Some belated thanks for my lovely purchases!

As you can see I had a little bit of a self-indulgent shopping spree at the Vintage and Handmade Fair last weekend!

Thanks to all of the sellers for such a great event.

Totnes Market on Friday :)

I'm afraid that I haven't found tme for blogging this week so I'll try to post a few this weekend to make up for it ...

The Friday market is always colourful and full of goodies but this week I just had to take a pic. of these flowers from "The Walled Garden". I'd noticed a big bunch in The Tangerine Tree cafe earlier in the week and was determined to track them down and buy some. It's just the way I'd like my garden to look but of course that is extremely unlikely to happen, at least whilst I still have the shop. So a bit of virtual floral border will have to do for the moment.

It's been a delight to see the new series of flowery paintings develop in Art Rooms opposite my shop. Jo (artist and gallery owner) is currently inspired by the spring colours along our Devon lanes and every day seems to bring a new delight on canvas! Do pop in to see her if you are passing :)
There's a link to Jo's website with the Look Art Rooms picture in the right column of this blog.



... and finally, a rare pic. of Mr. Fixit as he goes off up the ramp to visit the upsatirs Flea Market. If you visit Totnes on a Friday don't forget to pop up there!

Remember the old canvas Li-Los??

I was so pleased to find one of the old cardboard Li-Lo pumps and now it's proudly displayed with the new inflatable cushions which I sell. They are just like the old ones with a cottony canvas outer layer and rubber backing. There is a stopper on a string to pop in once its blown up and the front is a pale aqua with old roses whilst the back is the same aqua colour but with spots.
I have full size Li-Lo style airbeds in the same shades too but every time that I get around to displaying them the weather changes! (pics soon once I have inflated them)
The cusions sell for £11.50 and the airbeds for £35

What a great day out!

Mr Fixit and I had a rare Saturday out together today to visit the Vintage and Handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury. I am aware that many of my followers will not only know of the event but were there as customers or sellers. All that I can say to everyone else is ... "Find out when and where the November 2009 V & H Fair is to be held and move heaven and earth to go!!"

When we arrived the first stand holders we came across were Amanda (Shabby Chick) with her Mum and then Leonore (International Quality Kitsch) with her daughter ... just as though it was a Totnes awayday :)

Then, all other goodies were revealed! The Town Hall made a lovely venue and we were both very impressed that Chipping Sodbury has free car parking. (***** five stars to their town council for such forsight).

Sorry that my photographs aren't too clear, maybe I should have done close ups to use the flash properly but I wanted to get some background in as well. Anyway, the only way to go is up with my photographic skills ... onward and upward as we say!

Above and below ... Michelle's 'Cowboys and Custard stand ... packed with goodies.

Then on to see my 'Blog Mentors' Sal (Salssnippets) and Mr Snippets (who is known on his blog as Professor Yaffle). It was so lovely to see them, Their kind encouragement has really helped with my blogging. Sal's stand was alive with colour and goodies, all very tempting but in the end I treated myself to a beautiful little vintage gardening book. ... More about purchases tomorrow when, in better light, I photograph my 'trove' to share with you. I'll probably edit this with more captions too.

However, for the time being, as all good books go ... then , tired but happy, they went home for tea ... THE END

... and finally, where did we end the day's browsing? No, not the zoo ... answer to follow tomorrow.

Arts Award presents "A Day at the Beach - 1950's" with KEVICC students in partnership with This'n'That on Saturday 23rd May.

What a great start to the day on Saturday when a group of KEVICC students set up outside the shop to present their version of This'n'That's 1950's beach theme.
They were just great and deserve a big round of applause. The students had visited the shop previously to choose the aspect to focus upon ... and well ... the pictures speak for themselves!! They even put down sand to create the 'beach' from which they 'paddled'.

The Great Create at Greenway House

On Sunday Mr Fixit and I set out for The Great Create at Greenway House (Agatha Christie's holiday home on the banks of the Dart). The sky was blue, it was warm and such a delightfu;l setting for the event. We had to use the National Trust's website for Greenway to book in our car parking allocation (no booking-no parking, be warned!) and arrived just after the allocated time. A buggy (the golf course sort gave lifts to and from the house for those who needed help, which was just right for Paul who is still limping after his new knee op'.
The Great Create folks were in the walled garden .... a lovely setting with stalls and a variety of sculptures scattered around.
Anne Hume, who exhibits her silver jewellery in This'n'That and Art Rooms (see links on my blog) had set up a lovely display ...

Remember when?!

As visitors to the shop already know, it is small and not very perfectly formed. What I would really enjoy doing, given more space, is to offer a comfy corner for you to catch up with all of those old comics, Enid Blytons. Biggles, Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drews etc. etc.
Oh well it's nice to dream ... meanwhile you are really welcome to call in and browse:)

As I'm always saying to visitors to the shop, when you start to browse through the old comics, books and annuals you will start to remember things which you never even realised you'd forgotten! ... If you see what I mean:)

Film stars at This'n'That!

Not the easiest items to photograph because of the cellophane wrapping but I'd like to introduce you to the filmstar residents from This'n'That! ...
Dorothy Lamour
Judy Garland
Rita Hayworth
Ava Gardener
Betty Grable
Bette Davis ... and
Gene Tierney!

The dolls are like those which (the older bloggers may recall) had to be cut out and then be dressed in cut out clothes with paper tabs to attach each item.
These are already cut out, have great wardrobes and seem to fit that 'more than a card but not an expensive present' category.
I sell them for £4.50 each and would gladly post at cost to fellow bloggers.

Vintage, Gayway Reading Scheme school posters by Macmillan just arrived!

They feature different traditional nursery rhymes. The colours are vibrant and the artwork quite nostalgic. Not certain how old they are but suffice to say that their folder, with the series name on, looks just the same as the 1950's Enid Blyton poster series folder.

This'n'That ... Who'd have thought it?!

Sorry not to have much to blog this weekend but at home it's all hands to the boxes and bin sacks as we prepare for our spare room cum my office space to be gutted and refurbed. Oh bliss, oh joy .. but there's not much of either around at the moment. (Sal, I take heart from the before and after pics of your bathroom project!)

Anyway, I've been saving these two little namesakes (of shop & blog) to show you. Hopefully in the coming months I will find more.
I would guess that the book is early C20.
The pack of cards is marked as 1963. Haven't had time to read the rules yet but it looks quite complicated and certainly needs to be tackled in a calmer atmosphere than we have today!