The rose that started it all

The vintage thing

because years ago vintage just meant faded colour's predominantly roses. Then it was used to describe everything, then there were a thousand blog posts about what vintage meant, and people got their knickers in a twist, and then we all just stopped using the word.

but it was this rose that started it all. Rosa old dutch, probably about 8 years ago.

The world went mad for it, and then it disappeared because demand outstripped supply, and if you could get it, it was so small and insignificant, and very expensive.

So instead we all jumped on Amnesia, Peppermint and Hypnose, which then gave way to Upper Secret and Memory Lane.

and now it would appear Old Dutch is back, normally sized, normally priced.

no i don't know why there is a metre rule in the picture either.

Shop life

Flowers, found objects, The Hound demonstrating his sad face, and then laughing manically because i fell for it, and an obligatory new hairdo blogger shot. Slowly coming out from behind the camera.

The hair is back to lioness mode today, lunch yesterday was just fabulous.

The postcard is from a customer, all the way from Australia, where they are on holiday. Penguins. So touched.

It reiterates what i keep saying about floristry being about so much more than the flowers, in a small way you become a part of people's lives, and them part of mine. Then later this morning a customer of mine with Alzheimer's called 3 times to order flowers for his late wife.

I don't know whose heart is breaking more, mine or his, but it definitely isn't a good day to be wearing beaucoup de kohl.

Walking on sushine

We dispensed with the roast this weekend, in favour of "bits from the fridge and reduced items" quiche.

Sweet potatoes (bargain of the week) were roasted with the holy trinity of cumin, cinnamon and chilli, and a leftover part of the M&S Dine in for 2 deal of roast veg. A block of feta found, and some shortcrust pastry. Eggs and milk combined poured over and baked for 30 minutes. I didn't have enough eggs, just the one as it turns out. so not really a quiche, more a veg tart with an eggy base. Nice.

The taste transported back to a different time. A time when i worked in an studio complex under the Westway. Dodging out of the way of Damon Albarn riding a child's BMX was a daily occurrence, along with quiche of the day that was always sweet potato and feta. Good times. A tale for another day.

Tomorrow i am going to a posh lunch, i am having wardrobe dilemmas and watching hair tutorials on Youtube. Hair tutorials on Youtube are quite addictive.

also raspberry beer is good, and it comes wrapped in pretty paper.

did you have fun? Have you noticed that posts are getting more wordy?

You mystify me

My laptop has taken it upon it's self to delete every photograph taken since the 28th August 2011. I don't know why, i thought the latter half of last year and beginning of this one was when things were just starting to get good.

I'm sure they will turn up?

I have however been given the gift of washstand and chocolate. Expect turquoise tile to be the new background of choice. That is until i unearth a large sheet of copper from a skip.

also a puppy came into the shop.

The Hound thanks you for all your well wishes, he has been given the gift of a pig's ear, and has been doing a lot of sleeping. I wake him up every 30 minutes to check he is still alive. He loves that.

What will you do for the weekend? Will you be diving into skips to find copper? Or just listening to INXS?

Mothering Sunday 18th March 2012

I think this is my favourite occasion. Spring flowers AND there are peonies. It's a little bit of a big bonanza.
We will be delivering locally on the Sunday as per.

If you are popping into the shop to make purchase, it will be stuffed to the gunnels with posies, bouquets, old bottles with single stems of Spring, and plants for indoors and outdoors.

Adorably "lifestyle" children bedecked in chichi clothing are actively encouraged.

In other news
The Hound is recovering, and is lapping up all the attention.
Several people have whispered "drama queen"
Not sure if this was aimed at The Hound or myself, either is probably justified.
Also a man has just walked in with a bag of chips for my lunch
So we are all shiny happy people again.
and i have already broken Lent, not even 24 hours..........

An open letter to a vet

Hello, I'm the blonde from last night. The one that went mute and just sobbed uncontrollably.

I thought i should explain, you see we were at the parentals about to have a fabulous supper, The Hound frolicking in the garden, when all of a sudden a blood-curdling scream emanated from outside.

It seems The Boy Wonder had somehow knocked his leg, and was lying there unresponsive and seemingly unable to move at all.

This probably went on for 10 minutes, but in my world it was hours, so you see that's why i was sobbing, and mute, and hyperventilating and stayed up until 2am just to check he was breathing.

