Sunday 31 May 2009

The day after....


Despite being utterly exhausted and falling in to a gin and tonic stupor for most of the evening.. I couldn't sleep last night for thinking about the Vintage & Handmade Fair II....
It was a FANTASTIC day for want of a better word... The hall was brimming with people five minutes after the doors opened ... and yes.. we had queues!!!!
I managed to leave my stall for five minutes throughout the 6 hours to whizz round and say hello to all our lovely ladies.. who all did a sterling job of making their stalls look so appealing and enticing...

I met many friendly bloggers and tried my hardest to remember names and faces so if we meet again... I will not draw a blank. It was so good of you all to travel the distances you did, to come and say hello and do a bit of shopping of course!Cowboys & Custard Stand

We even had our own resident photographer .. thanks to Mr Country Cottage Chic.. who snapped many great photos which can be seen on our Vintage & Handmade blog... and captured the essence of the fair perfectly.. from arrival.. empty hall.. to throng of people and all the colours and mood of the fair..Our team of tea ladies.. (sorry Jack) Miss Country Cottage Chic and friend, did a splendid job too of keeping the hungry and thirsty throng fed and watered throughout the day.
Thank you SO much ...to everyone who came along to support our fair and to meet us and fellow bloggers.. I would love to have known just who was milling around the hall.. and was delighted to have met quite a few new blogging friends.. and old...such a friendly lot of faces!
It was a wonderful wonderful day.. and the only low point of the day, was realising that I had left my camera in the car that had gone home with Mr Custard .. so no snaps from me (other than the one I took on arrival of all my 'stuff' waiting to get in) ....but lots of great memories to hold on to until the next fair..... coming in 6 months time!

P.s Photos added courtesy of Mr Snippets iphone.. to the rescue!

37 comments:

Rubyred said...

Hi michele, it certainly wwas FANTASTIC, so lovely to meet you in person, your stall was wonderful!Thank you so much for my free Noddy badge, what a kind lady you are!I would love to have a stall at the next one, but I know lots of people will be thinking the same thing.Please enter me into the hat draw, or on your list or whichever way you decide, a very special day indeed, loved meeting so many bloggers!
Put your feet up now and have a well earned rest!
Rachel x

Josie-Mary said...

Lovely to meet you yesterday, so many lovely things, I spent most of the time in a daze!!! I could have spent loads!!! Could we have one closer to exeter next time??? It took nearly 5 hours to get home 'cos there was an accident!!! very long day & very hot trapped in the car! hope to see you next time, I would like a stall also but I guess the waiting list is very long. Thanks to you & Jayne for sorting it. :)

Clare said...

Hi Michele,
It was lovely to meet you yesterday and thanks again for organising it. Let me know when the next date is...I'd definately be up for a stall again! I'm going to have a couple of days off and then start on the commissions I got from the fair!

Simone said...

I have just looked at the pictures on Flickr. It looks like the most wonderful venue and the stalls look fabulous. I could identify whose stall was whose by the products that were for sale. I recognised your stall and Sal's and Hens and the Vintage Magpie! I wish I could have come. Maybe next time. Now go and put your feet up and breathe a sigh of relief that it went so well! x

Dana and Daisy said...

It seems your only problem may be the need for a larger venue next year!

Floss said...

Congratulations! I'm so glad it went so well. I'm going to check out the photos now...

Primchick said...

Thank you, & to your bunch of girlies for sharing your day, & your photo's... you should ALL be very proud or yourselves....

blackbird said...

It's looks like it was a great day for everyone.

Sometimes it's a blessing to not have a camera. Mr. Country Cottage captured the day with his wonderful photos. I think that he must have been everywhere and seen everything.

April said...

Hi Michele

I had a great time - a huge success, well done you

Hope to meet you again sometime

April xx

Ragged Roses said...

So good to hear the day was a success! Well done to you all, deservedly so. I've seen the photos on flickr and all the stalls look fab, wonderful!!!!
Hope you're out relaxing in the sunshine today
Mx

Sweet Cottage Dreams said...

A gin and tonic stupor...you are hilarious!! I have some catching up to do but just wanted to say HOWDY and have a restful day!!

xo
becky

Corinne Phillips said...

Hi Michele
It was great to meet you. My daughter and I had an absolutely FANTASTIC time. I don't know how you would have had the time to take photographs as well. We would definitely come along again. It would be great to have a stall but then we wouldn't get all that lovely retail therapy would we!!

Sam said...

when is the next one

I'm DEF coming!!

Sam xx

PS It looked FANTASTIC xxx

Country Cottage Chic said...

Finally! I am able to do a bit of blogging after another busy day - this time at the horse show!

It was fab wasn't it? It took me hours to get to sleep last night as my mind was so busy going over the day again!

See you soon!
Love,
Jayne

Katie said...

Hello! It was indeed a FABULOUS fair and it was lovely to meet you. My new blue elephant eggcup has settled in nicely here at our house! Can't wait until the next fair now! Thanks for the nice note you left over at my blog. Katie x

OhSoVintage said...

I am looking forward to looking at the photos on several other people's blogs and reading their different stories too. Glad it was such a huge success.
Ruth x

Vintage to Victorian said...

