Two days without email

As I could feel the panic building I decided to send an 'out of office' reply to emails for two days and see if I could crack on with some stuff for Chocolat.  It worked like a charm.  Just look at what I got done:

All the lights went in.  Swiftly followed by the floors, touched up paint work and put in skirting boards.  

I know these aren't Ray Storey lights but it didn't work out in the end and I was back with the usual Heidi Ott and others.  Big thanks due here to Jennifers of Walsall who came up trumps as always.  I ordered them 1st October and they were with me and in the house on the 4th!

Lesson learned.

Ken also put the extra space on the back of the shop for the stairwell to the flat and the kitchen.  It made a great place for the lighting board. 

Small World Products kit - this is the way to go!  It so beats pushing and pulling those plugs around with your teeth and nails.  No kidding - I doubt that putting in the seven lights lights took an hour!!  SWP is to be an article in DH & MS by me so I won't ramble here as well. Just check out the system if you haven't seen it before.  Simple as a pimple on a flea's left leg!

 All four doors went in.

This has the magnificent Yale lock from Delph Miniatures. 

Honestly Kath, the door looks better than this - the light seems to have caught every blemish.  As for your lock - some people working on Chocolat would dream about Johnny Depp - me? - I dream mini Yale locks.

This is the door to the stairs down to the kitchen - we just get a glimpse of the corridor and the light at the top of the stairs. 

The outside privy has an actual; working Suffolk latch.  It was a bit of a pig to do without decent tools but also fun and great to end up with something like this.  I also got the lino down and the lavatory in.

I haven't bothered with a photo of the  fourth door.  It is just a false door in the kitchen - so no interest there, but it was another job done!

Next came the sheer pleasure of putting my ELF cupboards in place.  they have been waiting for such a long time.

Perfect fit.

Tah dah!

Got the outside stair rail sorted - not a huge job but every bit of trim that goes back in place makes it more and more finished looking.

Again not a flattering photo - looks better in real life.  I cut and reassembled the lovely encaustic tiles and made something for the doorway.  

Oh poop - just spotted the diamond in the centre of each square - two pointing down and one pointing right.  I can't live with one eye up the chimney so this will be a re-do.  That'll teach me to crow.

Here comes the fun bit - I disassembled someone's lovely handiwork and decked out my Easter bunny display table.

A sort of Mad Hatter's tea party.  hence tea pot and tea cup and saucer and tea packing box below.

The (mostly) chocolate counter also had a bit of a re-jig as I had spare chocs and a carrot cake from my wrecking a display.

I finished the chocolate window with more leftovers until anything better turns up.  I prefer stand-ins to spaces.

Finally a bit of rejiggling of the shelves.

The final picture is what happens when you knock this over taking a photograph of it.  You get to spend ages crawling round the carpet trying to decide what's chocolate and what's sock rubbish!  Then a jolly half hour putting it all back.