August is nearly at a close and over the last few days I have noticed Autumn slowly start to unravel, if you look closely the oak leaves are starting to curl and pass their best, the mornings are chilly and I saw the tiny white beginnings of snow berries on a hedge at Blair Atholl.
It has been quite a month, a month full of flowers, friends and feet finding. My flowers have decorated the Edinburgh Military Tattoo which I was lucky enough to be invited to see as well on a warm clear night. It was magical and filled me with nostalgia as I remembered sitting in the stands as a child with my siblings wearing bin bags to keep dry whilst the pipes and drums kept us warm.
To Salisbury we went to do flowers for the loveliest bride in a beautiful place working with a wonderful team of caterers and organisers who fed us well and gave me tips and advice and made me laugh with stories of previous events. We covered the rafters and tables in the old barn with rich Wiltshire greenery and the leading lady of the weekend was a beautiful orange rose from Columbia.
The last week took me North of Edinburgh to Blair Atholl to do the flowers for the International Horse Trials there. It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I left my workshop with my tent and wellies, not knowing what to expect nor knowing what was expected of me. All my worries evaporated within seconds as I was introduced to the team I would be working with and the course I would be ' decorating'.
Blair Castle sits large, white and regal in the middle of it's beautiful estate, the land is wild yet well cared for and across this ground is where riders and steeds from across the world as well as the country test their skill, courage and fitness tackling the three elements of an international 3 day event- dressage, cross country and show jumping.
My small contribution to this incredible event was to decorate the fences for both the cross country and show jumping with silk and real flowers and Blair Atholl greenery.
The cross country course is a work of art ..huge looming fences, deep ditches, steep slopes and thick aintree style hedges.. The people who built it are heroes. Peter Wilson and his sons Ben and Chris, Tony Simmonds and Harry Williams. They are five of the kindest, most inspiring and hard working people I have ever been lucky enough to meet. Last week was one of the happiest weeks of my year and it was mainly down to them so for that I am truly grateful.
So now I head into my favourite season listening to this with a spring in my step, a head full of ideas, the belief that anything is possible and feeling that a big part of the puzzle has been found.
Till next time...
Tuesday 28 August 2012
Friday 3 August 2012
A tardy post...
The blog of tales has moved location thus allowing photographs!
These are the works of the incredibly talented and equally gorgeous Julie Davenport who spent a few days with us in Wiltshire shooting us at work for an exhibition at the Royal Horticultural Society's annual photographic exhibition.
The end of July was spent in the most beautiful place I have ever been on the Knoydart Peninsula on the west coast of Scotland with a gaggle of quirky wonderful people- photos and stories will follow.
Since returning from paradise, Tattie Rose's flowers have been installed into the VIP box of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, rusty metal crowns overflowing with eryngium, roses and oak, and huge glass flutes filled with plump hydrangeas and stunning hybrid delphiniums jumbled in with hypericum berries huge branches of oak.. a feast for the senses- now very excited about seeing the show.
The Edinburgh festival has started, the city is alive and swarming and the sun is shining (sporadically). Tomorrow will be the first night of throwing myself into the festival fever as all my friends and I hit the town to celebrate my birthday and the cutting up of my young person's rail card.. sad that Network Rail decides when you are officially post youth.
Life has placed some hurdles on the yellow brick road so keep your fingers crossed and listen to this.
x
These are the works of the incredibly talented and equally gorgeous Julie Davenport who spent a few days with us in Wiltshire shooting us at work for an exhibition at the Royal Horticultural Society's annual photographic exhibition.
The end of July was spent in the most beautiful place I have ever been on the Knoydart Peninsula on the west coast of Scotland with a gaggle of quirky wonderful people- photos and stories will follow.
Since returning from paradise, Tattie Rose's flowers have been installed into the VIP box of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, rusty metal crowns overflowing with eryngium, roses and oak, and huge glass flutes filled with plump hydrangeas and stunning hybrid delphiniums jumbled in with hypericum berries huge branches of oak.. a feast for the senses- now very excited about seeing the show.
The Edinburgh festival has started, the city is alive and swarming and the sun is shining (sporadically). Tomorrow will be the first night of throwing myself into the festival fever as all my friends and I hit the town to celebrate my birthday and the cutting up of my young person's rail card.. sad that Network Rail decides when you are officially post youth.
Life has placed some hurdles on the yellow brick road so keep your fingers crossed and listen to this.
The Lion's month
It has been weeks...
And so much has happened.
So to start, a Midsummer Night's Dream party in Wiltshire. It was absolutely amazing in every way. The people who helped where fantastic and fun, the situation was beautiful nestled in the Wiltshire Deverills, the client was what every flower girl dreams of and the flowers... well though I say so myself and I probably shouldn't, were fabulous. Trees on the tables, made with our own fair hands, full of wild dog rose, pink hydrangeas, roses and foxgloves. The tent poles were wrapped in honey suckle and rambling roses and then scattered with foxgloves. A huge wall of beech divided the marquee and it felt like you were sitting in a forest.
