From the garden

Sweetpeas, poppy, rose, hosta, clematis and rosemary, for P and M

The cupcake cases

My inbox is full of people asking about the cupcake cases. As it happens I recommended them to the bride, so I know from whence they came.

They were first seen at Michelle and Tim's wedding cupcakes were baked by the girl in THAT dress, Jules. Isn't it the most beautiful dress in the world? Vintage naturellement. She found the cases on ebay.

So if you can't find them on there, here is the company that Hayley got them from.

I also decided yesterday, that i had had enough of the bright coloured furniture, new look shop coming soon. Well newish looking, the good people of Stamford believe the interior of the shop should be Grade I listed, and I should apply to customers for permission to change it. I intend to do it slowly and hope nobody notices. I am thinking.........pictures later maybe. Anybody want a bright pink blanket box?

This morning I emptied the washing machine and found a wishbone.

How to end up with really good wedding photographs a step by step guide.

1. Hire Emily Quinton to take the photos.

The End

The wedding we did a couple of weeks ago, has been so beautifully photographed, I can't wait to see the rest. Flowers are one of the most difficult things to photograph - this blog is evident of that, but Emily has shot them just perfectly. Book her now.

Her portfolio and her blog

In the shop today

Never forget where you've come here from
Never pretend that it's all real
Someday soon this will be someone else's dream

Supermarket flowers

Last night we headed to Waitrose in search of something for supper, The Aristocrat selected all manner of things and put them to good use, The Hound and I feasted. Professional curiosity always has me peering at the flower stands, they vary a great deal, Waitrose normally being of a higher standard than most. Not so last night, almost every bunch was reduced and looked as though they would be lucky to survive the journey to the check out. It was a sorrowful sight. One of my customers stopped me and suggested i must be very pleased as it meant they obviously weren't selling many. I thought about this for a while, and disagreed. Any flower retailer, large, small independent, high end, low end, has a reflection on all the others. If a supermarket devalues a product so much by selling something that are half dead, even at a reduced price, how will the customer value flowers?

This is not a supermarket bashing, I believe there is a place for everyone and somebody has to sell all those dyed carnations and xanths, but if you are going to sell flowers, kindly do it properly or not at all.

Also there is one fundamental thing that could transform supermarket flower retailing, it is so simple - obviously I won't share, I'm nice but not that nice.

What are your thoughts?

Window shopping

All of these slightly slutty shoes are in the sale at Net a Porter.

I take a 39.......

I like the sledge hammer approach, you have to give men a helping hand, prevents disappointment, and we all know prevention is better than a cure.

Vintage swans and the last of the peonies

I love these swans, most are Dartmouth pottery, how apt.
Useful for filling with flowers, plants, seed packets, bangles and the like.

Introducing .......Marcelle and The Smith Street Florist and Delicatessen

Yesterday I called in to see the lovely Marcelle, and her shop in Dartmouth. She runs it with her husband Simon, who has the deli. Flowers and food, is there a better combination? Bertie the very pedigree border terrier paid us a visit, The Hound is not the slightest bit amused at my waxing lyrical about handsome dear Bertie is. Marcelle is Miss July in the book.

We had coffee, and discussed flowers, weddings, other florists, men, sandblasting beams, and what it would be like to swap shops. The town of Dartmouth is one of my favourite places in the world, my dear Marcelle should you fancy life in landlocked Rutland, you have a deal! xoxo

Yet more...sorry, but this one does at least have some flowers in it

1. Pimp my Princess. If you are a rich person who lives in the former USSR, you can buy a Princess yacht, and have it "pimped" gold taps and circular baths a-go-go, or just have two holes cut in the side.
2. Use your old boat as a planter.
3. If it rains you can watch Wimbledon
4. The accommodation - stylish use of soft furnishings, surprisingly spacious, handy shelves for storing sailing "clothing" and cake tins? Only The Mother Hen.

If anybody from Joules, Crew, Musto or any of those type places are reading, can you please make a nice skirt for sailing? Something in a stripe, a bit of lycra, and perhaps with a frill at the bottom in a Broderie Anglaise? and whilst I am here, a deck shoe with a wedge?

More life at sea

Sailing a la Miss P

The Other Miss Pickering and I headed out for a weekend of sailing, full of excitement, but with a little sadness at going without The Hound and The Small Child. Here are our tips and hints
1. Locate Vessel
Without the aid of Satnav (it has blown up) we headed to Plymouth to rendez-vous with The Mother Hen and The Captain. No map, we decided to head South West and stop when we got to the sea.
2. Wear appropriate attire
Apparently kitten heels and wrap dresses are not allowed, I had to wear close toe lace up shoes and something called fleece.
3. Eat a hearty breakfast and plan a route
4. Do a lot of tying and untying of ropes, figure of eights, 0800, oxo knots and all that.
5. Have a fabulous weekend sailing out to sea, and up river, barbeque on the flybridge, fail to any catch fish, laugh a lot, drink wine, and sit on the aft deck dangling your legs in the sea.

