Farewell my Lovelies

Let's just call it the end of an era but two of my beloved employees Tara Stanley and Lindsey Meyers are leaving the store.  Lindsey to have a baby (stay tuned for future post entitled 'It's a Girl') and Tara to put more energy into the home business she runs with her husband where they blow glass, sell vintage finds, and paint  pet portraits too. Sounds like a funny combination but it all seems to come together.  See more of what Brian & Tara do on their etsy site entitled  good phamily fun by clicking here.   We wish them all so much happiness in their futures and are deeply thankful for all the happiness they've brought to the store.

Objects of Desire with Rogene Manas & Bev Soasey

  

 Readers, I have been completely lax about letting you know we're having our Objects of Desire Show tonight......the artist's Bev Soasey & Rogene Manas are self curating a table of oddities and treasures......Read all about it and more on Rogene's art blog Out of my Mind by clicking here. 

Photo above courtesy Rogene Manas from her new piece entitled Your Play....

Support Your Local Artist

   Eugene has been particularly blessed to have an artist of Bev Soasey's stature residing in our midst's.  Bev's output is extra-ordinary and she has graced our fair city with studio sales, gallery shows, and every now and then we've had some of her objets chez Passionflower....I remember stick birdhouses and copper hearts and more recently her self bound travel books of France & Italy have graced our shelves.  And now is one of those times when Bev is showing her work at the store.  We're super happy to be open late for First Friday tomorrow for our Objects of Desire Show which will be up for the weekend and showcase some of Bev's treasures.  

Come by on Friday night from 5 to 8 and meet Bev and find something wonderful for you or your Valentine.

All images courtesy Bev's fabulous site...beverlysoasey.com

Love poems for Valentine's Day

                                       

                                            

    It's getting to be about that time of year again....and we found these two lovely books by two of the greatest poets of the twentieth century.  What a fun gift to leave by the pillow for some great bedside reading.

One of a Kind Textiles from Oaxaca

                                       

I finally decided to cut loose and put all the textiles I brought back from Mexico out on the floor.  Round and square cushion covers, some handwoven, hand embroidered, huipiles (a kind of traditional shirt), and a runner or two. So for those textile lovers out there amongst you, it's worth a visit.  The hand crafts and needle arts are alive and well in Central America.

A New Year's Journal

I am generally an optimist at heart and always looking forward to what might be coming.  Even though the holidays are barely over, I can hardly contain myself as I anticipate the new set at the store....I am thinking lots of yellow and white, and bare branches, and big terrariums and raw wood..that's baby daffodils and white hyacinth, pussywillow, and acacia, filbert and alder..January is like a palate cleanser for December.  And in the meantime, the Happiest of New Year's to You & Yours.....

Best Calendar for 2012

One of my favorite new calendars for 2012 ......Mates for Life........from one of my favorite Passionflower paper goods vendors....Screech Owl Designs.....(see a previous post about Screech Owl by clicking here)....
Ms. Screech Owl herself (whom I had the pleasure of meeting last year at the gift show where we had a pretty interesting discussion about business ethics and loyalty and when it's OK to switch teams and how to best go about that) recently got married - which perhaps in part explains her choice of subject for the 2012 calendar.   Read all about her interesting and unconventional  wedding in this Sunday NYTimes post by clicking here.

Tis the Season

People don't make yourself crazy or exhausted or stressed out with Christmas decorating.  Thing of it as time to light a lot of candles and bring the boughs of greenery into your homes and make everything smell good. Time to pull out a few time worn treasures from their boxes and bring a new treasure or two home. Time to bask in the warmth of the season and put a wreath by the door to welcome all who might enter.   We're chock full of  beautiful wreaths.....and this year we're fond of playing off the brown of the cones with lots of rusts, and persimmon, and oranges and ruby tones.....Click here to find out more about the history of wreaths.

Santa's Stockings

Our lately best selling sock, over the knee ( which means they keep you warmer plus they look great over a boot), from In2green......more warming thoughts from yours truly on a cold winter morning.

