design inspiration

Today's design inspiration comes from floral grubb. Flora's divine vertical succulent gardens leave me SPEECHLESS. Apparently as per a previous post, I currently have a thing for all things succulents. I love that she is taking the horticulture world into the art realm. Her beautiful blog even has DIY instructions and is now over there to the right under my favorites!
How wonderful would it be to wake up every morning and see that?

craspedia cluster

wonderful dried billy buttons -craspedia globosa- in a tall baby blue ceramic vessel here

succulent love

I recently got back from a trip to Southern California. Succulents are everywhere spreading their roots in the ground and adding their classy geometric textures.

echeveria's in the gardens of The Getty in LA

I love succulents. My first encounter with them was when I was a freshman in college. I was studying vigorously for a horticulture houseplant ID class when I fell head over heals for the Jade plant, Crassula argentea. It's bonsai like trunk and thick supple leaves, whats not to love? I loved it so much that I sold Jade plants to fellow students in cute planters for dorm/apartment therapy and extra cash.

What makes a plant a succulent? They have thick water storing juicy leaves or stems due to the dry environments in which they originate. If kept indoors they require the same environment. Little water in the winter months and lots of vital sunshine.

Now for some succulent finds...

My friend Mackenzie from college -whom I met in Floral Design class- lives in Southern California and makes her own succulent planters. Don't you agree with me that she should start an online shop selling these?

indoor/outdoor concrete planter circle from tortoise loves donkey:

butter cream pedestal and succulents by greenwaredesign:

spider web hens and chicks by succulents galore:

brenda by livingarrangements:

I am smitten with the shop succulentLOVE and their blog:

I hope my love rubs off on you a little, especially in the gray of winter.
<3 Christina

hint of spring

Dare I say the word spring in January? Only because it is in the name of this design I just created, hint of spring:

it is overflowing with preserved blanca hydrangeas, buff cockscomb, indian canella berries, clusters of dusty miller and light blue echinops.

I am slowly bringing my shop back up to par. Admittedly, It has taken long because I am constantly distracted by my two under 3. In the midst of a photo shoot of my new design in the perfect lighting, I have helpers at my feet begging to be read Angelina Ballerina.

The sun will shine it's light in this spot again tomorrow, but Angelina has to go back to the library and my little girls always come before my flowers ;)

urban renewal

Here is a look at the vintage consignment store I mentioned last blog, Urban Renewal. It is nestled in a quaint downtown area of St George, Utah. A small town located around the desert and red rock mountains of the west.

My sister Annie found it and brought me back with her because she knew I would love it. I thoroughly enjoyed rummaging through the findings and photographing my favorites:

Annie showed me these cute vintage baby hangers. LOVE THEM!:

we have a sister who lives in Montana, so I was attracted to this photograph:

my favorite find:

I persuaded my sister to purchase this old brownie camera. She is a photographer and I think it would make a fabulous decor item in her home.

urban renewal is now selling some of their items online! Check it out here.

i do indeed

I have been visiting family for a few weeks in the desert and red rock mountains of southern Utah. I stopped at a quaint vintage and handmade consinment shop in downtown St. George.

I was rummaging through some old post cards when the suited old man in this one caugh my eye:

I do indeed wish you a happy new year

I loved it and such perfect timing to find it two days before 2009 was gone forever. But when I examined it closely on the postage mark it was stamped Los Angeles (where I ended up celebrating my new years) December 3, 2:30pm 1909. Yes! That means it was sent by this jolly gent to a Mrs. JC Brawn, 1862 Winfield Ave, Los Angeles, California exactly 100 years ago to celebrate the new year of 1910.

and so from me (and my baby camila) to you:

wishing you a merry christmas

antique 1901 photograph via the vintage image:

image via leaca young photography:

and from my family to yours

enjoy your christmas!!!!

winner

Random.org chose the winner of floresdelsol's first giveaway Jill!

" Jill- This must be a week for my Favorite combos - Muppets and Queen, Peanut butter and Chocolate and Hobnail milk Glass and Moss - Pure Heaven! Love your work! and I follow ;) "

Thank you for all the wonderful comments. Jill, I will be contacting you soon for your address.

happy monday!

*photo of a vintage dainty painting in garden state vintage. I will be on vacation from my stores starting tomorrow until mid- January, but I will still be posting as I am out west for vacation!

on a freezing friday

it is cold outside today. COLD!!!!!! I could tell from the moment I woke up this morning. I felt a cool draft coming from the crack in my window. I was suddenly swept away to memories of my drafty cold shoe box room growing up in a charming old farmhouse outside of Buffalo, New York. It was always freezing upstairs, the heat did not carry well through that old house. This morning I very much wanted to snuggle up with my old electric blanket that kept my toes warm through countless winters.

Here are some of my favorite white christmas decor items. Perfect for an old cold country home:

vintage holland mold mid century christmas tree from the sundaytimesmarket

2009 Commemorative Dove from Palomas nest

land-rich's tallow berry bulb {via modish}

petite winter trees by paintedwhite

vintage silver and gold ornaments from 5gardenias

noel-holiday hemp pillow from nestahome

don't forget.. my first giveaway ends this monday

and please stay warm!

the holly and the ivy

I have this book. Its a wonderful popular vintage book, but I am sad to say that I have grown to love it as I have ripped it apart. I found it in a recycling room as I was scrounging around for some boxes and bubble wrap to use for my etsy sales. "Familiar Quotations". I started to use pages from it folded in half and wrapped around packages and I often find inspiriting quotes as I wrap an etsy design up. Some are random, some are funny, some are famous.

I love the red holly berries in full bloom and the beautiful evergreen english ivy that is still slowly infringing upon my window. Ivy is one of very few plants this time of year to flash lime green with new growth. I found this old carol in the anonymous section of the book and it reminded me of the beauty still growing outdoors this cold Christmas time of year:

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown:
The rising of the sun
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet saviour-----
Carol. The Holly and the Ivy

and so I am wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!

floresdelsol's first giveaway!

Here it is, my first giveaway!

moss cluster no. 15 in a vintage milk glass hobnail pedestal:

How to enter:
Its easy! Just leave a comment on this post to enter.

Contest ends December 14th

You can double your chances of winning by becoming a follower of this blog, just leave me another comment that you did (or already are).

Even more chances of winning by tweeting, facebooking or blogging this giveaway, once again leave a comment with each thing you've done.

--Contest open to only US and Canada
*be sure to leave an e-mail or link to contact you!

HOORAY for free things!

custom design

I created a custom design recently for Dionne of City of Dionne. A lovely blog featuring her talent of intricate illustrations. She sent me a copy of a print she has in her room and the color palette she was looking for.
Beach Day by cathynicols

so I took that, and made this:

one of my favorites so far. I love that she gave me a beautiful painting to go off of for the colors, otherwise my own brain might not have ever chosen this color palette to put together. Look for her blog of my design this weekend!