeties for everyone in the shop all week, and of course our usual friendly welcome and service.

We are now offering a free gift with purchases from our website, see online shop for details of that www.thewishingtree.biz loads of fantastic products always available online.

I'm off now to chat to our customers and get in the birthday mood, see you during the week.

olivia

100 HELIUM BALLOONS

Seen as we have a thing about turquoise in The Wishing Tree, we thought we would have 100 helium balloons at our party. In turquoise of course, what else. So from Saturday the balloons will begin to appear in the window so keep watching out for that and "pop" in and buy one if you get the chance.

The idea is to buy a balloon and we will tag it, then give you the chance to write a message for the finder of the said balloon, which you can then release where and when you like. The website address www.thewishingtree.biz will be written on the ballon with instructions for the finder to go to the website and contact us with the details. If you balloon comes back to us we will give you a prize. The best prize goes to the balloon that has travelled the furthest, and has the best story to tell. We will be reporting on the balloons travels in this blog so come back and see what is happenning. We are hoping to release the bulk of the balloons on Thursday 11th Sept at the main party event, open till 10pm remember with a candlelit evening outside in the balmy summer air, well it's good to be optimistic about these things i guess, we don't want the weather to put a dampner on our event so keep everything crossed for us please.

So keep watching this spot for anything else we think we should be sharing, and we will see you sometime next week i hope.

Olivia

THE ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING MADE

LOTS TO THINK ABOUT

This is gonna be a good party. Cake seems to be on everybodies mind, all the people i ask are saying "will there be cake" of course there will be cake, well at least i have ordered it and the supply is very reliable, the question is the size, how many pieces of cake do i need? e-mail me to let me know your'e coming iwish@thewishingtree.biz

and i will make sure and save you a bit. You could get a link from the website too www.thewishingtree.biz

I have ordered 100 turquoise helium ballons, so there will be a sea of blue on the ceiling in the shop all day, that has to worth a picture in the EDP i am sure. If anybody at the EDP reads this blog then maybe they will be coming along and do a bit of a report about a new business not only surviving but thriving during the credit crunch.

Another idea was a candle lit pavement outside the shop. We are gonna be open until 10pm so it may give it a nice atmosphere as long as it isn't raining. What we need is that Indian Summer.

So it's the 11th Sept at The Wishing Tree in Long Stratton Norfolk on the A140 shop open until 10pm for fun and promotions to celebrate our Birthday

see ya there

HAPPY BIRTDAY TO THE WISHING TREE

THE WISHING TREE

IS GOING TO BE 1 YEAR OLD

I have pleasure in announcing the first birthday of THE WISHING TREE. To all those who are familliar with what we are all about, i hope you will join me in the party week, starting 6th September 2008 to celebrate 1 year of trading at The Street Long Stratton in Norfolk.

To all who are not familliar, I would encourage you to come along and let us introduce you to all the wonderful things we have to offer.

There will be lots of special things happening during this week beginning 6th Sept and on the 11th we will be having an all day party in the shop and staying open until 10 oclock in the evening.

I will be announcing all the plans nearer the time so you will need to watch this blogspot for a bit more info and make sure you don't miss out.

I can reveal that there will be a birthday cake and lots of special offers over the period of the week, i am looking for my customers to come up with a few ideas as to what they would like to see as part of the week so if you can let me know wishtree@hotmail.co.uk or call the shop

01508 536008 is the number to dial.

i want to make this a week to remember so get involved and be part of the action if you can.

look forward to hearing from you all soon

olivia

The Wishing Tree