Fresh is Best

The other day we had a lady in the store ask us for some fake flowers.  I had to bite my lip and very kindly advise her that we only use fresh flowers.  I don't go for anything fake.  I'm a real or nothing girl in all aspects of my life.  If I can't have real flowers then I would prefer to go without.  Today I brought into the shop some of the succulent pots I have been potting up at home which I placed onto a tray on one of the coffee tables.  They look great mixed with the fresh lemons in the clam shell.  It just goes to show that fresh really is best.

A Perfect Flower Stall

When I was a little girl I was as obsessed with flowers as I am these days. 

I think I might have been around 8 years old when we lived in an old Queenslander at Wellington Point with a beautiful garden which my mother absolutely loved.  I would collaborate with my neighbour Angela who was about a year younger than I was.  We would pick flowers {mostly the daisies} out of mum's very large garden and we would set up a flower stall in front of my parent's house and sell the flowers on the roadside. 

I would never let my children do that these days but back then it was different.  When I spotted these little stalls by Mouta over on Poppy Talk earlier this week memories of these fun times came flooding back.  I wish I had one of these back then.  I think if I did it might have improved sales!! 

Today

I think these lilies which we have in the shop at the moment are the prettiest lilies I have ever seen.

I am smitten with our new hot pink {well it's actually fluoro/neon pink} love heart fabric which just arrived onto my desk this morning.

This vintage rug in my office keeps me smiling all day.  I love it.

And these new baskets in the shop are calling out to me - "take me home".....

Flowers, Vases, Baskets, Fabric, Plates & Pots

I've had a busy few days fossicking around the garden, the markets and local Antique shops. 

In my travels I stumbled across these vintage vases which I couldn't resist.  They now sit on our chest of drawers in our entry hallway.  The vibrant orange of the larger vase makes me happy every time I see it and I just love the quirky bird clinging to the other vase/jug....it certainly is something you either love or hate.

I fell in-love with these little yellow flowers at the markets but I can't remember the name of them so please do tell if you know.  

I also picked up one of these baskets which I have been coveting along with this piece of fabric which I am thinking of making into table napkins for an upcoming event I have planned.



On Saturday I potted up 12 little pots with Succulents for my brother as he was having a lunch at his house over the weekend and needed something wonderful to place down the centre of his dining table. I kept a few for myself to add to my growing collection of pot plants.  {Correction to my post last week the little pots sell for approx. $1.20 at Bunnings and the succulents came from there too}.

It seems I wasn't the only one playing with flowers on the weekend. Mum just sent me this picture of the fresh Banksias she collected from the trees on their property at the beach.  I am hoping she might deliver some over to me this week.



And finally I added 18 mismatched vintage dinner plates to my blue and white collection.  We never have enough plates when we have the family here for lunch or dinner so now we will. NB. Mismatched vintage is so much less expensive than heading out to buy a complete set and so much more interesting I think and the best thing is that I can keep on adding to them as I see them.

Happy Weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Flora Grubb

Gonna Make some pretties inspired by this.

Gonna bake and devour these.            Source

Gonna do some of this.

                                       Money Grabber -Fitz and the Tantrums
  Gonna add this to my iPod and Rock and Roll til I see you on Monday.  Enjoy, Heidi

My Wonderful Weekend

My plans for a weekend in the garden had to be slightly altered due to the weather.  However, despite the rain I did achieve some gardening goals.  I went to my favourite nursery at Wellington Point yesterday.  If I could put their garden surrounding their nursery onto a truck and deliver it to our house I'd be one happy girl.  I just love wandering around the little pathways through their beautiful established garden. 

My aunty and my grandma {the one I photographed here on the blog last week} dropped in for morning tea this morning.  Aunty Jane brought me these pretty roses from her garden.  I love garden roses.  They are my favourite.

As you can see I did go a little crazy at the nursery.  I love the mix of plants I chose.  I really want to add lots of different colours into our garden.

I can't believe our little Max turned 10 months old yesterday.  He is almost walking.  Time really flies...



This morning my brother Sam and my mum, Harry, Max and I went to the Chandler Markets.  I hadn't been before and was so excited by what they had.  I found some beautiful orchids and fresh flowers and a few little vintage surprises too.