We were photographed at work by the brilliant Julie Davenport. Her photographs are stunning and she put us all at ease as we were shot for a project of hers which will be appearing shortly.
Tink and I headed back up North and recieved a surprise phonecall inviting us to do flowers at the London 2012 Olympic Games. A huge honour to have been asked, a massive task to undetake and a big decision to make. Unfortunately due to all the commitments in August and a slight Geographical hurdle and the annoying inability to be in two places at the same time I have had to turn down the opportunity.. BUT, how many people get to turn down the Olympics?! (positive thinking)
This week our flowers adorned Archer's Hall in Edinburgh for the Royal Week Cocktail party, I think they were pleasantly surprised by the lack of soft ruscus and crysanthemums as I filled the arrangements with delicious blue hydrangeas, delphiniums and phlox. We passed the test and have been invited back next year.
And so the rain continues to poor, I continue to explore and find out more about this city they call 'Auld Reekie'.
And so much has happened.
So to start, a Midsummer Night's Dream party in Wiltshire. It was absolutely amazing in every way. The people who helped where fantastic and fun, the situation was beautiful nestled in the Wiltshire Deverills, the client was what every flower girl dreams of and the flowers... well though I say so myself and I probably shouldn't, were fabulous. Trees on the tables, made with our own fair hands, full of wild dog rose, pink hydrangeas, roses and foxgloves. The tent poles were wrapped in honey suckle and rambling roses and then scattered with foxgloves. A huge wall of beech divided the marquee and it felt like you were sitting in a forest.
We were photographed at work by the brilliant Julie Davenport. Her photographs are stunning and she put us all at ease as we were shot for a project of hers which will be appearing shortly.
Tink and I headed back up North and recieved a surprise phonecall inviting us to do flowers at the London 2012 Olympic Games. A huge honour to have been asked, a massive task to undetake and a big decision to make. Unfortunately due to all the commitments in August and a slight Geographical hurdle and the annoying inability to be in two places at the same time I have had to turn down the opportunity.. BUT, how many people get to turn down the Olympics?! (positive thinking)
This week our flowers adorned Archer's Hall in Edinburgh for the Royal Week Cocktail party, I think they were pleasantly surprised by the lack of soft ruscus and crysanthemums as I filled the arrangements with delicious blue hydrangeas, delphiniums and phlox. We passed the test and have been invited back next year.
And so the rain continues to poor, I continue to explore and find out more about this city they call 'Auld Reekie'.
A little wink goes a long way..
It was such a nice surprise today to walk out of the flat and be greeted by sunshine! I honestly contemplated building an ark on Saturday so it was with great pleasure that I stripped off my arctic coat and cable knit jumper and drove out to my workshop this morning with the window down, raybans on and THIS playing.
It's been an exciting last week, my little flower company featured in The Best Scottish Weddings magazine with a few photos of my work and a lovely write up about what we do. I've had the preliminary meeting to talk about flowers for possibly the most well known event in Scotland.. it's going to be brilliant and I'm so honoured to even have been thought of. Preparations are in full flow for this weekends event, on Wednesday Tink and I have a very long journey to Wiltshire with a van full of flowers and 'trees'.
My resolution to become more efficient with computers and admin based tasks is not going well, I wish the type writer would make a come back..ooh and flares whilst we're at it.
I've got a big idea that I want to put into action, it will involve a little help from my friends but it could be amazing if we can pull it off.
'Til next time y'all
x
It's been an exciting last week, my little flower company featured in The Best Scottish Weddings magazine with a few photos of my work and a lovely write up about what we do. I've had the preliminary meeting to talk about flowers for possibly the most well known event in Scotland.. it's going to be brilliant and I'm so honoured to even have been thought of. Preparations are in full flow for this weekends event, on Wednesday Tink and I have a very long journey to Wiltshire with a van full of flowers and 'trees'.
My resolution to become more efficient with computers and admin based tasks is not going well, I wish the type writer would make a come back..ooh and flares whilst we're at it.
I've got a big idea that I want to put into action, it will involve a little help from my friends but it could be amazing if we can pull it off.
'Til next time y'all
x
“Good, better, best Never let it rest, Till ur good is better and better is best.” Reasons to be a Flower Girl-2
It has been a workshop week, preparing for our big event next week in Wiltshire where we shall be transforming a marquee into a forest! I have nearly lost a finger and cemented Tinkerdog to the floor whilst trying to build the structures of the trees but they are coming along, it's very frustrating when the only obstacle stopping you from achieving something is not being strong enough.
