Just another day ..

It's never a dull moment here at the Emporium . We thought we would give you a peek at the every day goings on in our busy lives. Oh where would we be without dear Mrs O, forever plying us with her Bourbon biscuits and gingerbread and witty anecdotes.
Well it's business as usual.. so if you will please excuse us we have customers to attend ..

It's Dottie's Turn!

Dottie dear, will you please leave the washing alone! It's time to get ready...



No I'm not going to tell you, just run along, put your best frock on and favourite hankie in your handbag...



My, you do look ever so pretty!
Just sit in the parlour for a while whilst I go and fix in the music - don't get into trouble and promise you won't get your frock dirty, keep away from the choccy biccies....
Ready? Steady? Surprise!



Happy Birthday Dottie dearest (I hear it's quite the done thing to have a birthday this week!).



Come on then, I'll help you out of the chair... sort your frock out and pull up those socks of yours
Because it's time to have some fun!



Happy Happy Birthday and oodles of custard creams
xxx

It's jelly and ice cream time ...

Yes.. it's time to dust down your frocks again and put on your silly party hats



Please gather round and join me in singing Happy Birthday to dear Milly....



We won't talk about age or anything like that.. though Milly might need some help with all of those candles!!!



Happy Birthday dear Milly.. have a wonderful day!

High Society...

Hurry, hurry, hurry... we've just checked the calendar and realised there are only three weeks left to catch the wonderful Grace Kelly exhibition at the V & A. If you haven't yet been, it's time to pack your cucumber sandwiches in your Kelly bag and head up to the big city.



Milly went up in the summer to marvel at the sheer beauty and gorgeousness. Outfits and costumes from the actress's early days sit alongside the most glamorous couture, including the wonderful dress she wore to collect her Oscar. Outfits from her wedding ensemble are displayed with her now iconic accessories and the beautiful designer gowns she wore in her new role as a Princess.



The simplicity and elegance of the earlier outfits just shout 'Style" and made Milly rush home, put her feet up, press the 'play' button on her "Rear Window" dvd and, well, drool over her cup of tea. Days of re-watching "To Catch A Thief" and "High Society" followed and she can now be found wafting around the stockroom, shop apron tightly cinched at the waist, her glasses perched on her nose "Grace Kelly style" and has taken to wrapping the parcels sporting long white gloves - a case of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" if ever there was one!

A Good Yarn ...

Milly and Dottie are delighted to be featured in this month's 'Sew Magazine'. Slight mix up with our identities, but that's nothing new.. we often forget who we are!

Wish You Were Here?

As you can see from the photo, Milly and Dottie have ventured forth from the stockroom into the great outdoors. Just ten minutes pushing them pedals and we're all in a tizz. Those map directions are becoming as clear as mud... by our reckoning and with the wind behind us we'd be sitting on the clifftops by lunchtime, judging by the map we're heading directly inland with all thoughts of sticks of rock, fish and chips on the beach and the odd ride or two on the seaside merry go round growing less likely by the minute. We really should have mastered the art of cartography before we set out, or at the very least clearly worked out our left from our right before leaving the Emporium...



Oh the joys of summer holidays! We feel exhausted before we've even left home - days of planning our wardrobe, Mary-Janes and floral dresses, constantly checking the lights are out, the electricity is off, windows locked, custard creams carefully wrapped away and for those of us still lucky enough to have a milkman, that the milk has been cancelled.




Finding a suitable holiday can be equally exhausting, Luckily for us we have this wonderful 1940s guide book in our Library with all kinds of hints and tips for holidaying in Britain. We have plumped for the cycling option but were sorely tempted by the more sedantry idea of snail watching (not nearly as much risk of becoming saddle sore!).



For the more adventurous amongst us it suggests joining the circus for the summer (how very Famous Five is that!).


How about exploring the countryside as a companion to the rural postie, according to the book, just ask at your local rural post office (my how times have changed).



Of course there are always the joys of living under canvas - have any of you been watching the wonderful Britain Goes Camping - watching from the comfort of our stockroom it all looks jolly good fun.



As for us, we think we're just going to pedal where the fancy takes us, we've got enough sandwiches to last at least another half an hour or so... see you on the beach.

Polka Dot Party

Now that the party hats have been hung up for another year and all the cake crumbs swept under the carpet.. it is back to work for Milly & Dottie. No more games of pass the parcel.. other than our usual date with brown paper and string in the stockroom.
We had a lovely birthday and are most grateful for all of your well wishes for our first anniversary..
One of our regular visitors and customers to the emporium celebrated our birthday in such style with her two beautiful furry friends.. and even iced a cake with our names..
Thank you dear Beverley for your kind and generous gesture.. I do so wish we could have invited you and all of our friends, whom we have met along the way in our first year of enterprise, to join us in a cup of best Rosy Lee and a slice of your very fine cake.