Day 315-Arnhem Dolls' House Show, Purchases

A Solander Box I bought at the shop in Wawel Palace, Krakow

This is a post which may bore some of you. Showing off minis you bought can be a little like showing off your vacation pictures sometimes. Especially when some have already seen them before. Or if everyone else who attended the same fair have already posted pictures of their purchases. I shall therefore  pretend that this post is really just for me to record the most momentous purchases from an important Dolls' House Fair, my first.

Let me ceremoniously open my box of goodies, all fitted nicely into this lovely Solander case  so that I can show you, I mean, me, how wrong I was when I thought I could come away from the fair without buying anything.

Firstly, this seltzer bottle. I don't even know how I could have spotted him, lined up together with so many other little things on a shelf amongst shelves of even more little things.  It was as if our eyes met across a crowded room and our destinies entwined in that moment. I didn't even know it's name or how it would fit into my 19th century Indian life but how do you explain love? I parted with almost 20 Euros so that we could be together, hopefully forever.

Now this one, Rosanna actually apologised to me for. We barely finished going through the fair the first time round when Rosanna pulled me to Cocky Wildeschut's stand to show me this plate. It is clear I had to buy it there and then. No waiting to come back the 2nd time around! We are talking about peacocks here! Sorry, Rosanna said, but I know you will like it. Sorry, my dear? No way!  My first purchase at the fair and the one with the most exclamation marks ....! THANK YOU! Ro!

These are my most expensive purchases. These ones, which reminded me so much of hand painted wares from Kashmir, I walked a few rounds for. You have to when you kept thinking couples get divorced over spending this kind of money. After saying hi to the sisters at Wagon Mountain Studio three times in 3  hours and after seeking advice from Rosanna or Ms-she-who-had-5 Euros-left, who of course was very encouraging, I walked up to the booth for the 4th time . I said to myself ,well, good thing I don't have a husband and promptly whipped out a chunk of cash for 2 of these boxes only to be told by one of the sisters, sorry, but that was 15 Euros too little. I had misread the prices! O, what the heck!  It's only 15 Euros to save me from a lifetime of regrets.  I gladly paid, still happy today.

It was the pitcher and basin that sold me this set from Victoria Fasken. They reminded me of the ones I saw in Wickramasinghe Folk Museum when I was in Sri Lanka. I thought these would fit quite nicely in my haveli. There were so many things I coveted at Victoria Fasken's table but I was very disciplined and quite proud too of my restraint. Until my last post when I saw the pictures all blown up and pretty. I am kicking myself now for not spotting that cute little decanter set.

I never thought I would end up buying a knitted jacket because I didn't think there would be one in this whole wide world that would suit the colourful needs of my Indian dolls. Thanks to Marijke Vuuren, there was! I love how the colours are so Missoni-ly Indo-phile. And the teeny weeny meeny little buttons. Attention please,  mini-miracle workers who knit! How in the world do you work one colour at a time like that over something half the size of  my palm? When I showed Pam all my purchases, this was the one she declared The Best Buy!

These lovely vases, I dubbed my yellow Muranos. Excellent buys at about 5-6 Euros each, I thought them better than a pair of Manolos. That's saying a lot coming from a shoe fiend like me. They were standing on a nearby shelf from Mr Seltzer Bottle in a stall run by a really sweet German lady. After extensive research, I suspect the company might have been Small Dreams Miniatures. Listed on their website are similar vases described as blown, handmade items made  from Lausha Glas.

I have since found out that the shop's name is Miniatur Puppenwelt after investigating my credit card bills.

There was no way I could resist Mr Tumbling Twirly, especially after I have named him. This vintage mechanical toy was made by the infectiously enthusiastic Serge Piacentino from France. I couldn't decide which was more fun. Watching Mr Piacentino demonstrate how his toys work or playing with the toys myself. His was the 1st and last stall I saw because it was situated near the entrance. More amazing (as if that's possible) than his miniatures is how Mr P's enthusiasm never wavered. Be it 11am or 6pm , his smiles were as wide and demonstrations just as energetic as it was before his very 1st customer.

And if you think I went nuts over these glass bottles, you couldn't have been more right! Some of you may know my penchant for glass bottles and these were so reasonably priced that I went really really crazy.

Total number 25. Would have bought more if not for the postcards I spent on in Amsterdam.

There they are, my purchases! Those I took pictures of. I also bought a dozen spindle posts from Tiny Turning 1000, 5 back issues of magazines on dolls' houses for 1 Euro each and 2 kits at the last minute just before closing time that were not quite what they cut out to be. Yes, the pieces of wood the kit came in were not even cut. It didn't cost much but let's just say there would have been no love lost if  I have left my wallet in the bag as Rosanna has suggested. It seems I only follow her advice when she encourages me to buy and ignores her when she says stop.

Pretty restaurant in Arnhem where Ro and I had our last meal in Holland. 

And then it was closing time. Ro and I bid farewell to all our friends in The Netherlands. Since we had about 2 hours to our night train to Neumunster, we took a walk down to take a photo of a bridge too far or the John Frost Bridge so that I could show it to my housemate who is a WWII nut. We had our last meal in Holland at a nice restaurant. I don't remember exactly what we had except that it was good. I think Rosanna only had soup. Don't be sad for her. She had it with her fancy Stokesay teacup and sugar bowl and was pleased as punch. 

That, my friends, was how I was no longer a Fair Virgin. Hmmm...that doesn't sound right......My Goodness! No wonder I am already gibberishing...It's 2.42am already!!!!