Tuesday Typeface...Ice Flowers...

This is what my garden looks like now..

covered in ice and a blanket of fresh snow..

My Garden Alphabet created by Petra Blahova

Ladies in Waiting...

Image by the69th

We ALL have those days, weeks, months and sometimes even years when absolutely nothing goes our way...

It can literally stop you in your tracks..

and

at some point..

you might want to throw in the towel..

call it a day..

drown your sorrows in ice cream..

or

my personal favorite..

hide under the covers..

I've had 3 weeks of this..

I am partial to blame..

I come up with these crazy ideas for my clients and it's up to me to actually produce them..

Yes, failure is part of the creative process..

but..

in this particular instance..

I am thinking the universe had other plans for me..

I am not a quitter..

In fact..

I am so stubborn that

sometimes I need to just give up once in awhile...

Just ask the Tall One..

I can't help it..

It's the lioness in me..

So I choose to persevere..

I'm not saying that I didn't throw anything 

or

pull a few strands of hair out..

I just won't give up..

This morning was no exception..

rainy, blustery, damp day that it was..

got into my bones and a little voice said..

give up..

give up...

but then I walked Mr. G around the yard for our billionth time..

what did I see??

Images by Chocolate Creative Design

I saw my Ladies...

Lady Rose,

Lady Geranium,

Lady Snapdragon,

Lady Phlox,

Lady Verbena

&

Lady Impatiens

all smiling at me..

All whispering..

Don't Give Up..

Don't Give Up...

How could I not be inspired...

Mid November and THEY are persevering...

So..

I choose to..

NOT GIVE UP!!

Happy Weekend!!

Image by Helena Ljunggren

Happy Weekend Everyone!!! 

The Northeast has had a simply glorious first week of Fall..

There is absolutely nothing to complain about with temperatures reaching up into the mid 80's.

With that said..

The cutting garden is still hanging in there and is bursting with brilliant shades of pink, orange, yellow, red, purple and white..

Back in May, I spoke about a beautiful brown paper box that had just arrived from White Flower Farm containing one of my obsessions..

Dahlias!

 7 types to be a exact..

A week full of Dahlias..

So here we go folks..

the fruits of my labor...

Image by Chocolate Creative Design

 I honestly can't believe that they ALL survived!!

I created a little cheat sheet for all you Dahlia lovers..

Sorbet

Gorgeous pinks that change as it blooms. Doesn't need staking. Medium in height and flower. Not a huge amount of blooms.

Karma Corona

This is the only Dahlia that wasn't the same color as in the brochure. Very Tall. Definitely needs staking. Medium in bloom size and a generous amount of blooms.

American Dawn

One of my favorites. Colors range from brilliant oranges to muted shades of pink. Large in size and bloom. Generous amount of blooms. Needs staking.

Kenora Jubilee

The largest in everything...Height, bloom size and the amount of blooms.. The blooms can get to be the size of a baby's head..

Stands tall and proud and doesn't need staking.

Thomas Edison

Very short in plant stature..Blooms droop a bit but absolutely stunning in color.

Seattle

The MOST beautiful..

Very very delicate blooms..Not as generous in the amount of blooms.

First to open.

I knew you guys were too smart for your own good...

Yes, there are only 6 Dahlias in the image above..

Lucky Number 7, Miss Ice Cube,

has been a bit shy and I am eagerly awaiting her arrival..

If she looks anything like her picture..

I know that I'll be the happiest gardener in town..

 Image by White Flower Farm

I am already planning next year's additions...

Apparently the early bird gets the tuber at White Flower Farm..

Maybe a few Cafe au Laits would do the trick..

It just goes to show you..

Take a chance, try something new...

There are truly beautiful and amazing things that await..

If only you let go of the fear

and

jump!

Be Safe, Plant a Tuber and Have a Great Weekend!!

Happy Weekend!!!

Image Vogue Es

Happy Weekend Everyone!!!

Yesterday the Monster and I hopped on over to our local nursery to pick up some very yummy veggies to plant in our garden.

With rain in our forcast for the next few days, I was a bit disappointed and worried that we might not be able to get them in on time..

However...
Today someone was definitely looking out for me..
The rain magically stopped and the sky became blue so I quickly hung up the paintbrush, jumped into my boots and sprung outside to plant the garden...

