Summer Flowers

Linked to:

Annemarie's Haakblog, Homework, I Heart Naptime

Malvasia

Almost a month ago we had the pleasure of visiting Monemvasia, a small island -and town- off the east coast of the Peloponnese and yet another magical place where the feeling of having been transported back through time is intense.

I haven't sorted and edited most photos yet -there are numerous- but these are a sneak peek of what this amazing place looks like.

Upon entering the medieval town you imediately start meandering through narrow little alleyways as seen in the pictures. The feeling is breath-taking and treking up to the fortress on the top of the hill is an experience not to be missed.

 I will be back with more photos and information about Monemvasia - also known as Malvasia. 

In the meantime, here are some links to incredible photos, breathtaking views and history, some more amazing history, all sorts of info on modern-day Monemvasia and maps of the island and the city, both Byzantine and modern.

Linked to:

Natasha In Oz, The Dedicated House, Annemarie's Haakblog

Etsy Favourites - Briny Sardines

SealedWithACase - sardine tin iphone case

FriedaPeppercorn - sardine cotton fabric

Ruth Broadway - lino print

vacialanevera - handmade ring with porcelain sardines

CardsByMormorjan - sardines watercolour card

MBTc - box of sardines dish cloth

Etsy favourites is a weekly round-up of some of my personal favourite etsy items.

Click on any image to go to the link.

Bird Of Paradise

I've been making presents for friends and family lately and it's mostly been flower key-rings.

I love making them and they always seem to be warmly received which encourages me.

Plus I love seeing them on the recipient's keys when it's time for those keys to come out.....

This is the only one I managed to photograph before I gave it away.

It's a wild combination of the brightest, happiest colours that I could find, with some of my favourite golden stamens in the centre.

I usually add beads to the centre because I know they will last longer* but I just couldn't resist the stamens this time.

 The leaves are in one of my favourite shantung silk coppery-golds. It's positively luminous and never fails to put a smile on my face. Unfortunately, this was the last of it.....

I'm happy to say that, yes, it was warmly received.

 * these flower keyrings last in great condition for about a year and then start showing the wear....They can be washed and revived provided that their centres are beaded and they do not have metalic parts. I haven't as yet tried washing flowers with stamens.

Linked to:

The Dedicated House, Annemarie's Haakblog, I Heart Naptime

White Flower Hair Pins

Delicate white organza flowers on hair pins.

The thing I love about these hair pins is that you can scatter them over your hair or arrange them in a manner befitting your chosen hairstyle according to your mood. 

There are so many possiblities in the way you can wear them.

These were a custom order for a bride in France.

Dusk

It's summer and the heat is sweltering.

There's nothing for it but to stroll by the seaside come dusk....

Pictures taken at Gytheion, a picturesque seaside town in the lower (Southern) Peloponnese on a recent trip.

Linked to:
Natasha in Oz, The Dedicated House

Nautical Inspired Men's Boutonnieres

Marine blue and white nautical-inspired boutonnieres by Fairytale Flower.

Linked to:

The Dedicated House, I Heart Naptime, The Dedicated House

The Palace Church

 A few more snippets from our Mystras trip.

 Agia Sophia, the palace church, was built between 1350-65 and is situated near the Mystras palaces. This is where the emperor and the court would attend mass and religious functions.

(Some interesting information on Christian monasteries during the Byzantium era from a sign found on site.)

The once-brilliant frescoes inside the church have not survived the centuries unscathed (they were whitewashed under Turkish occupation and the church turned into a mosque) but even in their deteriorated state, they are amazing. This one is the best pictures I took of the interior. 

And here's a view from above.

Some links for you: 

Mystras, more Mystras, Byzantine citadel map (Agia Sophia is No.11), archeological site, images of the palace church , the palaces of the Despot, Mystras engraving of 1686, amazing pictures of the Peloponese.

Linked to:
The Dedicated House, Homework

July Wedding

More custom ordered flowers. These are already en-route to New York for a July bride.

Linked to:

Annemarie's Haakblog, I Heart Naptime, The Dedicated House, Homework

James M. Cain and Mildred Pierce

A year or two ago I discovered HBO's Mildred Pierce and through that I came to discover the author of the original book, James M. Cain.

Having already seen and loved the mini series -which is one of the truest book-to-film adaptations of that I've ever seen- I quickly fell under the author's spell.

These are the 3 James M. Cain novels I've gone through so far: Mildred Pierce (1941), Serenade (1937) and Double Indemnity (1943). I've enjoyed all three and I plan to keep reading more.

Mildred Pierce remains my favourite so I couldn't resist adding some pictures of the super-talented Kate Winslet from the mini series in

glorious 1930s-1940s attire.

You can find some Mildred Pierce links that I enjoyed here, here and here.
For beautiful images of Kate and the mini-series, click here.

Black Flower Boutonniere

I don't know if I've already mentioned this, but I just love making boutonnieres.

And this one was an instant favourite.

I'll be trying it out in other colours soon.

Linked To:
The Dedicated House, Maybe She Made It, Annemarie's Haakblog, I Heart Naptime, Homework