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After growing up in northern Europe and now having lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years, you’d think I’d be used to the dreary grey skies and rainy days that roll into town in November and last through, oh… June! But nope. While I realize that all this wetness is exactly what makes the PNW so amazingly beautiful, I still long for sunshine. So while the sun’s warm rays are still months away, I decided to fill our house with flowers to help remind me that spring WILL come and this rain WILL go away!

Trader Joe’s is my favorite place to find affordable flowers and plants. They always have a small seasonal selection, which this time of year means lots of bulb flowers, reminding me of my childhood.

While it’s tempting to grab a colorful mixed bouquet (they look so pretty!), I tend to prefer flowers displayed by type or color. It’s a simple approach but one that really makes me appreciate the beauty of that one type of flower.

Instead of grabbing a vase to hold the blooms, I look for vintage vessels so it blends in seamlessly with my home’s decor. Many of the ones I grabbed this weekend are actually for sale and were just sitting on my work table waiting for an upcoming show. Might as well enjoy them while I still have them in the house, right?

Like this old European apothecary jar. I had embellished it with some twine and an old military insignia found in the Netherlands. By removing the stopper and adding water, it’s a gorgeous vase to hold these happy daffodils ($32 – contact me to purchase):

Tulips are always a favorite but they usually start drooping so quickly… just last week I read a tip to add a couple copper pennies to the water with tulips and guess what: it works – no droopiness! I’ve displayed them on our mantle in an old enamelware milk carrier. Lid is missing and it has a big chip on the right side but it looks super charming ($68 – contact me to purchase):

My favorite little corner of the living room is quite monochromatic with the creamy metal cabinet, weathered pine door and white-and-blue enamelware so it’s the perfect spot to introduce a pop of color with these ranunculus! Contained in an old ceramic hot chocolate pitcher from France ($58– contact me to purchase) they look quite lovely:

When it comes to lovely blooms AND a heavenly scent, it doesn’t get much better than jasmin, does it? I found this potted plant at Trader Joe’s and immediately knew I would put it inside this basket that I embellished with an old French enamel number ($48 – contact me to purchase) – our house smells incredibly good right now, making me breathe in deeply every time I enter the room!

I even found a spot for the potted hyacinths that I had purchased for the Portland Antique Expo a little while back – because the flowers are all bent down (maybe I needed to bury some pennies in the dirt?!), I decided to perch them high up on top of our hutch. Contained in an old Dutch enamel measuring cup ($34 – contact me to purchase), they add a nice touch:

So while the sun is hiding from us and I cuddle up under a cozy blanket on the couch every night, I’ve added my own touches of spring throughout the house to help me through the coming months – or at least this coming week 😉

I can’t afford to spend lots of money on fresh flowers each week, but this splurge at Trader Joe’s cost me about $25 – money I consider well spent to get a much-needed indoor reprieve of the rainy greys!

Groetjes,
Alex