This morning I left sunny Edinburgh.. yes SUNNY Edinburgh, at 5am and headed up to Blair Atholl for an early meeting with the organisers of Blair International Horse Trials where Tattie Rose's flowers will be all over the arenas, fences and jumps. It was so beautiful crossing the Firth when there is only a scattering of cars and that beautiful early calm light. We will be spending 10 days in Blair Atholl in August adorning the equine world with our blooms and I am so excited and honoured to have been asked.
This is a short story because it hurts to type after the uncomfortable grapple between my finger and a hammer but I leave you with a few more reasons to be a Flower Girl...
- You get to visit castles and get driven around like a princess whilst coming up with ideas on how to make the plain, beautiful.
- You get to cook your lunch on a little fire outside your workshop with Brian your neighbour (who has a scary dog that quite fancied Tink and I for its lunch)
- You still get excited about the fact that English stocks are about to come into season (my favourite flower)
- At the end of the day you get to listen to THIS whilst you write to your lovely brides and drink tea.
NEGATIVES
- You may lose a limb trying to cut branches for trees in terracots pots using a jigsawy machine.
This morning I left sunny Edinburgh.. yes SUNNY Edinburgh, at 5am and headed up to Blair Atholl for an early meeting with the organisers of Blair International Horse Trials where Tattie Rose's flowers will be all over the arenas, fences and jumps. It was so beautiful crossing the Firth when there is only a scattering of cars and that beautiful early calm light. We will be spending 10 days in Blair Atholl in August adorning the equine world with our blooms and I am so excited and honoured to have been asked.
This is a short story because it hurts to type after the uncomfortable grapple between my finger and a hammer but I leave you with a few more reasons to be a Flower Girl...
- You get to visit castles and get driven around like a princess whilst coming up with ideas on how to make the plain, beautiful.
- You get to cook your lunch on a little fire outside your workshop with Brian your neighbour (who has a scary dog that quite fancied Tink and I for its lunch)
- You still get excited about the fact that English stocks are about to come into season (my favourite flower)
- At the end of the day you get to listen to THIS whilst you write to your lovely brides and drink tea.
NEGATIVES
- You may lose a limb trying to cut branches for trees in terracots pots using a jigsawy machine.
Reasons to be a flower girl- Part 1
- You get to do your admin sitting on a rock by the sea. (Thank you inventor of 3G) whilst listening to this
- You get to laugh and swoon over peonies with Jed the flower seller at the market
- Your heart is always warmed when you see people's happiness when receiving flowers from someone they love.
- Your clients become friends and put pretty feathers in your hair when you deliver their flowers... (mCm hairdressers, Union Street- best in town)
- You get to pull over for 5 minutes and watch the waves crash on Portobello beach whilst having a natter with a friend who lives too far from you about how amazing the cow parsley is this year (and other much cooler topics too).
NEGATIVES
- Sometimes you get locked in the back of your van. Twice. On the same day. And have to bang on the side and be let out by a confused passer by.
Excited about tomorrow and starting on the structure of the trees for a party in a few weeks.
- You get to laugh and swoon over peonies with Jed the flower seller at the market
- Your heart is always warmed when you see people's happiness when receiving flowers from someone they love.
- Your clients become friends and put pretty feathers in your hair when you deliver their flowers... (mCm hairdressers, Union Street- best in town)
- You get to pull over for 5 minutes and watch the waves crash on Portobello beach whilst having a natter with a friend who lives too far from you about how amazing the cow parsley is this year (and other much cooler topics too).
NEGATIVES
- Sometimes you get locked in the back of your van. Twice. On the same day. And have to bang on the side and be let out by a confused passer by.
Excited about tomorrow and starting on the structure of the trees for a party in a few weeks.
Jubilations
Back in Edinburgh and rushing about meeting folk wanting flowers having had the most amazing weekend spent with family and friends in Dorset. The hedgerows and verges were stuffed full of the most beautiful wild flowers and cow parsley... Enough to make any florist/flower girl want to crowd surf through them ( would have done it but probably would have ended in tears and a lot of nettle stings) .
We drank, ate and danced our way through the jubilee celebrations, had a tea party that would have put the Mad Hatter's to shame, made a crown for Tink which she wore with pride ( I think, difficult to tell) and stripped the garden making beautiful headdresses with honey suckle, cow parsley, scented tea roses and pale pink clematis, and jars of buttercups and meadow flowers for the tables
Sunday night was spent with Lou Lou, Issy and our mother at Taunton cricket ground rocking our hearts out to the legend that is Elton John who was joined by The 2 Cellos, a pair or hotties from Croatia. It was very wet but very fun.
Left Dorset feeling inspired by the wildness that grows on our doorsteps and full of nostalgia for when we were children and when a pond and a bucket would provide a whole afternoons entertainment, and realising that the simple things make you happy
Also wondered, whilst sitting in Bristol train station people watching, whether living in Bristol meant it was compulsary to have a Justin Lee Collins hairstyle?
