Browse and Dowse

And yes, this was our brand new experience in Aberdeen this weekend at the Beach Ballroom - dowse as you browse! One customer picked up one of our little rose quartz hearts in its starry pouch and swung it over our boxes to decide which of them she should buy for a friend. She then used the same method to pick one of our pewter unicorns, and then post purchase, she moved to the book stall, and asked to borrow her previous dowsing implement from our stall. Fabulous. Whatever, however, we love it!
So, we drove to the Granite city amidst wonderful sunshine pre British Summertime commencement, and returned today in a haze of glory post British Summertime. Thank you unicorns for guiding and returning us safely.
Now, you know how much we adore Aberdeen, but what's going on eatswise on a Sunday night? We were later packing up on Sunday and so it was after eight by the time we'd returned to our Travelodge, had a quick de-brief, and then set off to Union Street in search of grub. On Friday and Saturday, we'd happened upon an area just off Belmont Street, called Gaelic Lane which had everything we could wish for - a pub selling Caffrey's and Jamieson's and wonderful cheap vegetarian food. This is where we dined on Friday, and on Saturday, due to a huge screen showing footie and hunners of people, we opted for the nearby Slain's Castle (a very gothic incredibly detailed stained glass red low lit uppy downy nookie crannie hostelry - our kind of place - which we then discovered was part of a chain - shame!). Anyhoo, there we were trawling the streets of Aberdeen, hungry, very hungry, and stopping at every lit building and asking if they were serving. No, no, no. The thought of a takeaway and a screw cap bottle of wine back in our room, starting to feel quite appealing, when lo and behold, there it was - La Tasca (again a chain, but an authentically individually driven one, if there be such a thing). So, we crept into the warmth, secured a table and ordered a heap of tapas. Why is it when you're starving, you think you can eat ten times what you would normally. Suffice to say, there were a few left-overs, but we returned to our Travelodge satiated and knackered.
We're pleased to share our de-brief with our reading public - this was our BEST ever Body and Soul fair on so many different levels. Hard cash sales being one. Selling more of our own hand-crafted products being another. Meeting up with our usual gang, hooking up with old friends and encountering good vibes from newbies too. (sorry Witch-hiker, stole that one from you) plus the joy of being able to go outside and smell the air and watch the sea (for one Lunicorn, this is an experience, she's only just starting to notice). Yes, have just booked our Travelodge for our return leg in Aberdeen in October (and for any would be house robbers out there, we do have house sitters and cctv, so there!). Met the lovely ladies from the Granite Sisters, a new psychic Irish chap called Kieran, and broke bread with Doreen and Michael (thank you guys for your unending support), and Agnes (what can we say, keep on salsa-ing and we're awaiting your tassle workshop next month), good to meet Alison De Marco too. And Donald and Donald, we love you! Rosemary and Frank - get that Travelodge booked NOW! Hilary and Dave - ta for the flapjacks - there's a joke in there somewhere. Liam, what a joy it was to see you again. Thank Goodness, selfishly we say, you're not London bound yet. And Ruth....a Body & Soul fair just doesn't seem complete without your fabulously glamorous presence. Once again, all of the people mentioned above have had faith in us from the beginning, and don't think we don't appreciate it. Not related to the Aberdeen event, but whilst we're on a thankfest - Nikki - we are going to do the freezer thing tomorrow re others random negative vibes, Oona thank you for our fab book on unicorns, Kendal thanks in advance for our e-bay tutorial, and Joe & Ike, just because.....Rachael, thanks for coming home, Pippa - ta for believing, Suz - for being the duchess, yet bizarrely real, did we previously mention Jennifer, who amidst her high fallutin' media career, had time to help out the Lunicorns at the end of last year? And Amy, well, SO looking forward to your gig in the Liquid Ship on 26th April. Right, we've probably missed people (like Andy, Maggie. Carole & John etc.) but you guys have been mentioned before....and you know we love you. Getting carried away now with all the love and light, so probably best to sign off.
Love and British summertime light.
Solar shinings
The Lunicorns
x

Boing Boing...

The title reference is that we are now springing, indeed we are 100% sprung into March - how did that happen?
Letter now been dispatched to MacDonald hotels (see earlier post) and we await some sort of explanation. The ratio of good news to not so good is ever increasing. Starting with the not so good first - we were sad to hear that one of our cutest stockists in York - Odds Bodkins, is no more. A quaint mystical shop in Bootham Tower, but it seems quaint mystical buyers would rather seek their quaint mystic on the internet. I know, pot kettle and all that (as we do indeed have an on-line store), but it's not good to hear of a smaller retailer being forced out of the market place. Good luck to you Ms Hyde and at least you tried.
On a brighter note, we've got workshops galore over Easter. Details are on our website and bookings are filling up fast. We're back at the Burnside on the mystical Isle of Arran for a whopping eight, two at magical Tir na nOg, and one at the rather funky Gather in Glasgow. If you're a dog lover, than drop into Gather and meet Jacob, a beautiful pup soon to be adorning our pet parade. Actually, if you're not a dog lover, then you soon will be, when you see him.
Last night, we displayed our wares at the fabulous Bewitching Beauty on the South Side of Glasgow and met some fabulous folks.
Last weekend was our big Body & Soul fair at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. It was really well attended and it was great to catch up with everyone again, especially Agnes, Doreen & Michael, the Donalds, Norrie, Hilary et al. This month, it's Body & Soul in Aberdeen, and you know how we love Aberdeen.
Our friends Rachael and James return from their year long trip overseas next week, and we're looking forward to hearing all about their adventures. Having recently invested in a Skype phone we've been able to keep in touch via the ethernet. Do you think one day, when the world is Skyped, we'll be able to transmit our entire selves in this way? Maybe Star Trek wasn't so far from fact with the whole 'beam me up Scottie' doodah.
Meanwhile, we've been hatching all sorts of plans, and the air is thick with opportunities. At the start of this year, we decided we would take a more laid back approach to events, and be more selective as to those we would attend with our stall. So far, without actively pursuing, we've notched up an amazing sixty from January till the end of this year, and more are coming in fast and furious. Yes, there's definitely something afoot for 2007 - it is after all the year of the pig and more than that the Golden Pig, which we believe, only happens once every six decades and signifies luck and prosperity. Here on planet Lunicorn, we like to think of it as the year of the horn of plenty.
And on that positive note, we sign off till next time
Love and full moon tidings
The Lunicorns