MS Design Maven

Monday, February 13, 2017

Everything's Coming Up Roses

ROSES!

Everything's coming up ROSES! Well, at least in my mind, for the moment.

"And the shower of ROSES spun around me, inviting me to take part in their
ever-present waltz."
Gina Marinello-Sweeney

Just the thought of ROSES on these gray, drear winter days makes me feel ebullient.

It all started on New Year's Day......

........back in the early 1960's. Nanny was in the kitchen cooking the mandatory New Year's Day meal of ham, cabbage (for money!) , black eyed peas and hog jowl (for luck!), and THE cornbread.

(For THE cornbread recipe go HERE.)

l love the Camellia black eyes. Ok, not ROSES, but close!

New Year's black eyes soaking in my sister's retro warehouse kitchen
a few New Year's back.

I heard her excited exclamation, "The Tournament of Roses Parade is coming on in living color on NBC, Channel 5!"

"I believe in ROSES. Oh God, yes! I do believe in ROSES! And I believe in lots and lots and lots of them, too!"
C. Joybell C.

1940 Tournament of ROSES Queen Margaret Huntley Main,
pre living color days

Nanny seemed to always watch Channel 5, NBC,
so I have many fond memories of the Peacock spreading its colorful wings.

1966's 77th official Tournament of ROSES parade program
The theme was "It's a Small World".

1966 Tournament of ROSES Queen Carole Cota
She was pictured in living color,

From the first float, I was hooked on the parade, the excitement, the flowers, the COLOR, the ROSES!

1966 Tournament of Roses Parade Grand Marshall Walt Disney
I was just the right age to love this!

Queen Carol and her Court

Another colorful Peacock!

I was all set to watch the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day 2017, but New Year's fell on a Sunday this year, so I had to wait one more day, one more gray, wet, drear, winter day for COLOR, for ROSES.

On this cold, winter day, Kenny is beginning the winter planting for a new orchard
and gardens in front of the horseshoe.
He's starting with the fig trees, but ROSES are coming!

"I'd love to have the whole place
swimming in ROSES."
James Joyce

But I realized it was just the Parade of Roses that was a day away. I didn't have to wait.
I could see ROSES were everywhere.......

Au currant Fashion

ROSE, NOT Rose-colored sunglasses
Dolce and Gabbana

ROSES on the coat....

Dolce and Gabbana winter ROSES coat

Dolce and Gabbana Spring ROSES coat

ROSES on the dress.....

Dolce and Gabbana Spring 2017 ROSES dressing is in full bloom!
I love the shear ROSES skirt.

Dolce and Gabbana

Dolce and Gabbana
ROSES and leopard!

Roses on the bag...

Dolce and Gabbana

ROSES on the toeses....

Dolce and Gabbana

The art of one of my favorites Cy Twombly

grew many colored ROSES...

"ROSE,

O pure

Contradiction,

the desire

to be no ones

Sleep

under so many

Petals"

ROSES of many colors!

Designer fabrics from one of my favorite fabric houses Designer's Guild are ROSY...

Designers Guild has a Couture ROSE fabric collection, here Fuchsia.

Couture ROSE draperies

Technically, according to Designers Guild,
these are peonies, but they look ROSY to me!
I love the mix of stripes and ROSES.

I love to cover antique chairs in vibrant, bright, unexpected fabrics.

I fixed myself a little high tea (and a bit of coffee) with my New Year's champagne and settled in with ROSES........

Add a ROSE to a cup!
Even a single ROSE makes a cup of tea MORE special.
The china and linen were already special.

I love adding dried organic ROSE petals and ROSE syrup to champagne.
I call it a Posy Potion.

And of course tea is not complete without a bevy of sweet treats...

Sugared ROSE petals on my cake

Jasmine ROSE macaroons
WITH a touch of my gilding!

Creamy ROSE iced cupcakes

Perusing for hours my Jackson and Perkins catalog, making plans for my new

ROSE garden. Kenny will have a lot more planting to do soon.

Order the bare roots, baby!

My favorite ROSE is Double Delight. I will order several of these. Her color and fragrance are unsurpassed.

Jackson and Perkins' Double Delight
I do love this ROSE!

I am also ordering three ROSES new this year,

Jackson and Perkin's Daring Spirit
I think it's apt!

Jackson and Perkins' Elegant Lady
It could be apt!

Jackson and Perkins' Voluptuous
I know it's apt!

"When you transplant a ROSE, transplant

the reddest one."

Marty Rubin

And I still had the 2017 Tournament of ROSES Parade the next day on January 2nd!

The official downloadable program
2017's 128th ROSE Parade

2017 Tournament of Roses Queen Victoria Castellanos
I want those red ROSES!

Queen Victoria and her Court

The parade is over, but there is ALWAYS Paris, with ROSES, in the spring!

The unsurpassed ROSE shop
ROSES Costes Dani ROSES
at the Hotel Costes in Paris
It's a tribute to Josephine Bonaparte's love of ROSES

Meanwhile, I will be dreaming about the garden, THE ROSES....

And listening to the strains of this 12 string guitar, Rosie.

Ed has already serenaded me with his new acoustic 12 string
with ROSES

"I've come to believe that the true
splendor of roses shine through their refection in the eyes of our loved ones.
That is why we give roses to people we love;
to show them the reflection of beauty and splendor of love in our own eyes, as we see it in their eyes."
Mawuena Addo

Hope your 2017 has opened with blooming ROSES!