zaha hadid and the fingernail mystery

this morning we packed up flora with a rainy day picnic, peanut butter sandwiches and braved the drizzle to visit the new transport museum in glasgow. it's the first time i've been inside a zaha hadid building so i was quite curious. i can report it is very curvy...and neon.

it was all going great guns until greta somehow mysteriously ripped her nail and we had to leave. i suspect she may have put her finger in the pencil sharpener she was playing with all morning. who are we to reason why.

i found this today too via fellow glaswegian jolene about an everyday practice to keep creative inspiration alive. sometimes i feel like i'm drowning in the stuff and then other times all i can do is stare at a wall or sleep. weird. anyway, if you like the sound of that jump to the end of the link for the basic tools download.

i'm back on the flowers at the weekend, should anyone still be tuning in.

yes

Q&A thursday: sarah ryhanen of saipua

how/why you got into the flowers

my boyfriend and business partner eric got me a bouquet of black dahlias for my 25th birthday. at the time, my flower knowledge was limited to roses and tulips. i arranged and re-arranged this bouquet 40 times. i was hooked on flowers after that. whenever we have a tough weekend with events at saipua now, i remind him of that bouquet, and let him know it was all his fault

on your current playlist

grace jones, billy ocean, peter paul and mary, grace slick, vangelis (always always when i'm alone and no one can complain), joni mitchell a lot lately; late summer asks for her by name i feel...what else...ke$ha. there is nothing better than cheap pop in the studio...

savoury or sweet?

sweet

best ever flower (for this week at least)

THIS IS AN UNFAIR QUESTION

tipple?

i take a very dry martini with olives

your most unappealing habit

most unfortunately, i wake up at 6am every morning like clockwork

couldn't live without

my staff deanna and asheley. they keep things fun and light at the studio, have immense energy, and are fucking tough like bears. it's crazy what these girls can lift. and my parents; always my coaches, my moral compasses and my best friends

favourite website(s)

i try to avoid the internet these days, there's too much regurgitation and i find it's a time drain that leaves me feeling rather empty. but i do look at the NY times every morning, if that means anything. to see if the world's going to end that day. and i read the floret blog

what makes your heart sing

time alone with a glass of wine at dusk and joshua tree on the record player

tell me a secret

in general i'm a bulldog, but i do cry at weddings. EVERY GOD DAMN WEDDING. i hide it pretty well though

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saipua is in new york. sarah's beautiful blog is here.

the decemberists poster by sean freeman

the september issue

i just got the september issue of vogue. it's always such a tome isn't it. i just hauled it across town with my laptop and nearly pulled my arm out. 

i'm salivating over the house of j crew's creative director jenna lyons, shot by todd selby. it makes me lust for my pretend life in a brooklyn brownstone. a glasgow suburb doesn't have quite the same ring to it. is brooklyn as cool as it seems to be online, it's got to be a bit crap in places just like anywhere else, right?

here is a secret. sometimes i play this really stupid game in my head. in it i fantasise about the phone ringing with the most amazing job ever. like really, really, amazing. it's most likely abroad, somewhere exotic. this job requires that i need the best SWAT team on the job, the best minds and hands in the business. 

in this stupid game i can take anyone i need to, so i like to spend time thinking about who would come in on it. a bit like fantasy league football, but it's with flowers and florists so it is infinitely better. we'd completely kill it of course and then this crazy good flower team we'd assembled would be in demand all over the world. there would be applause, plaudits, a standing ovation and probably lots of awards. oprah would call, there would certainly be a book deal.

i could run with this for a while but i'm presuming you get the idea.

i also spent a large part of last night's evening watching this over and over.

