Sunday, 24 May 2009

Hillbillies Update...

Well, almost a month into the Antiques Boutique & we (well I) have been having fun!
Meeting lots of new people - sadly I cannot seem to remember their names! Must be my old age creeping in! Its still very quiet in Baddeck - everyone is saying this is normal & wait for the tourists to come. Hope they're right! But all of the feedback is positive 'great for the town', 'people are always asking where the nearest antiques shop is'... 'beautiful stuff', 'nicely laid out' etc etc (I'm blushing now!) Had a lovely couple in on Friday - she could have been my clone - loved ALL the Victoriana & spent a few bob on vintage linens & a Victorian Teapot & stand - that was gorgeous - what taste we have! Then she talked about how she's doing up an old house (! been there done that - twice) & she's trying to create an English country garden (I'm waiting for my heirloom roses to arrive too...).

Sir Lancelot is pulling the folks in nicely - some want to buy him, some try him on. I did hear footsteps on the stairs one day - & knew someone was approaching - then heard them banging poor Lance with a stick or summat - what a cheek! Anyway he's OK - if getting a tad rusty! He's out most days - think I'll get him a big brolley...

Ian's been hard at work - being eaten alive by the black flies - yeuk! But we have stacks of potatoes in & onions & the good old tractor has helped ENORMOUSLY! diggin holes for the 15 fruit trees & 12 fruit bushes & rows for the seedlings...

We've had our lovely Godin wood stove installed - remember this came from France to the UK then to Canada - all brand spanking new - & to EU code, but not to Canadian code - which meant that the insurance broker wouldn't insure the house if it was 'just installed' so we had to get a certified installer to do the work & he wasn't easy to find. Some would just over quote, one said he'd put the chimney in - but not hook up the stove as it wasn't certified! Anyway we got a great chap to do it - he was excellent, thorough & fair price.


The chimney went up & they put some roof tiles on too as they were in need of changing - then when up on the roof they found that the boards under the rotten tiles also needed replacing! DOH! Then the stove pipe we bought to go with the chimney wasn't suitable as it was single skinned - code here says it needs to be double skinned - so we have spare stove pipe now... well its all done & looks great - we are very pleased with it & it gives off loads of heat with a few logs... apple wood seems best & we have lots of that around here...

We have fabulous birds in the 'back yard' as they call their gardens over here! Golden Oriels, Yellow Finches, red Finches, Grackels with peacock blue heads in certain light, Blue jays & now the gorgeous red throated humming birds - we have feeders with sugar & water in on the front of the house & now on the back deck next to the kitchen window & the cute little guys are no longer shy in coming forward & its delightful to see them whilst washing the pots!!


The girls come next month (my chicks!) & we're almost ready for them - I painted their front door - a 'ruby lips' colour to match our house!


We have lots of moose hoof prints down the meadow & a HUGE POO! which we think is a bear poo - nice!!

The boyz have been swimming daily - they LURVE it! & are knackered... daily!! ACE


Working on the antiques website - hope to get it up there in about a weeks time... feedback would be appreciated http://www.antiques-boutique.com/

It's Erik the Vikings 1st birthday on 28th May - what a fine young puppy he's grown into - cute, cuddly, pretty-boy & big fun! Here he is snoozing on the sofa - his head lost in cushions!! - see that is cute!

Love to all in Blighty - Happy xxth to Anne on 29th May!! Happy 18th to Holly on 1st June & Happy birthday to Abs on the 15th - have a great day.

Saturday, 2 May 2009

The Antiques Boutique is go!

Ye-ha! Yup we did it!
The Boutique was open for business on 1st may 2009! Not too many customers though as 'The Word' is not yet fully out there, but I'm working on it! Still we had a few sales yesterday & today & about 40-50 customers/browsers both days & great feedback - which is nice...but now - I'm knackered! & I'm sure His Lordship is too having made 2 display shelves & 2 tables in a week & being Mr Shifter too...
So until the tourist season gets fully underway I won't be doing Sundays. But we're open Mon-Sat 10am (yes I even get a lie in!!) until 4pm. Once it gets busy that will change to 10am - 6pm Mon-Fri, sat 10-4 & Sun 11-4 & we'll see how that goes.

I've got a guest comment book by the door for feedback & for people to tell me what they are interested in so I can locate items for them. So far I've got depression glass, Mary Gregory glass, cornflower glass, silver hair clasps, costume & vintage jewellery & linens & lace...
I've got the 'Discover your Coat of Arms' signs up with 4 samples displayed in nice frames & enquiry forms strategicaly placed - but I find I still need to explain what its all about. People don't seem to know that 'their' coat of arms isn't theirs - its a generic one - if you really had YOUR coat of arms then you would have had to design & register it & pay for it too. So this software I have can generate several examples of generic coats of arms & I can print them out on plain paper, parchment paper, artist canvas etc...the best artist canvas I found was back in Oswestry - & I cannot find the same stuff here - so a phone call to dear old Dad was in order to go collect & mail me 10 packets to keep me going! I have a new printer on order & a monitor that can link into the laptop for better viewing.

Like the bunting...? all (frantically) hand made by me - as were the Victorian style beaded swags - made from the dress velvet curtains we had in Hen Gor!
Here are a few of the 'posh' things we have in the shop: an early 19thc Wedgwood cheese dome - I think it was a wedding gift as it has scottish thistles on the dome (for the Scottish side of the family) & oak leaves on the base (for the English side).
Cute local finds:
and some Victorian amethyst glass - just need some fairy lights behind the to show off the gorgeous purple glass:
I have the blurb on the wall about my Ceramic Restoration services - which I will do in the Winter time so I'll give estimates & take 'orders' for now (hopefully!).

Ian will be able to make some rustic furniture on his pole-lathe which we can put on the pavement outside the shop & Sir Lancelot stands guard on the deck just outside the front door (it was windy yesterday & the poor thing fell over & his forearm came off! still he's OK now...& is drawing in the crowds, well a few folks at the moment... 1 lady came in - said she nearly crashed her car when she saw him standing there, as she just LOVES anything gothic/medieval but Baddeck was the lst place she'd expect to see a Knight in Shining Armour!)
I'm doing commission sales for 15% & have our neighbour's late Victorian 3 piece suite on the books - with one of the chairs in the shop - its gorgeous - mahogany, deep green velvet with face carvings on the arms & smaller floral carving on the backs of the chairs.
Lay away is available, as are gift vouchers that I've printed off with either: With Love, Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Happy Christmas, Best Wishes, or Thank You on them!
Other news: we have the wood stove in now - it looks fab..& a new chimney...& a new roof & when on the roof pulling up the roof tiles - they found we needed new board under the tiles... so we are a few pounds lighter!
The chicken coop is almost done.
The willow, fruit trees & bushes & old roses are on their way & finally the mosquitos have arrived... yeuk!
Off to create brochures & website...
Love to everyone in dear old Blighty!