Anyway back to Edinburgh and back to work.. lots of exciting enquiries and one big event booked for August. Everyone is busy as the summer (debateable) starts to kick off. We are busy preparing for a big 21st birthday party in a few weeks where we will be transforming a marquee into a forest with trees on the tables and huge wild flower balls hanging from the roof, it's going to be magical.
Feeling a bit like it's Monday when really it's Wednesday, and wishing that it would stop raining and the sun would come out, but happy to have been intrigued.
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?
It has been the most beautiful few days and it has affected the spirit of the whole city, there's a spring in everyones step and the parks are full of bodies soaking up every bit of sunshine they can..ok so it's not Rajasthan hot but it's pretty good and it seems it is definitely warm enough for everyone to wear as little as possible, even those who perhaps shouldn't. The Hotel Awards seem a distant memory, the little 'sketch' on my van fashioned by an absolutely hilarious drunk Glaswegian has been scrubbed off and I spent last week preparing for one of the biggest nights of my life... the launch party for Tattie Rose Flowers. A week of greenery cutting and collecting flowers and planning arches commenced with full throttle. On Thursday my friends and family arrived which helped settle some of my uncontrollable nerves. My parents and my wonderful littlest sister Issy came all the way up from Sunny Dorset and seeng them drive down Forth Street towards me immediatly set some of the butterflies in my tummy free. Lorraine arrived fresh from Greece looking tanned and gorgeous and brimming with stories and encouragement, Nabeelah arrived at Waverley from London and her calm aura soothed my angst and excitement. Sometimes I have fleeting moments of feeling very new and very far away from home and as I'm sure all entrepreuners and self employed people know there are times when it can be pretty tough and that it's the people around you and who love you that fire you on and see you through the tricky bits. Having flitted through school paying no attention to teachers or exams and favouring instead adventures, I never felt nervous about the various hurdles and tests they put on the course such as GCSEs and A Levels but I think all those nerves caught up on me last week. This has been my dream for so many years, it has taken a lot of work, a lot of tears and a lot of determination and the launch party marked it's real beginning.
It was held in Archer's Hall which has been used as the Club House for the Royal Company of Archers for 330 years. It is a beautiful old building, steeped in history with wonderful big windows and beautiful paintings. We set to work decorating it
It was held in Archer's Hall which has been used as the Club House for the Royal Company of Archers for 330 years. It is a beautiful old building, steeped in history with wonderful big windows and beautiful paintings. We set to work decorating it
with amazing flowers and as there was no client I was allowed a completely free rein and so I chose all my favourites. The staircase was bound in honeysuckle and beautiful rosa rugosa and scattered through it were ivory spray roses and the palest sweet avalanche and then intricate astrantia and juicy large green hypericum berries. A large arch was constructed over the double doors in the main hall and it was stuffed full of pale pink peonies, white phlox, roses and trailing sweet peas. Through out the buildings there were huge stone urns overflowing with delphiniums, achonitum, white peonies roses and molucella mixed in with delicious spring greenery. At 5 o'clock we stood back and smiled, it looked and smelt beautiful, we had just enough time to try and do the same to ourselves and managed to don our fineries in the cloakroom, slap on a bit of lippy and get a few thorns out of our fingers before the first guests arrived. The whole evening seemed to pass very quickly but it was a great success, all due to the amazing people who helped and were a part of it. Lucie from TLC Scotland made the most mouth watering canapes, they were so good she even managed to tempt a vegetarian away from their strict policies with the sight and smell of her amazing food. Clea played the cello and was joined by the Beeston Arts String Quartet who played the most beautiful music and really made the whole event extra special. Victoria from Victoria's Antiquities made a big impact on the night as usual and I am very grateful for her help throughout the day with the flowers and during the party. I know everyone thinks their family is the best but I really think mine actually are, my Mother's energy and warmth is shared with everyone she meets, she puts people at ease and her wit, humour and sense of fun mean people seem to want to stay talking to her for as long as they can, Isabella my sister has a rare serenity that is so beautiful, she has a vast amount of compassion for people that I have never seen in anyone else and her awareness of others is quite humbling, if there were more people like her the world would surely be a better place. My father is one of the most inspiring and wonderful people I know, I look up to him above anyone and aim one day to be half the person he is and touch half the lives that he has. I will tell of the other two siblings another time, they are equally as brilliant but they unfortunately couldn't make it on Friday. The whole evening was wonderful and everyone had a fantastic night, I am so grateful to everyone who came and each person involved. So now we are officially launched, our wings are spread and we start our ascent to what we hope will be great heights.
National Hotel Awards...tattered hands
Tis the morning after the night before and I am safely back on Edinburgh soil almost in one piece, although my hands look like I have been into battle from the cruel but beautiful Rosa Rugosa and Bridget (the transit van) has a large penis drawn into the dirt on her side door... yes we have been to Glasgow.
