A Surprise Visit from Germany (and a Very Untidy Studio)

I spent Saturday afternoon turning part of our Edinburgh studio into a mini jewellery shop for two visitors from Germany.

Only to find myself locked out the next morning, right before they arrived.

A few days earlier, I'd received an email from a customer who wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a visit to MISSA & KISSA while they were travelling in Scotland. She was a big fan of our jewellery, he told me, and he wondered if they could come by.

Of course I said yes.

Our studio isn't normally set up as a shop, so I spent a few hours rearranging furniture, preparing displays and making space for them to browse.

By the end of Saturday, I was about 80% done. I figured I'd finish tidying up the next morning.

Except I'd completely forgotten to check the building's Sunday opening hours.

Turns out it opened at exactly the time they were due to arrive.

I was mortified. But all I could do was explain the situation and apologise. They ended up walking into a studio that was somehow messier than if I'd left it alone in the first place.

Thankfully, they were far more understanding than I was.

A familiar face, four years later

When they arrived, I realised I actually knew his girlfriend. I remembered her very well.

She first discovered MISSA & KISSA four years ago while studying in Scotland on an exchange semester.

Since then, she's returned to Scotland roughly every two years. And every time, she's made a point of coming back to buy more jewellery from us.

And now, four years later, her boyfriend had secretly arranged for her to visit us again (so so sweet!)

I couldn't quite believe it. I'd been so preoccupied with the state of the studio that morning, and there she was, someone I remembered from years ago, still making time to visit our brand.

Knowing that someone who lives all the way in Germany still remembers MISSA & KISSA, recommends us to her friends and comes back whenever she's in Scotland genuinely means a lot to me.

I love thinking that some of our jewellery has travelled home with her over the years. That she might put on a pair of earrings one morning and be reminded of her time studying here, or a particular trip back to Scotland.

And I find it quite lovely that we've somehow become a small part of those visits.

I'm glad we got to see each other again. Hopefully, this latest visit has given her another happy memory of Scotland.

She ended up getting a necklace and a pair of matching earrings <3