Planting a garden is certainly humbling to these old bones...
But they are all nestled and snug in their beds
so all we need to do is wait...

But a gardeners job is never done..
On to the cutting garden and the millions and trillions of pots...

Be Safe, Plant a Garden and Have a Great Weekend!!
 

Happy Weekend!!

Image by Parker Fitzgerald Florals by Amy Merrick

Kinfolk Magazine

Happy Weekend Everyone!!!

I know it's the month of May..

But..

Today felt a little like Christmas...

A very special package arrived on my doorstep this morning....

Image by Chocolate Creative Design

For all my followers...

You definitely know by now that I am obsessed with gardening...

Normally, I buy ALL my flowers and vegetables for planting at our local garden center...

But this year..

This year is different....

White Flower Farm is still considered local as it's based in Connecticut..

But..

It's like buying a pair of Louboutins.. 

In my case..

only for special occasions..

Ok Ok Ok...

I'll tell you what's in the box...

Only THE finest, THE most glorious and THE most beautiful dozen Dahlia tubers one has ever seen...

You see...

besides My loveliest of Ladies,

Miss Yumiko Fletcher of Hana Floral Design..

(image by Adeline and Grace)

 There are 3 other floral designers whose work I greatly admire...

Miss Amy Merrick

(obsessed with her blog)

Miss Nicolette Owen of Nicolette Camille

and

Miss Sarah Ryhanen of Saipua

 So what is it about these 4 extremely talented women that has inspired me so??

Well..

They all share the same style...

They all LOVE Dahlias...

Maybe they too wasted countless hours viewing a gazillion slides in numerous Art History classes only to be inspired by the Dutch Masters...

Perhaps...

But I have to say...

There are 3 even lovelier ladies who were creating arrangements within the same genre WAY before the previous ladies were even a thought in the universe...

The Ladies of the Big House on Island Farm...

Image by Chocolate Creative Design

I wrote a POST about them last September regarding their dedication and cultivation of the Dahlias in the garden...

But I really didn't describe to you what wonderfully talented floral designers they all are...

If one is lucky enough to walk into the Big House during the summer, you will be immediately greeted with the most divine works of art..

Dahlias, honeysuckle, dill flowers, sweet peas, berries, roses and numerous other floral & fauna meticulously gathered from the Island gently sway and dance from vintage copper and iron frogs in breathtaking pewter compotes.

They had me at hello...

I was hooked by their magical abilities...

They allowed me to watch...

To take in their secrets...

In fact...at a mere 11 months..

They allowed the Monster to have his first gardening experience..

THE planting of the Dahlia tubers in May...

Crawling through the freshly plowed garden and covered from head to toe in dirt he found joy in the empty dahlia barrel from where they overwintered...

Nervous that I had now maybe ruined my chances at learning their secrets...

Fear covered my face...

But...

Giggles emerged...

Lots of giggles....

He may not have been baptised in a church...

but he was most certainly baptised in the garden at the Island...

So now...

In just one short week...

we will be planting our own dahlias...

we will be arranging our own dutch inspired creations...

and

we will be carrying on the traditions of the Ladies of the Island..

Be Safe, Plant a Garden and Have a Great Weekend!!

Tuesday Typeface...Herbarium...

 Herbarium Alphabet by Ana Bangueses

Check out her page as she demonstrates her creative process..

Amazing!!

a little glitter to start your week....

Loving these DIY glitter garden tools and broom at Brit + Co

Because...

they may just make you whistle while you work...

For the Love of Lavender.....

Image by Amanda D'Arcy

I'm not quite sure when and where my love for lavender actually started...

but once it did..

there was no turning back.

I have been a very very lucky lady...having been exposed to so many International Gardens..

floating on a barge through France,

trodding through the sheep dappled English countryside in Junior High and finally living in Florence, Italy just a few steps from the Boboli Gardens. 

These gardens were absolutely ae inspiring for me...
tranquil, romantic, manicured,  yet wonderfully wild 

In fact..doesn't that epitomize lavender?

So..when we renovated our antiquated farmhouse..and realized we would not be living abroad..

I was very very determined to bring those gorgeous European gardens to me.

So the lavender walkway began...

Dozens and dozens of boxes filled with tiny lavender plants arrived at my doorstep via White Flower Farm.