I was very honored to be asked to do the flowers for the National Hotel Awards which takes place in the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow's busy city centre. It is organised by PDF Events and attracts nearly 500 hoteliers, chefs and journalists from all over this beautiful country. Tori, Nick, Erik and I were given 25 candelabra and the challenge of making them stand out in 'The Grand Ballroom' which is about the size of a small country. We set to work, spurred on by the oohs and aaahs coming from guests in the hotel and passers by as we constructed our 25 master pieces. Filled with beautiful spring greenery, sweet avalanche, grandprix and coolwater roses, pale pink stocks with beautiful rambling roses wrapping around the base when in position they took your breath away.
We were kindly invited to go to the award ceremony so we donned our Oscar outfits and mingled with the Creme de la Creme of the hospitality world, the atmosphere was brilliant and you could tell for the people in the running for an award that it was a fairly momentous night. At the last minute I was asked to present a couple of the awards, I can't remember which ones exactly as I was concentrating so hard on not falling over or even worse grabbing the microphone and entering into a hearty acceptance speech for an award given to someone else but it was really fun and I felt like the Queen and managed to make it back to my seat with my dignity in tact and my dress firmly where it was meant to be and not tucked into my knickers.
Being part of a large event such as this is a real eye opener. There are so many teams of people working around and with each other and each team has a leader and each leader manages their gang in a different way and thus gets different results.
This weekend I saw many different approaches to 'leadership' as I suppose you would call it, from a strict brisk approach to a more friendly encouraging angle. I enjoy learning about the subtle ways to bring the best out of people and to boost the camaraderie between the folk who help you- I'm pretty lucky as the people who helped me this weekend are the best, I am so grateful, thank you my amazing friends. Speaking of which I made a new friend in Glasgow called Paddy, he helped me dismantle all my flowers and made me laugh a lot when usually I am close to tears during the horrible process, I hope he might be tempted to join us on our next Tattie Rose adventure.
4 days until the launch party... hold onto your horses x
I was very honored to be asked to do the flowers for the National Hotel Awards which takes place in the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow's busy city centre. It is organised by PDF Events and attracts nearly 500 hoteliers, chefs and journalists from all over this beautiful country. Tori, Nick, Erik and I were given 25 candelabra and the challenge of making them stand out in 'The Grand Ballroom' which is about the size of a small country. We set to work, spurred on by the oohs and aaahs coming from guests in the hotel and passers by as we constructed our 25 master pieces. Filled with beautiful spring greenery, sweet avalanche, grandprix and coolwater roses, pale pink stocks with beautiful rambling roses wrapping around the base when in position they took your breath away.
We were kindly invited to go to the award ceremony so we donned our Oscar outfits and mingled with the Creme de la Creme of the hospitality world, the atmosphere was brilliant and you could tell for the people in the running for an award that it was a fairly momentous night. At the last minute I was asked to present a couple of the awards, I can't remember which ones exactly as I was concentrating so hard on not falling over or even worse grabbing the microphone and entering into a hearty acceptance speech for an award given to someone else but it was really fun and I felt like the Queen and managed to make it back to my seat with my dignity in tact and my dress firmly where it was meant to be and not tucked into my knickers.
Being part of a large event such as this is a real eye opener. There are so many teams of people working around and with each other and each team has a leader and each leader manages their gang in a different way and thus gets different results.
This weekend I saw many different approaches to 'leadership' as I suppose you would call it, from a strict brisk approach to a more friendly encouraging angle. I enjoy learning about the subtle ways to bring the best out of people and to boost the camaraderie between the folk who help you- I'm pretty lucky as the people who helped me this weekend are the best, I am so grateful, thank you my amazing friends. Speaking of which I made a new friend in Glasgow called Paddy, he helped me dismantle all my flowers and made me laugh a lot when usually I am close to tears during the horrible process, I hope he might be tempted to join us on our next Tattie Rose adventure.
4 days until the launch party... hold onto your horses x
Music has charms to sooth a savage beast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.
I long to be able to put up photos but my computer illiteracy stops me..I will ask someone with a little know how to help me soon but for now you’ll have to do without and instead call upon your imagination to picture the MOST beautiful flowers I installed into a house on Saxe Coburg Place today. The house is stunning and I was allowed a free reign on the flowers so went for gorgeous blowsy Sarah Bernhardt peonies with green hydrangeas tinged with pink, bupleurem, pale pink spray roses, heavenly scented stocks and a concoction of soft spring greenery.
My travels took me to Pitlochry today with Tori, Bridget and Tinkerdog to deliver a beautiful antique dresser which Tori had worked her magic on, to a lady who is opening a shop selling gifts and accessories. The newly renovated shop smelt of fresh paint and freshly sanded wood, Vicki, the keeper of it, had a sparkle of excitement in her eye about her new business, we chatted about her plans and I left with a spring in my step thinking about my next tread..
