Thank you....

After a dodgy start weatherwise, we had a reasonably busy day again at Malvern.
This month I had decided on "Spring", and went for a yellow/floral/garden look to the stand.
I have collected lots of floral prints and a lovely watercolour of a Somerset garden, some lovely Colefax & Fowler rose curtains, and some beautifully made yellow with cabbage roses G & J P Baker bedcovers, they contain a large amount of fabric that would make lovely curtains or cushions.
I always have fresh flowers in my displays and this month I had white & purple hyacinths in a large glass jar (I could have sold loads of these), clipped box (buxus), and had brightly coloured polyanthus in Colman's mustard and Lyle's treacle tins.

The lovely Dolly attracts positive comments and she is a good advertisement, however she doesn't seem to sell anything, I dressed her in two lovely organza pinnies, the top one a lovely peachy/apricot floral, the other white, full french maid style, maybe people don't realise that the items are for sale? I have had to repremand her that if she doesn't start paying her way, her place on the middle seat of the van will be given over to something else, preferably a bit more space for me!

The embroidery on this cloth is beautiful

Again I would like to say thank you for the Ladies that visited me and made such positive comments.

Jane & Mr C from Country Cottage chic,(http://countrycottagechic2.blogspot.com/) left some cards for the next Vintage & Handmade fair, and also bought a few bits as pressies, can't say what!

I met some Vintage ladies that follow/are bloggers - hello!

I can't wait for the next Malvern (April) as I truly hope that it will be Spring like by then?!

Thanks again if you were one of my customers or an admirer, see you next time.

T

P.s. I am trying to picture things for the lovevintagehomestyle blog shop, in the mean time if you have seen a little something that you want to ask about, please feel free to get in touch - thanks. T

How to recognise us at Malvern

Just look out for Michael !!!!I hope that the sun is shining for you today !

T

Special delivery!

How wonderful this morning, to not wake upto a grumpy teenangel, but to a chirpy one bringing a parcel from the postman! I have been waiting since last week for this package!

Last week whilst browsing my favourite blogs I happened upon Floss's lovely Troc Broc & Recup, on which she had posted some lovely finds on the Troc & Broc Vintage shop(http://www.trocbroc.blogspot.com/). I always usually come across the items for sale after they have sold however my luck was in!

So I waited until the teenangel went out (as he would wonder about his mother's eccentric ritual) and slowly unwrapped, layer by layer, somewhat reminiscent of pass the parcel without the parcel ever having to leave my hands!

The outer envelope exclaimed that it was "prioritaire" Republique Francaise", so I knew! Inside was a layer of bubble with enticing glimpses of what was inside, a map? buttons? in the words of Nessa "whats occuring?"

Bubble removed, it appeared that not only sending me my lovely purchases Floss had taken the time to inventively wrap them in French road maps, this was an added bonus to me as I collect maps and will add them to the others!

After that down to my abjects of desire, something else that I collect, fabric covered boxes, this one in lovely orange and purple florals with an original b&w paper lining, holding another little parcel, (is it my birthday?)

Some time ago at the last Vintage & Handmade fair in Chipping Sodbury I had bought some old French stripey satin ribbon and had made rosettes from them, I sold a couple at Malvern and have had an idea for a while (YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT I DO NOT LIKE FOOTBALL) that being a World cup year, chances are that the patriotic thing will be huge (even though the English tend to use the UNION flag and not the flag of St. George), so when I saw the next bits I thought that dicerning ladies who wish to be patriotic/nautical but with style might like rosettes made with these,

I was going to start clearing the garden today, but as I am at Malvern on Sunday these will be my prioritaire!

As for the lovely box, I will add it to my old peeling yellow painted c.o.d. with some of my other boxes where it will hold strings of beads that I have bought in India, Kathmandu, Sinai, oh and some old pearls of my Gran's which all compliment the box beautifully. I could not picture them in situ as the light is poor again today, but I think you can understand why I have had to indulge myself this morning!

My last picture is of the beautiful pair of shoes that Michael bought from Totnes for me for Christmas, I haven't worn them yet as it is still too wet but I thought that I would show them to you, they are incredibly comfy (Hush Puppies) yes, I was surprised aswell!

