Roses and Pearls

When I think back to when I was a little girl, I remember the pretty off-white and pink pearls that my mother and grandmother wore for what I always assumed was "dress up." Whenever they went anywhere special, like church on Sunday morning, or celebrated a special event like a family birthday party, they slipped on their strings of pearls. Sometimes they let me try them on too, as long as I was careful. I remember admiring myself in the large mirrors on top of their dressers, framed by pearls and sitting on a rose covered bedspread.

Please join us and the other Boutiques at Make Mine Pink tomorrow for our Special Friday Shopping event!! Have a Wonderful Valentines week~end Sweet Friends!!
Huggs, Nancy
www.coeurdalenegifts.com

A Rose by Any Other Name

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday June 26, 2009 as we present "A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME"

I've never seen a rose I didn't love. From the first blossom of spring, gently swaying in the breeze, to an intricately stitched needlepoint rich in history, I love them all. Silk roses mixed with a bunch of silk hydrangeas, gracing a vase on the mantle. Cabbage roses on a sugar bowl and creamer, brought out for a grandmother's tea. Colorful rose cupcakes scented as beautifully as they look.

Roses represent so many wonderful things and are often used to celebrate special milestones such as weddings, births and anniversaries. We might write a special announcement on stationery with long-stemmed yellow roses lying against a background of a French poem. Use white satin roses to create wedding memories in a vintage box.

Roses have also been used throughout the centuries in home décor. Like wild pink roses painted on porcelain china plates. A crystal bud vase embellished with a pink silk rose, ready to hold a freshly picked rose bud from the garden. A French ribbon rose attached to a crocheted cushion in the living room. Hand built ceramic roses to use as drawer pulls, or as a magnet to hang up a special photograph.

Milliners used silk roses to embellish the finest hats; perhaps one covered with embroidered lace and handmade millinery roses. Seamstresses stitched the richest brocade drapes adorned with roses. Grandmothers embroidered the most delicate rose patterns on tablecloths and handkerchiefs. Now we can give silky velvet rose pins a special corsage. For everyday occasions, you might wear a vintage pink rose apron or admire a rose-shaped pillow made of hot pink satin.

Throughout the years, famous artists have studied and painted every aspect of the rose. Antique lithographs and post cards from the 1800s grace our homes today with their everlasting beauty. From a rhapsody of roses printed on canvas and hung over a doorway to garlands of decal roses that make favorite items look hand painted, roses continue to gracefully fit every lifestyle and décor.

Photo 1: www.katiesrosecottage.com

Photo 2: www.thedecalcottage.com




I look forward to seeing you all this Friday!!

Huggs, Nancy