Next week it is the launch party of Tattie Rose Flowers and to say I am a bit nervous is just about the biggest under statement of the year but at the same time I am quite excited. All my wonderful friends and family are coming and I get to make flowers which are EXTRAORDINARY! Jaws are going to drop when all our guests see what the Tattie Rose team is going to create, but along with beautiful flowers and food and drink there is going to be beautiful music…enter Clea Friend.
Some of the most significant people in my life I seem to have stumbled across under unusual circumstances, and I love and support the theory of ‘friends at first sight’. When I was looking for somewhere to live in January I looked at a few flats that were for sale as well as for rent, one of these flats was down in the enchanting Colonies of Stockbridge. Clea was the tenant in this lovely flat and showed me around it with her sparkling little girl Maisie. The flat was not right (subsidence- Nightmare!)
but I left the flat knowing that when I moved up to Edinburgh I would have a Friend. When I was a little girl I fell in love with the cello and had lessons on the instrument we hired and named Celeste, perhaps this is what drew me to Clea- ‘birds of a feather’ and all that jazz. Clea is the most incredibly gifted musician and her chosen instrument is the Cello. Second to Maisie it appears music is the heart beat in Clea’s life, it flows through her and, through osmosis when you are around her you seem to feel and sense the rythm even when there’s no sound. She has played all over the world for some of the most prestigious orchestras and when she plays you can’t help but stop and listen to the deep soulful sound she and this beautiful instrument produce as it sends shivers down your spine.
Clea seems to be quite a pillar of the musical scene in Edinburgh, she is the founder of Artisan which is a group of people all with different skills in the arts, but which started with a group of muscians. She also teaches budding muscians privately and is involved in various different missions and schemes including the amazing Tinderbox Project. The Tinderbox project brings together young adults between the ages of 13 and 22 and nurtures their musical skills, allowing them to play, learn and experience contemporary music in it’s many different forms. Jack Nissan, the Director has a dedication which I admire and his gentle charisma makes you feel quite humble. Him and his team of tutors, including Clea seem to have a passion for the music and the bright young sparks they work with and help, they inspire and encourage and their spirit is infectious. They have reignited the musical spark in me and as I’m pretty sure all my friends are sick of hearing me play ‘The House of The Rising Sun’ and ‘Fast Car’ (the only 2 songs I can remember from my guitar playing days) I signed myself up for lessons and today I had my second one- Harry, my teacher has the patience of a saint and doesn’t seem to mind that I turn up looking like I have been dragged through a hedge… keeper x
My travels took me to Pitlochry today with Tori, Bridget and Tinkerdog to deliver a beautiful antique dresser which Tori had worked her magic on, to a lady who is opening a shop selling gifts and accessories. The newly renovated shop smelt of fresh paint and freshly sanded wood, Vicki, the keeper of it, had a sparkle of excitement in her eye about her new business, we chatted about her plans and I left with a spring in my step thinking about my next tread..
Next week it is the launch party of Tattie Rose Flowers and to say I am a bit nervous is just about the biggest under statement of the year but at the same time I am quite excited. All my wonderful friends and family are coming and I get to make flowers which are EXTRAORDINARY! Jaws are going to drop when all our guests see what the Tattie Rose team is going to create, but along with beautiful flowers and food and drink there is going to be beautiful music…enter Clea Friend.
Some of the most significant people in my life I seem to have stumbled across under unusual circumstances, and I love and support the theory of ‘friends at first sight’. When I was looking for somewhere to live in January I looked at a few flats that were for sale as well as for rent, one of these flats was down in the enchanting Colonies of Stockbridge. Clea was the tenant in this lovely flat and showed me around it with her sparkling little girl Maisie. The flat was not right (subsidence- Nightmare!)
but I left the flat knowing that when I moved up to Edinburgh I would have a Friend. When I was a little girl I fell in love with the cello and had lessons on the instrument we hired and named Celeste, perhaps this is what drew me to Clea- ‘birds of a feather’ and all that jazz. Clea is the most incredibly gifted musician and her chosen instrument is the Cello. Second to Maisie it appears music is the heart beat in Clea’s life, it flows through her and, through osmosis when you are around her you seem to feel and sense the rythm even when there’s no sound. She has played all over the world for some of the most prestigious orchestras and when she plays you can’t help but stop and listen to the deep soulful sound she and this beautiful instrument produce as it sends shivers down your spine.