A little something to amuse you on a cold winter morning.

One of our best selling stocking stuffers....handknit finger puppets - organic cotton and fair trade.We searched far and wide for the best finger puppets out there and these are them...they hail from Peru where the tradition of handwork be it weaving, knitting, or crocheting is alive and well. I had always heard that most of the knitters in Peru are men and this fabulous post about textiles in Peru seemed to confirm that.  Check it out here.

There's Something About Tillandsias.....

How is it that tillandsias in all their earthy, organic, tropical strangeness can look so good with everything?  Even something frilly and romantic and victorian like this all glass box?

Click here to see something else we've done with tillandsias....and here and here and here too ! Oh here too.
Okay I just can't get enough of them....And we have a great selection right now.

We're Deep in the Thick of Things Now

I've always wanted to carry an Advent Calendar at Passionflower but I've never found one I liked until I found this beautiful calendar letterpressed by Oblation Papers in Portland Oregon.....

Technically, of course, Advent starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas so even this calendar isn't quite right....

 But I like the slow build up....I like the daily ritual of lighting a candle or opening a window in the calendar.....

My favorite window (whoops I peeked) from December 18.....

Moroccan belt

                                                     

                                            

                 We're chock full of beautiful belts and buckles at Passionflower......                                                                                                                                       

A Winter Visitor

Perhaps my favorite Poppy & Moe T shirt ever....their new four color design on a long sleeve shirt...And because it's so fun to unveil new designs, we're having a party First Friday, Dec 2nd.  See all their new goodies, find something fun,  meet Sabrina (the Poppy of Poppy & Moe) and generally help us celebrate the coming warmth of the Holiday Season.

  And just a little note, we usually have our big holiday party this evening but because there is a (yes this is true) a championship football game involving the Oregon Ducks, the general feeling amongst my fellow merchants was that we ought to postpone the party for a week ....which we at Passionflower thought was just dandy because now we get to have two holiday parties!

So if you can't make it on the 2nd, come revel with us on the 9th.  Open to 7 both evenings.

Johnny Was

                                                    

                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                     

Have I told you what we've been doing upstairs in our attic space a the store?  I don't believe I have because, well, it's kind of a soft, a very soft opening of our new clothing section Passion Fashion.  Because, well because,  I'm still figuring out exactly what we're doing up there.  But one thing I know, is that we're devoting it to clothes you can't find in Eugene, to lines we really think are extra ordinary.  And one of those is Johnny Was - the label alone gives you a clue of what's to come.  Romantic, bohemian clothes with fine details.  Pieces that stand alone or layer up...Pieces that make getting dressed fun....Come have some fun with us.

                                               Upstairs at Passion Fashion.  

                                                                                                            

                                                                                    

Festivites & Shopping Make the World Go Round

 It's Party Time Chez Passionflower.......

 Won't you put on your party hat and join us for some Holiday Cheer?

 This holiday you have not one, but two occassions to do a little after hours shopping with a most festive air.

First Friday Artwalk in Eugene Oregon this December 2nd , we'll be open 4-7......Meet jewelry designer Katy Kippen and Sabrina Ridge from Poppy & Moe.....and if you can't join us then you'll have a chance to raise a glass with us during our Broadway Pearl Holiday Open House on Friday December 9th......

Should be a lot of fun.  Bring your friends and family!

Mixing It All Up in Flower Land

We're trying, we're really trying to take better photos but we have a long way to go.....

Nonetheless I love these small pieces mixing fresh and dried flowers that Erin has been doing....

An After Dinner Apertif Chez Passionflower

Another way to linger over a great meal, because it's not just all about the food is it?  It's about leisure and conviviality and conversation....I've always been fond of a bit of port after a good meal.  And it always taste better in cut glass.

A Bowl for Everything and Everything in It's Place

Might I suggest a small bowl full of fennel seed as an after dinner digestive for your Thanksgiving guests?

Food Happiness Continued

How fun would it be to eat pumpkin pie off these plates?  They come in four fun botanical designs.