Leo's duvet day!

Recent explorations into our airing cupboard (to the back where supposedly extinct dinosaurs roam), revealed a lovely old, forgotten Laura Ashley quilt from the eighties. So, here it is, freshly laundered with Leo wriggled inside it to get away from Sunday's wet and windy weather. Guess he sort of reversed in like a little hermit crab! He holds me personally responsible for the weather so it was good to see him with thoughts on other things!

Bloggy pics by Lidi ... as promised :)

The Babycham glasses and other promotional stuff continue to be popular. You can still buy the packs of four little bottles in many supermarkets and put with a pair of vintage glasses they make a great gift.

As soon as I have space there's a beautiful old cocktail cabinet to come in for sale. Will post a pic asap.

These retro styled stacking blocks and alphabet cards have been real favourites over the past month but I have a feeling that they are going as decorative items for retro minded grown -ups rather than as toys for children ... and why not?!

One of my favourite pieces of shop furniture ... the 50's cabinet is for sale but somehow I won't be sad if it's slow to sell!!

Knitted cakes made by my friend Sue. She lives in France but knits cakes for me when she visits. She even knitted one for my tom cat Leo (see earlier blogs for his stunning good looks and conical shape!) since he kept running off with the finished stock. The card is one of Lidi's photo cards and is for sale in the shop too.

As usual there's a tumble of stuff outside the shop. I suppose that its meant to show passers by what a mix of things they'll find in the shop. However, the other day I seemed to have picked all garden gifts and a passing vistor came in expecting a garden centre!

These lovely button badges are made for me by 'Sumptuosity' and are part of the growing range of cracker /stocking fillers for the 'grown - ups priced under a fiver! (£3.95 for these small ones).

Time to blog once more! Introducing Lidi :)

Sorry that I've not ben blogging lately. Not quite sure where the time goes but it's been a really busy summer and autumn at home and in the shop.

At the moment I still open for five days each week with Thursday and Sunday as closing days. My friend Lidi now takes charge of the shop for a couple of days each week. The days vary but I'm often in town on Lidi's days too, dashing around with new stock to unload and of course, having the odd cup of coffee in The Tangerine Tree!

You may have seen the apple picker in an earlier blog ... well, here it is again with Lidi! Thought I should introduce her. She's helped a lot over the years since This'n'That opened but now it's a regular arrangement and she knows just about as much about all of our lines as I do :)

Fortunately, she is a really good photographer and so we now stock some of her images as greetings cards and you will also see a lot of her work represented in the bloggy pics of the shop! When Lidi's website is finished I'll pop in a link so that you can see her work and maybe even pass it on to anyone in search of a photographer (look out for the pics which she took for Langage ... their lovely dairy cows looked even more fetching than usual!!)

They've arrived!! Nov. 09

I've ordered these wonderful little tin bird brooches to be in stock by the second week in October. Can't wait and can't decide which one I want ... such are the joys of having a shop and getting too attached to the stock ... I'm sure that we've got a therapy somewhere in Totnes to help me to be more businesslike:)

They will sell for £26 each and are handmade by Melanie Tomlinson who is based in the Midlands. You may have seen one of the birds in a recent Country Living but can't recall which one and my copy has gone to ground in the chaos which is our home!

PS. The birds vary in size from 6.5 to 8.9cm long. Thanks for reminding me Floss:)

Apple Time

Not quite the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness yet but the early mornings are certainly a bit cooler. There are a few 'apple' items coming into the shop.




More of the popular enamelled buckets Usually £22 now reduced to £18

Also a new line, a wicker apple picker (about 3 feet long) at a great price of just £7.50!




I hope that last year's best selling wrapping paper with pictures of dozens of varieties will be arriving soon. I already have the sheets of 'apple names' wrap and will try to scan some of it to add to this post soon.

Remember Dan Dare?!

I was just messing around on-line (as you do) looking for a new source of nostalgic greeting cards and I came across this guy, from a different time-space continuum (as they say on Star Trek ... oops ... mixing my sci-fi).
I've put in a link to a page with lots of old art work & down loads. Still need to find the cards but thought it about time that I started blogging again :)
I recall that my comic was Girl magazine which was a bit tame by comparison. The boy next door but one took Eagle and got home from school later than me, So .... every Wednesday I was off round there to read it before he returned to a new (but well thumbed) copy of Eagle!

A timely reminder for South West gardeners

Thought I'd share news of one of my favourite local events (which has usually come and gone before I can get there!) ...

Suttons Seeds have a trial ground adjacent to Fermoy's Garden Centre on the Totnes to Newton Abbot road. Their annual open days when the public can stroll around and enjoy the otherwise private site, are a treat not to be missed. It's a basket of delights and this year, there's an additional day for family fun too.

