If you’ve been into the shop recently you may have noticed that one of us has been ballooning. I like to motivate my team of florists with copious amounts of biscuits and cake, but I can assure you that this bump isn’t the result of  enormous calorific intake.

Rachel is Pregnant! 

In fact she is VERY pregnant. Her annoyingly slender limbs make her bump look like she has a bin-bag full of giant current buns hidden behind her apron, but I’ve checked and it’s definitely a baby!

Apparently, as an employer I am obliged give Rachel ‘Maternity leave!’ I’ve managed to keep her until now but it has been touch and go. She hasn’t been able to join in our shop shenanigans for weeks now; no dancing, no skipping, no sliding across the floor… at one point I was forced to wedge her in between a workbench and the till, so she could keep working without the risk of slipping on the myriad of cuttings and leaves strewn across the floor, close to where I was busy creating floral masterpieces.

Last week, I was a little worried that ‘Mother’s Day’ would be taken a little too literally and Rach would present us with our own little flower baby. That would have really  scuppered our deliveries, so on Saturday I made her sit very still, just in case. At one point I noticed a small puddle under her stool, I was just about to call John for hot water and towels when I remembered I was a florist and there were several puddles on the floor.

Phew!

I really don’t want to Rachel to go, but she has promised faithfully that she will be back! We’re currently negotiating the duration of her maternity leave, I started with three weeks, which I thought very generous, after-all it’s not her first so I’m sure the novelty will wear off pretty quickly, but apparently we’re talking MONTHS not weeks!!!

Rachel is a brilliant florist, one of the very best! Her style fits in perfectly with my and THE FLOWER SHOP‘s look and feel… although I’m not sure she appreciates my keen eye for the chic, stylish, elegant and somewhat sassy objets d’art! As a result she keeps tabs on my ordering obsession.

Expect lots more lovely super classy doodahs through Spring!

We’re all going to miss RAQUEL (as I like to call her). I know it’s a joyous occasion and I’m very happy for her, but I’m also very sad that we’ll be without her for a while. I WILL miss her floristry, her beaming smile, her shrewdness, her humour and her ability to muck in and make a great success of any situation. I WON’T however miss her attractiveness and super-slim figure (even when pregnant).