Pug meet at Marble Hill Park

Little Flower has been dying to meet other pugs but we found traipsing off to Green Park, London quite unpleasant and not very easy. There are parking issues which involve phoning up a number and keying in all your payment and car details before you can even park and also the impossible task of finding a spot near Green Park.

Thankfully, someone in Surrey had the genius idea of organising a meetup for pugs at Marble Hill Park in East Twickenham. We joined up and went to our first pug meet there. Flower had a delightful day!

She took part in an obstacle/agility course and was also given a pack of food kindly sponsored by a new company 'Bob & Lush' set up to make pet food with good ingredients for our lovely pets.

I like the effort taken by all to get to know each other and our pugs, right down to the rosettes for all which took part in the agility course! It was quite a special event!

Vermeer Inspired Photo Shoot

The White Orchid autumn floral collection is inspired by the Dutch painter Vermeer of 'The Girl with a Pearl Earring'fame.

Vermeer's still life paintings had a darkness which enhances the colours used to depict fruit and flowers in his work. The observation of light was prevalent and through the use of a 'view-finder' which he painted with, created images which were only possible through a keen eye for detail which resulted in a crisp and and 'moody' feel.

Tim Hollis a Weybridge based photographer, took on the task of recreating that mood and feeling through the use of a camera, capturing the same spirit.

I styled the various sets using some of Vermeer's favourite objects. The orange which was peeled, the apples rolling out of a pot, peaches so ripe you could almost
taste the juices and not forgetting the linen with lace borders on which all the objects rested... Of course, the colours picked up also form the palette of the autumnal flowers used to create our autumn collection.

I felt most creative when the shop is closed, as only then can I have the time to think and do these wonderful things, which are almost impossible when you are answering your customers' requests on a normal working day. Still, I must be grateful for everyone who walks through the door but in order to give them more reason to come back, one must continue to work a little harder in answer to the often asked question, "Where do you get your inspiration from?".