April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hello……anyone there?  And yes, I am still here…thank you to those asking if I am ok.  If a person could have a sound affect added to their body, mine would most likely resonate that of a bee hive in full blown action.  And if you could add an image along with that, it would either be The Roadrunner – you know, the cartoon character that was darting from point-to-point – or The Tasmanian Devil.  I prefer The Roadrunner – he seems to be less messy and a little less crazy looking – and just tone down the agility to a slower motion as if he has worn spine.

I thought I would share this post with y’all because I just LOVE all of the floral paintings that are here and there at The Antique Warehouse.   There are some pretty ones for sale right now and I think the one below is my fav.  This post is actually from The Antique Warehouse’s blog, which I am the author of.

On another note, I took off word verification and now am being flooded with anonymous comments from someone telling me how much they love my blog and if I would be willing to share their blog with my readers.  Being cautious minded, I don’t click on the links – and you should never do this – because who knows what the link REALLY is and my curiosity could potentially harm my computer.  Soooo, I may have to turn the WV back on..but we will see.  In the meantime, ANONYMOUS…whoever YOU are….why not leave your true identity and quit hiding?!!  Step up and be the real deal like us other bloggers take ownership of being. 

Ok…onwards now.  I made my peace.

April showers do bring on the May flowers!  Magical things happen in the springtime with the rebirthing of foliage and the bursting of color from plants offering their first display of flowers.  Birds are happy, bees are buzzing, butterflies prancing, and hummingbirds seeking out their food from their favorite plants.  A lot is going on around us outside and it is always joyful to sit back and pay attention to the beauty that nature offers us – right in our own backyards, too.

We can bring the outdoors in with fresh cuttings of our favorite flowers – either from the local grocer or from our own gardens.  Beautiful pictures and paintings of flowers is another way to add a cottage garden look inside our homes.  Amateur paintings of flowers, vintage floral prints, old books with lovely graphics on the cover and and even dishes with pretty floral patterns can liven up any decor. 

Our dealers are celebrating the season here at the store and are bringing in some beautiful springtime pieces and creating lovely vignettes with these treasures in their spaces.

Some of our favorite pieces are those that are done by amateur artists.  These paintings are often referred to as Sunday paintings or Sunday oils.  Back in time, women often learned how to paint and would master their skills on Sunday afternoons – hence the name Sunday paintings.  In the Victorian era (late 1800’s) it was a requirement of any woman who was “in good standing” to be able to paint and accomplish these skills quite well.

Old needlepoint, frolicking garden angels and English transferware are scattered about here and there.  Pretty vintage pottery pieces are lovely to tuck in a hand-picked bouquet.  These make nice gifts for the special someone, too.

Vintage toleware trays, bookends and door stops offer little touches of nature with sweet flower images.

Garden shelves, cement urns, old milk cans and picket fencing can add that garden feel to any corner.  A little sign of scrabble tiles simply spells out that this is your garden.

When you are done poking around in the garden, why not prepare a nice cup of tea, add a few scones to your floral plate and grab a book to read in your favorite chair that waits for you in your garden. 

Sounds pretty good, huh?  Enjoy your day and enjoy the springtime.