I hope that you all have something lovely happen to you today.

Thanks Floss,

T.X.

T

Spring is on its way

My early valentines tulips, foreign I know, but much needed colour!

Today, just some flowers, I assure you that Spring is on its way!
I am aiming for a completely floral stand at Malvern next Sunday 21st, and have this week accumulated some more lovely floral pictures, isn't it funny how things come along in groups?!

I will post pictures of new stock tomorrow as I am off for 4o winks as I feel decidedly unwell and didn't sleep much last night!

my sorry looking allotment today, the only thing growing are the snowdrops!

Have a nice afternoon.

T

new to allotments!

I have been very lucky in that my Mum gave me a portion of her beautiful daffodil orchard to turn into an allotment.

Mum has grown stuff all of her life, she now concentrates on her roses as she is bringing back to life my Gran's rose garden.

I have not made my allotment as productive as it should be, strawberries (loads), potatoes, herbs, parsnips, onions & shallots (which I pickled for Tom for Christmas, he has hidden the jars from Michael), leeks, raspberries, herbs, squash, celeriac, globe artichoke (just for decoration & I want a cardoon to plant by the millpond) and cut & come again leaves. However I can not get carrots to grow and still have a lot of time when I am not producing anything!

The answer I thought is to have a look at some gardening blogs, so I have added a few to my list, however I still have yet to find a really helpful one that will inspire me to cultivate! So please help me, if you have a blog that is inspirational but not too highbrow, will you let me know?

I did have help last year from the nursery (GROW) where I had a part-time job, unfortunatly I have had to take a step back from there as I have increased my vintage activities, but Matt is always very helpful and happy to give advice.

My other main problem is motivation, like making the trek to the local swimming pool, it is hard to be enthusiastic and get out there in this weather - and its started SNOWING AGAIN!!!!!

The pictures in this blog have been taken by me last year, my camera still being in London! I do think that they are nicer than looking at more snow pics though!?

All the best laid plans .........

Well today I was going to get up early and nip up to Cirencester to check out the weekly antiques fair to see if I should try to get a stand there?!, they run a Homes & Garden bazaar there on a Wednesday which I am going to look at next week as I missed this week.

However we were woken by a phone call, from a neighbour of Michael's mum, Sheila.

Sheila had fallen over at 4am and banged her head, had waited until after 6am to phone a neighbour, who in turn phoned us at 6.50am, Sheila hadn't wanted to bother anyone!

After a trip to casualty and 4 stitches later, Sheila is now with me at home as she shouldn't be left alone for 48 hours just in case!

Michael's one sister lives close by and could have her mum tomorrow, but she has gone shopping - NY!

Not that it is a problem that Sheila is with us, but as I don't go out a lot, I had some lovely trips lined up this weekend, Cirencester today, Worcester for the Vintage fair tomorrow, and carbooty Sunday!

Anyway as my camera is currently at the Changing of the Guard and then moving onto the Houses of Parliament, its posting time again! Knowing that my camera was away, I took some pics of a little book that I bought the other day. I am awful at needlework and my eye was caught at these beautiful stiches, the first one reminded me of the lovely intricate work that Hens Teeth (http://www.hensteethart.blogspot.com) produces.

I hope that you enjoy looking.

T

Have a lovely weekend, whatever you are doing.

Dahlia darling!

Looking through my pictures today, I thought that as Spring is on its way we would have a gardening blog with a twist! These pictures come from India, where as well as the sights, peeling & faded paint, old doors etc I also took pictures of real gardens, I hope that you enjoy this selection................

In Varanassi we stayed in an hotel where the gardener was very proud of his plants, rightly so the blooms of the dahlias were amazing, what I liked even more was finding his potting shed in amongst the shrubbery, where he was also drying seed.

With no common language, I managed to communicate how lovely "his" garden was.

Just something a little different from the archives, as my camera is currently somewhere between Paddington & Pimlico! (is that the name of an old film?!)

I have no idea what I will dig out tomorrow...........