Goodbye Darla (Scooter)

When we first opened Saipua about 3 years ago we got a visit from a man named "Mojo" who said he had the perfect shop cat for us. We said, "No thanks," and yet he was back the following weekend with Darla, (whom he had temporarily dubbed "Soapy," an unfortunate nod to our livelihood) a bag of cat litter and some cans of food.

He told us a dramatic story about how she had been locked inside a bodega that shut down over on Columbia Street, and how he had - after several failed attempts - been able to break her out.

She had missing teeth, no voice, and had apparently never learned how to clean herself. The first time I met Darla she jumped right in my lap. She spent a lot of time there over the last few years. But don't get me wrong, she was also gross. A loveable gross I guess.

Last night, after a day of kitty hospice she died. Poor little Scooter, we loved her.

A beautiful photo of Sarafina and her bouquet...by James Ryang

This weekend Amy and I trekked up to Cole Hill Farm Estate to do flowers for a wedding... Leaves were turning and I was pleased to have the excuse to take a three hour drive to enjoy the autumnal scenery. Amy found an old barn, so she was happy I think. The bride described her colors as aubergine and ivory - we took that literally and placed fairy eggplants on the tables along side the flowers.

Some tree peonies popped up in the market this week - I got an emergency text message, and swooped in the next day to grab my overpriced bunch. 5 stems came home - 2 stems went into this delivery. You do the math - the rest stayed frozen in time behind the frosty glass of my flower cooler.
(The last photo is of an anthurium.)

This was an order for two bouquets for a wedding up at Stone Barns...we got these incredible spidery dahlias - never seen anything like them - anyone know what they are called? The bride picked up her bouquets in a neat little box the day before - always makes me a bit nervous - but Eric gave her instructions for keeping it cool and fresh...there's a joke somewhere in there...

broken promises

true, i promised you more photos, and true i failed you yesterday. but in my defense, i was busy planning flower school* over lunch with Nicolette, then busy gorging on more butterscotch pecan cookies before an fairly intense yoga class in which my "crow" failed to fly.

but this morning I'm on it, and it's all coming at you in the next hour. except the kombucha video which eric and I deem as wholly too boring, and frankly kind of gross.

*for more photos from this little porceline vine project click here. My favorite arrangement yet this fall.

double deeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssss!

Working with so many dahlias lately, total knock-outs. maybe 2 weeks left of em....worked this morning to get so many photo's prepped from the weekend, so I'm going to load you up today with posts (and video's if I can figure out how to post them)

And I'm just going to come out and say this: I like lady Gaga now. Just do. Like that song Paparazzi or whatever.