Dare to be Different

 This month our town has an 'arts fest'...lots of films...talks...courses....walks.....music....and other wonderful things to do.......go to the HADCAF website to see the full programme... so filled with the artistic spirit we decided to dress our shop for the occasion!!!!
As regular readers will know its impossible to take a photograph of our window...but we have done our best..so try to ignore 
1. the reflection
2. the strip lights in the shop
3.the photographer who needs her roots doing
4. any other distraction

 The plan was to make a tree inside and out which somehow connected....we used the sturdy kiwi branches for the outside which come in fantastic swirly shapes......and arching birch for inside...encased them in some lengths of bark...then we made mock cages from more twigs and foliage......

 ......then borrowed the latest trend for suspending flowers upside down (?).....yes this is true.....a cross over between floristry and art...and there we have it.......

 ....this one is a close runner up to the now famous and much copied pom-pom window of earlier this year in that so many people have come into the shop and commented on it......we just love that........

Lest We Forget

The start of the week.....

red roses and autumn foliage for an old soldier....

...our Remembrance Day window ................

 we have always dressed the window for it ..ever since Miss Magpie had her first shop in Dorset....and we always will....

.....as usual impossible to photograph with the street reflections......we made a cross with moss and lovely twisted hazel......a posy of flowers at the center.....hung vintage tea-light holders at various heights all with a white rose in them.....fashioned a non-lethal fence of mock barbed wire and hung labels on this  heroes......brave......queen and county...... 11-11......lest we forget.....remember......with of course our old union jack flag......( its had quite a few outings this year!!)

 The label idea was taken from The Enchanted Palace at Kensington Palace Exhibition last year, if you went you will recognise it!!
It is from the Room of Tears.....a candlelit princess's bedroom with hundreds of glass bottles ( filled with tears) and thousands and thousands of labels strung with words written by the public. They had to write the last thing that made them cry onto the label....the total 'en masse' effect was breathtaking and hugely emotional.....
so thank you whoever had that idea as it lead to us remembering it and using it here......
So to all those who have and still keep us safe while putting themselves in danger..thank you.