Happy New Year

 I'm not much of a resolution girl but I'm all about the goals. This year I want to spend more time by the water and Tulum is on the list.....so here's a little reminder  of that goal that I keep close with shells and rocks from Tulum. I love this time of year, so full of hope, excellent time to review the past year and look ahead.

Wishing you all a spectacular 2015 and the time to pause, reflect, and aim your arrow towards your happiness.

It's been an excellent, really excellent year at Passionflower - which isn't to say it didn't have it's rocky moments but in the big scheme of things, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

Thanks all for being a part of it big and small.

We're closed New Year's Day and then for inventory on the 2nd.  See you again Saturday January 3rd.

Cheers

From the Bottom of MY Heart!

 

 

Okay it really is the most wonderful time of the year! Just a quick shout out to say I am totally grateful to each and every one of you , my customers, vendors, neighbors, & (awesome) staff..To all of you who have been in and said such nice things about the store, it really means a lot..Passionflower wouldn't be the store it is without ALL of you....I work hard to make it special for you and right now I'm feeling the love. So Thanks from the bottom of my heart!

Bling, Bling

And now a little holiday bling, straight from the cases at Passionflower

 

Just in case you were thinking we were getting a little too minimal around here on the old blog!

Happy hunting!  Happy Holidays! 

Follow us on Instagram

I was feeling a little under the weather and stayed home from a big holiday party last week.  Got myself a cup of tea and well, kind of fell in love with instagram. I've been dabbling for a while, but I feel like I just "got" it how cool it is to get a little sneak peek into someone's scene on Instagram.  So, if you're into instagram and you want to see a little more of what we're about check out our instagram feed here.....  And follow us and we'll follow you, because we want to know about your life too!

Sunday suppers

 

I admit, I was totally seduced by the linen fabric cover but now I'm hooked.  The tradition of a big lovely Sunday meal is a wonderful one with deep traditions in lots of cultures.  I love Sunday Suppers (and brunch too)!

More Holiday Happiness

A few shots from around the store in red and white  (short caveat, it's taken me a long time to learn to love red, but now I'm a believer) - above - laser cut wooden ornaments look great tied on a package.

Socks make a GREAT gift because they're practical AND pretty.  Love these made in the USA from Lisa B

Great packaging for this amaryllis.  Use the box to plant and watch it grow.

Letterpressed from Margin Press in Ojai California, these snowflakes were drawn in Vermont in the late 1800's. Some things never change!

Oh yum , yum, yummy - I know we don't think of ice cream in the middle of winter but this big french cafe au lait bowl with some chocolate sauce adn a scooper would make me happy.

 

And cutest little lavender filled sachet ever!  Love it tied on a package!

The Holidays are Here but I'm still thinking about Thanksgiving!

I know we're deep in the Christmas spirit and thinking gifts and cards and travel but I want to take a little moment to say some words about fall and Thanksgiving. One of my favorite things about being a shopkeeper is helping people put together a dinner table for a party. So, of course, Thanksgiving provides the perfect opportunity to help people with this.

 

 I love seeing everyone's different spin on how they put a table together. One customer used  big ears of dried corn pinecones and leaves down the center of her table, another used bright orange LJF runner with white birch bark candles, and yet another just chose to have  a zillion candles down the center. I had SO much fun helping people.

 

Words to Remember

That's what the Buddhists say and we think they're onto something.  Perfect thing to remind us amidst holiday frenzy, that it's really all about doing for  and giving to each other!

Made from vintage flashcards!

Best Maple Syrup Ever

We are having so much fun sampling out this FAB maple syrup, we think we'll do a little sampling tomorrow too!  Because now we're open Sundays through the holidays! 
I admit, I was seduced by the packaging  (in fact I would like to design an entire retail store around this one item but we'll leave that to fantasy island), but the taste is what takes it to the next realm.
Style and substance!  That's how we like it at Passionflower!

Party Time

Oh lovely Passionettes, we're getting ready to party, not once but twice.  We're open for First Friday this week plus we're having a Holiday Open House with all our neighbors on Friday the 12th.

Our friends at Wildcraft Cider Works will be pouring holiday libations, we'll be in some party finery (I'm presently debating whether I'm going to have my hair done in a vintage beehive), and Edsol will be playing his fine Brazilian Guitar.  Please join us for this our 20th (OMG, yes it's been twenty years) holiday party.  Because, we're all about the art of the party.

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.

Halloween Greetings

 

Just in time for Halloween, Sid Dickens released a new collection.  He's reworked some  of his iconic tiles with a deeply waxed, matte black finish and calls it his Midnight Collection.  A dozen all black tiles.

We took one of each.

 And I quote from their website, "autumn's shadow of mystery is cast like a spell upon the mind"...which sounds a little flowery and poetic to me, but when you really start to consider, seems really true.

Halloween Greetings to All as we descend into the darkest times of the Year.

 

Hello Seattle

 

Quickest little road trip to Seattle ever - buying clothes for the store - at trip in which I indulge my passion for boiled wool and velvet (well not together - but the glamorous nature girl needs both in her closet), continue to be amazed by the designs coming from the Johnny Was folks (like the great top shown above now gracing the rack chez Passionflower), had a spectacular bowl of wonton soup in Japantown, and stopped in Portland to cherry pick orchids for the store. Time for this girl to slow down!

Photo courtesy Johnny Was

It's been a Long time Coming

Oh it's a sad day, chez Passionflower, when your amazing graphic designer, who has worked for me, uncomplaining and unflinchingly, for the last 15 or more years, who always seems to know what I want, who can edit my unending prose, who's not afraid to tell me what she thinks but who also listens carefully. Yes, it's a sad day when said person sends you the email that says, "Really, really this time, it's really it. I'm calling it a day!" Well Cathy Simard, we have had a nice long run and you have done some beautiful work for me over the years. And you always seem to be able to take my jumble of a zillion ideas and turn them into something clean and cohesive.  So on that note, dear reader, I present to you , one of the last ads Cathy will be doing for us.

Takes a while to get back in the groove

 

Time to pull out the old McSweeney's Article....you know the decorative gourds...

 

 

Squirrel away your nuts for the winter...

Sort through the winter clothes...

 

And dream a little about the Mexican sun to keep me warm in all this rainy weather.

Just starting to feel like I've landed from my trip and  loving  fall.