Blossom: and now for a whinge

I would love to wax lyrical about all things shop - especially as it is Spring, our favourite time of year at Shoppie.

We're not kidding: look at this.

Bluebells ...

Flowers ...

More flowers, singing birds ...

Juan and Juanita the Hallowe'en flamingos, who only come out occasionally and love basking in the Spring weather and admiring the flowers.

However I'm not in the right state of mind to carry on about flowers and other nice things as I'm currently at home with a VAST STREAMING FLU. A flu sufficiently virulent that I haven't really slept for three nights, and my doctor sweetly but firmly instructed me to just avoid humanity for a while (unless I can get full biohazard suits into Darling Central, and we don't have the wholesale account - sorry).

So I'm sat on the sofa instead hugging Darling Dog and a box of tissues, folded up around a mug of Lemsip trying to breathe the steam and regretting that I may have to leave Friday opening entirely to our beloved Flamingo, Miss Jasmine.

Miss Jasmine is well up to any challenge; I'm just sad to not be there with her because she's such fun to be around.

I am not fun to be around. Even Darling Dog is looking a bit grossed out by my World Of Used Tissues, and she's a dog.

I'm also sad because my during-the-week job ('The Factory' as I shall call it) is generally a great place to be, with likeable colleagues and interesting things to do, and I'll have missed a whole week of it. Including the Festival of the Fascinator (Melbourne Cup) which happened yesterday as I was half-dozing on the sofa and trying to get up the energy to either listen to the race (failed) or stick on a DVD (failed).

Mind you - sticking on DVDs is fraught with peril in this condition. I eventually managed to watch a bit of my 'Are You Being Served?' box set late yesterday and - there is not a word of a lie here - I laughed so hard at one episode that I wept ... sort of choke-cried. It took ages to mop myself up afterwards.

Pathetic isn't it? Normally I'm quite good at Caring For Invalids (even when the Invalid is myself) but there's something about a really good dose of flu that reduces us to quivering heaps of misery. It probably doesn't help that all I've managed to eat today is a single slice of Vegemite toast, and it's now lunchtime and I can't think of anything I fancy. Me - Mrs Healthy Appetite! Even though my freezer is stuffed with lovely home-cooked single-serve delights just waiting for the microwave: minestrone soup, lentil soup, beef and vegetable stew, all bursting with flu-fighting vitamins.

I think I could just about manage a cup of Bovril.

A steaming hot mug of Oh-just-snap-out-of-it-you-big-wuss.

Enough - you've probably read sufficient about my flu misery. I think it's time for a beef tea and another go at the British Comedy. Do you think I can retain my dignity after an episode of 'Dad's Army'?

No, neither do I ...

Yours charmingly (achoo!)
Blossom

Blossom: Welcome to Darling Central

Darling Central is our little pink piece of paradise.

We're the Darling Sisters, my sister Darla and me - Blossom. We are proprietresses of Darling Central, a little vintage-style fashion boutique nestled in the heritage area of Gold Creek Square in Nicholls, Canberra.

This is us, playing silly whatnots - as one does. Photo by ShutterBug Baby.

Nearly two years ago, we were running an online clothing business, on the general principle that since we were constantly buying lovely vintage-style clothing and accessories for ourselves and our friends, we might as well make it official.

We had been considering the glories of owning our own little bricks-and-mortar shop for some time, but since we both worked full-time during the week (both in heritage fields: we know our history and know our historic clothing) we weren't sure if the dream could ever become reality.

Then one Spring we happened to meet a friend for a walk around Gold Creek Square, a pretty little shopping precinct in the vicinity of one of Canberra's earliest villages, including an old schoolhouse and the first Catholic Church to be built in the area.

Looking towards the old church, with our little pink shop on the left.

On our walk we met the Little Pink Shop ... and that was that. We had to move in, along with our pet plastic flamingos.

Cindy and Sherman were the first flamingos to move in.

Two years down the track, Darling Central has been happily successful thanks to our wonderful, supportive customers and some fabulous friends.

Shoppie window - isn't it pretty?

Recently we have been super-lucky to find the real Darling Flamingos - our flock of gorgeous shop assistants who basically make our world go around, with their intelligence and warmth and creativity and general fabulous stylishness.

Hopefully you will get to meet them all on this blog.

We also have some great neighbours here at Gold Creek Square. At the moment we're all working together towards a bit of an event in December ...

Coming up 1 December - watch this space.

One of our Gold Creek Square neighbours is a bit of an unusual one. We share a Ghostie - the Gold Creek Ghost who we have nicknamed 'Amelia'. She sees to be a fairly benevolent creature but does like to move things around and cause the occasional bit of mischief.

This isn't the Gold Creek Ghost. It's a Gold Creek Ghost, one of our recent Hallowe'en decorations. We put it there to amuse Amelia. Yes - actually we did.

Whether you believe in her or not, we quite enjoy Amelia's reminder that Darling Central was build on the site of an old settlement, and people lived their everyday lives right here where we have our little shops.

We hope you enjoy the ups and downs and back-to-fronts of our adventures running a part-time shop!

Yours charmingly,
Blossom