A gorgeous autumn floral arrangement inspired by the timeless beauty of a still life painting and the seasonal bounty Mother Nature is still gifting us. On this last day of October, we’re exploring “Still Life” in floral design….. Still Life {noun} // often describing a work of art that shows inanimate objects from the natural or…
Traveling to … Serra da Estrela Living :: Part II
Spending summers with family and growing up in the beautiful natural countryside and farmlands of the Serra da Estrela — it all very much impacted and shaped who I am now. Upon every return to Portugal and, naturally this charming area I call a piece of home; I always seem to encounter something new I’ve…
Traveling to … Lisboa Moments + a Setúbal Lunch
Whenever I go to Portugal, I’m fortunate to spend time in Lisboa’s Caparica coast. Having family there, it’s always a treat being a close drive to the city and also near its beautiful beaches. Sometimes my stays are jammed packed with adventures, others too short but oh-so sweet. This year was somewhere in the middle,…
Floral Inspiration :: By the Seaside
A collector of “gizmos, whozits, whatzits & thingsmabobs“…a treasure trove of summer’s wonders. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been a collector of sorts. A child collecting seashells, tiny vintage trinkets, fairies and flowers, from fresh to dried petal. It’s all shaped who I am as a creative today. Summer is a…
Floral Inspiration :: Creating an Effortless Floral Table Runner using Bud Vases
Is there anything more delightful or as welcoming than a table in full bloom … a table inviting us to simply sit alongside it, to stop and smell the fragrant beauty nature has grown into. The peonies bursting with their sweet scent and delicate petals that wilt as if aging paper, and here merely for…
Floral Inspiration :: Singularity
Singularity. the use of one single bloom, one single color, to create one singular seasonal floral story. at least that is what I’d like to call it. when describing anything as singular, well I’d say that is quiet the compliment. to describe one as singularly anything … Singularity :: noun ; .. The state of being…
Effortless Heirloom Tomato Tartelettes
I felt the changing of the season almost immediately, then the first brisk morning came … but before summer’s end, I’m going to get my full of as many garden and heirloom tomatoes, and also of white peaches, that have been quite the sweet year. Especially after 2 years of not being able to taste…
Floral Inspiration :: A Lush Mix of Pretty Yellows & Pastel June Blooms
oh, how fleeting you always are sweet, darling June … It seems we’re all being kept too busy these days, and June, the one month I have a softer place in my heart for — and perhaps it is because I celebrate another dance around the sun a few days into the month — but…
Floral Inspiration :: A Still Life of Late Spring Wildflowers
It was all about the vibrant soft hues from these late spring wildflower blooms, I brought home two weeks ago; somehow left behind from the previous wedding and blended into my couple’s decor. I couldn’t simple part with them or have them simply tossed, knowing they had been arranged with loves … but also with…
My Favorite Fresh Tomato Sauce for Any Recipe
Don’t ask me to choose a favorite vegetable, especially if it’s one homegrown with love — but if I must, it is quite easily the tomato. Lovingly ripened, sweet and plump with juicy goodness. And there is is no judgment on the variety, I love them all! I love a Kumato Brown, Golden Jubilee yellow,…
