We have been busy

We have been busy on the road buying lots of new stuff for the shop. There has been a little craziness on the way...I didn’t intend to buy a horse drawn plough but Kathryn was late, and wasn’t there to stop me. And I’d drunk far too much coffee, far too early in the morning...which might also explain the stuffed badger incident.

Things have changed a little since the hatching of my little Nest chick last year – fortunately she seems very content being carried round windswept airfields, enormous warehouses and derelict farm barns looking for exciting new stock. It does make me realise how many of the dealers we regularly visit have become friends, too. Constant offers of a ‘warm van’ to rest in, presents galore for her and some well-meant (but decidedly odd) child-rearing advice certainly make the day easier...and more entertaining.

On a more normal note, we’ve got lots of distressed pine coming in (dressers, large cupboards, chests – including a really beautiful, large, decorated blanket box).

On this occasion, I was at least there...but seemingly powerless to stop Matt, so 15 minutes into an 8 hour buying spree he’d spent half our cash. This did, however, give me some control over the rest of the day, and meant that he had to let me buy, without argument, as much cool 60s/70s glassware as I could...and I did. The ‘scenes of London’ set is, to my mind, priceless!  We do have an agreement that if the other REALLY, REALLY likes something the other one hates, then we allow the purchase, but we have to take it home if it doesn’t sell in the shop (fortunately for Matt, that ‘funky’ poodle ornament went one day before its time was up).

Despite the snow, on Sunday we managed to get to Birmingham for the NEC Spring Fair to see our regular suppliers and hopefully to get some new ones too. A regular fair-trade supplier from India had an amazing coffee table they were using as a display stand so we bought that off them! If you don’t ask, you don’t get...

Chick and I were having a well deserved rest, happily sitting on a bench at a supplier’s stall, when she noticed a large bowl of chocolates. Despite being my child she doesn’t yet understand the lure of chocolate, so I can only imagine it was the brightly covered wrappers that took her fancy. So much so that she decided to launch herself at the display. Upon noticing this, Matt rushed to our rescue. Or at least I thought he did...turns out he was rushing over to check the coffee table she was heading towards...which we now own...available in a shop near you, very soon!

If you like the little nautical creatures we’ve had since Christmas in the shop, we’ve got a few more coming in - including a rusty shrimp and a plaice (every home needs one). There was also another coffee related incident in which I ordered vast amounts of bird sculptures (well, we are called Nest). We’ve got a big old chiffonier at the workshop which I think will look fantastic covered in birds so I’m busy prepping it for the shop. It’s been a busy couple of weeks and the fruits of our labour should start to appear in Nest over the coming days.