Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Lilacs and lily of the valley....sweet scent~sations.

Springtime is one of my favourite seasons.
Fresh air, milder days and longer daylight hours.

Blooms
intoxicating scents
blosssoms
lilacs and lily of the valley...

loving white blooms as I do I cannot resist picking a handful.

Fortunately I can open the door and venture a few feet along the gravel path and snip off some lilac blooms.
Picking the lily of the valley simply requires that you pull straight up and firmly and they come up clean.


I cut into the woody lilac stems to help them soak up water...
longer lasting ~ less wilting
heady fragrance.



Pretty too, do you agree?


sweet little blooms
"lily of the valley" 
sounds like a humble country plant 

"muguet de bois"
 feels ever so much more elegant!

What's a name 
when they are such a perfect posy...


I think that white always makes a statement 
subtle yet stunning
~ ~ ~
simply elegant.

If pearls were flowers 
they might be muguet de bois...

Pearls are sublime...
I love the creamy lustre that they radiate.
and they go with everything...
jeans 
a LBD 
cashmere sweaters
silk nightgowns
linen
wool
cotton
fur

Take care not to let them come in contact with perfume or cologne
which strips the nacre of the pearls 
and to my knowledge nothing can be done to repair them after that.

Have your pearls hand knotted between each bead and have them restrung them every few years.



Do you know how to tell if pearls are real?
  you gently rub a pearl on your tooth and if it is natural it will feel gritty


Chester tried testing this strand...
rather a cheeky little move don't you think?

When our children were babies Mother wore her baroque strand of opera length pearls
and she let them chew on them.
She did draw the line when they tried to tug at them though!

Are you wearing pearls with what you have on today?
Do drop me a comment if you have time I'd love to hear from you.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wear pearls everyday , no matter what I am wearing even my painting outfit , or my work clothes. Pink Pearls , cream pearls , beige pearls I love them all. Donna

Lorrie said...

I'm not wearing my pearls today, but I do often. Although, come to think of it, I wear my pearl necklaces, long or short, more in winter than summer. But my pearl earrings (drops or studs) I wear all year long. I do love them.

Coulda shoulda woulda said...

Not today - I do have a pendant that I wear but funny enough pearls are one of those things that I wear when I feel good otherwise I feel like I am sullying my pearls. I do want a three strand pearl necklace that can double up as a back necklace though...Just have to choose between a beigy or a pinky pearl.

Paula said...

No I don't have my pearls on today. I do love my grey strand with matching stud earrings that hubby gave me. Somehow I seem to think that pearls are more for winter.

Duchesse said...

I usually wear pearls! Paula, nothing says 'summer' like a pink or peach pearl and whites are beautifully versatile all year round.

You are correct, hostess, that once the nacre is damaged, most pearls are not recoverable. Pearls with thick nacre can be buffed to remove surface scratches and light discolouration, but nothing can be done with peeling, pitted or very blotchy pearls. Anyone buying pearls should either work with a trusted jeweler or learn to assess nacre thickness.

Sandra said...

Such a lovely site. I do adore white flowers and your setting is so pretty. So sorry I don't have white pearls on today. Went walking and ( WW also) and I'm still in my sweaty clothes. But it's a treat to see your visuals.

Sady

Ginger said...

Hostess your flowers are gorgeous! I have read your delightful blog for well over a year and enjoy every one of your posts although this is my first time to comment. I love pearls however I do not wear my short strand very often. I do admire how you wear your pearls with everything! You seem to have a natural way of bringing out the beauty in everything you do and I thank you for sharing.

mette said...

Lily of the valley is widely wild over here too, but only the leaves are visible at this time of the year.
i like to see it growing wild.
I wear my strand of pearls when " on the mood ", not daily, not even weekly.
It would look really odd to wear them doing my stable chores ; ).

Jill said...

Oh I love this post, the flowers and the pearls are sublime! I have a Mikimoto bracelet with tiny pearls on it and I noticed a few of them have lost their nacre, which makes me so sad, because I believe you are right, nothing can be done to repair it. And now I never wear the bracelet because I feel so bad about the whole thing. This post reminds me I am on the hunt for white begonias for my front stoop. They have been strangely hard to find around here, only available in pink and red. I have my heart set on white! Think about joining Adrienne and me for 'How I Wear My: Florals' in June. We'd love to have you with us, maybe in a black and white floral print, if you own one? Just a thought! XO, Jill

Judith said...

Spring what is that,4 miles from here yesterday 2 inches of snow fell yikes!!
There is an old English tradition that lilac is unlucky when brought into the house,bah humbug or true?
Your's looks charming,as does the posy of lily of the valley.
No pearls worn today busy in the house, and grounds,so no jewellery worn today. Make sure your pearls are re strung on silk thread only,just a thought.

mette said...

Snow over there? WoW!

materfamilias said...

Aren't the gardens fragrant right now? The arbutus flowers have the air smelling like honey right now -- their height really seems to disperse it all around . . .

Pondside said...

This post is like a balm after my long day. I could sink into the fragrance of the lilacs and lily-of-the-valley. When I travel for work I wear very little jewelry, but always a pair of pearl stud earrings. I don't wear anything around my neck at work, but on weekends or if I'm just in the office I usually wear a string of pearls.
I'm SO looking forward to our walk next week and seeing more beautiful flowers.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

You are in town aren't you?
We should arrange to meet up sometime soon.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

You need to be comfortable in your own skin so if pearls do not work for you so be it.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I think that grey pearls are very chic.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Duchesse...I think that you and I could wear our pearls every day and maybe even to bed!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you Sandra!
Walking is really helping me with my point count...

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Ginger I am so happy that you commented today.
I hope that you will be back soon.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Pearls and horses probably do not mix well!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I will try to join you both but I may be challenged to find some florals.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

oh snow really?
Yes silk thread is essential...
Really lilac in the house is unlucky? Why?

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

The arbutus trees outside our door have flowers but I have not been aware of their scent...
I hope that you have a great weekend mater!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I too am looking forward to our walkabout and a comforting tea...
perhaps we will both wear our pearls!

LPC said...

Beautiful. I wonder if lilies of the valley grow in my region. I think not - we are either too warm or too dry or both.