Q&A thursday: lewis miller of LMD

i'm even more excited about doing this now that some of the replies are coming back in, it's just so fascinating to hear a little of the personality behind the people i admire from afar. the general plan is to include florists of all different size and scale here; from the smaller one-man-band studios to the larger event companies, i think we can all learn something and learning is always good, right?

for the inaugural Q&A thursday i bring to you the utterly charming lewis miller from new york's lmd design. his work is amazing and i am so delighted he agreed to take part.

how/why you got into the flowers
i am a farm boy and garden designer at heart. i was born in the country and love all that it represents. my education is in landscape and garden design, but i love the quick pace of party and floral design. it's all over at midnight - and off to the next one!

on your current playlist
the killers, goldfrapp, beyonce, madonna, lady gaga, glee. i really only listen to music when i run or drive so it's always upbeat pop

savoury or sweet?
i have such a sweet tooth

best ever flower (for this week at least)
a toss up between ranunculus or english roses cut directly from the garden

tipple?
oh i love all of my children equally but currently i am loving hendricks and tonic made with fresh cucumber and lime juice that i make with my new juicer. ha ha! one way to get fresh juice in your diet

your most unappealing habit
oh, this list is long, but i get accused of mumbling - which i think is horrid! but i argue that i am just talking to myself

couldn't live without
i would rather not live without sharpies, santa maria novella, my two wire fox terriers teddy and brian, linen sheets and steak tartar

favourite website(s)
first thing i check the weather and check my bank accounts. then for inspiration anoushka hempel, isaia (i love the opening sequence) and le sirenuse (the most beautiful hotel in the world - was there in july and have to check back often for a quick fix)

what makes your heart sing
beautiful european interiors and gardens

tell me a secret
pink is one of my very favourite colours. maybe my favourite. soft blush, pale rose, shell - nothing bright or garish

Q&A thursday

listen up! i'm going to be doing a new* blog feature, commencing this week. boxfresh, people. fresh outta tha trap.

each and every thursday a spectacular florist (i'm not kidding) will be answering 10 grilling questions put to them by britain's top flower reporter. as they say in newcastle upon tyne, it's going to be proper mint like.

the first interview kicks off this thursday, so set your watch folks.

*i say 'new' as if many have gone on before, which of course they haven't. but who knows? this could be the start of something beautiful for all of us...

stop me if you've heard this one before

those tuning in from the states probably already know all about craig cramer and his bloom day scans. what can i say, i'm in the UK and sometimes news travels slow... 

for the past four years he's produced a series of scans almost every month to record flowers and plants as they move through the seasons. the simplicity of the process really appeals to me and the notion that you can make such a beautiful outcome in artfully employing the scanner function of a cheap home printer.

go here for the how to.

times that be good

chez lotte and bloom

we are currently living in chaos. i don't know where anything is, there are piles of stuff all over the stairs. there is a cast iron bath sitting in our hallway. it is driving me a bit crazy. 

in my head my house looks like this* but in truth the reality is slightly more regrettable.

the old flat was featured in a couple of interior magazines, so a few months ago one called up to see if they could do a piece here. inside my head i thought: are you out of your mind? somehow this was actually verbalised as: sure! no problem, just give me a couple of days to tidy up. when i told rob he nearly fell off his chair and said in what world is this house ready for a magazine feature. he's much more realistic than me. i say yes way too much when i should be saying non.

still, things often get a whole lot worse before they get better, right? RIGHT?

* i know i swore off pinterest but i'm seemingly being drawn back in to that addictive little sucker.

pumped up pumpkins

this is the last wedding of what i officially call summer. from now on in we shift gradually towards autumnness and i have to say i will welcome the change. i think in terms of flowers it could be my favourite season, and i don't tend to bandy about those kind statements lightly. 

i really loved the way this one turned out but due to a catalogue of unforeseen events it was somewhat of a white knuckle ride. to put you in the picture by 07:30am yesterday i had managed to accrue a panic buy haul from the market (i bought anthuriums), suffered the indignity of being flashed by a speed camera and faced up to the sinking realisation that i had left my camera on a wall. this job is not for the faint hearted, i tell you.

desiree dolron

incredible, ethereal, thought-provoking photography by desiree dolron.