Clea seems to be quite a pillar of the musical scene in Edinburgh, she is the founder of Artisan which is a group of people all with different skills in the arts, but which started with a group of muscians. She also teaches budding muscians privately and is involved in various different missions and schemes including the amazing Tinderbox Project. The Tinderbox project brings together young adults between the ages of 13 and 22 and nurtures their musical skills, allowing them to play, learn and experience contemporary music in it’s many different forms. Jack Nissan, the Director has a dedication which I admire and his gentle charisma makes you feel quite humble. Him and his team of tutors, including Clea seem to have a passion for the music and the bright young sparks they work with and help, they inspire and encourage and their spirit is infectious. They have reignited the musical spark in me and as I’m pretty sure all my friends are sick of hearing me play ‘The House of The Rising Sun’ and ‘Fast Car’ (the only 2 songs I can remember from my guitar playing days) I signed myself up for lessons and today I had my second one- Harry, my teacher has the patience of a saint and doesn’t seem to mind that I turn up looking like I have been dragged through a hedge… keeper x
WeDo Scotland
Those of a creative nature might find as I do that their skills lie in the practical sides of life and when it comes to the more administrative tasks a dark cloud settles and chaos begins to unravel… so another resolution was to try and remedy this aversion I had to all things computer and paperwork related. Not only DID the prospect of getting my head down and doing paperwork hold about about as much excitement as watching paint dry, when anyone so much as muttered the word ‘networking’ I would start shuffling, stuttering and panicking…until I met Belinda. Belinda is the beautiful face, founder and driving force behind WeDO Scotland, an incredible organisation which connects, supports and innovates business’ and entrepreuners. I met Belinda at a dinner party with the TLC girls, where I was seriously over excited about the recent auction purchase of an outrageously revolting 80′s style shoulder padded pink velvet dress which I paraded around in, and amazingly despite my hideous attire Belinda invited me to join WeDO. A few weeks later as I walked along George Street heading for Tiger Lily and my first ever networking event organised by WeDO my legs turned to jelly and the usual panic began to set in… what do I say? How do I network? What if I choke on a canape mid business pitch to someone very important? I tentatively shuffled in and immediatly my worries evaporated, a delicious pink cocktail was thrust into my hand and Holly and Celia from TLC (well hardened networkers) introduced me to various other weDO members, all entrepreuners, all on a similar path (alot further ahead) and all with the same passion for what they do. Beautiful Belinda has become not only a friend but I feel I have a little place under her wing, her encouragement, knowledge and support has helped me and Tattie Rose reach the next step on the ladder and I encourage all other entrepreuners who may stumble across this blog to look up WeDO Scotland and perhaps you may too be lucky enough to find a little spot under it and Belinda’s wing.
The sun is shining, I’m going to go and bask. x
The sun is shining, I’m going to go and bask. x
The Hopetoun Hot Shot
A phrase which pops up regularly (usually accompanied by a pained expression) when I tell people my occupation is ”ooh, all those early mornings…” so whilst ‘decking out’ the Tattie Rose Headquarters I decided that a french day bed would be a practical meets beautiful alternative to a sofa.. this day bed led me to Victoria’s Antiquities and Tori. On the neighbouring estate lies Tori’s antique emporium, nestled below the woods next to a derilict castle it is a scene from a fairy tale. I drove up the track and was greeted by a girl wearing a huge smile, overalls, wellies and brandishing a paintbrush. After deciding on a fair price for the beautiful day bed she asked in a broad yorkshire accent…”do you drink wine?” and we have been friends since. Tori finds, restores and brings life back to furniture and antiques which have been overlooked by people who perhaps slightly lack imagination or time… my eyes lit up as she showed me around her barns and workshop which were full of divine unusual objects, lovingly bought back to life and ready to move into new homes. We soon found that our lives shared common threads, both having lived in India and in setting up business’ on our own and that our two enterprises would compliment each other beautifully and so decided to learn, support and act as back up to eachother’s trades, as so the Tattie Rose Team gained another very important string to it’s bow and Tori’s infectious enthusiasm continues to top up the creative fuel tank.
Our first adventure together took us up North to Crieff to meet a gorgeous bride to discuss flowers for an early Autumn wedding. We made a quick de-tour to pick up a monster of a wood-burner for the TR workshop and arrived at the beautiful old church brimming with ideas and excitement. A few hours and several cups of tea later the plans were finalised… Huge flutes filled with honeysuckle and overflowing with hybrid delphiniums, oak, beech and rambling english roses, thick arches over the doors filled with scented stocks and roses and beautiful innocent scabious. We headed back to the capital full of excitement and thrilled to be doing beautiful flowers for a wonderful bride in a magical place- fear not- although it is a few months away we will be sure to post photos as it is going to be a CRACKER!
“I am easily satisfied with the very best.” Winston Churchill
The Naughty Blogger- continued
Now I love flora and fauna more than most but even I will admit that reading purely about hydrangeas and hellebores will tire and I can promise that if reading doesn’t do that then writing about it will so I will write this blog as a story of a girl, a young business, a city and it’s folk.
