Bits and pieces

Hmmm. Today’s post is just a little thing, a mere will o’ the wisp. But I wanted to share some things that have been making me happy lately:
That the flower guy threw in a big bouquet of flowers with my roses. Just because. What are those flowers called anyway? My Mom and I both thought of “anemones” and then said at the same time “but wait, aren’t those sea creatures?”–we crack ourselves up.
That we finally hung up the Gobelin panel and it looks great. And that it was worth the carry-on back pain to haul back the cream cable throw and pillow (I suppose I am officially off my pillow detox now)  from the Ralph Lauren outlet in the States (and no I didn’t use them on the flight back. No bedroom pillows onboard!).

Due to the generosity of my florist, who may or may not have a crush on me, we even have flowers in the bathroom, where Remi thought to put out the maritime watercolor that he found in a tiny shop in New Brunswick. 
That my dog makes me laugh every…single…day. Hard.

That, upon hearing joyful shrieks outside of my window, I looked out and watched a waddling parade of mini-pirates, princesses and geishas stroll by, all dolled up for Carnival.
That freesias smell like the clouds of Heaven.
There you have it! And you? Anything making your heart go “hip, hip, hooray” today?

42 comments

  1. How lucky are you? I can think of worse things than having the local flower guy have a crush on you hahahaha! Yay to extra, free flowers! The sweetest elderly gentleman comes into my work every week and brings me the most beautifully coloured dahlias picked fresh from his garden.

    ~ Clare x

  2. Karin! It is so good to hear from you! How is Oskar doing? Oh la I know that you are struggling with your garden–soit courageuse! It must be beautiful there right now, non?
    Bisous, bisous!
    H

  3. Yes Heather, YOUR post made my heart 'hip-hip-hurray' today!

    So wonderful, lovely and lively images! Love the view of your living room, well done with the piece of tapestry!!!

    Sorry for late visiting your blog, but….the garden work here seems to be endless….Just taking a break because sun is now in the afternoon too hot to work, would you believe!

    Hope that you have a wonderful springtime at your place and send you warmest greetings from the Perigord.
    Amicalement et bisou
    karin

  4. My friend, thank you so very much for your wonderful compliment–coming from such an incredibly talented lady as yourself, well, it means quite a lot!

    Ooh, and I would love to see your roses. Actually I would love to bury my head in their blooms–why oh why are you on the other side of the planet?! 🙂

  5. Hey Catherine! Thanks for signing up! I am holding off on joining new blogs for the moment as I can't keep up with everything out there as is! But wow, you are only 14–good luck and keep going!

  6. Judith, I am not sure if you will see this but I have been meaning to ask you how your job is going. I know that this is still a slow season for retail so hang in there, things should be picking up soon (almost all of us in my family have worked retail and it was my Dad's specialty–he actually was called "Dr. Retail").

    As for Karina–well, she is tiny compared to our bear Ben! Can you imagine if we let him on the bed?! We would both soon be on the floor. He has a Napoleon III meridienne and he takes up the whooole thing!

    Bisous.

  7. Your home is truly a home now – nobody would guess in a million years that you have only been there for the blink of an eye – it looks so welcoming and elegant. Your bathroom arrangements look fabulous – a lovely thing to see. My roses have just come into their autumn flush – the prettiest, most intense colours of the year – but I always love cream ones like these too. xx

  8. i love those photos! really pretty/interesting, definately following!
    check out mine, follow back if you like it?
    f-a-i-r-y-l-i-g-h-t-s.blogspot.com

  9. Thanks for this post, Heather. It popped up yesterday while I was on duty at the little store where I work a few hours a week. It was a very slow day — and the weather was gloomy and frigid. Especially after the summer-like temps we had here last week. I am confused and so is my garden!

    Anyway, this post was such a bright spot. And I'm afraid that Karina has both Ben and Dylan topped when it comes to burrowing. She likes to get under the duvet with us. In fact she's there right now as I too am under the covers trying to warm up.

    Oh, and I love the little bathroom vignette.

  10. Heehee–he sleeps like that sometimes Debra. I think he is burrowing. He also will tuck his paws under the rug. Such a goofball. Dylan looks far more serious than Ben–am I wrong?

  11. I saw that Karena! I too was blown away–and learned a lot too. 🙂 Hope you are well…

  12. I'm so jealous that you can smell Freesias, I can't smell them and people are always telling me how wonderful they smell. Your flower guy is cute always giving you extra flowers and what a nice gift. Those extra flowers he gave you are ranunculus and wish I could grow them here, love them. Why does Ben have his beautiful face hidden in the pillows? Dylan makes me laugh endlessly every day, you ahve to love Goldens!

    Enjoy your day Heather!
    XX
    Debra~

  13. Heather, you have many many joys in your life. It is still early for me, however the blogs i have visited have thrilled me, yours and Penelope Bianci's. She has showcased her art collection and it is astounding!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena
    The 2012 Artist Series

  14. David, I love that story. Ah, the politically correct US of A. So tightly wound. Heehee.

    And Brooke–thank you! A compliment from you, my friend, makes me glow. I even have flowers in the kitchen right now. Pure bliss.

  15. Thanks Wyn! Hope all is well in your neck of the world–autumn already! Good, inspiring light abounds, non?

  16. You ABSOLUTELY made my day today Chris! But more about that tomorrow….thank you!!!!
    Gros bisous.

  17. Well we all know that Roxy Music girls don't stutter (their pouting lips prevents it) so just keep the name of the flower to yourself. 🙂

  18. Whaaa??? Oh my goodness, I am so excited that you would think that I was the one moving in!!! Where on earth did this come from? Does this mean that you and Herve will be selling your other houses? May is around the corner! I am hyperventilating! I feel like I drank four espressos! Will you pleeeease send a photo once it is a done deal?

