Wednesday 24 February 2010

By a Whisker ...

Cat got your tongue? Well I think this little puddy tat has had my tongue for the last month or so...
I seemed to have mislaid my blogging voice of late..I am certainly not short of mental fodder to write about .. much on my mind... but have found it hard to form sentences.
With the days growing longer by degrees.. I feel as though I am emerging from a very long winter hibernation. Judging by the layers of winter fat that have accumulated around my middle and derriere, I certainly feel an affinity with my local badger and fox community.
The bird song has shifted a gear and the light seems to stretch just that bit longer each day... seemingly overnight. One day I was staggering to the post box in the dark at 5.00 p.m and the next day I was watching the sun sink behind the hills of Bath. So.. Spring is just around the corner and with it a whole lot of good intentions and happy ventures..and much goings on behind the scenes.
Now where shall I start...?
After weeks of staring out of the window and wringing my hands at the state of our garden, I finally set foot outside and confronted the aftermath of the wintry weather. With secateurs in hand and a brand new pair of gardening gloves.. I took no prisoners.. by cutting and pruning back the delinquent shrubs and shrivelled plants. Can't say it looks a huge improvement..tidy yes..attractive.. no. Very hard to believe that it will ever look green and lush again.. but in three months time.. I will be fighting my way through the vegetation again and cursing the weeds.
I will spare you the photographic evidence..You will just have to use your imagination ..Death Valley meets urban wasteland.. Get the picture? Here's one I took earlier.. on a good day!I am sure the blogging world is abuzz with the latest flurry of vintage style fairs (see side-bar for more details) that are springing up hither and dither.. Lizzie & Clare's, Jane & Christine's, Sue's, to name but a few..hats off to you girls for being enterprising and biting the bullet.
Jayne and I are busy making plans for our first Textile Fair to be held in Chipping Sodbury on Saturday July 3rd..It will be an opportunity for the many textile orientated artists and merchants to showcase their work...We are starting small but if it proves as successful as the Vintage & Handmade Fairs.. then who knows where it will be held next... Olympia? Ha ha!!!That was a joke folk!!
There is also a May fair to think about.. only weeks.. which equate to days... away.. gulp!!!Milly and I have a daily date with the brown paper and sellotape dept. and should soon be experts in the art of origami and how 'not to' wrap a parcel.. Why oh why does the end of the sellotape always make itself unavailable? and why do I turn around, after spending half an hour wrapping a particularly tricky item.. to find that the packing slip is sitting behind me. Grrrrr!
Despite these small gripes.. we are having such a good time sharing our enterprise which is now 6 months old and thriving.. thanks to some charming and most obliging customers! Mentions in Homes & Antiques glossy pages has certainly provided us with a wide range of visitors.. from Tasmania to Belgium.

If I had thought two and a half years ago.. what would I be doing now.. it certainly wouldn't have involved me being an event organiser or Emporium partner.. both ventures have brought me so much enjoyment and a multitude of new friends and acquaintances.. so.. 'expect the unexpected' and you never know.. it might just happen!!

I hope you are all tickety boo and surviving the wrath of this winter.. It sure feels like a long haul.. but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.. it's called Easter.. when the clocks forward.

22 comments:

Hen said...

Hello Michele,
Good to see you back. I love that putty cat, I have recently begun a yearning for "well loved" soft toys and he fits the bill perfectly! I was also interested to see the letter in the recent BBC Homes & Antiques from the lady who was happy to find a doll at Mille and Dottie's emporium. Well done!
Hen x

Country Cottage Chic said...

Now that I've picked myself up off the floor ....nearly broke another finger when I fainted.....it's lovely to see a blog from you (and a cute kitty - bet Pickles is annoyed it's not him!)

J
x

Jenny said...

And that Tasmanian visitor was me and my parcel arrived this week. Thank you so much.

Cowboys and Custard Mercantile said...

Hello Jenny.. how lovely to hear from you. Sadly I couldn't open your blog..
Glad that Milly's parcel arrived safely.
Best wishes
Dottie aka Michele

hens teeth said...

