Victorian Bling ... and other stories

Well, I can't believe it's been 10 days since my last post (almost). Where HAS that time gone?

I suppose Monday and Tuesday were tied up with sorting stock ready for the Giant Flea Market at Shepton on Easter Sunday, Wednesday was devoted to finding Mum an outfit for the wedding (bought, but she's not happy with it so we're off again on Friday!!!), and quite by chance finding my hat and shoes! Thursday was Dairy House followed by a house call on the way home. I had bought from this lady about 15 months ago but she had a lot more to sell as she's moving house.

All these Victorian buckles came home with me, along with this box of glove stretchers, hair curlers, shoe horns and rug hooks. There was also a selection of silver handled buttonhooks and shoe horns, and a large amount of linen (as if I needed more).

And this was the sunset on my way home.

Because I was taking totally different stock to the Flea I needed to load up the car to check that I could get everything in. I managed it ... just ... and then had to unload it all again as I was off to Bath early on Saturday morning and didn't want to leave the car full of goodies unattended. Ten o'clock was the appointed hour for H's latest dress fitting (she's going to be a beautiful bride ... not that I'm in the least bit biased of course), followed by me being pinned into navy fabric to get my shape. I was then sent off with the instruction to return at 1.45 for the next fitting. When I got back the navy fabric had become cream silk and vaguely resembled a dress. A quick nip and tuck here and there, and I was sent off again until 3.45. This time it was a proper dress and we decided on the hem, the neck and the sleeves. The Country Casuals jacket I bought a few weeks ago has been amended slightly, and the hat, shoes, jacket and dress all look "rather fetching" in my opinion. It's not me, of course, but I'm quite impressed with "the look".

I finally got home about 6.15 and loaded up the car (again) ready for the early start on Sunday morning (leaving home at 6.30am). Sunday was, as you know, a brilliant sunny day, with no sign of the torrential rain I had ordered after the last Giant Flea. Amazingly I sold well again. Although there were so so many outside pitches we still got a good traffic flow through the Showering Pavilion, and I had above average sales.

On Monday it was a case of blitzing the house in the morning (stock everywhere), ready for Han and Rob to come over in the afternoon. We began printing the Order of Service and generally went through the guest list and discussed all the other aspects that needed to be discussed. Tuesday I wielded a paintbrush from morn till dusk, or so it seemed, and finally finished both our bedroom and the spare room. So, all is done apart from bed 3/office which may or may not get done before the wedding.

And so we reach today ... which was "put pictures up for Mum day". So P and I spent a couple of hours drilling holes (the walls are so hard that nails or hooks won't penetrate), tweaking here and there, and finally coming up with a result that was apparently pleasing. There are still more to put up (she has too many to count!), but we're saving those for another day as I had a dealer visitor mid-afternoon who I had to spend some time with discussing the finer points of antique dealing, whilst enjoying a cup of tea in The Old Town Hall Antiques in Somerton. We both resisted the cakes and I'm glad to say I've now lost 16lbs. When I go back for my next fitting on 1 May she may need to take the seams in a little (fingers crossed!).

So, to answer my initial question ... this is where the last 9¾ days have gone!! And there was so much more I was going to show and tell. Like the pretty blue cupboard we've hung in the bathroom, the evening coat I crocheted in the late 70s, the flowering currant and the grape hyacinths in the garden. Oh so many things, but I expect you've all dropped off to sleep by now! In case you haven't ... here they are!