Family Growing Day August 1st 10.00am - 4.00pm

Open Weekend August 8th & 9th

Suttons have a blog with links which will give you more information
http://www.growyourownclub.co.uk/

LONG TIME NO BLOG! Sorry:(

Sorry it's been so long since I posted a new blog. I've been away from the shop for a week or so enjoying my 'holiday at home' at the Ways With Words festival of literature at Dartington Hall just outside Totnes. (festival pics just as soon as I can find my camera in the chaos of our preparations for home improvements ... have packed just about everything except the cats, Mr Fixit and my PC!!)
Meanwhile, I have been saving this bit of literature to share with you. It's an extract from a Janet and John reading book where John and his father go off in an aeroplane for a ride with a pilot who just happens to land nearby and invite them on board! Not quite 'on message' for today's advice of not going off with strangers ... how times change. However, it is reassuring to read that Mother and the puppy have more sense.

Introducing Pegasus!!

Thought it was time to introduce you to this legendary guy who lives in our garden. He is a (very) large wire sculpture by a local artist. I regularly sell smaller pieces by him in the shop. The interesting thing is that Richard only uses 'found' materials and so some of his projects can take some time to complete whilst he searches for what is required.

A little journey through some of my vintage images ...

Sorry I've not posted anything for a while. Thought that I'd share a few of my vintage images.

So ... let's go for a walk on a summer's day ...


... and maybe catch a coach when our legs get tired ...



... to take us to the beach where the huts are being built ... leaving the men to saw wood and the women and children to play ...

... maybe fishing in the rock pools or digging in the sand ...

... then, perhaps a trip to the fair ...

... and before long it's time for the little ones to go home for jellies and cream ...

... whilst maybe we end the day with a night under the stars around a camp fire?


Which is all a lot better than cleaning the windows! :)

Recent trove!! As yet not polished up and restored but thought you'd like to see what I've found!

Couldn't resist this lovely book. Don't know anyone off to Ireland at the moment so it's for sale in the shop. It's brand new and beautifully illustrated on thick, quality paper! Love it!!

Lots of other books below to come into the shop. I'm especially pleased that there are more natural history/gardening ones. The old penguin ones on fruit are by Mr. Bush!

Below: a mottley collection all awaiting This'n'That's brand of TLC from Mr. Fixit!! Funny how things seem to appear in batches! This week's batch would appear to be little brown cases. As you can see the largest has drawers! Now I have to wrestle with the options of whether to keep it (and perhaps line it with paper or fabric) or to sell it for someone else to do the TLC stuff!

I used to be indecisive but now I'm not too sure:)

The cash boxes make great treaure boxes and have trays with little compartments inside. One is being polished up as I type this and once gleaming they will go into the shop.

The milk bottles are an interesting collection. They are popular as 'kitchen windowsill vases' and look great with a bunch of buttercups or suchlike.

Ironically, one had a picture of a milkfloat and a message which read "Don't let your milkman become a thing of the past", and here I am selling the bottle as a collectable!

This book was something of a 'wildcard' for me since I sell very few new books. It's all about the postcard as artwork - very funky and modern looking.

More maps .... lovely miniature shears (can't say childsize since the health & safety thought police would get me!)

The ceramic bowl with a shiny metal rim is a curious thing. It has a flowery print (very olde worlde) and then painted over it (and glazed and fired) is Clarice Cliff style angular, orange, red and black design. I can only think that it was used as an developmental or training piece as styles changed in the 30's.

Pimms bunting ... well do I need to say more? Even without the bunting we all deserve a little tipple and a few mins of tennis on TV. The cocktail shaker is a penguin with a bow tie. Every home should have one:)

I'm so pleased with the miniature insulated tea pot and the egg cups but ... yes ... I will be brave and sell them ... honestly!

The season for summer picnics seems to be upon us and so I will be bringing them in over the next few weeks.

Finally ... Fred! Lovely boy:)

Ways With Words July 10th to 19th 2009

Once more I've decided that I deserve a week's 'holiday at home' and I've booked a rover ticket for the Ways With Words festival at Dartington Hall. Thanks to good friends the shop will open as usual but I will be enjoying a change of surroundings and listening to the many and varied talks at the festival. (click for link if you want info.)

Remember Jane of Ladybird fame?!

Well, in those days the Mums and daughters did all of the housework whilst Peter and his Dad did the manly stuff like mowing the lawn and playing with the dog!
I admit that she's looking in need of being ironed (must be all of the chores giving her wrinkles) but I just had to take a pic. as soon as I unpacked her.
'She' is a teatowel which I sell for £5.95. If any bloggers would like one I could find out postage which I doubt would be much. It comes in a cello pack with a 'ladybird' card top.

Creative Torbay Arts Market in Paignton on Sunday 14th June

Spent a busy weekend visiting two markets and four carboots!! I promise you that our normal pace of life is much slower but we're having work done at home (decorating, plumbing etc.) and it's easier to be out of the way!
Then, by way of relaxation, we went along to the Creative Torbay Arts Market in the Palace Gardens at Paignton. 5* to Paignton for such a lovely venue and event (although the litter in the surrounding streets was a bit of a disappointment).
Our friend Jo Stewart from Art Rooms opposite the shop had a lovely, colourful stall (sorry Jo no good pic. to post). The stilt walkers were brilliant and the musicians, artists and craftspeople all made it great fun and so colourful.
I've put in a link to show you the rest of the Creative Torbay events :)