Sunday 18 November 2012

Christmas started this week....

 I was ill last week, so feeling rather sluggish I set to work making the shop a Christmas haven.
 This vintage hat box gave me inspiration. I'm not a Red person but hey, it's Christmas, so I went for it!
 This lovely vintage stocking came from the lovely Carol @ Vintage Treasures -
www.vintage -treasures.co.uk

 This globe I made from foraging in the garden, it helped fill some space in the big barn.
The thought of de- cluttering was daunting but once we cracked on with it we cleared a lot of space that was previously wasted, so I'm so glad we did (Had help from good friends!) Amazing how the more space you have the more you fill it !
Stall holders sold their wears on the preview evening,and I was rather worried it was too rustic?? Getting a new floor, painting the walls within a week wasn't an option!
Stupidly I forgot to take pictures on the night! Dashing about I totally forgot and I'm cross with myself!!

 We cut down a branch from our crowded Silver Birch to make a centre piece -it cast lovely shadows on the wall.
 Christmas Candles
 Rich pickings from the garden.
What a pretty fairy on Betty and Violet's stall
 Mimi's Vintage -she has popped in my shop a few times and I didn't know she was having a stall -was lovely surpass to see her and these lovely goodies! I could have brought them all but my house is full!!
A visit to the Christmas vintage Boutique at Woburn was a must on Thursday. Time wise it was a push to get things finished for the preview but knowing there were some lovely bloggers going who would have beautiful stalls was irresistible. Woburn was so picturesque in the Deer reserve - The Stags standing out in the Mist.
The fair was organised by the lovely lady behind Betty and Violet blog-she had some stunning things.
Check out her blog Betty and Violet.
The Washerwoman was there too . I brought my friend a nativity Mary from her as a thank you for all his help this week.
Vintage Treasures had a stand too -Carol always displays her pieces so beautifully-hard to resist!
What a lovely way to Christmas shop!

The Christmas preview was a great evening. A big 'Thank you' to all that ventured out. I always appreciate folk coming out on a dark Winters eve to visit us.
I love getting it ready for an event but very tired now afterwards!
I almost feel Iv done Christmas now but know its just the beginning!

So big 'Thank you' all helpers those who helped prepare and those who support a small business by shopping here!

4 comments:

Country Rabbit said...

you've done the most amazingly festive job on your shop! looks fabulous! a treat to the eyes!! x

All things nice... said...

Wow how festive, looks beautiful, I'm getting excited about Christmas now

All things nice...

BusyLizzie said...

Great to see you at Woburn. As we drove into the park on Thursday morning there was a family of deer poised for a photo shoot. Sadly I didn't have my camera to hand. grrr. Lizzie x

Anonymous said...

But it isn't Christmas - that's over a month away. I love Christmas more than any other time of year but I hate it so much when shops go early. Christmas is a magical time, not one that goes on for ever. Funny too how people who start so early get fed up the day after Christmas (when it is actually still Christmas as there are 12 days) and rip all the decorations down and start acting all humbug spoiling it for the rest of us actually celebrating at Christmas time. They proclaim very loudly their boredom of the whole thing then, not surprising as for them it's been going for months.

If I go in a shop playing Christmas music in November, I go straight out again. It's hideous and horrible and actually spoils Christmas instead of enhancing it. I am never ever bored of Christmas, I love it so but I don't make myself sick of it by over-loading when it isn't Christmas!

Yes we need to prepare, but not to carols and all sorts of decorations and stuff in October/November. We can do that quietly and then as we get nearer then the real excitement can build up. Otherwise I just see it as commercial exploitative cynicism.

So yes, I am making presents or thinking about decorations now because time is of the essence and budgeting of course but I'm not singing Silent night to myself or putting up Christmas lights and baubles as a visual sign that Christmas has actually arrived. It hasn't!

I am frequently disappointment while Christmas is still going on, that shops who have had stuff up for months then rip it all out first chance they get, totally spoiling the Christmas mood. People are like this in their own homes too. Christmas is the 25th December not over a month earlier. It's a festival of light in a dark season, it's barely got dark yet. It's needed to see off the winter gloom yet people force feed us it in a time of plenty which means it doesn't get appreciated properly.