Lazy Bones

I was meaning to post about  my Posh Car Boot haul this time, but when I got around to photographing I realised I had already taken several items to my unit in Lechlade.  So these pics are things that either haven't made it there yet, or I'm keeping for myself.

Actually I think I ended up buying more for myself than I did for stock.

These hanky trims are so sweet, they need a good wash and will be great for Lillipeg fairy wings, but I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to remove them from the cards.

 The lovely pink floral fabric is a  huge door curtain complete with brass rings.

This book has some delightful illustrations by Margaret W. Tarrant.

Boxed set of tablemats showing cute birds.

Lovely old battered teddy.

I hope you've been enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend,  I haven't felt like doing very much and have been quite a lazybone, just doing some reading and pottering about.  I didn't even go the boot sale today, preferring a lie-in.

Mr. Bloom and I have the week off next week (from paid work, anyway) though I'll be going to my unit a  couple of days as I have just taken on some extra space - more on that another time.  I also have a new project that I really need to get started on.

I'm going to take a blogging break for a few weeks so that I can buckle down and concentrate on things that I need to be doing.   See you soon!

Lucy x

Bargains in the Sunshine

Saturday morning Mr. Bloom and I scooted off into the Wiltshire countryside for a special sale.

It was billed as a "Posh" or "Country" Car Boot sale - several cuts above your regular car boot.  They are run for charity and the sellers are, let's say, more moneyed than most of us and pitches are usually by invitation only.

I've been to this type of sale before so I knew it was worth going, sadly they are too infrequent.  Entrance is pounds rather then pennies and the sale is more akin to a flea market in terms of the goods available, quality on every stall and not a single plastic toy or fondue set in sight.  Of course, many of the prices are posh too but there are also some bargains if you search hard.

It was set in the grounds of a beautiful country farmhouse - loved the duckpond and the dovecote.  I was in my element and the car soon filled up with booty.  It was a blistering hot day and normally I would seek shade, but I hardly noticed in my excitement.

On the way home an obligatory stop for refreshment.

The beer was good, so Mr. Bloom told me, I was impressed with their display of pots and baskets.

I haven't sorted out all my purchases yet, so that'll be for the next post, I just snapped a few snippets. Some lovely faded fabric flowers.

Textiles and trims.

And a pretty doll.

Hope you've been enjoying the sunshine (here in the UK), what a treat for sun-worshippers!  I managed to do some resting today, all set for a busy week ahead.

The good the bad and the downright annoying

GOOD: Today started well, I found a £2 coin in the road.

BAD: After that it went downhill - I lost my car keys.

GOOD:  I keep a spare key at my mums, she kindly brought it over.

BAD: As a result I was late getting to my unit in Lechlade

DOWNRIGHT ANNOYING:  The state in which some customers leave my unit:

One of the downsides of having a unit, as opposed to one's own shop, is that you're not there all the time to keep any eye on things (the upside being that you don't have to be there all the time).  At the moment I go in once a week to re-stock, tidy up and do my afternoon stint behind the counter.

Sometime when I go in my heart sinks when I see what has become of it in the space of one short week.  I'm sure if this was a shop where customers were in view they wouldn't be so disrespectful of my things.  I'm not saying all customers are, I think it's just a small minority who don't have the grace to leave things as they find them.  It might only be one customer or it might be a few, but it doesn't take long before everything is in disarray.

On one occassion I watched a man remove a pair of curtains which were hanging on a cupboard door (he wanted to look inside the cupboard) and casually toss them on the floor, then walk out.  He thought I was just another customer.  Grrrr!!!!

Anyway, rant over, I am grateful to all the customers who come in and buy from me and leave my unit in a tidy state - Thank You!   I was going to take some " after" pictures but ran out of time.  The other pictures are some bits and bobs I've found recently.  Not long till the weekend, hope you have a good one, amongst other things I plan to do some resting!

A Place for Every Little Thing

One of the downsides (if there can be any) of being a thrifty girl, is finding a place for all those things you just couldn't resist buying.

