Bridal Lily
One of my absolute all-time favorite flowers is the Lily of the Valley. Resembling tiny bells or baby bonnets dangling from a slender stalk, the lilies arrive every spring to disperse their heavenly fragrance. According to the book The Language of Flowers, Lily of the Valley symbolizes a Return to Happiness. The author opines “It is the sweetest flower imaginable. With its dainty white bells and unmistakable green scent, it is said to lure the Nightingale from his nest and lead him to his mate.” Personally, I found it romantic that Kate Middleton chose Lily of the Valley interspersed...
Read MoreBotanical Beauty
The season of growth and reawakening has arrived. A time when the sun warms both the earth and our spirits, and drops us at the doorstep of restoration. Gardens have for centuries nourished and sustained, inspired and enriched our spirit. They provide both playground and classroom for endless learning. From Buitchart to Boboli to Shalimar Bagan, from Versailles to Villa D’Este, from Giverny to Exbury and beyond. We’ll focus less on the manicured masterpieces of world renown, and instead spotlight the simple pleasures we can all enjoy. As far back as 450 B.C. the book of Ecclesiastes...
Read MoreLady Luck & Superstition
“Luck is a strong horse; it can carry a man to very distant places!” Mehmet Murat Ildan Is luck in the cards for you this year? In handkerchief’s heyday, a favorite Christmas stocking stuffer was a calendar hankie proffering best wishes and good luck. The Swiss German handkerchief above abounds with four leaf clovers and ladybugs. The comely miss needn’t fear having a black cat draped across her shoulders as the cards she’s holding are all Aces! Note how the months cleverly mimic playing cards. Note fashion hankies were still popular in 1968. Fanciful hankies were a go-to wingman for...
Read MorePrincess Nyabongo
If you’ve read Parisian Romance you’ve already encountered at least one of these handkerchiefs. They have such an interesting provenance, however, I decided to give them their own mini-blog. Often when I present to audiences, I explain I feel as though I’m on a Search and Rescue Mission to save these small harbingers of history. Needless to say, there are thousands of us Search and Rescue folks around the world, and I recently met two more, a couple from Tennessee from whom I purchased these hankies. When I spied this bold and brilliant admonition “It’s Never Too Late” (what a great...
Read MoreParisian Romance
Perhaps no other city in the world evokes such passion as Paris. When it comes to romance, we envision lovers strolling along the Seine, but truth be told, for many it’s the city itself with which they fall in love – body and soul. Many who protest they’re not “romantic” admit an ardor for the City of Light. A passion for a city exciting and enticing. A city of mystery and allure, grandeur and nobility, novelty and originality. She is simultaneously classic and chic, dashing and demure. She is Paris. Whether sheathed in starlight and sparkling fountains where lovers kiss at...
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