Planning a trip with Mabel this week to the Geffrye Museum to explore their flower exhibition, from tussy mussies to mixing china flowers with real, it’s a question us flower girls, with sweaty brows and ripped fingers always ask. Jeez louise why do we do it? Going to have a nosey and report back.

xxx

Pensees for the weekend…what to wear mid-winter at the stall?

Can we get away with lace, wellies and frou frou’s in December?

And how to thank the dear darling foliage boys at the market?

Luggage labels, ribbons, wreaths and painting french furniture are playing a starring role this weekend a week before we tentatively open the pop up flower shop.

It is of course pouring with rain in London rendering painting and wreath wiring atop the tug…impossible. I weep, this and the hungry fox is giving a florist a fever.

There’s only one thing for it, get to drying my rosephips and lavender, a bit of blog inspiration, charmingly cool mentions and Captain cooking a St John classic.

Ooh and a song for a saturday, a flower girl getting an education in Ronnie lane.

xxx

Polaroids by Celeste

There’s something funny about limping into a studio full of gorgeous people.

Apart from the frocks and faces…you are carrying in the other prettiest things.

Flowers for Burberry, with hot autumn columbian roses adorning looked rather fab.

Then there are the thank you’s, Mabel and Hermione. An all star cast.

xxx

I get asked about boat life a lot, how do you do flowers on it? Do you have mice, can the cats swim, does the boat move? The answers are squeak mainly yes.

What’s it like in the winter (effing cold my dears). How does it run? I can’t believe you have a washing machine! There’s even a kettle…Dah dee dah.

So, here for starters are some snaps of the boys pulling up in their blue barge on a sunny day and bringing our delivery of diesel, coals and gas. That’s how we roll.

A great deal of tea is drunk on these occasions and yup those really are Rosie and Jim style canisters. They are as obligatory for boat dwellers as one of these, mugs of tea, electricity cards, giant magnets and a pair of black and white collies.

And for those visitors – mainly boys popping over for a dance – who were concerned I am not in distress anymore, the flag is now the right way up swaying with white bunting, Cath Kidston style in the wind. Patriotic or just pretty?

xxx

Getty, Life and me x

Everyone seems to send me florals, I don’t mind but just as I have a drawer full of porcelain cats and feline salt and pepper shakers, it is an acquired taste.

But I do love these prints by Celia Birtwell, once Hockney’s muse – I’ve done flowers for her and she really does have the most exquisite taste. How sweet are the birds?

This week I’m working on colourways for my Gypsy Rose stuff accompanied by some good jazz to beat the blues. Check out this beautiful french take of Lullaby of Birdland by Blossom and her band. Moi, j’aime. Happy tuesday. xxx

Flowers and breakfast are two of my favourite things and a nod from Dorset Cereals mini blog awards? Most definitely a full fat milk in my coffee moment.

So much so I’ve ignored dinner party flowers, a pail full of hydrangeas that need conditioning, a buttonhole and thirsty marigolds in my cutting garden.

This reminded me why I got Gypsy Rose writing in the first place. Having a beautiful site that I couldn’t update without pulling pony tails was driving me potty so spurred on by other friends fab ramblings, I got tapping away.

It’s an acquired taste I’m sure. Shoe lovers, fellow florists, flowers in your hair girls, culinary cats and interior princesses rate highly, but someone lovely likes it and if you do too, do vote. I may even get to move on their porridge range…

xxx

A quiet week comtemplating The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, a big wedding in Wales, a crazy floral overhaul and new colourways for Gypsy Rose. Red, violet or pink? xxx

This week there’s definitely a blue theme on the boat.

Inspired by a trip to see Grandma, window dressing…and blue ribbons bought on ebay.

Then there’s the imminent arrival of twenty beachballs and O’s mollusc mix on Pinglewood.