Photo credits (clockwise from top left): vintage persimmon sofa from bohemiennes, bouquet and dress via Fiore Blossoms, tangerine tango martini from Fragrant Vanilla Cake, ranunculus and craspedia boutonniere (buttonhole) by Miss Pickering, mosiac blossoms batik via eQuilter and floral cake topper by Flora Fauna via stylemepretty.

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Ranunculus, lilac, garden roses, parrot tulips, dubium, more garden roses, sweet peas, astilbe, hydrangeas and peonies to die for!!! If your mom lives in Fredericksburg, you probably need to give us a call.

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First up is House Wren. Nancy and Mike are the creative minds behind these novelties. They've combined Nancy's background in floristry with Mike's metalworking along with their common love of all things vintage and the result is something truly unique. And the good news for Fredericksburg locals is that they are now setting up each month at the Fredericksburg Trade Days. 

Next is the always delightful Polly Hitt. While she is probably best known for Neck Collections, her line of necklaces made from antique and estate jewelry, I am somehow always drawn to her natural pieces. Polly has an eye for the tiny details of the natural world and masterfully and whimsically incorporates them into her works of art.

Once again, thank you to these talented vendors for your inspiring work!

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One of the highlights of this show was getting to see hometown favorite, Carol Hicks Bolton. Carol was the guest speaker at a blogger's luncheon hosted by Royer's Cafe. She and her husband, Tim, have just opened their latest venture, Carol Hicks Bolton—Laboratoire de Design, here in Fredericksburg. At the luncheon, Carol spoke to the idea of making your home a haven by filling it with items that are meaningful to you—whether a bird's egg fallen from a nest or an old photograph. This was especially relevant as a portion of the proceeds from the lunch went to Dwell with Dignity—a wonderful organization whose mission is to help families escape poverty through design. If you are not familiar with Dwell with Dignity, be sure to check it out as they have many exciting projects on the horizon.

I always seem to be drawn to anything turquoise and it seems the same can be said for South Porch Antiques. Patrick and Karen Kenny set up at Brimfield and Round Top each year and will be at the Country Living Fair this weekend in Austin.

It's interesting how I go through the tents snapping photographs and it is only later that I realize many of the vendors are ones I have featured before. Last fall, I photographed a display of sea fans in concrete urns. This time I shot a combination of old letters, sea creatures, pottery and an aluminum chair only to find out that once again it was the work of Gwen McClure of French by Design.

Keeping with the theme of blue, these turquoise pots in the Tied Together booth by Sarah Stopschinski caught my eye.

As did this table display by J Hill Designs of Kilgore, Texas. I love the old door knobs used as stoppers for the antique bottles.

And a picture of a colorful paint pallette, just because I liked it—especially sitting on this old wooden bench with the blue shutters in the background.

Be sure to check back as my next post will be booths with a botanical flair.

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For a splash of Spring, check out these charming ceramic pieces we just got in the shop. A new twist on the classic doily, these items are handmade in the Netherlands by Ildi. The heart-shaped ornament can be hung in a window, while the flower shaped dish makes a nice ring holder or soap dish. Both designs come in Carribean Blue and Sunset Red (shown) as well as Forest Green and Canary Yellow.

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It's almost time for the spring antiques fair in Round Top so I've been working on my wish list. Faced with so many options every day, I find that it is helpful to have a visual reminder of items I need for upcoming weddings or ideas I have seen and want to implement. I'm sorry I don't have many photo credits*, but here's a breakdown of the images:

First Row: 1. interesting containers for terrariums  2. vintage saucers for potted plants  3. an inspiring cover to an Amy Butler catalog—I've actually had this for awhile and have only managed to find one piece in this great citron shade  

Second Row: 1. vintage suitcases for props  2. I found several of these vintage wine bottles last year, but need 1 more for an upcoming wedding 3. always on the lookout for interesting props  

Third Row: 1. I'm thinking of making a ribbon display for the shop and love this one with old bread trays  2. wooden berry boxes used to be quite common, but were a bit pricier last show—I need a few more for weddings (photo by Sarah Q Photography)

For any of you at the show, if you see something I need, feel free to tweet me!

*I'm trying to come up with a better system for filing away inspiration photos. In the meantime, if you recognize any of these, please let me know and I will add a credit.

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I was thrilled to see Mayhar focus on one of my favorite aspects from the wedding—the ceremony decor. I really can't take credit for this beauty other than picking out the materials—fallen branches, smilax vines, purple artichokes and huge eucalyptus pods. We were also fortunate to have a ligustrum tree at the shop that was bending over with a bounty of berries in just the right shade of purple. The rest of the work belonged to Yves, a member of our team who is given any job that requires a ladder. Yves, and his wife, Cristina, are my fabulous friends who work on most of our weddings and this was one that could not have done without them. Yves, an artist in his own right, took the raw materials and created this masterpiece which was the focal point for the outdoor ceremony.

photography by Sarah Q Photography

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And the tiny fritillaria with the lavender sweet peas.

I missed getting a shot of the purple and green hydrangeas before they went out in an arrangement, but the colors go on outside the shop as well. Just outside the front door, the mountain laurel is in full bloom and the scent is amazing—something like grape candy.

And this is the first year that the wood violets have bloomed in the shady spot next to the back door.

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I picked up this copy of The Enchanted April published by Virago Books on my recent trip to London. I found it in the treasure of a bookstore, Daunt Books, and knew it was going to be my vacation read—partly because it fit the bill with somewhat of an escapist plot, but mainly because the cover was so beautiful. The design, "Winter Stem" was created by Angie Lewin for Liberty.

I'm wondering if we are beginning to see a trend in the publishing of books—in an effort to combat the electronic reader there is a renewed effort to create beautiful bookcovers. Penguin's Hardcover Classics were the first to catch my eye. Designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith, each cover creatively incorporates a pattern which signifies the book's character and meaning in some way. I love the design and color combination of Sense and Sensibility although I haven't yet worked out the significance of the design. Any ideas?

And now Penguin has come out with a new series, The Penguin Threads. Artist Jillian Tamaki sketched each cover and then hand-stitched the final design. The Secret Garden is my favorite, but Emma and Black Beauty are also a part of the series. 

Some of you may be wondering what this has to do with flowers—it doesn't really, just great design.

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