The Sunshine of My Life

Not much sunshine in my life at present, as the estate agent came round this morning and valued my house at just 5,000€ more than I paid for it 4 years ago, and I spent 10 times that on the renovations!

However, there WAS lots of sunshine in Le Dorat, where the shop is, so I took some pictures...

This is the Place Charles de Gaulle, which is at one end of the street where the shop is (about 20 metres)...

...and this is a bit of the town wall (with my friend Sue standing in front of it) which is where I took the previous photo from.


...and this is the view...

There is also the English Garden at the other end of the street - just across the crossroads...

... with a magnificent Cedar of Lebanon and some huge horse chestnut trees - in full flower now.

Altogether a lovely place to go walkabout today!

China in My Hand (and some glass...)

I'm off to the UK on Friday, so I thought I would give the shop a change of window before I left. I put in some china and glass...



... and you may see a few tea caddies in there too!

How much is that Teddy in the Window?

Sue and I added some more things to the shop window the other day, teddies and other things.

Every time I go into Le Dorat I take more stuff to the shop. Usually I meet Sue for lunch or a coffee and she helps me carry the boxes out of the car.

Last time I was 'collared' by the little old lady who lives next door, and she said how much she loved the dolls and bears and that she had loads too! She said lots of people stop and look in the window. She grabbed by the arm and took me to the shop window and said I must put a 'tapis' on the table under the dolls and bears. She obviously thinks it is my permanent window display!

After the brocante on Saturday, I'm going to change the window and take out the toys and put in some china (if it doesn't all sell at the brocante), so I'll put a nice cloth underneath it all - that'll please her.

Marketing the Shop

I am basing my marketing on a campaign of wonderment. I intend to put some things in the window every few weeks - with no explanation. The shop is on the way to the Post Office, so most people pass it fairly regularly. I reckon, if I change the window from time to time, they will begin to wonder what is going on, and what the shop is going to be eventually. I don't intend to do any other marketing - just work up this question in their minds. It's not something that is normally done so I think it will generate some interest.

I've started with a small display of Barbie and Ken dolls...

... in a couple of weeks I'll change it for something completely different among the things I'll eventually be selling. Already my elderly neighbours have said how much they like the Barbie window!

Next time, maybe it'll be some china and glass...

A Good Painting Day

Today was a beautiful, warm, sunny day, so I felt energised to go and do something in the shop.

I painted the side wall again (you can still see some yellow patches bleeding through)


...and did the front wall under the window and as much of the other side as I could manage until I ran out of paint (although I do have another tin!). It's looking pretty good now, as I also tidied up...


...I moved all the rubbish from the middle of the shop and put the table back under the window...

...and it's not looking half bad now!