Be still my beating heart

Gardenias for buttonholes, how I wish you could smell their heady scent.

No orange please

We are not members of a relay service so we don't offer "Sunshine bouquet number 34" for £29.99. We buy flowers daily, whatever is looking beautiful on the day, combined with snippings from the garden, and that's what you get. People are very happy to leave it to us, often with a direction on colour NO ORANGE. The Hound suspects this is due to people remembering bunches from way back when filled with cars and Xanths.

If you say NO ORANGE we will adhere, but look at what you are missing.

The shop is filled with the scent of gardenias for a wedding, we are discussing life and the merits of dried tripe sticks as a snack item.

Soundtrack of the day

Have a fabulous weekend xoxo

Currently loving......4711

There have been a lot of flowers lately so you will permit a posting of the non floral variety.
I am hopelessly in love with this perfume, it smells divine of sandalwood and roses. The packaging is a beautiful turquoise, it has been on the go since 1792, it reminds me of an ex-boyfriend, and in this heat it seems to work much better than my Agent Provocateur, or the Prada, Marc Jacobs, Floris, Penhaligons or Chanel.....I adore perfume.

Happy Birthday

To The Mother Hen AND The Captain, both on the same day, what are the odds?

Have a fabulous lunch, see you later for a glass of cheer.

Love as always

Me and The Boy Wonder

xxxxx

A few more hydrangeas and delphiniums and a bit of stock and alchemilla

Huge thanks to The Mother Hen and The Other Miss Pickering for late nights and early mornings xoxo

Hydrangeas and Delphiniums

Carmen Miranda

A bit more from the wedding

A country wedding

Good things

Uno. Meeting up with old school friend and fellow blogger Kelly, her gift of homemade pistachio macaroons was so sweet, and incredibly delicious. What do two bloggers talk about? Gocco, letter press, inspiring blogs, old school friends and their whereabouts, ribbon, recipes, books and shoes.

Due. Filling every available vase and jar with sweetpeas

Tre. New gold shoes, perfect for tango evenings

Quattro. Meat free Monday Mark III, salad of lettuce, angelica leaves, mint and nasturtium flowers - all from the garden of Miss P, served with Chargrilled Halloumi cheese, The Hound and The Aristocrat have yet to be convinced that flowers and sheeps cheese are food, and are polishing off the macaroons.

Other good things have included: Rose wine, slutty red nail polish, hot summer days and sultry evenings, Wimbledon, Hickstead and Glastonbury coverage on the BBC.

Not such good things have included, mowing over the lawnmower cable - how the devil to you fix it? Being served Waitrose "Essentials" coffee, humid weather making one's hair curly, and The Hound has dug up more of the lawn.

Tomorrow....some weddings

Things are a bit hectic this week, so posts will be few and far between, but oh my! when we return so much to show you.

I leave you with the first of the sweetpeas, The Hound, and meat free monday the lazy girl's supper. I call it Bruschetta, The Hound says it is stuff on toast, and therefore cannot constitute a meal.

Here are a few lovely blogs to keep you amused.....Ci vediamo presto xoxo

Punam Bean

Nectar and Light

Blue Moss

Gladys Gladrags

Swine before pearls

Ferrari finished ahead of McLaren, this is not a good thing.

1. Still we have the heady scent of Tuberose to lighten the mood, it is the sexiest smelling flower ever. 2. Cherry brandy roses that really should be thrown out, but they look so beautiful as they fade. 3. A photo from months ago that has inspired two brides. 4. There has been a lot of giggling.

A new series of Top Gear starts tonight, The Hound is pouring us all a gin in preparation as I leaf through this Months OFM. Mr Slater has wonderful recipes for Meat Free Mondays, are you giving it a go? Can we eat fish? There is also an interesting article on my old boss Antonio Carluccio

Today my sweetpeas have finally decided to flower.

The Cool Wall

Did we get it right? Qualifying didn't exactly go well, The Hound is hoping for a miracle or that at the very least both Ferrari's are DNF, either way.

Off to select a pair of **** me shoes for this evening.

à demain xoxo

Don't phone....it's just for fun.

Can't you tell that this is all just a contest?

The one that wins will be the one that hits the hardest

But baby I don't mean it

I mean it,

I promise

Da da da, da da