Good Morning! What's Blossoming?

Good morning! Hope you had a beautiful weekend! Well, we (the family and myself) took a ride out of town on Saturday and low and behold, the peach trees were in bloom! Row after row of those gorgeous blossoms are truly stunning. On the way back home we picked up the most delicious strawberries from a local fruit stand. Yummmm!

Yesterday was one of those continuously gloomy days (except for the spot of sunshine I caught peeking through my window). While it didn't rain much, it was dark and windy. I didn't really mind though. I took advantage of being indoors and used the time to complete a large wholesale order I've been working on for the past couple weeks. It was nice to work and listen to the sound of the wind in the trees and hear the lovely chimes.

A few new things will be "blossoming" at Eclectic Orchid this week! I have lots of new Spring goodies, just need to find the time to fill the shop with them! Check out my newest addition to the Whimsy in the Garden locket collection on the left.

I'll also be adding new large, feminine and romantic flower brooches topped off with vintage rhinestone buttons or repurposed vintage earrings.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend too! Here's to a fabulous Monday!

Dreaming this morning...

Yes, it's true. I'm dreaming of travel this morning. This is a picture I took last summer of one of the streets of Venice. Isn't it glorious! The colors, the vibrancy, the ummmm, laundry? haha. But these are not the only things I'm dreaming of. How about the...











Lovely blooms blossoming in abundance on balconies.













Windows thrown wide open to the unbelievably beautiful blue Venetian sky.

















A quiet morning on the Grand Canal.
















Gondolas on silent waters before the start of a busy day.







And, yes, even...



Fresh laundry hung out to dry in the warm Italian air.

Well, I think I've dreamed quite enough for one morning!

Bought the loveliest little camelia bush yesterday. It has the softest pink buds I have ever seen. Going to find a wonderful place to plant it today!

Hope your Thursday is filled with dreams and beauty!

Best Vintage Find...EVER!

So, this morning I took a ride with the family to my favorite Charlotte antique mall, The Sleepy Poet. I must say, the name itself lures me in, but in addition to the dreamy name this place is loaded full of vintage lovelies! So much to take in! I'd say it seriously has to be the equivalent of modern day pirate treasure, ummm, if pirates liked antiques and old stuff that is. So above is the few treasures I collected today. I was pretty picky this trip.
I found the cutest little rose teacup and saucer (and on sale-yeah!), a few tiny silver spoons, some old earring bits to repurpose for use in my jewelry, and these funny little vintage lady wooden cutouts in stands. I enjoy the whimsy and humor of them, and they add a lovely bit of quirk to my workspace!
But, yes, I have saved the best for last, the Pièce de résistance if you will:
So I know you are thinking, it's just a picture of a rose. Well, I guess you would be right. At first I was taken in by the lovely colors. The roses were done in either watercolors or markers (yes I should be able to tell the difference, but hey, I am no expert) and I just love the contrast against the carved black frame. The big surprise came when I flipped the frame over to check out the price. On the back of this frame lies the most endearing sentiment I have ever laid eyes upon:

That Paul sure does have a way with words, doesn't he? We got such a chuckle over this that I knew no matter the cost, it was coming home with me! Such a treasure was mine for only $6! Can you believe it? hahaha

One rose teacup- $5

Bits of old beaded trim- $10

Old silver spoon- $2.75

Letting the world know just how much you love your mom's smelly feet- PRICELESS!

Paul if you are out there, I just want you to know that I will treasure your work of art always. Not only does it look great with my little art and mirror collection, I know that if ever I have company over and am in need of a conversation starter, I can simply say, "Have I ever shown you my lovely rose picture?" If that won't get the conversation started maybe it's time for the company to go home- haha!

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend!

Hello Spring!

Well, I wandered around downtown the other morning while my daughter was in nursery school. Low and behold the crabapple trees were covered in blooms. Truly stunning! Practically overnight mother nature had replaced the dark dreary winter sky with the glow of spring ushering in singing birds, patches of fresh green grass, and an unbelievably blue, almost cloudless sky. Lets not forget the emergence of flowers. Beyond happy about that! Yes, after this long cruel winter I think we can say hello to spring! I've been working on what I hope will grow into a beautiful cottage garden, and have also been creating new lovelies inspired by spring, like these little flower earrings:
and this sweet little pink and white flower brooch:
Both will be available at Eclectic Orchid soon! Hope you are enjoying the start of this beautiful season as much as I am! Have a lovely weekend!

Slow Start

Well, we started off our day very slowly today. By we, I mean my daughter, my little fuzzball, and myself. Some days are meant to be slow- take in the beauty, savor it! I sat down to a good cup of coffee this morning and began to peruse a wonderful book on illustrator/writer Tasha Tudor that my grandmother loaned me. My grandmother simply adores Tasha Tudor, and after reading a few pages about her life, I can see why. I soaked in the pictures and words, enjoying the glorious sun that is streaming through all of the windows in my home today. I also took some time to enjoy the gorgeous bouquet of flowers that my husband had waiting for me in a vase on our kitchen table for our anniversary. All the while, my daughter is playing with her princesses in our living room. She has such an imagination! I wonder what she will channel her creativity into when she grows up? Tasha has inspired me to plant bulbs outside today the colors of a rainbow. I have gladiolas and dahlias ready to go, but I think we will take a trip to the store to see if we can find some peonies and wildflower seed. Tasha's motto is in my head- joy is there for the taking, life is to be enjoyed.

Thank you Tasha and grandma (since you loaned me the book) for inspiring my day! I leave you with a quote that I found particularly magnificent:

"The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach is joy. Take joy."

Have a beautiful day!

Sneak Peek at Spring Collection

Well, I've got lots of new pretty things coming your way, just have to find the time to list them! New embellished lockets, flower pins and headbands, brooches and fab new necklaces! Lots of soft Spring colors, romance, and flowers! Oh yes, lots and lots of flowers!

For now, I'll leave you with a little sneak peek of things to come!