The things I didn't buy

We took a little trip out today to the artisan market here. 

It was filled with many many beautiful things although if I was the bakery goods stall set up next to the other bakery stall also selling pastelly coloured, sparkly cupcakes I might have been a bit pissed off.

The street was heaving with a weird combination of funky hippies, boring ordinary people (like us) and the older generation of the pearls and wellies brigade. You know the kind, Barbours all round, an encyclopedic knowledge and practice of gardening accompanied by G&Ts on the lawn at 4:30pm. We discovered that particular couple just before we left. I bought 4 pots of leeks barely thicker than a sewing needle, there were about 5 leeks to each pot, as well as 6 onion sets all hardened up and ready to go out this weekend despite the prediction for Arctic conditions this week. As punishment for rude and appalling behaviour this afternoon destructoBoy was tasked with redigging over the Lower 40 so I shall be out planting my crops tomorrow afternoon.

Rounding the corner toward the hill I saw this stall and just had to stop. Superlatives to do justice to these lampshades are few and far between. So delicate and yet so elemental. That all sounds a bit 'Pseud's Corner' doesn't it? But really there was something very special about them.

Made from all locally sourced feathers by the Somerset Feather Company these are something I shall be keeping in mind as the perfect spot for a lampbase topped by one now exists in my kitchen. CK and I just have to discuss which child to sell (after this afternoon I am going for d/Boy).

I also didn't buy one of these.

Or any of her fabulous ceramics. This is not for lack of wanting, possibly it was due to overwanting. The stalls were full of ceramics and pottery; some of it vintage, some it utilitarian, much of it extremely ugly. Not so much Alice Shields' work. It might be a theme of the day but these pieces also had an elegance about them. I was very taken with the ceramic bunting. Maybe next month.

I DID buy four chocolate cupcakes with more buttercream icing on them than I thought existed in the Universe, two balls of Cashmerino DK in bright red and a kit to make our own chocolate. No really. Chocolate from scratch. I have a box with a lump of cocoa butter, some cacao powder and a bottle of natural sweetener. It looks like weird jam. Senior management  suggests we make it this Friday. Good Friday. Talk about blocking out the Easter Bunny!