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Hi.

Welcome! I’m Suzanne, the author and photographer of this blog. I hope what you find here informs and inspires you, and brings beauty and calm to your day.

Have a wonderful weekend

Have a wonderful weekend

I bet many of you have your Christmas tree by now. Not us, not yet. We tend to get ours a little later and leave it up a little longer.

The house is decluttered and fairly organized so I guess it's time to get out the decorations and get decorating! So many of my favourite decorations come from a wonderful flower shop right up the street from where we live. Bloomfields Flowers is a gem of a shop, beautiful year round but particularly so during the holiday season.  Today I had the pleasure of popping by before the doors opened to the public and I snapped a few photos to share with you and get you inspired.

So many of the shop's decor items speak to my own sensibility: things made from natural and recycled elements, and items to please a grownup but enchant a child as well. Shop owners Virginia and Jamie have a knack for selecting items that are sophisticated yet whimsical. I especially love the tiny felt animal ornaments: squirrels, racoons, foxes and cardinals. So sweet, and right on trend too. What better way to evoke the season than with greenery and flowers. There's something about decorating with things from nature that suggests the spirit of the season effortlessly. (Click on the images if you'd like a closer look.) There are many options for hanging a wreath in your home, too. They have fresh ones but also several you can use from year to year and update with ribbons, flowers, bulbs and berries. The one in the upper left is made from felt. How beautiful! 

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Plenty of ornaments for the tree to choose from and also a unique selection of decor items for your tabletop, window sill, shelves and mantel, to hang from your ceiling, as well as stand-alone items to liven up a corner of a room.  I love the Three Wise Men made from recycled metal, the birch bark stars and the handmade Christmas stocking.

Lastly, I had to include these dogs, fashioned from twisted and woven newspapers. Not necessarily Christmasy but look how the shop owner donned one with antlers to bring it into the spirit of the season.

If you live in or are visiting the Ottawa area I encourage you to drop by this one-of-a-kind flower shop.

Jamie and Virginia, thanks for the coffee and for letting me photograph your wares!

Have a wonderful weekend.

xo

Finding my Christmas groove

Finding my Christmas groove

One of our favourite things to eat: baked spicy tofu with mango and sweet corn

One of our favourite things to eat: baked spicy tofu with mango and sweet corn