Tulips

 I've loved every minute having these tulips in the kitchen. . .

 . . . right down to the very last stem & stamen :)

18 Inch Snow

Snow man by Judson.

These shots were taken before we had the whole 18 inches.  It snowed and snowed and snowed some more.  Mark said he couldn't remember having more fun in the snow :)

Spring!

First day of spring.  Wish I could say the forsythia are blooming in the back yard, but forced branches from your local florist are a nice substitute. 

See You In September

A HuGe thank you to Illinois State Florist Association for the Bill McKinley Education Grant.   I was thrilled when you called my name!  Hitomi and Bob Friese--I'll see you in Fruitport this September :)

Pick Me Up At Four Thirty

So today was a better day.  Everyday is a better day when flowers are involved.  I have to work on this swan though.  His wings are way too big for the rest of him.  The best part of a hands-on class is going home and fixing everything that went wrong the first time ;)

Thank you to Mark, the best husband in the whole world, for the curb service!

How Sick Was I?

So sick  that I missed Gregor Lersch's class that I've been looking forward to for months!  Never dreamed I'd be able to take a class with him.  And here he is just down the street and I'm too sick to go. 

See that bucket in the middle front table?  That was supposed to be my spot.  Yes, I am feeling pretty sorry for myself!  I know it's not really all that big of a deal if you look at the big scheme of things.  I'm not dying (but I was starting to wonder at one point).  Everyone I love is safe and sound.  I'm not homeless.  I have a good job and the best husband in the whole world (who went out, even tho he feels like s#*t too, to get  my favorite drug of choice, Coca-Cola).

But still, this was a bummer.  Hoping tomorrow is better.  There's still two days of flower convention left to see!

G Man

G Dog and I went out the other day to take a few pictures.  

We miss our morning coffee in the garden.  Won't be long now :)

On Children by Kahlil Gabran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.  

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

 You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
 
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Madisonville Pictures

Kyle, the birthday boy.

Great manicure from the princess. . . 

with princess polish, of course!

In the back yard, we can build a snow bunny.  :)

VD

This will be the first Valentine's Day in a long time that I won't be in a flower shop :/  I miss all the excitement--long hours, camaraderie, buckets and buckets and buckets of gorgeous flowers, do-as-much-as-you-can hurry up, answer the phone, thank you for your order we'll take good care of it for you,  loading and reloading the van and sending the deliveries out all over creation . . . I love it all. 

Except this year, I'm working at my day job and watching the pictures on facebook.  Mark made me a pot of chili to go with these pink tulips.  The red heart vase is one he gave me several years ago.  He's my Valentine :)

Brooch Bouquet

 This cute little kitty is Bella.  She's Gail's owner :)  

She kept us all entertained the other day 

when we got together to catch up and have lunch together.

 I've been wanting to make one of those brooch bouquets.  Some of them are made entirely with brooches, but I just wanted a few sprinkled over the real stars of any bouquet--the fLoWeRs!
This is my first one, but it won't be the last :)

 Freeze-dried roses, spray roses, hydrangea, lotus pods, burlap roses, cotton bolls, and shelf fungus.  Yes, fungus. That stuff that grows on rotting trees. . . I know, I know, but it fit perfectly into the whole scheme!  Then a few wire swirls with vintage rhinestones all wrapped up in burlap and pinned with pearls.   

I've already got plans for the next one.  Pink!

Birthdays

We've been celebrating a string of birthdays lately.  Betsy's was January 27th, Kyle's February 2nd, and tomorrow February 8th will be V's 75th birthday. 

 Kyle is telling V about his new dinosaur watch. 

 He can make you laugh out loud!

Tomorrow night we're taking V to Cheddar's for dinner with coconut cake for dessert afterwards.  We will miss having Kyle & Betsy with us!

Happy Five!

 

It's our Betsy girl's 5th birthday!  

We love you so so much, sweetie--past heaven!

 

January Pink Project

My first burlap rose, which turned out pretty good.  It needs a few pink petals added in with it though.  Something to soften and pink it up a bit. . .

It's a beautiful Saturday out there.  V and I are going shopping in a little bit--Hobby Lobby and maybe Jo-Ann Fabrics, where mama says they might have some really nice burlap. . .

 

One of these days we'll have real  iris and sweet pea blooms in the garden.  In the meantime, this is the January Pink Project.

Sneak Peek

The other day, during that bee-u-ti-ful near-60 degree weather, I found this little shoot of pansy climbing its way out of the compost pile.  Back in November, we buried a pot of daffodil bulbs with pansies  into the compost pile.  I did sneek a little peek under the leaves to find those pansies in great shape.   Note to self:  next year, more pots in the compost pile:)

Is It Spring Yet?

No, these weren't grown in my garden.  But I just had to stage them as if they might have :)

The chicks?  Now those were growing in the garden til just a day or so ago.  This arrangement went to work for my boss while three of us go to Alton for training. 

Yesterday and Today

This was yesterday:

After just a couple of 50 degree days, 

 heirloom daffodils  ready for action. 

Feverfew, with some creeping charlie that knows no boundaries.

Hellebore buds.

And hyacinth.  Now tell me, 

do you suppose that hole was caused by a slug? 

Well, anyway. . . that was yesterday.  

And this is today:

No Complaining Rule

100% chance of rain today and tonight.   

Thank You for January rain.