Pining For Peonies

Do you have a favorite flower? You know,  the kind that you get excited about everytime you see them in a floral shop window,  a gorgeous wedding bouquet or even a photograph on the web? My favorite happen to be peonies. I love their lush, fluffy appearance. To me they are soft, romantic, playful and feminine. You might recall that I listed them under my favorite things.

I remember exactly when I first fell in love with them. It was about 8 years ago and one of my best friends had picked some up at his friend's parents' farm property for me. I had two clippings- they were both a fuscia color and one was fluffy, in full bloom and the other was still tucked tight into a large ball, just waiting patiently to open up. Later that year, I would discover that the property I rented had a path leading to the backyard where peony bushes would produce some of the most amazing flowers. I especially loved the pale pink ones.

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Several years later when I met my husband I had told him about my love for peonies. While we were engaged and soon to be married, I was tying up loose ends at the job that I would be leaving when I decided to move from Canada to the U.S. He sent me the most stunning bouquet of lilies, pale pink peonies and white hydrangea. I could have stared at that bouquet everyday for the rest of my life and never would have tired of it. I wish I had a picture of it.

It would seem fitting that one day (3.5 years ago) when I got married that they would be the chosen flower for my bridal bouquet. However that was not to be. We had a September wedding and they were no longer in season and the cost to have them shipped was outside of our budget. So, instead I had soft blush color roses. Now that I live in Florida, peonies are impossible to find since they cannot withstand extreme heat. I called a local floral shop to see if I could splurge a little and get a couple of stems. When  I found out they were $10 per stem with a minimum of 10 stems, I knew it was out of the question. I do however have the most realistic looking silk peony arrangement in my office and I get to look at it every day. :)

This to me is a dream bouquet!

To share my love of peonies, I thought I'd include some of the images I've found online and saved in a folder for those that adore them as much as me. I have others I enjoy too such as white orchids, stargazer lilies and tulips but these are my absolute favorite.

Perfect sping bouquet, love the tulips. I'd love to have this on my kitchen table right now!

 

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This is one of the largest bouquets I've seen, so full and fresh!

Farmhouse style-displayed in an antique enamel jug

Another beautiful bouquet!

What is YOUR favorite type of flower? What makes it so special to you?

Some of MY Favorite Things: A Random Assortment

I hope you are having a great start to your week! If you've been following my blog for a little while, you'll remember a post I did on my favorite things at Whole Foods. I thought I'd share some of the personal items in my home and it will also give you a chance to learn a little more about me too. Some items are things I use frequently and others are those that my heart just adores simply because it does.

Here are 10 of My Favorite Random Things

1. Most Comfy Shoes this Summer-I love shoes, in particular a great pair of peep-toe pumps, but the winner of most comfortable and equally stylish shoe goes to my Tommy Hilfiger Falsetto gladiator-style sandal. They retail for around $70 on many websites but I got these for a steal for only $19.99 at Ross! They are perfect with a pair of cuffed shorts and a top, a long maxi dress, a long shirt and tights or a pair of skinny jeans. I wear them almost every day. Thankfully I live in Florida where I can wear sandals almost every week out of the year.

2. Favorite Way to Stay Healthy-Aside from eating nutritious, organic foods and exercising as often as I can, my favorite way to stay cold and flu-free is to consume a lot of garlic. I'm not talking about a little bit of roasted garlic in a prepared recipe, but full on raw garlic cloves (and several of them) on top of almost anything. I usually crush up several raw cloves and put them on top of an already heated up soup, a fresh salad, or another dinner item. Raw garlic reduces illness, increases immunity, kills parasites, and has even been proven to shrink tumors and ward of cancer! The key is to eat it raw and not heat it, otherwise it loses most of its medicinal qualities.The best part is I pay about 25 cents for a bulb of garlic. I do not have medical insurance and I have not needed to visit a doctor in the 3 years that I've lived here. For obvious reasons, I avoid eating it if I'm visiting clients. Thankfully my hubby is on board and loves it equally as much!

