Friday was a great day. The shop was busy with new customers and some regulars popping in for a chat and a gift.
The best surprise was an unexpected visit from our fellow blogger,Julie(THE CLOTH SHED) and her husband.
It was so nice to meet these lovely people. They were my first visitors since I started my blog.When they introduced themselves ,I felt a certain panic ,like the one you feel when you answer the door after a crazy weekend to find your immaculately dressed mother-in-law waiting to be asked in and served tea in the Aynsley china.
After a chat and a laugh, Julie left with a souvenir; a lovely original French La Poste mail sack.
The afternoon brought the dreaded snow so I shut the shop early and came home to a wonderful, roaring log fire and my favourite candles scenting the air.
Everything under the pristine cloak of snow looks so enchanting; so calm and clean...
This morning there was a definite thaw in the air and the rising mist began to free us from the clutches of the earlier frost.
The light wasn't good but if you look closely you will see the man's loyal companion at his feet.
As you turn the corner your eyes are fixed on another beautiful work of art; a startled deer. Its hard to believe that its made of metal.Each strip is shaped so skilfully that it gives an impression of being merely leather.
Back home, I continued to snap away.
Although it'll be a while before these get used, I've started getting my enamel containers together ready for planting up with Primulas, winter Pansies, ivy etc. They look fantastic en mass on a prominent wall. Will try and show you when in place.
Inside I've been giving myself a bit of a colour boost.
It was love at first sight with these cosy bed socks, and they go so well with my new bed linen. To be honest, neither the socks nor the 'brave' patterned bed linen are my style (I'm more of a simple, understated girl really) but sometimes you just have to release the imp within and go wild, and where better to do that than the bedroom!
I could not resist the shape of this plate at a fair last year. Its very old with an amazing dark blue glaze in the pattern.
The beautiful bowl is relatively modern but it complements the plate with its fantastic Cobalt/Ultramarine blue glaze. The designs , which are not very apparent in the photo, are typical of the Turkish decoration technique.
Every girl likes a nice scent. This is a mixture of mine and my Better Half's. The colours work well together here too.
And finally...
...ending with Liam, bathed and smelling sweetly.
Wishing you all a good evening.
Stay warm and in touch; I love reading your comments.
12 comments:
Hi Joasia
I love the little blue dish and your shelf with your smellies on! All our snow has gone now, I love the way snow makes everything look so beautiful, covers up all the unsightly things that are around us!!
have a great week in the shop.
love Jillx
If Liam had been in the shop on Friday with a price tag round his neck, he would have been bundled into that french mail sack and straight in the back of our car!
He is adorable....
Julie x
I feel really cheated here in South Devon as, thus far, we haven't had any of the white stuff, and I long to see the garden with Nature's white icing!
Love the blue items you buy and put together; all shades of blue look wonderful together and judging by the style mags at the moment, blues and turquoises are very 'in'. Not that being 'in' bothers me one iota, but it's strange how the style mags all seem to hit on the same colours at the same time. I don't mean the natural seasonal variations, such as pale greens for spring and russets for autumn, reflecting as they do upon Nature, but how they all hit on similar combinations, such as (last autumn) russets with mauves, what I call the heather colours. Maybe they reflect what the manufacturers of paint, wallpaper and fabrics are coming up with ... but from whom do they get their inspiration?
Love those enamel wall jugs - for what were they originally used? I see they have their litres marked on the inside, so I can only assume some type of drink ... milk, perhaps?
Love tbe bedsocks!
Margaret P
Hi Margaret,
I love reading your comments, they're like a blog in themselves.
Please,don't feel cheated out of having snow, we cannot wait to get rid of the bloody stuff,now frozen solid and very slippery!
I've always been drawn to all shades of blue, more to the deeper, intense shade, though lately chalky blues have featured up there. Although looking through mags gives me pleasure and inspiration, I just do what I like,put vignettes together, scenes that are appealing to the eye and easy on the lens.I guess I've been lucky so far!
The enamel jugs, I've been told, were used as lamb feeders in France. You're quite right, the internal gage was used to make up the feed mixture. Its such a quirky thing, people cannot resist a talking point.
Thank you for your comment Margaret and looking forward to your next one.
Joasia x
What lovely kind remarks re my comments! I have considered a blog of my own, but wouldn't know where to start! And what on earth would I write about thas hasn't been said already - and better -by others!
Made a trip to Topsham today, which is on the River Exe here in Devon. Went there as it was (a) a glorious sunny day, wall to wall blue sky; (b) we wanted to visit the Quay Antiques Centre; and (c) we wanted to have lunch in the Avocet, a lovely little cafe, quite small, just six tables, but delicous food.