Hi Michele

Didn't we have a lovely day? I still can't get over the number of visitors we had - I definitely think the Vintage and Handmade Fair is a force to be reckoned with and could soon become a new National Treasure!

Thanks to you and Jayne once again for such excellent organisation.

Sue xx

Elizabeth said...

Hi Michele, It was lovely to put a face to the name and actually get to meet you. Mum and I had a fabulous time at the fair and it was just amazing the number of people who were there and the lovely items that were for sale.

If there would be any chance at all for me to have a stall at the next fair (lots of knitted items from both me and my Mum plus felt Waldorf-inspired birthday crowns and a few vintage bits and bobs too) then please add me to the list. Me (and Mum) would really love to take part.

hens teeth said...

No way could that day have been better......all down to you lovely ladies...thank you so much.

marble rose said...

GO ON TOUR!!!!!


I am MAD jealous I wasn't there!!!!!

:(((((


Fleur
xxx

Jackie said...

Well...I just popped over from Vivs blog to see what it was like here and have been riveted for longer than I intended!
That fair looks wonderful, but I also love your Sunday lunch memories..mine was with 'Family Favourites' and formica, and I want to ask where you found the Suffolk Cottage.
Nice to meet you.

THISNTHAT said...

Hi, Thanks for such a great day! I know what you mean re not being able to sleep! In my head I was still browsing around the stands and remembering all of the new faces.
Such a lovely time ... I know that when something goes as well as that and all seems so smooth on the surface, someone or somebodies have worked their socks off to make it that way.
I call it the swan technoque, "all smooth on the surface and paddling like anything below" XX

jane and the happy crow said...

Hi Michele, Well we decided to go home on Saturday night so we could sleep in our own beds. Thankfully as we had a food break first we missed that accident on the M5 but it was still about 10.30 by the time we got home with matchsticks in our eyes! We both had SUCH a great day all I wish is that I had someone to help me so that I could have got around a bit more and chatted to you all. I can understand why you couldnt sleep, you and Jayne must be so proud of yourselves. I am def in for November, I was thinking up things I could make on the way home! My little doggie has settled in nicely although Midgie was a bit miffed I came home with another dog! He is on guard in the kitchen at the moment but he may travel round the house till he finds the perfect spot.
I will talk to the estate manager about the possibility of having a show down here, will keep you posted. Thanks again Michele, sit back and bask in the glory of it all, Lots of love Jane xxxx

Niki Fretwell said...

Roll over 'Country Living Fair' you have a VERY able competitor!!!

Well done Michele - I was so proud to be part of such a fabulous event...I can't put into words, as I was so overwhelmed by how many lovely people came through those doors....it was truly an awsome day!

Hope you can take a well deserved rest for a while.
Niki xx

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

It looks marvellous ! Congratulations to all of you ..... I would have loved to see it all . Fun to put faces to names , too .

A Thrifty Mrs said...

It looks amazing, I really wanted to go but alas we were busy. Perhaps next time?
It looks like a lot of hard work went into it. You deserve those G&Ts!

A time to dance said...

it looks fab going onto the blog now...well done...hope you have got your feet up now...H

Carol said...

Hi Michele I am sad that I could not make it to the Fair it looks as though you all had a wonderful day. Your stall looks fantastic!
I must catch up with you very soon.
Cx

claire Maraldo said...

I had such fun at the fair and thank you for making time to come and talk to us all individually, it really meant a lot to me. I've been on a high since I got home. It must be the lovely people, the great atmosphere and all that creativity on show . . and the cakes and tea were perfect!

I think you deserve lots of rest and G & T's and to bask in your glory!

Pretty Practicals said...

Hi Michele, what a wonderful, fantastic, friendly, welcoming day (was that too much hyperbole? I don't think so).
Can't wait for the next one!

Dee said...

Hi there,
just found your great blog, will definitely be visiting again.
Dee

LissyLou said...

It does look fantastic - wish i could have been there

Louise said...

Your stall looked fabulous Michele and has inspired me to look out for more childrens' vintage to add to my existing collection, which is all packed away in the loft! x

Ginny Gibson said...

So glad that I made it to your fair, loved all the stalls and bought plenty ;0)

Funny looking at the pics on flickr, I see myself in the background quite a few times and the pic at the cake stall is my eldest ... so thats where she was LOL.

Look forward to your Nov fair ... hope your venue won't be too far away .

Thanks again for a great day.
best wishes Ginny

Anonymous said...

Its sounds like everyone there had a super day from the blogs I have visited. I must try to get there for the next time. Glad to hear it was a great succes!

Goosey said...

I was there but didn't say hi to anyone I blog/comment to as you were all so busy and I didn't like to interrupt. It was lovely and you all did a great job on the cosiness of it. Only thing I would change is a bigger venue!!!!!

Emma said...

Hi Michele, thanks for popping by on my blog! Seems we have much in common... love of old tat/cats/gardens/falling over/ living in Bath.. the list goes on! I too embrace the whole vintage/car boot and have done my whole entire life! I was doing shabby chic as a teenager! Love your blog by the way, would be good to catch up some time! Emma