Yesterday I collected this bundle of fresh lettuce, beans and tomatoes from our kitchen garden.  I placed them into a basket and took them down to my mum's house.  Today she and Sam made an amazing salad which you will probably find the recipe for over at Sams' Table this week. 

Weekends at home are my favourite.  I always feel so inspired and rested and ready to go back to work on a Monday when I have been pottering around the house all weekend.

The S.A. Crowd & Home on Sunday

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I must apologise as I didn't get a chance to post before I left for Adelaide a few days ago.  I am working on a house in Dulwich which is such a beautiful area in lovely Adelaide.  Whilst visiting I had the absolute pleasure of catching up with The S.A. Crowd - Kimberlee from Brown Button, Emma from White & Wander, Kate from Polka Dot Pantry, Pippa from Tres Dodgeois and Alex from French Navy Stationery.  What a lovely group of positive, happy, inspiring, funny, encouraging and creative girls.  We had a fantastic dinner at Sparrow Kitchen & Bar on Friday night and then went out and hit the Antique shops on Saturday together.  I was amazed by Adelaide's history, wonderful food, pretty tree-lined streets, old stone houses and fantastic Antique shops.  It really is a place worth visiting and I can't wait to head back down there mid-year to catch up with the girls again.

After such a busy few days away, today I loved being at home.  I spent the day with my boys pottering around the house and the garden.  We recently put in a kitchen garden or Potager as the French call them.  Our lettuce is growing beautifully.  I picked one today to make a salad with tonight along with our tomatoes which just seem to be sprouting up everywhere in our garden.  Although all of this rain we've had has done some horrible things to our state, our garden is just so green and full of flowers which I have been picking and placing in vases in the house.  There really isn't anything which makes me happier than arranging flowers from my own garden to place around our house...simple pleasures!!

xx
Anna

A Colorful Life.

Here's to beautiful colors that in the right combinations, they make you instantly happy just to look at them.  Enjoy, Heidi

                                         Arrangement by Ariella Chezar for Domino Magazine

                                Ariella Chezar is my all time favorite Flower Designer. 
                               One of my first posts was on her work.  Click here to check it out.

Paint Chip Art  (Love Love Love)                      Found on Pintrest

 Found Here

Garden Party

Weather perfection today.  Stayed outside half of the day and it felt GREAT!  Trees are budding out and bees are a buzz.  I love to watch the sequence of plants take turns blooming at the end of winter and the beginning of spring.  First the paper whites then, daffodils, quince, saucer magnolias, camellias, pear trees and red bud trees.  I dream of having a garden party like these pics.  I have all of the plates, glasses, silverware and napkins.  I can even whip out a few of these mason jar arrangements.  I think that I am going to have to have myself a garden party.  Enjoy, Heidi


            Found Here


                                            Found Here


                              Kate Landers Events


             Found somewhere on this site.

Thanks to LOVE.

Just wanted to say that I survived V-Day and that I have the greatest customers.  After all was said and done, my little store doubled what it did last year for Valentine's Day.  Thanks to Love, maybe the economy is improving or perhaps the credit card companies have been extending credit.  What ever the case may be, I am grateful.  Here is a little peek into my world.  Enjoy, Heidi

Beautiful People.

The most Beautiful People

we have ever known are those

who have known defeat, known

suffering, known struggle, known

loss and have found their way

out of the depths.

These persons have an

appreciation, a sensitivity of life

that fills them with compassion, gentleness and a deep loving concern.

Beautiful people don’t

just happen.

 

Elizabeth Kubler Ros

I am drawn to these people and now I know why. I don't see suffering in the same way I used to.  Heidi

Image found Here

Dreamy Garden Party.

Recovering from the Thanksgiving holidays, hope you all had a good one.  I have a lot to be thankful for, you all are on the list.  Thanks, Heidi

                                             Found on Kiss the Groom


                                       Found on Project Wedding


                                  Found on Jose Villa


                                Found on Snippet and Ink


                                Lonny


         Love this pillow.                                Tec Petaja Photography



                                             Always a Blogsmaid


                                   Found on Intimate Weddings Blog


                               City Cradle Design


                          Wed Space


             Found on You are my Fave Parties


                                  Found on Somewhere Splendid