Thank You!!

 ..we are in the final countdown to Christmas....we are sorry that the posts have been pretty thin on the ground lately....the madness started on the 29th November and is still going.......we are so immensely grateful to all our fabulous customers who come into our little shop and tell us they love it....thank you for supporting your local independent florist, whether you are a regular, an occasional or a once while passing through visitor we want to wish you and all those you hold dear a most fabulous Christmas....and hope that all your dreams come true....
 With much love from Martin, Emma  & Kay....xxx

The 'C' word

I know it's a tad early...However I know how excited you all get about our Christmas (there I said it!) wreath course, so we are offering two dates this year.

Do you fancy making your door wreath? or a fabulous floral table wreath?

We will give you a tutorial on both and you can decide which you would like to have a go at. 

We hope you are able to join us and surround yourself with floral beauty & lots of festive cheer!

If you are interested please feel free to phone us on; 01488 681062

email us on; martinandthemagpie@hotmail.co.uk

or comment on here and we will get in touch

to the ends.....

........Christmas came and went in a blur of  spruce, candles, berries, ivy and all things festive.......we sold out of practically everything ................so we need to say ' THANK YOU ' to all our customers for keeping it local and supporting their independent traders.

We were aching and tired....all suffering from the coughing lurgy that's been going round....so as we finally closed the doors we dosed ourselves up on lem-sip and wine....and headed for a hot bath and spicy curry!!! 

Drama unfolded on our return as Martin decided to slice open his arm (it must have been the thought of conditioning flowers again) and as he headed off to casualty, we slowly sold all our flowers again.......

..as I write the rain is bucketing down a quiet high street...awaiting the next onslaught of parties and presents,
we are wrapping things up, making arrangements for lunch parties and contemplating opening another box of chocolates......
To all our friends old and new, may we wish you all the very best for 2013 and we hope that all  your dreams come true.
Happy New Year!!

Martin, Emma and Kay...xxx
P.S Needless to say we failed in our 25 photos for the December photo project..teacher says..'we must try harder' ;)

Our Christmas and New Year Opening Times!

 Christmas & New Year opening times

23^rd December               10AM – 3PM-ish

24^th December                8 AM – 2.30PM

Christmas Day                Closed

Boxing Day                    Closed

27^th December                Closed 

                                            due to no fresh flowers

28^th December                9 AM - 5PM

29^th December                9 AM – 5PM

     30^th December                Closed

     31^st December                9 AM – 2.30PM

Our last delivery date for Christmas will be Saturday 22nd December.

A photo a day.. day 13: Lunch

On cold days we need a soup to keep us and our hands warm!

Thai green chicken soup from Azuza Hungerford did just that!

Day 10 of the December Photo Project

We are a few days behind. 

Currently the main reason shown in the picture.

Foliage.. and lots of it...

To be made into wreaths, garlands and gorgeous arrangements.

Time consuming, but smelling divine!

Day 7 of the December Photo Project: Mess

The mess that's called Christmas creativity. 

Spruce, moss, ivy, mistletoe, the continuous need of a broom....

Apologies for posting a day too late. Currently experiencing issues uploading of linking in photos to Blogger... Finally seemed to have found a way around it!

Day One

Day one of the December photo project.
Mercury glass Christmas balls

also other news...... today's biggest bouquet.......

December 1st and its all go with holly, spruce, wreaths and bulbs.....we have had a week of early starts and late nights so are thankful tomorrow is Sunday, the Christmas lights go on in Hungerford then, can't wait to see our High Street all lit up, hope you all have a good  weekend...xx

Shopping spree

Just a small selection of what we bought this morning!

Planters, candles, a hint of Christmas (don't you just love our Victorian couple??) and some more lovely decorative items!

Meanwhile in the shop the preparations for Christmas have begun! The wreath rings are mossed, the cones have been wired, the cinnamon has been bundled.... 

Christmas is coming!

Happy Birthday To Us!

Today we are two!....where have those two years gone? It seems like yesterday we opened the door for the first time and served our very first customer.

So a BIG thank you to all our lovely customers.....floristry is such a personal business.. 

We see you happy and sad....commemorating all the major events in your lives.....big bouquets or just a little pot of prettiness for the kitchen window....

We love every minute and look forward to the future with gratitude..xxx

messing about...

taking a zillion photos...we might have found one out them good enough to use......

its neither of these but we sort of liked the effects....

the recipe
one vintage jelly mould.....over blown roses.....whispy grass......trailing ivy...a few cyclamen blooms.....and lucky heather..add to a chippy chair...or timeworn sleigh....and an adorable pair of child's white boots....

we could play all day!!!......

2012

Where did the time go? It's already the last day of 2011...

We've had our first Valentines Day, Mothers Day, our first anniversary and our second Christmas this year.

Our Floral Courses have been a great success and we we are already designing and planning the new line-up for 2012!

May we thank all our customers and blog readers, Twitter followers and Facebook friends, for all your custom and support in the last year!

We wish you all a very happy, prosperous New Year full of health and love!

See you in 2012!

Christmas Opening Hours

Here are our extended opening hours for the coming period!

