Friday, April 27, 2007

Roses...what else could there be?


Well, that is the way most of us Shabby Romantic Cottage Chic decorators think, isn't it? We love to surround ourselves with roses! Whether you abide in a Cozy Studio in the City; a Precious Cottage so dear…a Sprawling Country Ranch or perhaps the Storied Homes of the Suburbs, bottom line is you can’t Not be surrounded by these gorgeous beauties!

On plates, tea cups, towels, table-cloths, trays...yard-longs, still lifes and a dining room table center piece. Roses, Roses Roses! The petals are Unbelievable and SO soft!! When you look at a Rose in the sun, do you notice the prism like sparkle of the petals? The texture is amazing!

They are simply a Requirement in life!

I pass them in the grocery store and can’t continue on without an indulgence of their scent. The fragrance is heady and invokes memories and wonder. All the 'what if' thoughts race through my head. Can you take in the fragrance of that shimmering petal and not long to sit on a covered porch, with a porch swing?

Wouldn’t you have Texas Iced Tea in your hands or Lemonade with Mint or Lavender?

In my mind’s eye, the planks beneath my feet are a faded but well kept country blue, I can hear the hollow clap of a friends tennis shoes and feel the smile before I even look up to her face.

And I relish that comforting hug and the chatter of small talk as I hand her the glass of refreshment, readied in anticipation of her visit.

My swing would be White wood and there would be big porch pillows that don't match, but then again, they do...to sit on or cuddle up to. And no one would wonder how much those pillows cost because the value of them would never exceed the value of that moment with a friend, new or old.

Those pillows might have seen last night’s storm and taken a little toss in the dryer before being returned to the porch swing this morning. And my friend and I would laugh and share, and smile...leaving the realities of this world on the 'other side' of that picket fence.

We would step inside once the sun tipped over the roof…because shade or not, it is hot in Texas. The hardwoods would creak occasionally as we made our way to the far back of the house where we would sit in the bay window at an old Vintage table that slightly tilted North and sported a crisp Vintage White table cloth with a couple non-descript spots on it.

My Yellow Organza placemats and linen napkins would be a subtle contrast but there because I just love that they are hand finished and have a Yellow Rose in the corners. And my Grandmother’s Rose pitcher would hold honeysuckle interspersed with the freshest rose blooms from along the back fence. A small lady bug would invariably make her way to the top of the honey suckle leaves.

I’d pull out the fridge a clear glass pitcher holding the lemons and ice and more sweet tea and my friend would refill our glasses and she would talk non-stop and it would be the loveliest sound! I would bring the two cantaloupe halves out of the fridge, filled with a chunky chicken salad with grapes and walnuts and a little poppy seed dressing and the Best Cheddar Bread muffins would be buttered…and the conversation would never end, the green grass under the shade of old Oak Trees would be a reminder that even in the height of summer, we endure…as we endure life’s less comfortable moments.

And I would ever hold dear that moment in time when the conversation was about everything and nothing and I had the good sense to realize just how blessed I am. rgb(255, 153, 255);">


And then…I would travel on to the frozen food aisle to pick up a carton of Blue Bell and whatever else was on my list…and think about that fabulous fragrance, that promising day dream and count my blessings.

Have a great weekend Y’all!

My Roses and Decals