Yes, kids are off school, I have been baking birthday cakes until midnight, we are in the final, painful stages of a 2 year building project, the AW catalogue needs putting to bed and there are all the joys of moving house to look forward to next month.

WHAT was I thinking when I decided that it would be a good idea for all of these things to happen simultaneously?
I thank my lucky stars that I recently acquired a p.a. She found me a few months back so I can’t even pretend that I have my own prior planning to thank for it.  But without super star p.a. there would be no Autumn Winter purchase orders and no party bags for the twins’ birthday party this weekend (oh, did I not mention that I’ve got picnic, painting and treasure hunt to organize for 20 kids this weekend?) and, actually, probably no mummy as I would be rocking and humming repetitively in a the corner of a darkened room somewhere.

It’s not just the party bags and the POs, it’s also just the comfort of having someone else around to lend a hand with all the stuff that I can't quite get to, or quite honestly, can't quite face.  I've been running small businesses (first Myla and now Charlotte & Co.) for a decade and it’s only now that I am actually getting any good at asking for help and delegating the bits that really someone else could do.  And I have to say that it feels good.  I would go so far as to call it liberating.  I've even found headspace to do a bit of planning and catching up with the fashion calendar.  So Spring Summer '11 will finally see the launch of the first Charlotte & Co. summer collection.  There'll be cool linens, pretty florals and some seriously gorgeous swimwear.  And I, for one, fully intend to plan ahead, keep my diary free and make next summer seriously serene.  I can see myself now: floating around the terraces in crisp linen sipping cool drinks before diving in the pool.  It'll definitely happen – one day.