Winter at Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington (inspirational books txt) 📕

and have a look but I’ve got a bit of a family emergency so maybe if you could send me some pictures that would be great.’

‘Absolutely. Tall and wide - I’ll get them to you after I’ve done my rounds this afternoon. Not sure what the quality will be like in this weather, though it’s brightened up a bit in the last hour.’

Sallie put the phone down and closed up her planner as Tillie began to stir from her sleep - that was hopefully one thing ticked off the list.

Chapter 41

Sallie pulled her coat tighter around her and stuffed her gloved hands into her pockets as she walked up the narrow flagstone path to Juliette’s cottage and rang on the old ship's bell hanging outside. A little lamp glowed in the window and a Swedish St Lucia candle twinkled next to it on the windowsill.

The door opened and Juliette, standing in a pretty ruffled dress, and thick grey cable knit tights came to the door. As she opened it a rush of warmth hit Sallie compared to the cold outside.

‘Come in! Goodness, it’s chilly out there today - shame the snow didn’t come before I got the Christmas stuff set up. It would have looked fabulous as a backdrop in the conservatory.’ Juliette said, taking Sallie’s coat.

‘I still can’t believe you deal in vintage Christmas bits and love Christmas more than me - I thought I was the only strange one around these parts.’

‘Yeah, the more I’ve got into it and since the internet made the world smaller I’ve learnt I am certainly not in a minority. There are people out there who would make you and I look like Christmas amateurs Sallie. I’ve got customers whose houses are decorated for Christmas all year round and not only that they change it on a weekly basis.’

‘Sounds like taking it a bit too far to me, but then again I really love Christmas and who knows what I’ll be doing this time next year - you just don’t know what’s around the corner!’

‘I really love Christmas Sallie, so we’re a good match,’ Juliette laughed and pushed her hair behind her ears.

Sallie agreed, they walked through the tiny little sitting room, up the small step into the hallway and back down two small rickety steps into the cosy kitchen with the low-ceiling.

‘Cup of tea? Or I do a mean cup of frothy coffee? Or, in fact, how about a Bailey’s coffee? It’s the right temperature for it... a bit cheeky at this time of day, but I’m not on call and Maggie is at her dad’s all weekend so I’ve got a pass.’ She laughed at her own joke.

‘Absolutely - I’d love a Bailey’s coffee. I never say no to one truth be told. Thank you.’

‘Another thing we have in common then,’ Juliette noted as she got the coffee and cups out.

She made two mugs of coffee, poured in two little lugs of Baileys, topped the whole lot with large swirls of whipped cream and sprinkled on some brown sugar and presented Sallie with the mug.

‘Now that’s my kind of coffee!’ Sallie exclaimed.

‘Ha, right, come on, come and have a look at what I’ve set up so far this morning - I think you’re going to adore the vintage baubles... I’ve been after them for ages and finally they came up on an online auction. Now they’ve finally arrived and what’s even better, I wasn’t hit by customs charges to get the things into the country.’

They walked over to the left side of the kitchen and Juliette opened the old engraved door handle into the tiny lean-to toasty warm conservatory.

Over in the corner a small Christmas tree in a white flowerpot sat on an upturned vintage fruit crate next to a beautiful rustic white French-style chair. A large fresh garland full of bay, firs and greenery sat on the paned windows behind and vintage baubles were popped into it here and there.

‘Oh my! It’s delightful Juliette.’

‘Thanks, I’m really pleased with it in here. The colours you painted it are just right. Since I left Jeremy let’s just say that finding somewhere to get good photos has been a challenge.’

Sallie walked over to inspect everything closer - the vintage baubles twinkled in the light from a cluster of fairy lights above and a tiny little professional ring light setup adjacent to the scene was bouncing light off everything. A pair of white vintage ice skates balanced casually on a thick cosy striped rug beside the chair and a white faux fur throw was draped artfully over the arm. On the back of the chair a red tartan rug folded up neatly popped against the lights and neutral colours.

‘It’s all gorgeous. You’ve got a real eye for it. Though I could tell that from the way you’ve decorated the cottage.’ Sallie said, as she sat down.

‘Thanks - it’s taken a little while to get my look right and if I’m trying to sell things with a different colour theme or from a different era then I change it up a bit - but overall it’s a neutral colour, some greenery and then a pop of tartan, some fairy lights and then whatever the product is added in,’ Juliette explained, adjusting the tartan rug ever so slightly.

‘Right, yep, so there’s almost a process?’ Sallie asked.

‘Yeah there is, and it keeps the same branding overall if I do it that way. My customers like to buy a look and the look they like is simple, vintage Christmas - I guess the name says it all really.’

‘It’s great. Sort of the same as the boathouse theme really - old oars, vintage boats, hammocks, etcetera. I used that look and then rinsed and repeated it in the marquee.’ Sallie said sniffing the beautiful fir garland behind.

‘Yes, only mine’s this neutral vintage-y Christmas backdrop that gets rinsed and repeated.’

Sallie got up and stepped closer to the tree and the casual pile of faded vintage baubles, ‘They’re stunning - you