I have a small shelf in my kitchen which has become a place to put those smaller items that just don't have an obvious place to go. There are a number of little dollies here, some tins, china rose ring, matchbox, just bits and bobs that sit happily together.

The little scottie dog is the first one I ever made, way back in the 80s.  I used to collect fabric samples from Laura Ashley and use them to make tiny lavender sachets.  I think the fabrics they produced then were far prettier than now, and there was such a wide choice, this one was Polyanthus, I think.

Two very differerent dollies, but I love both their sweet faces.

Underneath the shelf are pegs with more paraphernalia.  An old dog biscuit advert, a fairy peg doll, necklaces, a brush, tiny plastic bear, no rhyme or reason, no particular style, just somewhere for them to go.

On the radiator, fake lavender flowers in painted tin pots and nestling inside, two doll's house dollies, the newcomers.  I found these at the car boot recently, or rather my friend Jayne found them, but as she had some already was gracious enough to let me buy them for myself.  Not sure if I'd be so gracious!

No great value to anything but a place for every little thing.  Not much room left for any more though, might be time for another shelf soon!

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend - going by in the blink of an eye as usual!  Amongst other things, I've been busy searching for stock and have found a few nice things lately.  I'll try to post about them next week.

Out and About

I haven't done an 'out and about' post for a while, not that I haven't been out but my excursions have either been not particularly blogworthy or to places I've shown before. 

Today I had an errand which took me to Wootton Bassett, a small market town in Wiltshire.

It's much like many other market towns, a high street busy with traffic in the week.

Wednesday is market day, it's a tiny market with just a handful of stalls.  The medieval building on stilts is the old market hall, built in 1700.    These stilted halls are not an uncommon sight in market towns, built in the Middle Ages, they served a dual purpose as the town hall and as a covered area for the market traders underneath. at the time were the heart of the town, today this one houses the town's museum.

In recent years Wootton Bassett has received widespread media coverage.  It lies close to RAF Lyneham where the bodies of British soldiers serving in Afghanistan are repatriated.  The route  from Lyneham takes the corteges through Wootton Bassett where the locals took to lining the High Street to show their respect.  It has become something of a ritual now, with the High Street being closed to traffic, shops closing and church bells ringing.  For various reasons this has been the subject of some controversy and national debate.  I don't think there's any political intent and personally I see no harm if it provides some small comfort to the bereaved families.

This is the war memorial, erected in 2004 after a local fundraising effort, which lists those townsmen lost during the 1st and 2nd world wars.

 

The old architecture remains mostly intact in the High Street but nothing particularly noteworthy, so just for you I went for a little wander to see what pretty dwellings I could find.

I couldn't wander very far as my parking ticket was soon to run out but look at this unusual hanging basket, I thought it was rather sweet. (In case you can't make it out against the grey brick, it's a duck!)

Just on the edge of the town is a small nature reserve, a nice place for a picnic on a sunny day (which wasn't today!)

Baby ducklings - aaaaah.

Of course some buying took place too, not a great deal - a couple of baskets, a crocheted doily and some lovely 50s barkcloth.

Pretty pinks - the crochet flowers on the doiley are lovely but the kittens on the barkcloth are just too cute for words.  Something  makes me think I might not be parting with this any time soon!

Thank you for your comments on my last post,  I haven't had a chance to return the visits yet but I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with a jungle for a garden! 

Forgotten Garden

I have just finished reading this book - The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton and found it a thoroughly good read, I was gripped from beginning to end.  I don't read books often as once I get into a story I have to finish before I can set my mind to anything else.  I started it on Saturday and finished today .  If it hadn't been for having to get up for work this morning I'd have read all night until I'd finished.

My own garden, whilst not quite forgotten, has been rather neglected.  I didn't do any work in in last year and now it really shows - long grass, weeds and plants desperately needing attention.

My sunny nook which was once pretty is now inaccessible.

2 years ago it looked like this.

I bought these recently, I was attracted by the instructions - "shake the bag and sprinkle where desired".  Think I can handle that.

I'm hoping to end up with something like this...

Fingers crossed!