Hello

Feet and Flamingtons

August 1, 2008

Eeep Arrgh Owwww my FEEEEET! I will not walk again – okay i will, because i must tomorrow – it’s my last day at the Trade Show (which runs until Monday). I think that they have put super ache inducing concrete under the floor of the building at the Racecourse where Life in Style is being held. I think there are tiny little carpet dwelling people with tiny hammers gleefully pounding my feet from below every time I take a step. I think they are not hammers, actually. No. They are definately SLEDGE HAMMERS. Those carpet dwellers are mean. They hurt. If you see them, give them a flying kick from me. ‘The Borrowers’ they are not. So don’t feel guillty. They are nasty, tiny people and deserve a kick.

Last year the show was at the Exhibition Buildings in Carlton and the floor was lovely and yielding. But I can tell you – and this is from a hardened retailer used to standing for 8 hour stretches – the floor there is not lovely. It does not yield. It is cross and hard and ouchy. I do not like it.

In other news from the trade-show trenches, my camera turned itself on in my bag today and the batteries went as flat as my feet – so no photos, alas. But I’m trying for tomorrow – I really am – and I want to show you some of the other lovely stands! So bare with me!

Victoria Mason is there showing her deluxey-divine jewellery. Her sweet stand is on the first level – you step out of the lift and ‘Hello Victoria!’ She should be the new State Government Tourism Campaign. Just her. What could be better, i wonder?! Vic and Cass gave me a lift home tonight – and we chattered about the day’s excitement all the way from Flemington to Fitzroy. Cass drove the car through the stop-start traffic with much aplomb and regaled us with tales of portly cup-cakes, plump obis and Smeg appliances. It was a giggly journey – and we all waved happily as we lapped Angela who had decided to walk the long hike to the gate. (I think she was doing grinnercise too – she looked absolutely svelte from my spot in the back seat.)

A lovely lady came to the Lark stand today – and picking up our favourite chocolaty coconut sprinkled faux-knitted-cake, she was heard to say… ‘Oh.. it’s a Flamington.. I mean.. a lamington’! Bless. I fear she was dizzy from the endless labyrinth of lifts and arrows and escalators. Mr Lark was resplendent in his Liberty shirt and Mrs Lark was smiling happily from behind the rows of lovely knitted lambs and donkeys and other Larky goodness! It was, you might say, A Lark!

Emma came to visit with lovely Leo… some wonderful blog-reading retailers popped in too… and a whole host of posh shops and hip stores waltzed about with gleaming lanyards and neat hair and nice shoes. Everyone was so lovely – and I just can’t believe how many SHOPS there are in Australia! And all with such discerning taste! Our stand was humming like a happy beehive full of vintage inspired bees. OK. That makes no sense, but you get my drift, don’t you!? Perhaps they all had tiny little beehive hairdos and poodle skirts and cardis and pearls.. the bees I mean.. you just don’t know with bees do you? You’re usually too busy running the other way to notice what they are wearing.

We sold our Mikes things to some lovely shops – which was really exciting – but I think I was just really pleased that everyone seemed to like them as much as we do! If you have a favourite shop in your area – please could you tell them that we are seeking favourite shops for our favourite things! Get a wee bit of Mikes around the corner from you! We will ship anywhere in the world – and would love to grow the Mikes family!

If you’re coming to the show tomorrow – you’ll find us on the 4th floor – and I’ll be the one wearing UGG boots and doing grinnercise! And don’t forget that the Mirabel auctions are ending THIS Sunday – and the next round of auctions will go up on Sunday night – we’ll be featuring eleven more softies, including one from Loobylu, one from Rummage and one from Ric-Rac too!

xx Mikes

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