Sunday 18th Dec 10AM - 4PM

Monday 19th Dec 9AM - 5PM

Tuesday 20th Dec 9AM - 6PM

Wednesday 21st Dec 9AM - 6PM

Thursday 22nd Dec 9AM - 8PM

Friday 23rd Dec 9AM -8PM

Christmas Eve 8AM - 3PM

Christmas Day - CLOSED

Boxing Day - CLOSED

Tuesday 27th Dec - CLOSED

Wednesday 28th Dec 9AM - 5PM

Thursday 29th Dec 9AM - 5PM

Friday 30th Dec 9AM - 5PM

Saturday 31st Dec 8AM - 3PM

New Years Day - CLOSED

Monday 2nd January 2012 - CLOSED

We're back to normal on Tuesday the 3rd of January!!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2012!!!!

Christmas Course 2011

Sunday was the last of this years Magpie Academy Courses

A seasonal look and play with all things Christmassy

Martin demonstrated how to make door wreaths, garlands and an arrangement for your Christmas table

 the wreaths were the undoubtable favorite with a scratch start of wire rings, moss and then lots of different foliage to choose from, adding the embellishments was a fun part...our youngest student wanted to try a garland and boy did she do it well....this is Martin staggering under the weight of her effort...an amazing first go!!

Well done to all the lovely people who have attended one of our courses this year, we have had  really enjoyed them and watch out for the 2012 timetable which we will finalize after the madness of Christmas is over and we sit down with a lovely glass of something chilled.

Our Week in Photos

The hedgerow are showing off their beauty...planted cyclamen in wire baskets smell divine, and are proving to be a firm favorite with our customers.

Pale Greens, and clear french glass inkwells, perfect for a single bloom, ivy or even holly lined down the Christmas table.

New festive Aubergine bags styled ready for the beautiful florals

Perfect dreamy scented Paperwhites fill the whole shop with the smell of spring...they are early, like most flowers and plants this year.

Honesty and pale white roses make an inviting wreath.

Our window display doesn't stay around for long, most of this is now sold, everyone is preparing their homes for the season

We have a rather beautiful angel ready for our window...isn't she stunning?

The ripening berries point to it being another hard winter...I hope you all have bird tables full to the brim with food!

Another creature not quite ready for winter...Bob is happy on his chair in a nice warm house, even the lead jangling is not getting his attention!

Are you getting prepared for the season? What are your plans? Are you having a real tree?

A Christmas with a bump...but without sloe gin and pate....hows a girl to survive?

Happy Birthday Us!!

 Martin and The Magpie has been open for one year

we can't believe how the time has flow

autumn has come around again

we are older and maybe a little wiser

have made new friends

forged new business contacts

sent hundreds of bouquets

designed beautiful wedding flowers

filled the shop with wonderful quirky vintage finds

again and again...

We have held courses and workshops

the photo is the bounty to play with at our Autumn Country Floral Class, watch this space for our 2012 range of workshops.

Our next course is a Vintage Planting Party which is now sold out

We have braved the bitter winter weather, when the water in the flower buckets started freezing IN the shop, brrrrr!! 

We know that flowers like it cool but that was just mad.

As well as the early summer heat...it was all about the fighting the elements at times.

 Now we are starting the run up to Christmas again. We shall be awash with fabulous ideas for your home and will even come to you and do the floral festive decorations in situ for you.( Please book early!)

Finally, just a HUGE THANK YOU for all our lovely customers and blogger friends for helping make this year be so successful, 

If you pop into the shop over this week we are holding a FREE draw to win a gift voucher for £50 to spend on flowers and plants in store before Christmas, or leave a comment and we will add your name to the draw. Good Luck!!

Feels like Christmas

Another school year has ended.

Kiddiewinkles are rushing with their parents to the shops to get the perfect 'Thank you' present for their beloved teachers.

Mums and Dads are happy it's the holidays again. From December onwards they have been treating the family, their other halves on Valentinesday, Mothersday and Fathersday, they've been spoiling the children with Christmas, fed them Easter eggs, hot cross buns and pancakes on Pancake Day.

Work has been stressful, they've had to hit their targets, reach their deadlines, please their bosses... They have been doing everything to please or treat somebody else. They've had no time to think about themselves, no time to sit back and relax, no time to think 'What about me?'.

So I would like to ask you, Mums and Dads, Husbands and Wifes, Grandmothers and Grandfathers, Fiancé and Fiancée, lovers, partners, boys and girls and everybody I have forgotten....

Have you treated yourself lately?

How about a lovely vintage jug with gorgeous Dahlias? Or how about an old fashioned typewriter to bring back good memories or to look great on that fabulous antique desk you have in the study?

Or have a tea party in the garden with your friends and/or family and decorate the table with these sweet African violets. Or just put them on your side table and enjoy their cuteness!

Get or make a lovely wreath to put on your door and celebrate summer!!!

Because summer is made for relaxing, drinking Pimms in the backyard, having a gin & tonic on the barge, enjoying long walks along the canal, knackering yourself out while cycling up the hills and enjoying the view and sceneries before diving in the pool to cool down, lighting the BBQ and indulge on good food, get your fingers stuck in the garden and smell those gorgeous garden roses, picking your own strawberries, going to the seaside and taste the salt on your lips, playing with flowers or just get the sun lounge out and read a good book!

Happy sunshine-enjoying-days!!!

Sold out!!!

...thank you to all our customers for making our first Christmas fab-u-lous!!!

the chaos of our work table is now all tidied away ready for re-opening on Thursday 30th.......

we all hope that you have had a wonderful Christmas.