Today I've made one of the best discover of the last months...
Coriander Girl... Alison is a young girl from Canada that own a very cute
flower and antique shop. As she say, she is " sunshine and
dance parties " a fantastic description! Not only flowers, in her store you can find vintage treasures and locally made crafts, candles, lotions, soaps, teas... Actualy you can buy everything is in the store!
Coriander girl is also her blog, a "
...blog about the little flower shop I own and anything else I feel compelled to share...". The name Coriander girl was "
...inspired by my love for all things fresh and beautiful and Coriander being my favourite herb it seemed like a perfect fit..."
As soon as I came upon her charming blog I was totally thrilled. I've always dreamt to have a store like her store. Naif, beautiful, a corner of Paradise, the Eden!
I've read her blog entirely, from the beginning and believe me that I've loved every single post, pics, bouquets. I have a passion for old jars, old bottles and vases . She make beautiful bouquets in those amazing mason's jars, or old vase or unique vessels.
If you want you can ask her to make a bouquets in your own vase (Bing it from home!) or you can choose from a big range of vassels !
I feel that we have so much in common and she make me think to my dream and to the way I can pursue it!
I've made lots of questions to Alison (
Alison, can you describe/introduce yourself to my reader? When everything started? Did you aways loved flowers since you were a little girl or it's something you've learned lately in those years?Tell us a bit more about your store? When did you open?Do you have a favorite fLower?The secret for the perfect bouquet? I have so many question for you but I don't wanna bother you so this is the last question: do you have any advise to give to people that want to follow your example?)and here what she said:
"My name is Alison Westlake and I opened my little floral/antique shop seven months ago. .jpg)
It was a total, dive in head first, kind of experience. I had always loved flowers and gardening but went to theatre school and became an actress in stead. I wasn't very happy auditioning for film and T.V and decided maybe it was time to do something more enjoyable with my life. I live in the most amazing neighborhood in Toronto, Canada. It's an eclectic mix of artists, crafters, foodies and gardeners. The shop came available and I signed the lease before I was totally sure what I wanted to do with it.
I knew I wanted a flower shop and to have vintage goods as well but the rest was kind of up in the air. I sat down at my computer and wrote a 40 page business plan and approached people for money. My start up costs weren't too bad. I needed a fridge and some furniture pieces which I sourced from local antique markets. The fridge was new and my biggest expense.
My back ground is in gardening, I worked for a landscaping company while I was in college and new back then that I would be doing something with flowers in my life.
I thought I'd have a shop in my forties when the acting career died down but I signed the lease on July 15 2009 at just thirty years of age!
My favorite flowers are peonies, lilacs, dahlias, wispy greens and berries of all kinds.
The secret to a perfect bouquet is making it look like you just grabbed a few stems while walking a long a garden path. It's harder to make something look natural in some ways.
I prefer unstructured, relaxed arrangements. Around my home, you'll see single stems in small vintage bottles all over the place.
My advice to anyone interested in pursuing their dreams, you have to do it. Take big risks and you will succeed. It's scary but their is nothing scarier to me than looking back on my life and regretting not having done something I wanted to do. Find a way to make the thing you enjoy be what you do everyday.
Air humping and fist pumping really helps!!
Alison you are so adorable! THANKS FOR ANSWERING...
Girls you better go visit her
blog nd take a look to her
store... She's a ray of sunshine in those rainy days... Anyone has seen Spring? Can you tell her that it's time to show up!?
2 things left:
1: Thanks for your advises about my button...I've made 2 new versions of it... grab the one you like and link it to my blog...
MORNING UPDATE!
I HAVE MY OWN DOMAIN
www.alices-adventuresinwonderland.com
2: Remember the
giveaway ....
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