Into the Rose Garden

It's that time of year again. The Rose Garden is in full bloom. Just have a look at some of these beauties.

There was no pruning done this year before the rose bushes started to get going. So the bushes were allowed to grow at their whim and put out a wonderful display. Although this created a mess of branches and runners going every-which-way, it made the garden more natural and honestly, just a lovely riot of untamed colour. 

The bushes will be cut back once they have finished their initial blooming, which will most likely cause them to put forth another growth spurt and more blooms later in the summer. Which is not a bad thing. 
 

First up is our Peace Rose. It's a gorgeous salmon or peach colour that becomes more yellow in the center as it opens up. 

This one starts out dark and then fades to a more delicate pink as it fully opens. It has the most wonderful scent as well.

This is one of the yearly favourites, called "Rio Samba". It has been in the garden for a number of years and each year it puts forth a beautiful display. It doesn't have much of a scent, but it makes up for it in striking patterns and strong stems. And large thorns.

Here is the same "Rio Samba" once it has fully opened. 

This beautifully full rose is a David Austin variety. David Austin roses are known for their fullness, or "double rose" as they often have twice the petal count as other rose types. 

Another David Austin rose; this time in peach (and it the rain). 

This pink stipes-and-speckles rose has the sweetest, almost innocent scent. It has been in the garden for as long as I can remember (which is a fairly long time). We have dubbed it the Candy Cane rose because of it's stripes. It blooms twice; once in late May and then again towards the end of August. It has clusters of flowers that don't last as long as the other roses in the garden, but it makes up for in the number of blooms it puts forth. It's probably one of my favourites in the garden. 

This dark rose is a new addition to the Rose Garden this year. I took Dad to the garden center to pick out a Father's Day gift. He saw this and immediately put it in our shopping cart. It's called "Purple Tiger". It took to it's new home just fine and put out a beautiful display of blooms despite being replanted in mid-June.

This is just a small sample of the roses in bloom this year in the Rose Garden. The weather has been so warm the past week that most of time I am just focusing on staying cool and keeping hydrated. Hope you enjoyed this short trip into the Rose Garden.

A Year of Pretty - February 25, 2014

One Great Gatsby inspired fashion show down, one to go......

As a designer, there are additional items needed for when a model walks down the runway in order to complete the look. These include shoes and accessories. This could mean a snazzy hand bag, a smart looking hat, or a glittering pair of earrings.

The trick is to not let the accessories take over the look, unless of course that is the look you are going for (think Chanel and the multitudes of long pearl necklaces). 

So I came across these gorgeous earrings as inspiration for jewellery for my garments. The earrings are big enough to be seen on the runway, but are refined and sophisticated so as not to out shine the clothing.

They are both modern and art deco, with their combination of square and oval shapes, as well as the smooth upper bezel and the prong-set lower tear drop bezel. 

The original source for these baubles has been lost. When I clicked on the photo, it took me to a new web page that stated "You are lost. Please go back." That's pretty much as clear as you can get. So unfortunately I can't direct you on where to pick up these beauties for your own collection.

However, rose gold seems to be making a big appearance in both costume and authentic jewellery. This is mainly (I think) due to the excitement over the new Royal marriage, in which HRH Prince William gave his beloved a ring made from Welsh pink gold, as is tradition. In any event, you should be able to find something similar at your local accessories store and more than likely for a whole lot less than the price of the these.

Enjoy; both the photo and your day.

A Year of Pretty - February 09, 2014

I'm not huge on Valentine's Day. Never have been. Sure, I'll make cupcakes for my mom to take to class with her to give out to her students. And I make something nice like a pair of earrings or such for her. 

And don't get me wrong, I'm a strong supporter of chocolate, regardless of the occasion. I've just never really cared for Valentine's Day.

Probably because I'm not big on hearts and cupids and love doves. Flowers, now . . that's another story. I absolutely love flowers. But not red roses. I find them too contrived, too over-done. Too The Bachelor.

But these little sweeties in today's Pretty Post say just enough love and romance for me. They are from Obee Designs. They would look cute in a young girl's hair, and not just for February 14th. Perfect for a flower girl at a wedding, or to a birthday party. 

They would also be great for bridesmaids or even the bride for a vintage themed wedding. Roses for Valentine's Day that last the whole year through.

Design Inspiration - part 5

It's here. My last term of school. My final project. My five looks that will walk down a runway and represent me. Daunting; capital D.

So, in anticipation, I'm going to start sharing a couple images of inspiration for my collection. Most of these are either from Pinterest or Etsy, and along the way they have lost their original links. If you recognize any of these, please let me know the source so I can give credit where it's due.

>>>The shorts/vest/sweater combo to the right is Chanel SS2012....no mistaking those iconic pearl buttons and the soft structured look. (in love with the layering and textures!)<<<

Which brings me to the theme of my collection: Softness in Structure and Architecture as Design. Think of the curves of the Sydney Opera House, or the swoop of the roof of the Richmond Oval (formerly the speed skating track for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics). I'm also evolking memories of travel while honoring classic design. (Whew! all that in five looks.)

I have most of my fabrics selected. All the patterns are made and test toiles put together. Cutting on the "real fabric" begins tomorrow night. Fingers crossed and wish me luck!

In the meantime, enjoy!