Within moments of setting foot in the city I was introduced to three girls who like myself run their own company… Enter Holly Jones, Lucie Hardie and Celia Graham of the Lifestyle Company Scotland. Now these girls are not only angels but are also three of the most inspiring people I have met. The girls are a few miles ahead on a path that is similar to the one I have started. They had an idea and saw a gap and they have drawn upon all their individual skills to start a company with a unique concept, which grows week on week and they nurture that growth with determination and passion. Since the big move North the girls have encouraged, advised and been great friends and I am eternally grateful for their support.
Through this trio of entrepreneurs I was introduced to a delightful young lady who works for The Edinburgh Military Tattoo and within days of our meeting I was summoned into the Tattoo office to discuss flowers for an event which The Princess Royal would be attending. A week later I dropped my precious delivery of blooms off and returned to the Tattie Rose Workshop to sit and wait nervously for a reaction. The response far exceeded my wildest dreams and there is more on this story to come…
I will leave with you a little thing I read the other day and like a lot
“Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know that so it goes on flying anyway” Mary Kay Ash
Within moments of setting foot in the city I was introduced to three girls who like myself run their own company… Enter Holly Jones, Lucie Hardie and Celia Graham of the Lifestyle Company Scotland. Now these girls are not only angels but are also three of the most inspiring people I have met. The girls are a few miles ahead on a path that is similar to the one I have started. They had an idea and saw a gap and they have drawn upon all their individual skills to start a company with a unique concept, which grows week on week and they nurture that growth with determination and passion. Since the big move North the girls have encouraged, advised and been great friends and I am eternally grateful for their support.
Through this trio of entrepreneurs I was introduced to a delightful young lady who works for The Edinburgh Military Tattoo and within days of our meeting I was summoned into the Tattoo office to discuss flowers for an event which The Princess Royal would be attending. A week later I dropped my precious delivery of blooms off and returned to the Tattie Rose Workshop to sit and wait nervously for a reaction. The response far exceeded my wildest dreams and there is more on this story to come…
I will leave with you a little thing I read the other day and like a lot
“Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know that so it goes on flying anyway” Mary Kay Ash
The Naughty Blogger- part 1
The Naughty Blogger
It is May the 10th, thus why this post is named ‘The naughty Blogger’.. I promised myself on the Great Drive North in February from Dorset to Edinburgh that my ‘new business Resolution’ would be to write a blog every day, full of witty anecdotes and flower stories, quickly I settled on once a week being a more realistic target. Now, it is May the 10th and I write my first real blog;
A Flower Company, a girl, a city and it’s folk…
In August 2011, I sat on the battlements of Edinburgh castle with a cup of tea watching the city wake up and pondering where I would set up the business and project I had dreamed about for so long… 2 days later I had announced to my friends and family that I was moving..to Edinburgh..on my own..to set up Tattie Rose Flowers.
Bridget (the transit van and vital team member) and I spent a long old February day battling through the rain up the M6 to take over and move into the old barn which was soon to be transformed into the Tattie Rose Headquarters and workshop. It sits in the middle of the Dalmeny House Estate on the edge of Edinburgh and in my humble opinion- as far as work shops go- it is one of the best, a stone built beamed and raftered atelier oozing charm and history. I was quickly welcomed by new neighbours who whilst helping unload, hammer and build regaled me with hilarious stories, and by the end of the day Bridget was relieved of her burden and my workbenches were beginning to take shape. I took myself down to the beach, sat on a log, pulled my hood over my head against the wind and thought of the task I had set myself.. to bring flowers with a difference to a city I love but do not know well, to break boundaries and make a mark on an industry which is competitive and snooty and to have a flipping good time doing it and so the adventure begun…
A Flower Company, a girl, a city and it’s folk…
In August 2011, I sat on the battlements of Edinburgh castle with a cup of tea watching the city wake up and pondering where I would set up the business and project I had dreamed about for so long… 2 days later I had announced to my friends and family that I was moving..to Edinburgh..on my own..to set up Tattie Rose Flowers.
Bridget (the transit van and vital team member) and I spent a long old February day battling through the rain up the M6 to take over and move into the old barn which was soon to be transformed into the Tattie Rose Headquarters and workshop. It sits in the middle of the Dalmeny House Estate on the edge of Edinburgh and in my humble opinion- as far as work shops go- it is one of the best, a stone built beamed and raftered atelier oozing charm and history. I was quickly welcomed by new neighbours who whilst helping unload, hammer and build regaled me with hilarious stories, and by the end of the day Bridget was relieved of her burden and my workbenches were beginning to take shape. I took myself down to the beach, sat on a log, pulled my hood over my head against the wind and thought of the task I had set myself.. to bring flowers with a difference to a city I love but do not know well, to break boundaries and make a mark on an industry which is competitive and snooty and to have a flipping good time doing it and so the adventure begun…
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