Tulips and Cherry Blossoms

Everything's finally blossoming around here, couldn't resist posting some tulip and cherry blossom snaps! I hope you enjoy them.

Hope all my fellow mamas out there had a wonderful Mother's Day as well!

Dreamy Flower Photos by Grain and Silk

These dreamy flower lomography photos from Grain and Silk remind me of photos you see in magazines, with their soft colors and hazy light.

They'd be great hung singly in a pale blue bathroom, or together as a pair on a neutral-colored wall. The soft pinks in the roses at the beginning of this post and in the mountain laurel blossoms shown above complement each other perfectly. They're called Ophelia's Flowers II and Ophelia's Flowers I.

As much as I love the two blooms above, I think this photo - titled House of Green VII - is my favorite. I love how the very geometric lines of the greenhouse contrast with the rounded, irregular leaves and foliage. The greens really pop against the pale sky. I want a greenhouse of my own someday, even if it's just a tiny one in the backyard, so in the meantime I'd settle for a beautiful pic of one like this!

See more photos from Grain and Silk here.

Just a quick note on posting - I know posts have been a bit sparse this month, but we're moving! I should be able to post more frequently in another week or two, depending on when we get internet set up again. I've also been really busy adding prints to the shop in time for fall and winter. Check them out here if you'd like!

New Audrey Hepburn Quote Print in the Shop

Just wanted to let you guys know about a brand-new Audrey Hepburn quote print in my shop. It's called "I Love To Laugh", and features the lovely words by Audrey, "I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person." It's in the same shades of raspberry and blush pink as my other Audrey quote prints, such as "You Are Never Alone" and "I Believe in Pink", so it pairs perfectly with them on a wall or as part of a gift set for a friend or family member.

See it here, and more Audrey Hepburn quote prints here!

Peony "Ice Cream" Cone Vase Tutorial, Part II

While looking through wedding ceremony flower photos, I had an epiphany. The same ribbon-wrapped technique used to attach paper cones of flowers to chairs could be used to display ice cream cone vases full of peonies as diy'ed in this tutorial.


Choose ribbon in whatever width and color you like. (Although I wouldn't go wider than 4 - 5 mm, or you'll have trouble getting it to lay flat against the cone.)

Wrap it around the bottom, crossing it once behind and once more again in front. Then wrap it up towards the top so the two ends hit right across from each other. This will keep the cone balanced once it's filled with flowers. Add small pieces of tape to hold it in place.


Get your glue ready. You can use hot glue (be careful!), Elmer's, Tacky - whatever you like. Peel back the ribbon and put glue on the underside. Put the ribbon back where it was and press down so it stays.

For the areas where you can't unwrap it (like the crossed areas), simply put some glue over the spot and rub it into the ribbon. This will help it soak through and attach the fabric to the cone.


Let dry, then fill with a lovely peony! Hang from the back of a chair, a bench, or cabinet knob to display.

Peony cones also look great on doors and stair posts!

Peony "Ice Cream" Cone Bouquet Tutorial

While gazing at a bouquet of enchantingly ruffled, frilly peonies last week, I thought to myself how very much they looked like scoops of ice cream. (I love how this one even has a darker pink "cherry" in the center.) Why not take the resemblance even further by displaying them in sugar cone vases? And so an idea was hatched!

It's actually quite easy to turn a cone of your choosing - could be sugar, could be waffle, could be just plain wafer - into a vase. You could also substitute paper ice cream cups or even cupcake liners!

Here's the tutorial:



You'll need a stack of ice cream cones, one per stem.



And peonies! You can use them at any stage of bloom. They're more rounded before they open (and look just like a ball), but if you use ones that have opened more you get a ruffled, slightly-messily-scooped look. It's a bit more free-form.



Take a small plastic bag, open it, and push it down into the cone. A pen or pencil is perfect for this. Using a pair of sharp scissors, trim just below the top rim of the cone. The bag will have folds - don't worry about this!

Use tape that's been doubled over (or use the double sided kind) to attach the top outside edge of the bag to the inside of the cone. Two or three pieces should do it! Press the bag's folds against the sides so that you have room to pour water in. (You can tape them flat if you would like - I just left them as is.)

Fill the bag about halfway with water, making sure you only get it in the middle -not inside a fold.



Cut the peony's stem at a 45 degree angle. This maximizes water absorption! Take enough off the length so that the flower sits on top of the cone, but make sure the stem isn't sitting right on the bottom (or it won't be able to drink in water). About one-quarter to a half-inch above the bottom works the best.

Make sure you don't go too short either. I mistakenly did so (leaving about a two-inch stem), and the top-heavy bloom kept falling out of the cone. Longer is better!



If you really want to get fancy and go for a Victorian or Edwardian look, display the cones in a bowl lined with antique lace on a colorful tablecloth, and scatter extra peony petals around the base.



For a more modern and clean look, choose a martini (or other cocktail) glass instead. Wine glasses would work as well. Place two ice cream peony cones inside, on opposite sides for a simple and elegant centerpiece. These peonies would be perfect for a brunch, shower, dinner party, grown-up ice cream sundae night, or just a birthday fete!

Pink Peonies

A bloom from the vase that's currently sitting on my dresser, bringing a huge smile to my face every morning as I awake.

Peonies might just be my favorite May flower, at least when it comes to cut ones. (I can't forget about the frilly, ruffled cherry blossoms outside - wouldn't want to hurt their feelings, clearly!)

The First Cherry Blossoms of May

Every year, I anxiously await the blooming of the old cherry tree outside my window. When it finally blossoms, it's a pale pink explosion of delicate, ruffled petals that sway and dance in the breeze.

The arching branches curve right over the sidewalk, and passersby stop to admire its beauty and pluck a flower or two. I've even seen speeding cars pause and the people inside roll down their windows to get a better look! It's quite a sight to behold.

If only the blooms lasted all spring!

Bright Pink Rhubarb

I contemplated opening this with a "crickets" reference, but instead I'll just apologize right off the bat for the lack of posting. An unfortunate early-spring cold has me reeling, and I've spent too many hours in bed or on the couch.

About all I've been able to muster in the kitchen is this delightfully bright pink rhubarb conserve. It's as simple as it gets, and a lovely harbinger of spring. Just dice rhubarb stalks, put in a pot with the juice of half a lemon and sugar to taste (start with 1/4 c.), and simmer until the rhubarb breaks down into little strings.

Let it cool, and then try not to stand over it with a spoon, devouring the entire batch of sweet-yet-still-tart, lemon-tinged deliciousness. If you manage to do this, it's wonderful spread on toast the next day or stirred into vanilla yogurt or ice cream.

Newly Relisted!

Just wanted to share some of my newly-listed pieces with you, including two brand new Audrey Hepburn quote prints! I hope you like them!

(Low-res images shown, actual prints are perfectly crisp!)

I Believe in Pink - Audrey Hepburn Quote in Script

I've added a new version of my popular print, "I Believe in Pink" to my shop! Instead of a serif font, this one features elegant script lettering.

The lovely quote by Audrey Hepburn reads:

"I believe in pink.
I believe that laughing
is the best calorie burner.
I believe in kissing, kissing a lot.
I believe in being strong when
everything seems to be going wrong.
I believe that happy girls are the
prettiest girls. I believe that
tomorrow is another day and
I believe in miracles."

Click here for more info!