Monday, April 26, 2010

{saving the beauty}

{tuck away some happiness}

I have always been one to press blooms and leaves


my big fat dictionary is my book of choice
I love to pop a few beauties among it's pages
and forget about them....
~

today while pressing some pansies...
my autumn leaves were waiting to be discovered
...pure joy is what I felt
when I saw their scarlet beauty
{awhile back I found my husband's boutonniere
from our wedding
tucked away in a forgotten book...it made us smile}

~

There is not one blade of grass,
there is no colour in this world
that is not intended to
make us rejoice
~John Calvin~

61 comments:

Unknown said...

ohhh I ALWAYS used to do that as a child!!!

jeanette from everton terrace said...

I too loved to do that as a child and with my daughter when she was little as well. Why did I stop? Thank you for reminding me.

Poppies and Sunshine said...

That is such a neat idea to press flowers than discover them later! I will have to do this!

ELK said...

always such a very special surprise when the book is opened..i love seeing the bloom on the dictionary page here

Unknown said...

What a fun idea. Mine pansies are just right. I thought you were on vacation. Now, I'm off to see what I've missed here.

Nite-Night,
Kate

beachvintage.com said...

What a beautiful discovery this wonderful Tuesday Koralee.

trace said...

such a beautiful sweet idea :}

Pamela said...

I used to love to do this as a child! How wonderful to discover it again!
Lovely!
Pamela xo

Sue said...

I used to press flowers often...why did I stop? You have inspired me!

Martha said...

those are joys to discover...especially your husband's boutonneire...how fun that was I bet!

GardenOfDaisies said...

The pansies are such a beautiful color! My daughter used to have (probably still has) a flower press. She would press flowers and leaves and then make crafts. Such fun.

debra@dustjacket said...

Oh this reminded me of when I used to press flowers.
xxx

FrenchBlue said...

An unexpected gift when you open a book and find a forgotten treaure:) It is those simple little things that make us smile so big!!
XO

Maria said...

Hi Koralee! Your imagination and creativity is such a gift! I love how you placed the pansy on the dictionary definition * so awesome!
I find four-leaf clovers in random books... My daughter, Rachael used to love finding them in the clover and then press them. {a really great benefit of not treating our lawn ;o)
I hope your week is going well! When is school out in Vancouver? We go almost to the end of June!
So much happening between now and then!
Take care dear ♥
~Maria

Rebecca @ Belle Blog said...

Hi Koralee,
I am a presser too. My dictionary is filled with beautiful leaves. I think I will make something beautiful with them now that I think about it.
Thanks for coming to my blog. I love jadite. I hope you show us all of yours one day soon.
Rebecca♥

Splendid Willow said...

I have 3 four-leaved clovers in press! (No, they are not fake or glued together - I really am that lucky!)

What a nice surprise to have found your dear husband's boutonniere. Must have brought back amazing memories!

How was your vacation? I think I told you that I would like to retire in Sidney! And my husband went to UVIC 83-89 (classical music). I feel I must have told you this already - but just in case...!

Happy, happy beautiful friend!

Mon

http://www.splendidwillow.com

Kissed by an Angel said...

How lovely!!! Such joy and in the case of your husbands boutonniere, a delightful reminder of a wonderful dau!!!
xxxx

~*~ saskia ~*~ said...

Gorgeous images, I try pressing as much as possible. It's true, al the joy when discovering a forgotten treasure. These days I use my laminating machine to make necklaces or brooches of the pressed items.
Your book arrangement is so pretty, pretty colors!
Have a happy Tuesday, my friend. xx

Unknown said...

Hi Koralee! I used to press flowers when I was a child! A few months ago I've discovered an old pressed flower in one of my childhood books! How fun!

Hugs!
Mara

Kelly said...

I used to do this as a child too!!! I just love the pansys! They are such gorgeous flowers xxx

Amanda (Small Acorns) said...

I was just showing my daughter how to do this yesterday when she wanted to save some special petals. Pansies are the sweetest of little flowers. And your images are so perfect! Amanda xx

Magdalena said...

Hi Koralee, this is such a lovely idea! How sweet to have found your husband's boutonniere, that is just the sweetest.
I hope your day is filled with joy and love
xoxo

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Such a sweet idea. I enjoyed your tour of British Columbia. Your photo mosaics are bright and beautiful! Have a terrific Tuesday! :) Tammy

Auntie Cake said...

Hi Koralee,
You always make me smile! I love pressing flowers and finding them at a later date, when I am least expecting it also. A wonderful reminder of summer.

Beautiful pics!
Have a sunny day!
Kate

Rizzi said...

HI KORALEE,
AS A CHILD I PRESSED FLOWERS, HAD A LOT OF FUN. A FEW MONTHS AGO I BOUGHT A FLOWER PRESS, MUST TAKE IT OUT AND USE IT. HAVE A NICE DAY, RIZZI

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Hello my precious friend! What joy there is in finding a tucked away treasure that means so much! Oh I just love that! May blue skies and blue birds give you happiness today dear one! Anita

Jacqueline said...

Oh Koralee i adore your pressed flowers! They still look so pretty and fresh! I should have done the "press" for the first rose my fiance bought me but i went to hang dry it and the colors doesnt look fresh anymore. Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!

jacqueline
http://jqlinesocuteithurts.typepad.com/

JC said...

I used to put pansies in books. I should do it again ...

Rosie said...

