Orchids - Polka Dots and Stripes

Thrift Shop Magic

As sometimes happens when I am thrift shopping ... and I have written about this before (April 17, 2009), I manage to find all sorts of things that seem to share a common theme of one sort or another. Is it by chance? Well, I do have certain colour palettes that I am more drawn to, but there is no way that I can orchestrate what is going to be available at a thrift shop on any given visit...

On this particular trip, everything that made it into my shopping cart was pretty and pink.


A Van Gogh framed print.


A couple of balls of soft pink cotton/acrylique yarn made in Ireland.


A necklace of rosy ceramic beads.


A hand-embroidered table runner.


And an all cotton muslin sheet with a rose and polka dot motif.

I have ideas about how some of these will be used, so watch future posts when all will be revealed!

Cocoa Locale, Success at Last

My blog post of May 20th, 2009 told the sad tale of my attempt to visit the delightful cake shop called Cocoa Locale. I had arrived a short time after opening hours only to find that everything was already sold out and the place was already closed for the day. So on my latest visit to Montreal, I tried once again, and in my eagerness I arrived an hour early! But persistence pays off, so after whiling away the time at some of the neighbourhood's other delightful boutiques I returned minutes after their noon opening. Crossing the threshold, I could hardly believe I was actually inside. And what a delightful wee shop it is. As you can see from the photos, it's chock full of charm and whimsy. And oh, the sweet cakes... some large, some wee-sized for two and of course cupcakes if you want one all to yourself, all with Reema's signature flourish of sprinkled flower petals across the tops. They all looked so sweet sitting there in the display case waiting for me to arrive! And there was owner Reema herself, ready to box up my selections and listen to the tale of my pilgrimages. I was so excited to finally experience Cocoa Locale that in my enthusiasm to take a few more pictures, I left the shop without my boxed cakes! So I popped back in and collected my little cake box at the counter where I'd left it and where Reema had been watching for me. The thought of me heading back home without my cakes was too much for the lovely kind Reema, who said "my heart was crying for you." And she flashed one of her warm smiles and wished me a safe drive home.

Polka Dot Pumpkins

Mini white pumpkins look great with polka dots don't you think? After painting my orange pumpkin the other day, I turned to some of my mini white pumpkins and let my brush loose on them. As before, I used some tole paint and a thin paint brush. Whimsical and stylish at the same time.

On the Inside

There I go, looking inside things again... going right to the heart of the matter so to speak. Seeing what is going on right in front of my nose without me being aware of it. These fox gloves are perhaps a timely reminder for me to do the same thing... to look inside myself now and then to see what is going on there. It’s good to stop and take stock from time to time. How are things going? Have there been any shifts I’m not conscious of? Where am I heading? Is it in the direction I want? All good questions.

Won't You Join Me?

Come in and sit down, won't you? Would you care for a freshly baked cookie, along with a refeshing cup of tea?

Cupcake Anyone?

I wonder how many people were baking Valentine's Day treats for their children to take to school this week? This chocolate cupcake was topped with buttercream icing, some candy sprinkles and a candy heart sentiment.

A Gift of Serenity #2

Yesterday I posted about this gift I put together for my sis. Well, it all started with the book pictured here. And inside there was a photo of a sachet filled with dried scented flowers. I decided to make a replica to enclose with the gift, filling mine with dried lavender fom my garden and some rose petals. I was surprised how much it looked like the original. I enclosed all sorts of wee things and marked the corresponding pages where they were featured with post-it notes. I think it's a great way to incorporate other little gifts when you give a book.

A Gift of Serenity

I love giving themed gifts. This one, for my sister, started with a book called Your Home as a Sanctuary. The book is filled with ideas to bring nature into the house to create a serene environment. I was inspired by some of the photos in the book to create a gift for my sister. The natural elements and the beige and aqua colour scheme all played a part, but it all came together when I remembered the spring-like wallpaper I'd found in a thrift shop (which I used as gift wrap).

Pussy-footing Around

Look at this charming arrangement. Less is often definitely more. It all started when I gave a bouquet of pussy willows from my garden to my friend M. (You might recognize the polka-dot ribbon from Friday's post.) This bouquet was sweet but it became a vignette with M.'s clever addition of her sweet wee iron birdie.

Perky Polka Dots

Half the fun of giving a gift, for me anyway, is in the presentation. I usually start with a theme, perhaps a colour, and go from there. In this particular case, it all started with some red and white gift wrap that I bought knowing that my dear friend R. is partial to red. Next I remembered some black and white polka dot ribbon I already had squirreled away. A trip to my local crafts shop turned up the perfect polka dot boxes as well as some wee red paper bags. A quick trip down another aisle yielded some red and white gingham ribbon. Once home I punched a few star-shaped breathing holes in the red bags destined to hold flower bulbs.

Put it all together, tie a ribbon onto the Spanish garden tub, and what have you got? A very cheery gift! R. tells me she had as much fun undoing this gift as I had assembling it!

Minor Adjustments

I made a few adjustments today to the display I arranged on our mantle yesterday. I switched the vase I had put the daffodils in to a small jug in the most scrumptious colour. The jug was a happy thrift shop find. I had bought some polka dot candles in the shape of eggs in the same shade as this jug as well as some in spring green a few weeks ago and was just waiting for a way to use them. I added the candle eggs to the bowls and presto, an improved display, not as "au natural" as it was but more colourful and fun.

Clothespin Hangups

You may have noticed the cheery clothespins that appeared in yesterday’s photo and wondered about them. They are so easy to make. All you need are some wooden clothespins, a selection of paints, and a little imagination. I used the old-fashioned ones, but the more modern wooden ones would be fine too. If you’re having trouble finding the older type, try your local craft store. I used polka-dots but there are all kinds of other patterns to try. You could glue a small magnet on the back and use them to pin notes on your fridge. Turned upside-down and secured to a base they make whimsical place-name holders for a table setting or a place to keep a pretty postcard, card, photo or message.

Note: If you’re going to use them outdoors make sure you give them a coat of waterproof varnish. And if you are going to use them to hang laundry, then a coat of varnish will keep the paint from dissolving all over your damp clothes!