Blog entry

Gorgeous Gifts - Artisan Handmade for Valentines Day!

Valentine’s Day, February 14, will be here before we know it.  When you walk into most stores shortly after Christmas (or even sometimes before!), hearts, cupids and other items in pink and red will assail you from every direction.  Flowers, candy and gifts are exchanged between loved ones throughout the United States and in many other countries around the world . . . all in the name of St. Valentine.  Although the exact history of St. Valentine (or Valentinus) is shrouded in mystery (there are actually three St. Valentines recognized by the Catholic Church to consider!), February has long been celebrated as a month of romance.  Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both ancient Roman (Lupercalia) and Christian traditions, with a few other influences thrown in for good measure. 

This year for Valentine's Day, don't think abour buying mass produced from large companies.  Think, instead of supporting a small, indie business, people who actually make or design the items themselves.  Scroll down and you'll see 26 items, many are one of a kind and handmade from the heart!  Any of items highlighted will make a wonderful gift for a loved one.  Remember:  SHOP SMALL and support a small indie artist!

Heavenly Hollyhocks in the Desert Southwest

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) have always been a flower dear to my heart.  Can't explain why besides they have such a beautifully majestic look to them (at least to me) as they sway in the wind.  According to information I've read, they are biennials, taking two years to bloom (although you can't always believe what's written since these seeded last summer and are blooming now).  Hollyhocks are originally from Asia, grown in ancient China by wealthy people.  They spread to the Middle East through trade routes and then were carried to western Europe by returning Crusaders from the Holy Land.  The Latin name of the hollyhock plant, Alcea, is derived from altho the Greek word for healer.  In Greek Mythology, Althea is a beautiful goddess of healing and compassion, family, marriage and protection.  The flowers were used as a diuretic, a laxative, an emollient and in anti-inflammatory treatments. Rosea is Latin for for rose, rosy or pink.  The common name, hollyhock, is a combination of two words — holy and hock. Holy refers to the healing powers of the plant and that it was brought to Europe from the Holy Land.  Hock is an Old English word which means mallow.  Hollyhocks made their way to the United States in colonial times in seed packets carried by immigrants.  They symbolize the circle of life and abundance and were traditionally planted near the front door to welcome prosperity.

Roses in the Desert - Julia's Beauties!

My good friend, Julia, has spent many years creating the most amazing rose garden in her backyard.  Before she bought her house, someone had planted a rose garden along the back rock wall.  But when she bought the house, only a few sad bushes had survived.  Over the course of the next several years, Julia replanted the roses . . . . and what beauties they are when they bloom!  The roses are her “babies” and she spends many enjoyable hours working in the garden, talking to the roses and inhaling their heady scents when they are blooming.  She also communes with the wondrous animals that come to visit, especially with the Gambel's Quail and the Greater Roadrunner, her favorites

Pretty Pinks for Valentines Day - Three for Thursday - January 14, 2021

Valentine’s Day will soon be here, just a month from now, with the color pink, along with red, seen everywhere in stores.  Pink is considered the color of universal love of oneself and of others and represents friendship, affection, harmony, inner peace, and femininity.  There’s no wonder that it’s a color that is closely associated with the romance of Valentine’s Day!  In this week’s “Three for Thursday,” titled "Pretty Pinks for Valentine's Day," three mainly pink items from three handmade artists are featured.  The artists are:  Linda of VictorianStyleTreasures;  Charlotte of Covergirlbeads; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.   I hope you enjoy these pink beauties, each a perfect gif for your Valentine's sweetie.