Going the Extra Mile

I am always surprised by how many cards we sell at Passionflower.  One of the best trends we've seen in recent years is the return of letterpress cards.....for when you might not have time to send the lovely, long  handwritten note, a beautiful handmade card (and that's what letterpress is) can be a great substitute.....

We have a great book at the store that chronicles this renaissance.  Plus, here's a few of our favorite cards.

Well I have lots more to show you but blogger seems to be going completely loco....so you'll have to just come into the store and check out our great card selection....

A Letter from Frida Kahlo

I'm down in Mexico and was happily surpised to stumble upon a series of letter from Frida Kahlo to her doctor (first photo above). I was surprised how tidy her handwriting is - plus Frida rarely crossed out a word and she didn't doodle much on her letters either.  Of the 15 letters I read, only one had a little doodle of an airplane on the outside where it said par avion.Plus, she always signed her letter in a most charming fashion..

Got me to thinking how much the written letter really means and how special it is to get a handwritten letter. And so I've included a cryptic piece of calligraphy to inspire you (and me) to make our handwriting more beautiful...plus Margaret Shepherd's great book which is a staple at the story is always there to nudge you along should you feel you need a little help.....this is all by way of saying I hope I am able to find the time to write a few handwritten notes down here in Mexico.....

click here, should you want to see some lovely handwritten notes that have made me happy.....

middle photo courtesy russian calligrapher marina marjina - i was unable to link to her site but here is a link to her flickr album....it's worth a look if you like calligraphy....

Kind Creepy, Kinda Beautiful

Reliquary to Santa Lucia, patron saint of the blind at Santo Domingo Convent in Oaxaca.......what shall I leave her?

Handspun, Handwoven Vintage Cotton Textile from Mexico

I have finally taken the plunge, and decided if I didn't just set a time and buy a ticket I would never make it back to Mexico.  I probably haven't divulged this but I have this secret fantasy of organizing tours to Mexico (plant tours, bird tours, art tours, food tours,colonial church tours etc...the list is endless)....first step on actually turning fantasy into reality is learn Spanish so here I am back in Mexico - theoretically learning spanish.....and letting my mind wander where it may.  I am in Oaxaca which is a huge craft center and there is a long, long (as in over a thousand years) tradition of weaving and an amazing textile museum which honors the craft.  Check out an album of photos I made here which will give you just the tiniest taste of this very special museum.     And of course all of this would not be possible were it not for the amazing staff holding down the fort at Passionflower  Thanks you guys.

An Arrangement using Fresh Flowers, Plants, & Dried Material

When I first opened the store I did (and still do) try to always have something fresh cut, something living, and something dried around. The idea was to represent the plant in all it's phases.  Erin has taken this idea a step further and mixed fresh, dried, and plants all together in these beautiful arrangements she's making in matte white Guy Wolff pots.  They won't last for years like a plant, but they'll last longer than fresh cuts.  They'll be somewhere in between.  You could just pull whatever goes first and replace it with something else.  Plus I love that she's using things from the sea, the mountains, and the desert....they're super fun.

How I Like It

I like things simple and singular.....like the beautiful velvet skwash above....

And I like things overflowing abundantly en masse..And I like the tension between the two...Happily Passionflower lets me indulge both these points of view.

All photos courtesy Daria Knowles from Hot Skwash whose blog Velvet Pumpkins you can see by clicking here.

New Favorite Card Line

 I wanted to share these very pretty and very witty cards we just started carrying at Passionflower.  Made by Screech Owl Design

in Brooklyn.

 They all have these charming and clever titles on the back. Like the one above is called "Your Biggest Fan"

Click here to find out more about Screech Owl who, like us, believes in the amazing power of the handwritten note!! 

Fantasy

 

If this were your kitchen pantry, imagine what the rest of your place would look like!!
P.S. Sometimes I think I live in a little too dreamy of a world and then I think, it's always good to dream as long as you're happy where you wake up!

I took this photo at ABC Carpet & Home where they have a huge display of Aster de Villatte's work.

My New Love

I have become completely enamored with cherry tomatoes this year.  Kind of like zinnias, I never used to like them....the flower seemed all stiff and kind of goofy to me and now I can't get enough of their playful, childlike selves....but back to the tomato....here I am roasting them thanks to my friends Joel & Terry who generously shared their bountiful harvest.  I slow roast for three plus hours and they caramelize and get all sweet.  Then I freeze them for winter goodness.  Plus they are great skewered with other goodies and grilled and excellent in a watermelon/tomato salad.  The moral of the story here is that I want to  keep an open mind and work to discover the beauty in everything.

Star Gazing

I must say, I don't usually go in much for celebrity watching but I was completely charmed  when I read about Kate Moss getting married and having 15 bridesmaids....fifteen young girls all in white with simple white hair crowns walking down a country road accompanying the bride. How positively festive and romantic. 

I pulled this photo of Kate's bridesmaids  from a site that had no attribution to the photo...

What I Brought Back from New York International Gift Fair

Here's some cards I picked up on my little jaunt through the aisles of Javitz Center.  Clockwise from top left:  1) Look for some great pillows from coral and tusk ( plus what might be my favorite heart  card ever) coming soon to Passionflower.  2)  Brooklyn clothing designer pipsqueak-chapeau -  unfortunately
we don't carry her line, I just always bring back one of her cards for Becky.  3) And finally Rhode Island based glassmaker, LBK Studio whose work we are expecting in October.
Her work was my favorite thing I saw at the show.  And no I didn't buy the wasps nests embedded with glass but to get a little sneak peek of what I did get click  here . 

A Trip to the Woods

One of our customers Julie, from Mountain Rose Herbs, is throwing this fabulous plant lovers party out in the woods near Salem Oregon over fall equinox.  If I weren't going to be in Mexico, I 'd surely go.  Great music, food, and some of my favorite herbal teachers ever are going to be there.  Check out the video above and find out more about Rootstalk by clicking here.