Admittedly whilst The Captain was on the phone to you arranging for you to come out, he did just get up and gamble all the way up to the house and by the time he got to your surgery he was more interested in the treats you sell than anything else.

He's fine this morning you can see from the picture, a bit stiff, and slow, and whimpering. The whimpering seemingly sated by pigs in blankets from the butchers.

Yours with gratitude
Miss P.

Also enormous thanks to The Mother Hen and The Captain, without whom I'm sure The Hound would be fine, but i would definitely have had a heart attack.

also The Mother Hen has a new twist on Toad-in-the-Hole, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, it does.

My hands they were strong

but my knees were far too weak, to stand in your arms without falling to your feet.

I didn't even the watch the Brits last night, but probably like the rest of the country have been listening to Adele this morning.

Funeral flowers don't get talked about that much. Magazines don't ring up asking for images, bloggers don't fight over who gets to blog them, up until last night i didn't even mention them on the website.

They used to scare me. Once a florist friend rang me and asked if i was going to market would i get her some massing xanths. It took a good few hours before i had the courage to ring her back and admit i had no idea what they were.I have never made a letter to spell out a family name, nor a teddy bear nor RAF wings out of memory foam,

and I never will, it's too far removed from what I spend the rest of my time doing, but i really appreciate the skill and work that goes into them.

Instead, tied arrangements of seasonal flowers, wild wreaths, garlands on whicker coffins, always with rosemary for remembrance, tied with raffia or ribbon.

The same florist rang today and asked if i had any Anastasia, and without pausing went on to describe them in case i didn't know what they were.

I did know. I didn't have any. We laughed.

Tomorrow, ideas for Mothering Sunday, it's the 18th March this year.

Waiting for a star to fall

It's all 80's power ballads here. Fists clenched, eyes closed, oh the angst.

and pancakes.

or rather the anticipation of pancakes. Can we improve on last years?

Also copper is my new absolute favourite thing, the geranium has put on lots more leafage, and some snowdrops have crept in.

and i roasted something in an enamel dish. Again.

did i tell how much i love copper?

and my boy?

Other points for consideration, LFW, Burberry was amazing, disappointed that Mulberry went with balloons again, and was Kelly Brooks dress good slutty or bad slutty? and what are you all giving up for Lent?

May your frying pans be non-stick and your jar of Nutella be never ending.

My baby takes the morning train

he works from nine til five and then
he takes another home again
to find me waiting for him

Sheena Easton

Love her and air plants. Especially if decorative aggregates are involved.

and for those of you that mainly like it when i photograph wedding flowers of pretty roses and seasonal flowers for top secret weddings.........

You're welcome.

p.s. Rosa ocean song, and no not my wedding.

Colour

Today has been a good day

Spring is most definitely coming.
Somebody has made me laugh; and blush
The Hound has not howled
I have only eaten super foods
The air is scented with Narcissus Paperwhite
I found a Ker-Plunk in a charity shop
and this blog has made me laugh, i used to have a thing for them, or rather the men that wore them. Not now. It's a very British thing, sorry to international readers.

Huge thanks for all the window suggestions, Spring and animals is a theme, i am going to use it for the Easter window, i need time to do you all justice and to get more animals.....
The window remains as bare as yesterday, only minus the orange ranunculus as i have just sold them.
Dead birds R us.

Tomorrow brings a wedding and a shuffle around of the furniture, the mourning at the loss of the table football has been completed, it's time to move on.

of herons and giraffes

did you all have a marvellous day yesterday?

Were tokens of love bestowed upon you? Did violins play in the background? did anybody get engaged? I know a good wedding florist if you did.

I got quite drunk after just 2 glasses of Champagne and fell asleep. Classy.

The Valentine's window has gone, what now? it is a tough one to follow.

The heron has to stay and i have grown strangely attached to the giraffe. I have added some orange ranunculus, so people don't think it is an animal rescue centre.

FYI The window measures 120cm deep x 110cm high x 180cm wide. It is also the only real source of natural light, so you can't block it off with too much, but there needs to be a bit of a barrier because you can see all the way through to the workspace and occasionally i like to dance. Also 110cm high isn't very high.

Suggestions? Mothering Sunday window will go in a fortnight. so don't say that.

I think this is where we need Len.