February's Violet

The birth flower for February is  the violet .  In the language of flowers, the violet signifies watchfulness, loyalty and faithfulness and  tells the receiver that you will always be there for them.

To Victorians, a white violet says, "Let's take a chance".

and a colored Violet says, "I'll always be true".

Photo Essay- On Why I Love Savannah

The Paris Market

Nourish

The Lucas

The Marshes in Isle of Hope

The Dunes and Sea Oats on Tybee Island

THE FOOD

Zunzi's

Sweet Potatoes

Crystal Beer Parlor

The Crab Shack

AJ's Dockside

Back in the Day Bakery

and more...

The Literature

And all things slightly off center...

And so many other reasons- More to come!

Art in Bloom

Yellow Canary's Kristen Sekowski was honored with the invitation to present at The Cincinnati Art Museum's Art in Bloom; an annual event in which designers interpret works of art from the museum's collection. Kristen's inspirations were the Dutch Masters Still Life collection.

 Ars longa, vita brevis (Art is long, life is short)

 Painted images prolonged the experience of nature.  Finely painted flowers brought tremendous pleasure during a cold Dutch winter.  Permanence was considered a great virtue of art-it outlasts nature. (From Still Life Painting http://www.nga.gov/kids/DTP6stillife.pdf).

One Last Burst of Fall: Autum Party at Gorman Heritage Farms

Yellow Canary was thrilled to be a part of a recent Fall party that was held at Gorman Heritage Farms.  The weather was wonderful and the rustic farm was the perfect setting!

Ah, Mr. Darcy

A little Jane Austen break...

Proposal number one.

Proposal two.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Starks/Boll Wedding at the Museum Center (September)

Feminine shades of blush and fuchsia with hearty accents of wheat and eucalyptus brought together with dreamy whites for the Starks/Boll wedding at the Museum Center in September.

Diner en Blanc - Cincinnati

(From the Website) At the last minute, the location is given to thousands of friends and acquaintances who have been patiently waiting to learn the “Dîner en Blanc's” secret place. Thousand of people, dressed all in white, and conducting themselves with the greatest decorum, elegance, and etiquette, all meet for a mass “chic picnic” in a public space.

Yellow Canary was honored to be a part of the secret for this year's Diner en Blanc. (Photo by Scott Beseler Photography)

Born 25 years ago in Paris...

Launched with just a handful of friends by François Pasquier over 25 years ago, Paris' Dîner en Blanc now assembles nearly 15,000 people each year. The French capital's most prestigious sites have played host to it: the Pont des Arts, the Eiffel Tower site, Place Vendôme, the Château de Versailles, the Esplanade de Notre-Dame, the Esplanade des Invalides, the periphery of the Place de l'Étoile, the Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde and this year:  Le Louvre Pyramid and the Trocadéro Esplanade at the ame time! The Paris police tend to tolerate this ‘wild' gathering, if not perhaps even wishing they could join in!

More photos by Scott Beseler Photography here.

Dia de Muertos

Yellow Canary had the pleasure of being a part of Lizzie and Mike's Dia de Muertos inspired wedding.  It was a fresh and creative event so full of color and imagination! (More photos to come)... 

About Day of the Dead 

Dia de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—is a holiday celebrated on November 1. Although marked throughout Latin America, Dia de los Muertos is most strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition originated.

Dia de los Muertos honors the dead with festivals and lively celebrations, a typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, brought to the region by Spanish conquistadores. (Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, minor holidays in the Catholic calendar.)

Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. Dia de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Dia de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.

                               The Masks


The most familiar symbol of Dia de los Muertos may the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, as parade masks, as dolls. Calacas and calaveras are almost always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy clothes and entertaining situations.

The mask to the right is the work of local artist Robyn Roth. You can see more of her work and masks here.

Yellow Canary Couple: Rene and Matt

Such a vibrant wedding for Yellow Canary couple, Rene and Matt.  Their early August wedding was bright and original with plenty of fun and romance.  Their reception, or "Matt - Ne" was held at the 20th Century in Oakley; photos by Geradine Ciulla Wedding Photography. 

Floral Travels: Okefenokee Swamp; Folkston, Georgia

The Okefenokee Swamp in Southern Georgia has some of the most breathtaking views and  spectacular wildlife!  Okefenokee means "land of trembling ground" in Native American tongue and the earth really does tremble due to the the spongy detritus that comprises the earth of the Okefenokee Swamp.

I have taken two trips to the swamp and it never ceases to amaze me with its resilience, peace and beauty.  There is an abundance of alligators, turtles, birds and waterfowl to observe and the plants, flowers and grasses will blow you away!  The juxtaposition of the bright green grasses and the "blackwater swamp" is artistic and natural. The swamp is both romantic and eerie and it flows at a slower pace than the outside world.  Prepare to breath deep and slow. (VG)

The Carnivorous Pitcher Plant

American Alligator

Swamp Iris

Drawing Inspiration: The Dress and the Flowers

Local Beauty:The Cowen Lake American Lotus

A weekend trip to Cowen Lake was a voyage into a wonderland.  The lake has an amazing jungle of American Lotus flowers.  Kayaking through the leaves and blooms and the array of wildlife was a unique and exciting experience.  The height if the plants gives you the feeling that you may be in another wold, a world in which you are tiny and the plants loom large over your head.

The leaves of the lotus, which can be more than 2 or 3 feet across, repel water like quicksilver and have a delicate angel-shaped center.  They can be on the surface of the water or up to 3 feet about the water level.  The leaves are amazing, but the blooms are worth the drive to see!

The blooms to the lotus are a beautiful buttery yellow with am exotic seed pod in the center.  Even after the petals fall away the plant is a sight to see it is textured and organic and frankly out of this world.