The Monster at a mere 2 years of age was right there beside me..

getting his real first taste of gardening...

One year later..we could finally sit back, celebrate with some pudding and admire our hard work...

Images by chocolate creative design

Over the years...we have watched them grow into crazy wonderful beautiful bushes...

and if you have ever read "Practical Magic" then you know that..
"you keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck".

and luck it has brought....

it has also given us 

praying mantises for the Monster to feed by hand,
wonderful flowers to put in Auntie Egg's room when she visits
and 

the most glorious of scents when you walk by and gently run your fingers through on your way to our side door.

and..

it seems to have inspired me in the work that I have created...

Bundled as a clue in a Save the Date

 Images by Anna Sawin

Stamped on a wedding invitation envelope

Image by Anna Sawin

Sprinkled inside an invitation suite

Image by Anna Sawin

and just this year..

a wreath designed especially for Eleanor & Matt's wedding.

Image by Iris Photography

Out of all the plants in my garden they have become my "babies".

I'm not sure if it's because of their beauty or because I simply know the least about them....
So I enlisted the help of the "Lavender Whisperer", the lovely Miss Moira Casadaei.

Moira, whose daughter Bri runs Terra Firma Farm, is the lady behind their Faire Ivy soap.
One of my favorites is their lavender scrub.

Moira, being the wonderful kind soul that she is, offered to come and check out my lavender bushes as they had been looking a tad sickly.
Dressed in a fabulous white dress and armed with a giant set of clippers, Moira proceeded to hack and shape my purple ladies in the heat of a late afternoon summer day.
As the sun drew down...there were piles and piles of lavendar cuttings...
We scooped them up and gently placed them into her car..
Did you know that it takes about a zillion lavender flowers to make just a tiny ounce of lavender oil?
So Moira took them back to her "lab"  and hopefully was able to get just enough for a batch of their AMAZING lavender scrub soap.

image by Moira Casadei

 So if you head on over to Faire Ivy and pick up a bar of their lavender scrub or other lavender products...
you might just be picking something from our garden that The Monster and I have cultivated with love...

To Miss Moira-
Thank you for your kindness, patience, knowledge, sense of humor, great conversation and now a wonderful friendship.

Tuesday Typeface....V is for Vivacious...

 Who doesn't need some vivacious veggies & fruits growing in their garden...

Loving this ABC Vegetable poster by Neiko Art on Etsy.

The Monster and I definitely had some luck this year..

Check out our alphabet.. 

 Images by chocolate creative design

a little glitter to start your week...

I am LOVING these Sparkling Fete Bobbies from Anthropologie...

They remind me of the flowers that the Monster and I have lovingly cultivated in our garden..

Best part...

these flower bobbies will last you ALL winter long.

Images by Chocolate Creative Design

Dueling Designers...Part Dix..

Image: Anna Sawin Photography

Aha..after a long hiatus, the Dueling Designers are back!!!

The lovely and super talented Miss Amy Graver of Elements Design and I decided to band together this time to pick the Pantone color and theme of Board Number Dix..

What we came up with was a fabulous little green, Pantone 359 to be exact, and a Cocktail Garden themed Party!!

I myself, was inspired by those lovely and colorful ladies, 

The Housewives of Stonington. Bright coloful prints, fushia colored cocktails, Striped tents (just like my Parent's wedding tent) and ginormous cocktail rings!!

Miss Graver, of course rocked it out of the park, designed

a party that is the epitome of elegance..

Watercolor invitations, glass cloches filled with ferns, herb infused cocktails and seating under trees filled with lanterns...

Elements Design

Row one :: AppleTini :: Cake :: Garden setting :: 

Botanical runner
 Row two :: Poster:: Garden favor :: Lemon Chicken sandwiches
 Row three: Lemonade :: Watercolor invite :: Hydrangea 

Chocolate Creative Design

Top: Woman: Mad Men,Patio:House Beautiful,
Zebra Coaster: Anthropologie, Couple: Mad Men

Middle: Grass Image: Oh Joy, Ring: Anthropologie, 

Floral Plates: Anthropologie, 

Pink Cocktail:SeattleMet, Pigs in a Blanket: Callahan Catering

Bottom: Print Dress: Trina Turk, Flower Ring: Anthropologie, 

Green Plate: Target