The early bird and all that

23 Mar 2014

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Getting back into the swing of the early starts for the bootsale after a long break can take some willpower. I paid for my late arrival last week by having to park some distance from the market. No such worries this morning. I was up and out of bed at 5.30 without the aid of an alarm clock, my only worry was that it would still be raining, it wasn't , yipee!

I had no trouble parking this morning but also found, maybe I was a tiny bit early as there was barely a car or van on the site.

I took the opportunity to grab a coffee and a loo break so I wouldn't have any distractions once the gates opened proper to the sellers. I always find this stage of the morning unsettling, it always appears like lots of people are delving into boots and backs of vans and making off with all manner of treasure. Once I make my first purchase I am fine and feel like I am off and running. The first purchase this morning was :

This fabulous old plaster framed picture. Obviously it was only the frame I was interested in and even in its battered state I think its wonderful ! Not even going to repair it, I know there are buyers in my shop who will also appreciate its shabby beauty and if nobody buys it, it will come home with me.

Always love a pretty stool, this will look perfect painted and also be a really useful addition to the home.

Pair of modern but pretty jugs

oh ! oh! oh! If you can't have mason jars then these are the next best thing ! Snapped up these four La Parfait Preserve jars out from under the nose of a woman who was consulting a friend on the phone. If you snooze, you loose ladies.

New wicker bicycle basket.

Pretty yellow enamel jug with pewter lid

Time for Tee ! Must be German looking at the spelling. Love this.

I always try to find local pottery. Love this pretty jar made by a local potter in Devon.

Two old slate boards, complete with little wooden shelf for the chalk.

Yep, definitely getting back into the bootsale swing of things.

Linking up with the lovely Liz at Magpie Monday

Wallpaper time

22 Mar 2014

The walls of most of the rooms in our home are painted white, giving a feeling of bright, light and space. Occasionally though I come across wallpaper I just have to find a place for. This happened several years ago when I found rolls of Laura Ashley Summer Palace in a sale bin. My hubby wasn't sure about the bright vibrant pink birds, but I loved it and just knew it would work with all the white. We used it in the hallway and painted the stairs pink to match, never failing to get comments from visitors..

Its been up for about 5 yrs now and is looking a little tired so I thought I'd look for something equally stunning to replace it. Because this is a feature wall as you walk into the house and only needs a few rolls of paper, I can afford to spend a little extra on something really special which will transform the space but not blow the budget. This is always a good idea if you want to introduce some pattern or colour into a room without spending a fortune.

I love this Mrs Peel by Fired Earth

Or how about a game of Mini Moderns Backgammon in Mustard from John Lewis

Love this Mini moderns "Do you live in a town? "

Subtle but beautiful Sanderson Squirrel and a dove

This is my favourite at the moment Marimekko Ystavat Wallpaper in grey

I'll let you know what we decide on.

Bootsale Season is back !

9 Mar 2014

In the days before the shop and the storms, I was known to drag myself out of bed at 5.30am every Sunday come hell or high water and whatever the season. This past winter I have to admit to rolling over and flinging the alarm clock across the room or if I was feeling a little uncertain, dragging myself out of bed and peeking through the curtains before hurrying back to my warm cosy nest.

Not this morning though.

The forecast was for bright sunnyness and even my normally stalwart hubby wasn't going to deter me when he declared from the depths of the duvet that he wasn't coming. I positively sprung out of bed (well, not really, but you get the picture) and set off to the Exeter cattle market with that lovely feeling of adventure and what will I find today ness !

I wasn't actually prepared for the the sight that met me as I rounded the corner of the road on Marsh barton. Queues of cars in every direction ! I think almost the whole of Devon had turned out. Unable to park in my usual early bird car park I had to settle for a bit of a hike to get to the bootsale.

Not impressed !

Although there were more sellers than the park could accommodate it wasn't the greatest day in terms of treasure found, or maybe I was particularly selective as I am closing the shop and don't really want too much stock at the moment.

Here is a selection from my little haul.