shopgirl in a whirl....

....well what a wonderful whirl of a week its been since we opened last Sunday-I feel that my feet have hardly touched the ground...business has been good,but that almost feels like an aside,I have had the best of times and have been truly overwhelmed by frienship and kindness! I have had the pleasure of treasured friendships,the kindling of new friendships and the joy of  fleeting friendships,like the charismatic Canadian lady in her 60s and on a cruise who I met last week! She was a delight and we shared a happy half hour chatting away-she was carrying a lovely 'purse' fashioned as an airmail letter which she opened to show me her Kindle (electronic book),I want one! and a lovely wallet she had which was made from the a laminated page from a 'real' book,a copy of Little Women,she bought a notebook from me,made by mama,covered with a print taken from a vintage girls annual-it all seemed to be about books-before she retired she had taught childrens literature. She flagged down her passing husband (of just 3 years) to ask his advice on the notebook,which was a gift for a 12 year old 'Goth' whose family they were going to visit,this debonair Scottish gent was most pleased to note that I had been a demi-'Goth' myself once,'Och',he said 'theres hope,she may turn out like you one day then!'-poor kid!

I have also been showered with kindness this past week,I have been given some treasures which I will share with you on another day and kind words have been spoken here and here -so sweet,Lucy at Blue Door brought a tear to my eye as did my dear lil' sis Sofi who wrote this-thankyou to you all-you've made me a happy twirly whirly shopgirl!x 

Servants' Undergarments

Servants' Undergarments
Originally uploaded by LES® is more photography

.....this made me laugh today!!!!!! A friend was searching Flikr and found this picture,which just happens to be our washing on the line in our back yard! I am so pleased that I had hung my pretty pillowcases out to dry that day,this is a really popular spot for taking photos,people often look shocked when the gate opens and out we all troop! This is why I don't peg out our 'undergarments',though it would be great to hang out a line of giant bloomers and y-fronts for the tourists!!

virtual shop tour.....

....well I made it,I am now a shopkeeper-a dream come true! It has been a mad couple of months making this special journey,but I can well and truly say that it has been worth the uphill climb and I now have a shop to share with my family and friends and it already feels like home! Last week is now a blur,Saturday night and Sunday morning felt like an episode of 60minute makeover,dashing about like a headless chicken and true to form I was I finished just minutes before the deadline,still making price tags at 1.45 when the grande opening was at 2pm! The sun shone in through the window all day long and we all enjoyed a selection of Mr Kiplings finest and prettiest offerings, and with so many special people around us it felt like our wedding day all over again,a delightful and memorable day that warmed my heart and killed my feet! When Monday morning came around I couldn't believe I was going to 'work' for the first time in 5 years-but of course it doesn't feel like that at the moment-this is the honeymoon period I know-I am surrounded by lovely treasures, treasured friends pop by for a chat and I am a very proud parent when customers admire my cute new baby! Today was my second day at the office,spent tweeking and fiddling,with a little bit of selling and a lot of nattering,tomorrow is my day off-its Wednesday...car boot day-so my mama is shopgirl for the day,Im sure she will undertake to chat on my behalf! For now,less of the chat lets get on with the tour,no more words,just pictures-hop to my flikr page later if you fancy a more detailed guide to the Fine and Dandy emporium....be lovely to see you any time!

I will start from the door and do a full sweep!

....hope you enjoyed your visit-opening hours are 11-5.30 Monday-Friday,closed Saturday,11.30-5.30 on a Sunday,

our address is;

Fine and Dandy

Melville House

Marazion

Cornwall

TRI7 OAP

Tel:01736 710611

take a peep....

....just a little look at the Finest and Dandiest shop in the land! Still plenty to do-like add some stock,but I knew you'd like a preview before the big day on Sunday! No blogging now until after the event,but I will be thinking of you my blog friends in far flung places,thankyou for all your lovely words as I have realised my shopgirl dreams! I will take plenty of photos for your virtual tour and will be back very soon to share....

P.S do you recognise the chair from an earlier post,it had a makeover!x 

booty shots....

