Still Life: Coral Peonies

Hi there! How has your week been? We are doing very well here,  just getting ready for summer and enjoying lots of warm sunshine. Grace asks everyday, “How many more school days till Summer?” I remember that feeling – you can hardly wait to have lazy mornings in your pj’s, endless afternoons running around the neighborhood with friends, hoping to hear the ice-cream truck approaching. No homework. Picnics in the park. Going to the beach. Wearing your swim suit all day. Childhood summers – I have many fond memories…

Nowadays, filling the house with fresh peonies is a sure sign that summer is around the corner. Friends and family have been bringing me bouquets almost weekly! My two little Peony bushes only gave 6 blooms this year. I hope next year will produce a larger bunch. Let me know if you have any tips on making more pop!

I have been challenging myself to arrange some still life compositions to shoot outside of the product shots I take for the shop. This series featuring three amazing, King Peonies in coral was such a delight to photograph. I had to cut myself off. Enjoy…

In case you are wondering, the backdrop is a vintage map of Rome and the other props are vintage goodies I have laying around my studio. It was fun to pull objects together and find harmony and balance in their arrangement. I did my editing in Photoshop using the Rad Lab plugin and I shot with my Canon XS Rebel with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens.

Have a lovely Thursday!

xo,

Ivy

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Claire and the Peony

Hi friends. How are you all doing? Happy Friday. I hope your week has been lovely. It was my second week home alone with Claire while Chris was at his new job and I can honestly say that it went much smoother. Seems like we are finding out own rhythm and schedule. I do miss being able to pop into his office and say hello but I’m adjusting.

The peonies I got for Mother’s Day are in full bloom and are truly glorious. So I thought why not pair my favorite flower with my favorite baby girl…

Claire bear will be 11 months old in two days. I can hardly believe it. Almost a year has flown by and she is desperately trying to walk.

She is enamored with flowers (like her Mama) and always tries to grab at them when she gets the chance.

She was surprisingly gentle with my dear peony and I am happy to report that no flowers were injured during this photo session.

Thank you, Claire for being such a good little model for Mommy.

Have a beautiful weekend!

xo,

Ivy

Winter White Roses for you.

I’m stuck in bed, sick as a dog with the flu. So I won’t say much but I did manage to edit these photos today, so I thought I would share some winter white roses with you. Flowers always cheer me up…

I will be listing this sweet, vintage silver rose bowl in the store very soon!

I hope that you and your family are staying healthy!

xo,

 

May Flowers : Ranunculus

Hello there. How’s life been treating you? Despite the rain, we have had some lovely sunny weekends, one of which was Grace’s 6th birthday. It was a wonderful little family celebration and Grace had a blast.

Since the color pink was her first choice for party decor, I bought home bundles of ranunculus! One of my favorite flowers and a welcome guest at my table after a long gray winter! How can you not love all those ruffles?  To me, they are the next best thing to a peony, which by the way, are sprouting up in my garden! Can’t wait to see them!

After the party celebrations were over, I couldn’t help but do a little photo shoot with these wily blooms. Here are some May flowers for you…

I’m also in love with this beautiful vintage book – a recent find from one of my treasure hunting trips. Don’t you love pretty, old books?

Go treat yourself to a bouquet of fresh Spring flowers!

xo,

Ruffles of Pink and Red

Every week, I try and buy myself a little bouquet of flowers. It’s my treat for the week and it makes me smile to see fresh blossoms on my table. Now that the ranunculus are in season, they have taken center stage in my home for the past two weeks…and of course, I had to take pictures! Enjoy…

Don’t you just love them?…all those ruffles. sigh.

Now, go get yourself some flowers…seriously.  I mean it.

xo,

 

p.s. want more Ranunculus love…go here.

Flowering Branches

We’ve been a having a lot of rain lately and well…honestly… it’s getting a little tiresome but I am taking great pleasure in witnessing the slow bloom of all the flowering trees. Dogwoods, cherry blossoms, camellias. I’ll take them! Give me some brightness and beauty amidst the gray!

This weekend, I plan on going out into the garden and bringing in some of these gorgeous flowering branches. They make the most beautiful display. Inexpensive, dramatic and inspiring you can’t help but want them in your home. Check out these gorgeous images via Style and Home.com…

Don’t you love the deep shades of navy, teal and amethyst and how they contrast against the lightness of the blooms? So lovely!

What spring blossoms are you enjoying where you are?

xo,