Vintage wedding flowers in old medicine bottles.

Last Saturday, we did a wedding using country flowers and vintage medicine bottles for the reception.

The joy of finding those bottles of all shapes and sizes was immense, especially when they were not too expensive. Some of them even have the labels intact. We glued some cotton lace around the bottles and they almost take on a wedding feel immediately.

Various flowers were placed in these bottles, some with mouths so narrow that we could only squeeze in two stems of flowers. I thought it was natural and wild and the whole collection of ten bottles per table remind me of a nature table but with a bit more style and pizazz. The combination of nigella pods, alchemilla mollis and other small florets add texture and interest to the whole collection.

We like to call it our prairie take! Enjoy, and see how many flower types you can pick out.

Autumn Winter Floral Arrangements

I spent the summer styling the look of our our autumn/winter collection 2011 for a photoshoot and the results proved really successful.

The idea was to create images which look like paintings in the genre of Vermeer where light plays a vital role in illuminating the subject - in this case, the flower arrangements in the context of being part of a still life.

The arrangements take on a different feeling when photographed with the relevant props. They almost give a sense of place and time and help us imagine how they would look in an interior environment, be it our homes or places of work.

Flowers play an important part in enhancing our well-being and we should all appreciate the seasonal qualities of these natural creations.

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?".

My favourite pictures of the Summer Romance

These are a few of my favourite photos taken on the day by Becky-Liana Mango Studios.

A Summer Romance

On the 9th of July 2011, Saturday, the shops on the York and Queens Road organised their second summer event.

The theme was taken from the book by Arthur Ransom 'Swallows and Amazons' written in the thirties for children who had nothing but their imagination to entertain themselves. The book highlighted sailing in boats which the children used to go on mini 'adventures'.

They sometimes dress up as pirates to add to the experience and the Summer Event has taken that as our main source of inspiration. From the various stallholders selling barbecued food, bric-a-brac which featured old toys and books, music and dressing up to the shopkeepers turning up in pirate outfits and having their portraits taken, the whole day was one which brings back childhood memories.

Balloons, bikes, vintage cars, face-painting, dressing up and treasure hunts were all apparent and I believe everyone, young and old, had a field day.

Were you there?

Flowers for an engagement party

An engagement party is a good way of inviting lots of friends without the expense of a wedding. Whereas, guests at a wedding may consist of friends and immediate relatives, those who are invited to the engagement party can be friends and business acquaintances who may or may not be invited to the wedding.

The most important thing is that they are all there to wish the couple happiness and joy in their forthcoming marriage.

The event can take the form of an informal affair where everyone can be more relaxed and the food served can almost be less of a sit-down-three-course meal. As with all gatherings, the atmosphere is vital and it should really reflect the couple's interests, taste and aspirations.

Flowers are inevitable at such an occasion. They do not necessary have to be as decorative as the wedding but still play a significant role as it is after an announcement of what's to come. After all, flowers speak a thousand words and can you imagine a dining table without them?

I hope you like the natural 'country garden' style of this floral table-centre.