M...always good to read a post from C & C.
I wish you and Jayne all the success in the world with your new venture into Textile Fairs. Continued success too with the
V & H Fair and Millie and Dottie's Emporium.
Spring is on it's way...hooray!

Ragged Roses said...

Guess what I ran out of this afternoon? Brown paper!!!! Never, ever, enough of the stuff. Pussy cats, sunlight, spring days, birdsong and chocolate to look forward to Dottie dear and a certain staff jolly to enjoy too!
Mx

BusyLizzie said...

Good to read your adventures in the garden.. I have been looking at our wilderness and thinking that something will need to be done soon! Love the new fair logo/piccie .... (and a big Thank you for putting the Vintage Bazaar on your sidebar) Have a lovely weekend, Lizzie x

Unknown said...

Hi Michelle, sounds as though you have been very busy so you are forgiven! I've popped a link to your vintage textile fair on my blog. Every little helps! Lucyxx

Louise said...

I'm so pleased to see you've come out of hibernation Michele. It's good to catch up on all your latest news. As always, good luck with all your up and coming ventures. x

Sal said...

I reckon, by the year 2011, there will be a vintage fair in every town in England...just look what you and Jayne have started!!! ;-) ;-)
P.S. Your garden is looking quite tidy!!
;-)

A Saucerful Of Secrets said...

Ello Lovely!
LOVELY TO CATCH UP,TEXTILE fAIR? WOW!YOU HAVE BEEN QUIET BUT NOT HALF BUSY :) MILLIE AND DOTTIE ARE GOING FROM STRENGHTH TO STRENGHTH TOO....HOW EXCITING IT IS FOR YOU.
TAKE CARE MY SWEET,
ANNIE X

meghs said...

Hi Michele,
I'm another of your happy customers from Australia; a 1947 edition of a book my mum particularly loves for her Christmas present. I gather she spent the rest of Christmas Day reading it again and now has it in pride of place.Isn't that a lovely thing!!
Enjoy your garden. It's really pretty to my eyes. We have actually had some rain so may have more than a dustbowl outside this year.
regards
Meg

Josie-Mary said...

How lovely to hear from you! I know what you mean about winter, it's been a long haul but March is knocking at the door & bringing me 2 weeks holiday...yippee!!!
Looking forward to the fair in May, would love to come to the July fair but think that I'll be pushing my luck finding someone to drive me :(
I'm looking to set up a fair in Exeter but it won't be as good as yours, just crafts & cakes....a good old fashion fete.
Just to let you know I've put your fair on the makedoandmend.info web site. Not that you need any more visiters! :) xx

Bobo Bun said...

Lovely to hear your voice again. Not surprising it's been quiet with so much going on. A textile fair sounds another exciting thing to add to your collection. Good luck with it all.


Lisa x

Clare said...

I haven't ventured into our garden yet..this post has given my the 'umpf' to get out there!!

Anonymous said...

I was here in wintery Ohio communing with the well-fed foxes and badgers over baked goodies and cups of tea when I saw your post. Lovely to 'hear' your voice and have a chuckle.

Vintage to Victorian said...

Hi Michele

What a lovely post! Quite coherent, too!!!!!

Thanks so much for putting the Dairy House Textile & Costume Day on your sidebar. Very much appreciated, and I'm looking forward to seeing you there.

Well done for getting out in the garden. I'm hoping once I've finished with Giant Fleas etc I'll have some time to venture into mine.

Sue xx

Libby Buttons said...

Nice to see you again. I had been gone for awhile as well. Yes, spring will come unless we all self destruct before it comes.
smiLes
LiBBy BuTTons

Susan said...

The vintage fairs look like fun---wish I could attend.

Kitsch and Curious said...

I'm impressed by the gardening. I'm still ignoring mine. And yes, May will be here only too soon!

A time to dance said...

Oh how I wish I could go to the fair, this year, when we were planning a visit I have booked our annual trip to skye...one day I hope....love and hugs H

Rubyred said...

Hello Hello!
Missed you, so lovely that you're back!I haven't ventured into my garden yet! Don't know where to start! I'm only just thinking about pegging washing out there!Good Luck with the textile fair,
hope it does really well!
Have a great week!
Rachel x