3. Most Used Kitchen Tool- Many would argue that a food processor is their favorite kitchen tool, and I have to agree that it is an amazing tool and I know I'll get far more use out of it one day when I'm making homemade baby food, but until that time comes, my garlic press is my go-to gadget. I use it almost every day and my new OXO press is my favorite by far. It has a no-slip handle and it cleans up quickly and is heavy duty.

4. Favorite Decor Item-I am a sucker for anything costal and beachy, which you might remember from my getting personal post. I love, love, love starfish and was super excited to see some live while snorkeling in St. Thomas. While it is not ocean-friendly or eco-friendly to use real starfish as decor, I have used Pottery Barn's white finger star fish in several places in my home. They look like the real deal without having to harm any sea creatures for our viewing pleasure. I bought mine at their end of season sale. I use them in hurricane vases with sand and a pillar candle in the summer months, leaning against a set of frames on a shelf, and I've even had one in an apothecary jar in my bathroom as well as on the side table in our living room. Lots of fun things to do with them!

5. Favorite Starbucks Beverage-Although I'm not a coffee junkie and my budget doesn't allow for frequent purchases of their wonderful drink indulgences, when I do stop by, I have several drinks I enjoy such as the Chai latte made with soy, or the pumpkin spiced latte and the super sweet peppermint white hot chocolate (it's heavenly!), but my favorite is a drink for the summer months called a Grande Caramel Light Frappuccino, no whip. You can also dress it up with some whip cream and a drizzle of caramel for added decadance. They have a 'regular' version with a lot more calories which I have never tried because I'm sure after that the light would taste well, light. Right now it is the perfect amount of caramel, coffee and sweetness and it does not taste weak or watered down. Here is how you can make your own.

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6. Most Lovely Flower-I adore peonies and was crushed when I realized that I wouldn't be able to use them in my September wedding 3 years ago. I really longed for pale pink peonies. *swoon* I settled for blush roses that day, but I try to bring them into my home whenever possible while they are in season during the early summer months. Being that I live in FL, they are hard to come by. My old home in the Toronto area had peony bushes along the side and front which I couldn't wait to clip and put on display.

7.  Most Used Gift- Based on what comes to mind at the moment, I'd have to say it was a birthday gift that my husband purchased for me two years ago which is a large brown coach mongram wallet. I saw it in online originally and he surprised me with it and was able to grab it at the outlet store, so it turned out to be half the price, gotta love that! I have a cream leather handbag that I use a lot and this goes really well with it, as well as brown one and a few other colors as well as a small matching coach bag that I bought for a steal also. I do have a black favorite too for my handbags/clutches of that color scheme.

8. Inexpensive Glamour-When I decided to decorate our guest bedroom/my office, I wanted to add a bit of glamour to an otherwise boring room at the time. I wanted it to inspire me to paint the walls, the furniture in the room and all several other touches of glam. This little chandelier from Ikea for just $39.99 did the trick. It looks far better in person than this website photo and it has inspired me to transform that space. It has a wonderful sparkle and it provides just enough light without being too much, considering I have two windows in the space already. It would be perfect for a teen, toddler or baby girl room too. Since our guest room is our only 'spare' bedroom, this would be a future baby's room, so here's to holding onto the faith that it will be a girl, then she can enjoy the lighting too. :)

9. Newest Monogrammed Item- A couple weeks ago, I picked up this fun letter 'K' at Marshall's in the clearance section. It had a slight dent in the wood in a fairly inconspicous area, so I purchased it for $7. It is temporarily living on our guest room nightstand until I paint the room a lovely shade of pale blue and then I will hang it above a set of vintage hooks I picked up at a flea market near the door.

10. Must-Read Decor Magazines- My favorite decor magazine(s) are actually from Canada. One is called Canada's Style at Home and the other is Canadian House & Home. I had a subscription for many years before moving to the U.S. At the time I really enjoyed being able to find the items in local retailers vs. trying to hunt down items that were only available in the U.S. I do have several othes I enjoy such as Coastal Living and Better Homes and Gardens, but those are the two I pick up every time I fly home from Toronto after visiting friends and family!

Tell us some of your favorite things! Do you have a favorite pair of shoes you can't live without or a pair of earrings that go with everything you own? We want to hear from you!