A little bit of blue

We are feeling a little bit blue on this long weekend.  Sensing the end of summer.

The Wild Oat

My big city florist friend says, "There's an upcharge for wildcrafting"...you know roadsidiana, backyardiana, wherever it is that you go and get a few sprigs of this and that, that, frankly, make your flowers get real, take them to the next level, add that je ne sais quoi~! Wildcrafting has always been part of our recipe at Passionflower.

And,  here's one of my faves that would fall in this category: the something you're never going to see for sale at the florist wholesaler, so if you want it, you're going to have to get it yourself. 

It's wild oats...common on many road edges in Oregon.  Parts of it are used herbally as a nervine and especially helpful if you want to quit smoking. And then there's that expression, "sowing your wild oats".

And it's a Bach Flower Remedy too.  (click here to learn more about that)

Plus it's just kinda arching and gracefully beautiful too.

These are some of  the things I think about when I use wild oats in a flower arrangement.

Happy Labor Day weekend to All!

Hopping on the Bandwagon

We're a little late to the station, but we've hopped on the Instagram train.

And we're following all kinds of fun people and getting lots of floral inspiration and more.

Check out our instagram here and follow us

And check out this fun post from Martha Stewart Living about top 25 floral instagram feeds.

 

Get Well Soon

 

Oh yuck, I have a big, ole, nasty summer cold which came on fast and I am hoping, will leave just as quickly.  Seemed just right to share this echinacea picture which I snapped sometime back.  Echinacea, also sometimes called coneflower, it's part of my secret get well fast arsenal.  And so is this too~!

And on a different note, sometime in the middle of the night the blog passed it's 200 thousand pageview mark.  My tekkie advisor assures me these are not all robots in China.  So thanks one and all for checking in on the Passionflower doings. 

Matt Wilkinson Cookbook

We've been  carrying a lot more cookbooks at the store and this one, which I have yet to give a whirl in the kitchen, seems like just about everyone in Eugene could use right about now. Everyone I know , including the mayor, is engaging in one manner of food preservation or another.  In other words, our gardens runneth over. 

Click here to check out more of Australian chef Matt Wilkinson's website

(which is a graphic wonderland as well as gastronomically inspiring)

My Reward

They say it's going to be a scorcher today in Eugene.  I'm going to sort through all my orders from New York and review it all and do all the ordering kinds of things I have to do...and work it pretty hard and at the end of the day, this is my reward.  I found a great little swimming hole (okay I guess it's a big reservoir which puts it in a slightly different category) out by Fern Ridge. The view is expansive, the water is refreshing but not too cold and I can be home in twenty minutes.  Trying to squeeze it all into these last days of summer.

Lavender Transfer Ware Platter

Beautiful birthday present from my beautiful staff.  I am one lucky girl.

Some Sunday Eye Candy

 A little peek at some bout and corsage work from some recent weddings.

I know I speak for every florist in the world when I say, "We were so busy, we ran out of time, we only got a few pics.  We can't wait to see what the photographer gets from this wedding".  

But every now and then we remember to snap one or two.

Happy Sunday and here's a few more snaps from the lovely coral colored wedding we did earlier this summer.

What's Coming Up

Reproduction of vintage piece from Oakland ephemera collector Kim Smith.  Just one of the very many lovely pieces of wall art I found for you at New York Now show.  Looking forward to switching things out for fall at the store.  Starting to feel the change of seasons.

Falling in Love Again

 

Can you fall in love with a restaurant?  Because I have.  And now we are 3,000 miles apart.

But I have arranged for a menu to be sent of our evening together.  

And when it comes, I will savor each delicious bite.

Home Again

 

Oh darn I missed another blogging day. Dang, blink and there's another day gone by.

But it was my birthday yesterday!  And I was flying most of the day. Which is a little bit lonely thing to do on one's birthday.  But also kind of epic and expansive feeling to fly across the country and contemplate life and death.

 

I cleared two thousand  pictures off my i phone.  That's what I did on my birthday.  Do you think that portends something about the year to come?   Kind of hope not. But I'm feeling accomplished.  And it was great going through all the pics.  And now I am SO glad to be home.  (Best feeling ever coming home)

 

Feeling inspired!

 

Visiting Buvette

I'm posting early today because it's a long day of shopping and then I'm going to Buvette for dinner tonight so it's now or never if I'm going to do that post a day. My pal Ted Watson is always raving about it, and besides, with a menu this beautiful, how can one resist?  Although when Ted tells me, "It's really tiny, don't bring a big bag", I wonder just how tiny. Stay tuned for gastronomic reports.

Image courtesy the lovely Buvette whose website you can see by clicking here.

