Monday, 25 March 2013

Spring Hop!




Well despite donning our thermals, woolly vests and socks, we have been finding it very difficult to keep warm and carry on round here. 





Having a Stockroom full of goodies waiting to be listed has helped though. 



 There's nothing like running up and down a rickety old ladder to reach the highest shelves to keep you warm.  


Perching precariously from the rungs whilst one of us holds on for dear lives is enough to make our temperatures rise.


The results have been pleasing though and well worth the tummy turning escapades. 


 We have new treasure in all Departments and the Emporium is showing signs of Spring and Easter at last (well if the weather's not going to oblige, it was the least we could do).


So. please grab a basket, 


Hop to it


Have fun



And enjoy the rummage.






With all Good Wishes For Easter
(and a bit of sunshine too)







Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Milly & Dottie's Springwatch



February may well be on its way out, but Winter still seems to have us in its grip.  Here at the Emporium we have been sitting, noses pressed against the Stockroom windowsill, eagerly awaiting the first signs of Spring.  On grey days like today they may be hard to find but they are here - we can't fail to notice the gradually lengthening days,  dusk not arriving until 6pm (there's an improvement if ever there was one), the sweetest sound of birdsong in the garden at the end of the day and buried deep in the garden the first signs of Spring shoots bravely emerging from their winter beds.  

We cannot wait!  Desperate to don our wellies and gardening gloves, we have instead filled the Emporium shelves with all manner of Spring like goodies.  Sunshine yellow coffee pots in the Scullery,  nature books, children's books and favourite Spring time reads in the Library, posters in the Dovecote and sewing notions in the Sewing Room.


Keep Warm and Carry On!

Friday, 8 February 2013

And there's more!



We just wanted to quickly let you know that the Library shelves are fair to bursting with newly added books and the 1940s edition of Nancy Mitford's "The Pursuit of Love" has to be a favourite,  Absolutely perfect for Valentine's day, in fact perfect for any day of the year in our eyes!



There's a wonderfully 1930s feel to the Pixies in this Pixy People book,  The beautifully illustrated book of Pixy People and Pixy Village is just charming.



We love all the titles in the King Penguin series but these two would certainly add a touch of Springtime cheer to the bookshelves,  The beautiful decorative board covers are in very good condition considering they were published in 1940s.



If you fancy a touch of 1930s satire and fun and a glimpse into the world of the "Bright Young Things" there is a bundle of three classic Evelyn Waugh classic Penguins too.  Just pick up a Penguin...

Finally here's a short film eschewing the virtues of a Children's Library - we love the ideas of checking for clean hands, the look of concentration on the children's faces whilst doing their homework and the fact that they are encouraged to leave their chosen books on the tables so that the librarian can make a note of their favourite reads.


CHILDREN'S CORNER


(Please click on image for video)

Wednesday, 6 February 2013

Love Is In The Air....



Hello
Why not visit our Dovecote for a romantic tryst or two?  Whilst outside the temperature is falling, inside the Emporium we have enough vintage love tokens to make the pulse tremble a little! Vintage Valentines and Romantic Words abound. 
Elsewhere in the Emporium are newly added items to  make our hearts flutter.
Why not join us down the Garden Path and have some fun in the Dovecote?
We hope to see you soon.
Milly and Dottie


PS You never know where love may find you... 


"CLIPPIE" ROMANCE


(Click image for video)

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Buttons & Bibelots



Happy New Year!  We hope this year finds you happy and healthy and full of resolution and Christmas pud.  Hopefully the Holidays brought a chance for you to put your feet up or, at least, put on your finest welly socks and put one foot in front of another on a countryside ramble.  

Having taken down the baubles and bunting, Christmas seems almost a distant memory and the grey January days will hopefully offer much promise and surprise.  In The Emporium the Grotto has been dismantled for another year, the tinsel and glitter swept away and we've managed to bottle some festive cheer to keep us going.  For fear ye not, there there are bibelots aplenty on our shelves right now to make up for the lack of baubles on the trees.  

Vintage French buttons and fasteners in gorgeous packaging have taken up residence on the Sewing Room shelves with an array of other new goodies, just the thing for adding a smile to your face.

 For those of us still wishing to curl up on the sofa, there is a wonderful wartime Crossword companion in the Library, a couple of beautiful blotter books for helping with those 'thank you' letters and in the Boudoir a very old packet of Foot Ease Bath Powder , which not only is very attractive but claims to "Make Lifes Walk Easy" - and you can't ask for much more than that in January!