Oh,Your Pansy's are P*E*R*F*E*C*T...no wonder you want to savor their beauty. I have a few pansies tucked into my childhood bible...they represent wonderful little pieces of a time...It definitely makes me smile...Rosie

It's me said...

What a beautiful sweet idea....hugs sweet Koralee............xxxxxxxxxx

Bralliz said...

Hi Koralee!
Oooh, soo soo beautiful!
I love these pictures!
Have a lovely day!
xoxo alice

Randi Troxell said...

i love blooms and flowers of any sort... pressed or lively.. so pretty!

Unknown said...

I loved this post! My mother always used to press flowers and then make things with them.

And that pansy on top of the dictionary by it's definition .... you are amazingly creative! I just truly adore your photography!

Anonymous said...

Oh Koralee..I too am a romantic at heart..and pressing flowers with me dates back to my childhood...when I'd stuff a phone book of all the flowers I'd find on my walk out on the farm in all the fields!
My dad used to look in the phone book only to have a mad sprinkling of dried flattened florals fall out of it! I actually used to get in trouble for 'making a mess'...but it did not deter me from this beautiful passion!

thanks for this sweet post!
you really do have a gift for tapping into the simplicity of life and all of its hidden beauties!

come by Creative Carmelina for today's post!
ciao bella
xoxo

June said...

Koralee I love the quote by Calvin! I love to press pansies and use them to decorate with. Such a happy little flower! Your posts lift my heart daily. Thank you so much my sweet friend.
hugs

Anonymous said...

btw...i have that same big red dictionary too!

love it!

ciao bella
creative carmelina!!!

Karen said...

I used to do that more and haven't as of late. I would always forget where I put them! But, I suppose it would be a great treasure to come across unexpectedly. I'm glad you enjoyed finding your unexpected treasures and sharing those beautiful pansies with us! :>

Anonymous said...

Oh, lovely! ♥

Monica said...

Pressing flowers is so much fun -- and especially finding them after you had forgotten about them. Your pansies are very sweet!!

grace said...

pressing flowers, such a sweet childhood memory..

Luiza said...

Your pressed beauty is wonderful.
Do you frame them?

I think I´ll try to press some flowers too!

Have a wonderful day, sweet Koralee!

Hugs/
Luiza

My Grama's Soul said...

What a lovely post today. You photos, as always, are gorgeous.

Jo

Anonymous said...

pansies always remind me of disney's rendition of Alice in Wonderland. every time i see a pansy, i swear that it talks.

Sewn With Grace said...

I have also found flowers in books that I've forgotten I pressed. What a treasure! Love the pictures!

Anonymous said...

I loved too doing that.In fact I had til about 10 or more years ago some rosebuds I put into a bible.They really got dried up and crumbled when I touched them.But isnt it so nice to open up a book and see what maybe you had forgotten about,and smell the page,lol.

Happy New Week!

Coryanne Ettiene | Kitchen Living with Coryanne said...

I just did this with the first blooms we had in the garden, I thought it would be a nice way to remind myself of my English garden once we land in Arizona...great minds think alike. Enjoyed the post, thank you.

A Casa da VĂ¡ said...

i haven't; done that in ages...

yeah your blog is lovely too, thank you for the visit!

^_^

Rosie said...

Hey sweet one,
I drive a little dark grey bug...when you see her at the side door..."Rosie's in the House" {or} usually Thursday or Saturday...would love a wee "heart to heart"...smile on ...
you know who :)

Cristie said...

So true, so true! We do live in a beautiful world. God has given us such a gift, we just need to stop a moment and enjoy it.

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

I,too used to press flowers. I remember, when I was quite young, I bought a massive family bible from a jumble sale and, inside were lots and lots of pressed flowers. It was lovely, discovering them all.
I love pansies. They have smiley faces don't they !! XXXX

LuLu said...

Such a lovely treasure to find in a book. Thank you for the reminder to tuck a bloom in a book. :)
xo,
LuLu

Helen McGinn said...

I do that too! :O) x

Draffin Bears said...

Beautiful post and photos today Koralee.
I love pansies, and do the same press them and they are so lovely on cards.
I hope that you are having a lovely week, dear friend.

Hugs
Carolyn

Tiedupmemories said...

Very Sweet! Love that quote too!

Elyse said...

oh koralee, this is just a perfect post.

i used to press flowers when i was about 10. i kept them in a shoe box labeled "pressed flowers" written in blue glitter. thank you for triggering that sweet memory.

xo
elyse

fernandflora said...

Beautiful photos... I had a flower press kit when I was in highschool but my favorite mode of pressing was in old books and journals too. And you're right - finding them from long ago all pressed and aged is a delight. xo!

Cornflakes and Honey said...

Oh pansies are gorgeous flowers aren't they?

I used to press flowers as a little girl, I shall have to revisit this bliss!

red ticking said...

i have loads of treasure tucked away in my bible.. each time i open it i find a flower, leaf or photo... just love it.. xx

Victoria - Florence and Mary said...

I haven’t pressed flowers since I was little but oh how this posts makes me want to do it again.

Victoria xx

Alexis said...

How do you keep the flowers from drying up and shriveling? Everytime I try to press flowers, after a while they're so brittle and have turned brown. :(

Or is the humid air here in the Philippines too humid for pressing flowers?

D. Jean Quarles said...

Thank you for making me smile today. Pressing flowers was something I would do and then send the finished products to my mother.