  19. I love .. those flowers that begin with the initail A but I cam never say the word without stuttering!

  20. Dear Velvet & Linen…..your spelling is not, after all, so very awful. I recently got into big trouble when I mentioned on our very large "neighborhood association message board" that I had spent a very long morning with a woman whom I referred to as "the cunty clerk down at the courthouse". Within MINUTES, I had twenty or so furiously outraged emails….and they kept pouring in, while I tried to explain that I (and, thank you, I wrote a danged "Feminist" dissertation at Duke)had done no more than to be typing quickly, and I'd omitted an "o"….and that I thought the COUNTY clerk was a really smart and nice woman, etcetera, ad infinitum. I've never been so mortified in at least a month during my life. In any case, your spelling ain't so bad…..

    David Terry
    http://www.davidterryart.com

  21. Oh, I was made very happy today, after spending six hours with two inspectors AND the termite man)….going over the house that, presumably, we'll be buying and moving into come May. No Surprises whatsoever (which is a miracle)….it's just as sound, from cellar to attic, as it is beautiful. That's rather surprising, since it has three separate cellars and four different attics (suffice it to say that the central, four room core core of the house is 1790, with two lateral 1830 wings and a huge 1870's kitchen wing out back. That makes for a lot of differing rooflines, among other potential disasters. I spent most of the time ignoring the inspectors (like I know enough to argue with them?) while I went over the property. I hadn't yet been there in the Spring, and I suddenly realized that there are things such as two 40' long, really established peony beds behind the box garden (which, from a "French" perspective, is very strange…a big (80" x 80' perhaps?) square of 100 year old boxwoods, with a center allee leading to exactly,….nothing.) I was also glad to confirm that both of the wells on the property have been sealed up. My nephews are all rowdy and rambunctious and exactly the sort to go investigating.

    david terry
    http://www.davidterryart.com

  22. Beautiful roses and beautiful ranunculus! I cut my first bouquet of roses from my garden today. The are so beautiful, the fragrance divine! The ranunculus seeds I planted are sprouting and the David Austin Roses are bounding! Spring rains have arrived here in SoCal. Nature's tears feed the garden as nothing else!
    Fun post!
    Bisous, Chris

  23. My spelling is awful, so I will leave the name of those gorgeous flowers to your other adoring readers.
    Flowers bring life to every room! I adore your bathroom vignette… flowers and vintage boat paintings = perfection.
    Oh, and that miniature parade… The children looked like they were having a grand time! I only wish adults could do the same! Why not?

    Thank you for sharing such a glorious day with us.

    xo
    Brooke

  24. Happy Days!! You made me smile today – so thanks for sharing they are all fantastic – especially your Gobelin panel! Cheers – here's ot another good one for you!!

  25. And ps. do we have to ask ourselves so many questions when we can appreciate so many great things?

  26. I should have known that I would have had some good answers here! Hope all is well with you, V, and your chubby cheeked grandchild too!

  27. Oh gosh, I am scared to think. My Moms most wonderful rescue just had a bit of the big D and the price was a gobsmacking 200 dollars! Ouch! Sending so, so much love to you and to your pupperoonie.

  28. Ah, you are missing nothing Angela! Who knows what kinds of characters are parading below your window, in costumes designed by you!! Provence will be here all too willingly, when you can. Bisous.

  29. I don't think they are anemones. They look more like lisianthus than ranunculus to me, but I cannot tell without seeing the bud. At any rate, what a lovely bonus. Love your dog.
    Bisous,
    Victoria

  30. Flowers make a home come alive. I get a lot of pleasure from the simple things in life – water droplets clinging to plants, the angle of the sun in autumn, the love of family, the observance of many traditions, the changing of the seasons, the innocence of children, the happiness and laughter of others, generosity, the beauty and complexity of nature, the smell of the earth, the gift of friendship, sharing a meal ……………
    Bisous
    PS your apartment is gorgeous and Ben is very cute – as always.

  31. I loved your post. My "hip hip hooray" moment today was when I was in the garden picking citrus, hubby appeared and I climbed up high in our blood orange tree and picked the last of the oranges. There were 4 of them. Then we gobbled them down right then and there, making big stains on our shirts. We felt like little kids. It's true that the small things you experience everyday can bring you so much joy – if you stop to appreciate them.

  32. RANUCULAS…spelling!I do believe they are.Love them.They come in all the EASTER like colors…..yellow,white,pink.
    Nothing yet has made my heart skip a beat except to see I had an e-mail from you!Headed for the shop as I have shop duty this afternoon.My dog getting his teeth cleaned today!Yikes,how much do you think that bill will be?!!

  33. I can practically smell the roses…..and lovely to see the tapestry up! Love the parade below, reminds me of how sometimes I heard a sound, ran to the window and saw a marching band walk passed the house. Lovely to be reminded of what I'm missing!

  34. Oh my, whew, what is going on with us Marsha? I am STILL HERE ONLINE!!! Bad, bad writer. I think that I am waiting for that extra coffee to kick in in vain…
    Bisous. Tomorrow is another day!

  35. OOh, good one–I am also loving the extra light! And I hope you'll post scratch and sniff photos of your magnolia tree. 🙂

  36. Hello darling, your comment made me smile. And, so has your doggie with his head stuck under the pillow…however, I know exactly how he feels today. xx's

  37. Hmmm… those look like ranunculus, I think. Pretty little things. And agree – freesias do smell like heaven, extra flowers from the flower guy (whatever the reason) are a lovely thing, and there should be a parade of mini pirates and princesses as often as possible! Hope today is just as magical — I'm hip hooraying that it's light out at 6:51 am, the birds are singing and the magnolia tree outside my window is just about to pop. Spring. Love it!

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