Fresh Retro Update July

Welcome to our new website! A LOT has happened in the last two months so I thought I'd share a few updates of where we are at and some of the things we have been working on.

Many of you found us via the NZ Made Facebook page.  Pretty safe to say putting up that post changed EVERYTHING.  Prior to lockdown Fresh Retro Love ambled along pretty happily.  I would describe us a market business that sold online too.  Enjoy your lockdown break Kathleen haha because things are about to change!  

End of lockdown came near and my partner went back to work. The couriers were about to open up to everyone again so I decided to start putting some attention back to the blankets.  I had seen the NZ Made site and to be honest the quality and beauty of some of the products there was a little intimidating.  At that point the size of the group was probably half what it is now.  (Well done Sarah Colcord - group creator!). I had seen some posts do well and thought to myself if I got 500 likes I'd be really happy.  I steeled myself, prepared my post and sent it off.  The next few days I spent making sure my Facebook Page was up to date with product.  I thought I might do a few sales - that would be good.  Sunday night I went to bed early and somewhere around 11pm I woke up with a bit of a start and looked at the time.  Initially I thought something was wrong with my phone!  It had virtually exploded.  What the 'eck was going on!  There were notifications and messages everywhere!   My little NZ Made Post resonated.  I have tears just thinking about it.  Not everyone 'gets' my blanket biz.  But you did! You do! For three days solid I responded to amazing emails, messages, phone calls, comments, DMs you name it.  I completely sold out and started taking requests.  Those first two weeks were a blur!  So here we are two months later.  Now I call myself an Online business that does markets!  

Since you are reading this Blog you will have noticed we have launched a REAL website..haha yays!  Brand spanking new with a logo and all!  Facebook & Instagram are great for keeping in contact and staying current but not so great for showing you what is available, plus if you see something you like, now you have payment options!  Our plan is to build our online selection.  Here lies the challenge though,  you see my request book is still full and the preparation of the blankets is a slow process.  In fact I'm pretty sure the opposite of instant is restoration!  But I also think that is where the beauty lies.  Soo not a huge amount of blankets are making to the website yet but it is growing and you will see more and more come available.  As a side note, I'm still taking requests so send me a message if you know what you are looking for and can't find it here.

The other part of the juggle is building selection for my market events for those who like to see in person and touch the blankets to make their choice.  I LOVE doing markets it's in my blood and Fresh Retro Love are back out and about.  Winter is always a tough season for outdoor markets but keep an eye on our social media Stories to find out where we are next.

So clearly I need a bit of help..haha.  On that note I welcome Adrianne business partner and financial whizz.  Together we have some ridiculously exciting things planned.  I also have Mum (mum's are best) who is a machinist superstar and all round go-to.  Bert, Brother-in-Law and ever patient IT trouble shooter, email fixer, and why isn't the Instagram updating question answerer.  Vaughan(y) my love, my calm and my market muscle.  I have two teenagers Brooklyn and Oliver who are self sufficient enough these days to cook (for me even!!) as long as I pay for it. haha Thank you Hello Fresh.  And some wonderful friends who encourage me every step of the way.  So I have good support while I adapt and spread wool love.

What else has happened?... We got mentioned in the Herald Viva (sqwee!), I got engaged (also sqwee!) and this Womble's heart got a bit bigger.  Yup going deep for a minute.  I have realised during this time there is a bigger picture than blankets.  I knew retro old school blankets made a connection - heck it's just one of the reasons I love them so much.  But there is so much more than that.  Wool is important.  Our farmers are important.  Our personal health and the health of our environment are important.  Choosing who we buy from and why we buy has reaching consequences that often we don't even realise. Fresh Retro Love are thinking about that too.  We have some exciting things coming together with that in mind.

So let this be my official thank you.  Thank you for giving me an increased sense of purpose.  Thank you for seeing and appreciating the work I do.  Thank you for loving my attention to detail.  Thank you for encouraging me with your messages and photos, I love getting them.  Thank you for understanding and your patience even when you haven't heard from me in a while or if I make a mistake (bound to happen eek).  Thank you for buying Kiwi Made and seeing the value in quality products especially during this weird and transitional world we are in.  I SO appreciate all your support and helping make my one of a kind business stretch and grow into a new era of wooly blanket memory making. 

Warm wooly fluffy hugs
Kathleenx