Happy Monday

I'm trying to do that blog post a day for 30 days thing that I said I would ..and mostly having fun with it though

 I think I missed a day or two.  I like the discipline.  But there are some days, like today, that necessitate me going back through old photos looking for something fun to show you.  And today this is it.

A little homage to my favorite color - it's a Passionflower study in green.

And a big ole happy Monday to everyone from here in New York City where I'm on the hunt for all things wonderful.  Loving the throbbing humanity that is NYC.  Seriously some of the best people watching in the world. 

Wedding Photographers in Eugene

I'm deep in a buying mode, searching for beautiful things for the store, shopping the New York Now gift show.

In the meantime, if you'd like to indulge in some beautiful wedding pics, lots of them with a great black and white photojournalism style, check out this amazing work from local Eugene photographer Anne Nunn from the wedding at King Estate a few weeks back.. 

Frankly, we were blown away.  And that doesn't happen too often.

http://annenunnphotoblog.com/king-estate-wedding-photographer-liz-matts-reception/

photo from google images

Same Bouquet, Three Different Backgrounds

 

So my friends, this is where all the magic happens.  It's our little photo studio, otherwise known as the back alley behind Passionflower.  (See that cute little plant growing through the concrete, isn't that amazing?)  But I have to admit, I have never loved the terra cotta color of the building.  Well I actually like the color but it's not really the best background for taking pics of flowers.  So, Taylor went out one slow afternoon and  painted a few more backdrops in the alley.  She painted a green, a cream, and a grey.  And now we get to play around and try out things like same bouquet three different backdrops.

We did a little informal facebook poll and the grey for sure wins the day. Everyone loves it because it pops.

Well and because the flowers are so gorgeous.

And then there's the green.

But I  kind of love the cream background because it washes everything out and makes it look so etheric.

Having fun playing with color.

 

I think the Rings are my Favorite

Sometimes a girl gets lucky.  Like when your fabulous new employee tells you she has a friend who is a  jeweler in Bend and said friend does actually send pics of lots and lots and lots of beautiful jewelry and it is all priced in a professional way and it's kind of like nothing you've seen before....but it is kind of like things you've seen before so it is that perfect combination of the familiar and unfamiliar.  

The hammered metal makes me think of Ancient Greece and the beading and tassles and  wirework just take it to some other place.  Like maybe some beachside  bar on an island in the Aegean.

Can you tell I'm a little excited about this new jewelery  line Navone that we're carrying? 

And it looks pretty fabulous with these African beaded pieces from our friend on Vashon Island Sandrhyme.

Love carrying so much local jewelry.  There's a lot of talent out there.

Beautiful Botanical Bedding

Tucked away in a corner of the Las Vegas Furniture Show, I spied this beautiful botanical bedding by Spanish manufacturer Angelica Barcelon and had to have it.This one is an agave print which seems just right as I'm heading down to Oaxaca in September.  We  have leaves and roses and passionflowers too. Big bedding happiness chez Passionflower.

Cutting Loose -

Leaving for New York on Friday.  I'm going shopping for the store.  I never want to go, preferring to stay home in my little Oregon Shangri-la.  And then I get there and shazaam, New York works it's magic on me.

What's on Your Summer Table

Kale chips, mango salsa, prosciutto and melon, edamame humus, need I say more.  Cookbooks have been such a fun addition to the store and this Forest Feast is one of my favorites.

Flower love chez Passionflower

 

Here's what kept us busy last Saturday!  A little pink , flower dance in the Oregon sun! Go here   should you desire to indulge in some pink floral eye candy from this lovely wedding out at King Estates Winery.

Truth be told, weddings are a ton of work, but really satisfying kind of work. 

Exactly What is Shoo Fly Pie and other Foodie Questions

 Summertime, and the living is easy....

 It's pie and ice cream and watermelon and berries and peaches , oh my.

Lots of food inspiration at Passionflower these days.

The Hand and the Eye

 

I have always been a doodler.  They say it can help you concentrate.  My mom was a doodler too.  But I'm wanting to take my doodling to the next level (It's good to have goals don't you think?) and this is the book that makes me want to do it.  Highest recommendation if you're looking for some drawing inspiration.  And, at the store, 

we have a whole slew of other collage and art

books for big and little kids too. In fact I love this book so much we're going to make it a kind of textbook on our ART TRIP TO MEXICO coming up in just about a month now.  

Oregon Grey Wedding

Ooooooh, back blogging...it's been a while , almost a couple of months, I think the longest blog break I've ever taken.  Deep in the midst of wedding season, I'm feeling inspired and coming home to the blog.  Going to do a post a day for the next 30 days.