A Beautiful Spring Fair – Snowstorms in Springtime

“Are you still going in this?” asked Mr M as I donned my winter coat and gloves preparing for a trip to a local Spring Fair in a snow blizzard. “Of course I am” I replied “if everyone took that attitude, these stall holders would never make any money and besides, I still have a little birthday money left for vintage pretties.” Mr M does not have the shopping gene. He especially does not have the gene for buying other people’s “old stuff”. So with a look of relief that he wasn’t being dragged along, he donned his fleecy hat and garden jacket and set off to dig flower beds in the snow. And he thinks I’m odd. Do join me for a little peek into a wonderful few hours spent at the Home and Vintage Living Spring Fair last Saturday…

Thanks to the return of the so called Beast from the East this weeks gardening post I had hoped to bring you is incomplete, so I thought instead I would share with you a selection of photos from my inspiring few hours in the company of other like-minded souls and my very dear friend Mrs S. Spring fair it was, although you would be forgiven for thinking we had arrived at the Christmas one a little late. Or early depending on how you see it. Personally I believe snow is beautiful for three days in December, not at any point in March. And I cannot begin to imagine how the lovely Julie and her wonderful team from Home and Vintage Living felt when every weather report in the build up to Saturday’s spring fair offered endless tales of several inches of snow and a bitterly cold, easterly wind. Yet amazingly several hardy souls braved the soggy conditions and set up stalls outside displaying their beautiful wares and even bigger smiles.

Something I have noticed in the time I have come to know Julie, is her unwavering attention to detail. And visitors to this years spring fair were treated to a generous helping of just that. The stunning entrance to the main hall, offered a display of beautiful vintage terracotta pots planted with pretty spring bulbs and moss to set the scene for our next few hours. Seasonal handmade door wreaths were displayed on the most rustic of old french shutters and sat comfortably alongside delicately pressed hydrangea heads in white painted glass frames. Garden paraphernalia from long, long ago blended beautifully with teeny glass jars complete with type written labels and a fresh bloom or two. It was hard to not buy it all and remind ourselves there would be many more wonderful stalls inside, all vying for our attention.

Once inside the busy spring fair hall, we were treated to stall after stall of wonderful wares. Vintage home and garden treasures sat happily next to handcrafted cushions and quilts, many created from the most delicate and exquisite french fabrics. Handmade toys and seasonal decorations mixed comfortably with vintage cutlery, plates and all manner of wonderful kitchenalia to tempt us all. ‘Something for everyone’ is often used as a marketing ploy at these events, yet it is hard to imagine anyone leaving this wonderful spring fair without a least one little prize to take home.

Regular readers to my blog will know of my love for coffee table books both in my home styling and of course as a wonderfully inspiring read. I was lucky enough to bag this little beauty to add to my growing collection of pre-loved books. Each book made all the more special for knowing another before me leafed through its pages too.

And to help brighten my home for the very much-anticipated Easter holidays, this beautiful Bunny Confetti found its way into my bag.

For sometime now I have been on the hunt for a large green glass jar to display my never ending desire for all things twigs, branches and seed heads (or as Mr M calls them “weeds”) inside the home. Lady luck shone and presented me this beauty and once home, I set to with Forsythia from the garden and faux stems of something wonderfully fluffy and cornflower like.

Mrs S and I had a lovely few hours pottering at the spring fair. We said hello to the outside sellers too, none of them complaining, all happy to be a part of a wonderful team. There will be other wonderful vintage and brocante fairs for us to visit this year and I hope wherever you are reading this in the world, you too will have the opportunity to visit and support artisans and sellers at beautiful events just like this gorgeous spring fair. Until next week…x

This blog post contains photos courtesy of Home and Vintage Living taken of beautiful stalls at their spring fair. If you would like a photo individually credited, please let me know. All opinions are my own.