.....just wanted to show off yesterdays treasure after they had a bath this morning!Sorry I can't stay to chat,I really should'nt be here,so much shopgirl preparation still to be done......x

wood you believe it....

....its happened again (see here for an older post) ....today is Wednesday,which means it's the very best day of the week (from April-October that is!),Wednesday is car boot day here. Todays was only the 2nd one of the year,Tonsilitis prevented me from cruising the aisles at the 1st meet of the year,I lay in my bed that day imaging all those little lost souls waiting for me to save them from the grassy blankets & wonky tressle tables & I shed a tear! Waking on a Wednesday is all about the weather,with the added pressure today of 2 mini-booters,keen as mustard to rifle through the piles of plastic-dreary,overcast-perfect! So much treasure to be had today and at give away prices (I have been known to give more than the asking price,if its too low- just to make the little lost souls feel more worthy,well I mean-2p-thats just an insult to any old china,'aint it!).Todays haul was almost all ceramic,6 jugs,2 vases,bird cruets,50s childs mug,2 Coronation mugs-also 40s sewing book,splendid buttons from a lady who was selling her vast collection 'Do you like buttons',she asked...'oh,I have lots more at home...& I founded a button society in London'....I was fit to follow her home!...ooh I just remembered 2 more bits of china-the most gorgeous 50s wall pocket with a kitsch blue lamb on it & a shell dish for my seaglass....a rosie enamel bowl....cuddly toy,teasmaid....ok,not the last 2! I will show you,but all the goods are still nestled in my shopping trolley & in desperate need of a wash! Thats the best bit,unpacking all the treasures you had forgotten about-the worst bit,the odd occasion when you get home only to find that your treasure has turned into tatty old junk-or worse maybe,that you left something behind! Oh yes,the hanger.....mama had a stall today & was all packed up ready to go home,I popped back to pick up my spoils when what should I spot lying all folorn on the deserted field but this little dear,surely a relative of the Wimpy 'found' hanger....I've said it before,but,you could'nt write it!!   

going home....

....just wanted to share this with you-the view on my way home from the shop tonight! Its a tough commute I know,but someones gotta do it!!

bright....

....just a taste of the goodies that will soon be on sale in my little shop,I thought I would photograph the stock as I pack/price it.....by the end of the week I will probably have gone off that idea,as we plan to open on Sunday....mmmm yes thats this week-eeekkk!!!!!!

small world...

....a sunny Sunday snap for Kirsty-who made this delightful driftwood boat card,which George has in his bedroom. I bought this card from the gallery I was working in 5years ago to decorate the nursery for the baby boy I was expecting and it has been in the little mans room ever since,though it is no longer a nursery-more like a recycling centre really! One evening whilst taking a stroll through blog-land I stumbled across Kirstys blog and recognised her work,hop over and take a peep-its a joy!

snap happy....

...before being enticed into the realms of Blog and flickr,I had never really taken photos of my home and the treasues therein,after a while I guess we stop seeing the 'things' that surround us and take them for granted.Its not that we love them any the less,its just that we see them every day and forget that little thrill we felt when first we set eyes upon them and coveted them for our very own! Maybe the same could be said for the special people we surround ourselves with too,familiarity makes us a little complacent,then perhaps something happens that makes us remember.I never forget that I am blessed with a life that makes me very happy and I love my family and friends beyond words,never more so than at the moment when I feel their comforting embrace so keenly. The past few weeks have as predicted been an uphill climb with some very stony ground and the arduous journey has taken its toll,mentally and physically-I could not have carried my load without their help and encouagement.When you want something special and you work hard to get it,you treasure it all the more,so the shop will be all the more precious for being a true labour of love.We are so nearly at journeys end,sunshine is around the corner calling us onwards!

Last week our computer hardrive crashed,taking many precious photos with it,two years of happy pictures and memories-gone in a flash-devastating,I had always meant to back them up,but never quite got around to it,it would have only taken a minute.I cannot replace them,but I have plenty more memories in my heart and my head and room for many more.For now I knew what I must do and so I picked up my camera and set about taking photos of my home and family and falling in love all over again....