Bought 6 old EPNS teaspoons in the Quay Antiques Centre for £10, a real bargain. We even saw 6 for £7.50 and had to choose! They were both similar but in the end plumped for the £10 set. And all far nicer than modern stainless steel ones and cheaper than new!
Margaret P
Don't want to hog the Reply space, but I know you love books on interiors, and so do I! I have so many that the overflow of what is often disparagingly referred to as 'coffee table' books is fast in danger of becoming a coffee table of books! Love the books of William Yeoward, Nina Campbell, Henrietta Spencer Churchill, and biographies of interior designers/decorators of the past, such as anything on Colefax & Fowler, John Fowler, Nancy Lancaster, Syrie Maugham and even treated myself to one of the first books on interior design by none other than novelist, Edith Wharton. Another favourite is Inside Country Interiors - the Cotswold Home. Also the books by or about Farrow & Ball. Also anything by Ros Byam Shaw. Also books on the art of display ...
Margaret P
Oh Margaret, you do make me laugh,
The way this reply space is looking, people will start to talk.
You strike me as a frustrated interior designer or at least someone who should be saying " Tonight, Magnus, my chosen subject is INTERIORS AND ALL CONNECTED TO THEM".
I have some of the books you mentioned but, in comparison, I'm like a village hall book exchange whereas you're more of the British Library league.
Before I forget...did I mention, we lived in Devon; near Tiverton to be exact. I used to love going to Topsham and the Quay Antique Centre. We were there when Tim Wonnacotte was filming BARGAIN HUNT. Lovely food in Avocet, I agree. Have you been to that tea shop/cafe a few doors up from them. It showcases some art for local artists one of which was a lady who made pictures out of man hole cover rubbings from all over the world. Sounds strange but it was quite fascinating. She also made jewellery for the blind, incorporating Breille (sorry, forgot the spelling) text. I could go on.
Its just started snowing here and the forecast is not great for us for tomorrow .
I hope that some reaches you finally.
Joasia x
Ooh, you have made me laugh, too, with referring to my collection as "the British Library"! Well, yes, I do have a lot of books (and not just interiors and antiques and collectables!) People always come to me if they want something obscure ... I have collected Shire books for years and have more than 200 of them, so many I've not counted them. Such wonderful titles as Betal Chewing Equipment of East New Guinea! I had to have that just because of the title!
No, I'd not realized you had lived in Tiverton. Not been there for ages, but there was a dreadful fire there last week when some thatched cottages were gutted.
Speaking of the great Tim W, about ten years ago, when I was about to part with some things to Bearne's, the Exeter-based auction house, I took part in what was then a Carlton TV prog (ITV, west country),one of those 1/2 hr progs on antiques. Tim Wonnacott came to our house and looked at our 'antiques' and talked about some of them. It was part craft work, too, and another presenter changed a rather nice mauve glass vase into a cracklure decoupage vase and put flowers in it. It wasn't bad, but I preferred the original, I have to say. Then the next day we went to Bearne's in Exeter and I had to choose a piece I rather liked in the sale and then Tim would talk about it. I had to say why I liked it but of course they cut a lot of what I had to say - I'm a cocky little piece at times, and I described a porcelain tea cup and why I liked it, and a bit about how our ceramics chaps were copying the Chinese imports, etc. But it was great fun, and Tim loved some of my pieces, especially a pair of Staffy King Charles spaniels, comforter dogs, which sit on the hearth. Overall, it was fun to take part in a TV programme which came from our home (a very ordinary house, I might add, nothing spectacular) but I didn't like seeing myself on the small screen when the programme was eventually aired, as they say!
Hey, I must cease this chatter - others will be bored witless.
Margaret P
Margaret, you sound like a St Trinians girl, what fun!
Would love to see the episode in question.
Please start a blog, I'd love to see some of your china.
Joasia x
A lot of my china lives in my Resources Cupboard (everyone should have a Resources Cupboard!) so a blog would certainly give me an excuse to have a little rummage and bring things out which haven't seen the light of day for years! Indeed, I'm considering changing all my ornaments around in the sitting room - winter will soon be over (the temperature doesn't suggest this, of course, even if the calendar does) and I change things around seasonally even though I'm daft enough to say "Sorry, it's time for bed!" when I bubble-wrap some of the pieces and put them away!
Margaret P
Hello Joasia
I've just found you via The Cloth Shed and have discovered that you are a fellow friend of blue. I look forward to visiting again.
Anna
Hello Anna,
Welcome to my blog,
Yes, a big fan of that colour although I find myself not waring so much of it as I used to, its mostly in my home accessories now.
I do think that there is quite a formidable following out there so might have to start a fan club.
I shall keep the blue aspect firmly in the blog and Ilook forward to your comments on it.
Have a nice week ahead.
Joasia x
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