What's happening at Passionflower!

Some things I forgot to tell you: 

 Today is Taylor's 22nd birthday~!  What a pleasure to see someone so young and so talented with her whole life ahead. Happy Birthday Taylor and can't wait to see what more beautiful things you have up your sleeve.

And Susan Goodwin is coming for a trunk show the day after Thanksgiving!  Which really means I get to have a lovely houseguest and we get to have some champagne and goodies at the store.

So if you're looking for some post holiday cheer, come join us and visit all the other festive shops downtown.  Plus a little dance party over at the Atrium Bldg benefits Greenhill Animal Shelter.

 

And finally, we just got in our holiday wreaths.  These are all locally grown and locally made which means they're big and fat and fluffy and fragrant and haven't been sitting in a warehouse getting all flat and old since the middle of October.

We're ready for the holidays.

Thanksgiving Love

 

A few berries, an oak leaf or two, some deep rich colors and a tad of velvet riboon.

What's not to love?

Surprised more people don't get married in the fall.

 

We love a fall wedding at Passionflower.

Oh and did I mention how happy we are to see big, fat , ranunuculus back in our coooler?
And a most excellent Thanksgiving to everyone.  May your table be overflowing!

The Problem with Sending Christmas Cards

 

So many beautiful Holiday cards in the store right now!  So, so many. I still send Christmas cards and probably always will. And I really feel like I have to get new ones because, my fear is, I will send you the same card twice. But really, will anyone notice? 

Here's one of my new faves from Smudge Ink.

Ideas for your Thanksgiving Cheese Platter

More food fun chez Passionflower.  Word on the street is that these Robert Lambert Dark Cherries preserved in Merlot syrup are fabulous paired with an aged gouda (little bird told me). Might try it for Thanksgiving. But in the meantime, we'll be putting them in our little fizzy cocktails we're making for the Navone trunk show tomorrow night! Pics to follow.

Setting Your Holiday Table

We can make your holiday table look like this!  Just like this.  A little shot from a display we did for an event for the symphony a couple of years back. Come in and we'll help you put it all together. Because we love a great tablescape~!

How to Spice Up Your Pumpkin Pie this Thanksgiving

We've started carrying more cookbooks and we've been dabbling in more food this year at Passionflower. I went to the Fancy Food Show and heard artisan foodmaker Robert Lambert dishing food and recipes with the folks from Oakville Grocery in Napa.  Tried his stuff and have been hooked ever since.  It's all small batch and seasonal.

  And just in case you're thinking Hot Ginger Caramel Sauce is just for ice cream, here's a link to his recipe for pumpkin pie using his wonderful caramel sauce.

Because it seemed like with that big holiday dedicated to food and eating, you might be looking for something to spice up your pumpkin pie recipes.  

Happy cooking and have fun putting your Thanksgiving menu together.

Click here to buy the caramel sauce online.

Navone Jewelry at Passionflower

You know there's a lot of independent jewelry makers  out there in the world. And people want to sell it to me all the time at Passionflower.  And I say no a lot. There's a lot of reasons jewelry doesn't work for the store. Sometimes it seems too much like something we already have and sometimes it's just wrong for us and sometimes the price point is just way too high and sometimes I've spent all my allocated dollars and sometimes I'm just too busy to give it the time it deserves. And then, every now and then, there's a line that really stands out.  Hasn't happened in a while until Laurel said to me, "You might want to check out my friend Rachel Dean's jewelry.  She lives in Bend and I think it would be a good fit for us."  "Um, yes OK, I will".  And then Rachel sent me a lot of photos (all priced) and I could tell, not only did she have something original and fabulous to sell, she also had it together as a business person. And I need both those things to make it work here at Passionflower. So I said YES Please! 

And Rachel came over from Bend and we picked a really fun selection.  And now she's a house staple.  Her work definitely has a relaxed, boho vibe but add good design and color sense and it really sings.  It's mostly brass, beadwork, and gemstones but she adds thread and leather sometimes too.  And since Rachel seems like the energizer bunny when it comes to production, we thought it would be really fun to have a trunk show so you can see the huge, vast array of her work.  Please join us Thursday November 20th. We're open until 7 and will be serving a little bubbly and playing some lovely tunes.  

Or should partying on a Thursday evening prove too much for you, there's always our online jewelry store!

What's On Your Table

Overwhelmed, inspired, going on blind faith and a prayer, the holidays are going to be here before we know it and I am trying not to freak out with the 10,000 things I want to get done. 

I'm  plugging away at it little by little and then they'll be over in the blink of an eye.

Trying to savor those small moments a little more. 

Meanwhile a lovely linen tablerunner for you to savor

from my new favorite line of European farmhouse inspired linens.

Come and get 'em while they last.
And click here to buy it online.
photo courtesy our friends at Linen Me

Sunday Still Life

O

Display Heaven

       

 Ode to the urchin and the druzy and the handmade....lovely blown glass urchins from LBK Studios from Rhode Island. 

Is she a Potter, Is she a Painter, Is she a Sculptor.......

 Mary Briggs's show last night was, once again, Mary knocking it out of the ballpark. Some very sculptural pieces like the rabbit above. (Sold before the show even opened)

And then this big painterly piece, like this big thick slab platter above.  Not sold!!!  Still waiting for you to come in and peruse. The show will be up through Monday and then we'll continue to carry some select pieces.

And a big thanks to our friends at Wildcraft Cider for pouring last night. It was a super fun night.

Succulent Happiness

 Looking over old photos today, came upon this little charmer - Summer succulents, some drieds, and a shell.  Did you know succulents change colors depending on the amount of sun they get?  But also, that they change colors depending on how much water they do or don't get. 

Still trying to figure out which ones I leave out all winter and which ones I bring in.

Because definitely time to bring the plants in.  

Hashtag Passionflower Selfies

 

Our little upstairs clothing loft is packed to the brim....It's so satisfying selling someone something that looks amazing on them.  I love it! And I love when they come back in wearing it and look great too. If you're into instagram, hashtag #passionflowerselfies and post a pic of you wearing something wonderful from the store.

The New Anthology Just Came In

 

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned how much I look forward to EVERY issue of Anthology.

It's one of my favorite interior magazines out there right now.

Brand new winter issue on the shelves at Passionflower RIGHT NOW!

Think I'll go home and snuggle up with it momentarily.

Mary Briggs Fall Trunk Show

 

 Super happy to welcome back Mary Briggs, cowgirl, gardener, and potter extra-ordinaire for a trunk show chez Passionflower.

 Mary brings her brand of rustic yet refined, Provence inspired ceramics. She's a true artist, always refining and honing her vision, always changing, yet married to her style.  This is code for, you can recognize a Mary Briggs piece anywhere.  She stands out from the crowd.

 Plus, it just feels good to touch her work....and drink with it and serve with it.  That big ole yummy  form and function, tactile thing.  And just to get you in that using all yours senses kind of mood, we're going to be offering tastings of hard cider from our friends at Wildcraft Ciderworks.

 So that's right, we're pairing pottery and cider.

Because we think it's the perfect pairing for this November First Friday.

Please join us. We'll be open until 8!

Garden Inspired Prints

 So happy to be carrying the work of Berkley artist and illustrator Rigel Stuhmiller (seriously her real name, have no idea how to pronounce it). We've got calendars (above), and prints (below) , and some teatowels, all featuring images  of vegetables, largely inspired by her work on organic farms. I really LOVE her work, it's got kind of an Asian feel (notice of her use of the chop to sign her work), but also kind of an earthy organic, handcarved European  woodblock feel.

Hopefully an artist we will see a lot more of Chez Passionflower.