A Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Milly and Dottie!

Happy Memories

We recently posted this video clip on our Facebook page and were very surprised at the number of happy memories it brought back for us both and for our customers.



The annual trip up to London to see the lights, a visit to Hamleys and one or two of the other Department stores, Liberty's or Selfridges perhaps. No trip would be complete without a visit to Santa, a photo taken and a nosey round the toy department.
We may be looking through rose tinted glasses but it all seemed a tad happier then. Yes, there may have been the hustle and bustle of Christmas shoppers but there certainly wasn't the mass buying that we see today.



Christmas presents were real treats to be savoured. If you saw a doll you liked, and were lucky enough to receive it on the big day, you knew that that was your main present and that you were very lucky indeed... Do you remember the feel of Christmas cards too? The paper and wrapping paper had such a distinctive feel to it... and do you remember making stained glass Christmas cards at school, rainbow coloured tissue paper, black card and glue everywhere!!



Invariably there was a chill in the December air as you stepped onto the pavements after the cosy warmth of the Department store, but you were wrapped up warm in your hat and scarves and best coat. Perhaps a trip to buy some hot roasted chestnuts would do the trick? Milly remembers there always being a chestnut stall just up from Liberty's by the London Palladium - is it still there?



Back in our own grotto, we would like to thank all of you who have paid us a visit. Santa's shelves are very much lighter than when we opened! We are still adding stock so please pop back again for a visit, you never know what you might find. Many of the items that we have sold recently have sent us on many a trip down a festive memory lane!



If like us, the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping leaves you feeling a little less jolly than you should, how about a wander through the Emporium. Many a vintage Christmas gift is waiting on the shelves to be shared.



From colourful, floral prints in our Attic and vintage calendars to take you way back in time,



a touch of pampering in the Boudoir, childhood delights in the Nursery, books for young and old,




fiction and fact in the Library,



rations, recipes and receptacles in the Scullery and



sewing bits and bobs in the Sewing Room.
Have fun! Keep warm and please let us know of any Christmas childhood shopping experiences you can remember.

Christmas Shopping

If you go down to the Grotto today..
You’re sure of a big surprise..
There are sparkly, twinkly, shiny things
That are truly a treat for the eyes…

With books, ribbons and fairy lights
Santas, reindeer and festive treats
That are sure to delight ..

Do go down to the Grotto today
To find some Christmas Treasures…

The Christmas Grotto is now officially open for all of your early bird Christmas shopping!

Behind the scenes...

Sorry that we've been away from the blog recently. Lots of treasure hunting going on at the moment, dusting of shelves and sipping of tea. We have scaled the heights of our rickety stepladder (an old wooden one of course, whose steps make very good homes for our cups and saucers, biscuit crumb tea plates and balls of string), and reached the tallest shelves in the Emporium and we are full to bursting with new goodies.



In fact the stockroom is so full that we've taken to sipping our tea most days in our little caravan - A few pots of paint, the odd crocheted blanket or two and it's scrubbed up a treat - so handy when we just need a moment or two...



So there we sit in our colourful hideaway whilst around us vintage chaos reigns....



Horse shoes to bring us good luck



A girl can never have too many earthenware jars



We don't know how many times we've lost our glasses so building a case for them seemed the sensible thing to do...



Scissors, tongs and other utensils for days when you need scissors, tongs and other utensils



Perched on the top of our shelves are milk jugs for our tea



Enamelware for days when we can leave the stockroom and go pick flowers...



Bits and bobs waiting to enter the sewing room



Our "packing area" - to be quite honest, we're not sure what most of these things do, but we recognise a ball of string when we see one!



Every Emporium needs a fire bucket...



And toys for rainy days -



And at the end of the day when things look like this ...



We beat a hasty retreat on one of our bicycles, panniers full of parcels and string, to the Post Office. We have to admit though, we do pend most of the day dreading clambering up the ladder to the eaves to choose our bicycle.



Hope you've enjoyed the little tour, it's courtesy of a local rural museum of course, but we do like a daydream when we're huddled up by the woodburning stove...



Back in the real world, we really do have lots of vintage bits and bobs recently added to our shelves. If you fancy a ride on your bicycle, we'll light the stove, polish the steps to our caravan and tidy the stockroom...

We smell treasure....

LOTS OF NEW GOODIES ADDED THIS WEEK!
Wishing you all a happy, sunny weekend.

Dottie's Day

I've poured the tea and baked the cakes. Decorated the cake and cleaned up the candles from my birthday bash (only joking, fresh clean ones of course!). I've combed my hair, found my prettiest party frock and brushed the crumbs from my lap.




So Dottie dear, please drag yourself away from all that present opening and let us wish you the bestest "Happy Birthday". Hope you have a wonderful day xxx

Make a Wish ....

Don't be shy Milly ... It's time to huff and puff and blow out those candles and make a big wish!
Wishing you many many happy returns on this very special day... with love from Dottie xx