A couple of years ago my favorite flower, the gerbera daisy, was surpassed by my love for ranunculus.  Don’t get me wrong I still love gerbera’s and their bright cheerful colors and how they look like they are saying “smile” when you look at them.  But now I am more interested in the wide variety of ranunculus (over 400 species!) with their mysterious and tightly wound buds and their exotic colors and the way their petals glow as they open up.  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner I wanted to share some images of my new favorite flower. Oh and yes this is a lightly veiled hint to you Mr. hubs if you are reading this.

(top image: Winston Flowers, bottom image: Dandelion Ranch)

(thanks @simplepretty for the inspiration)

Spotted on Bloesem this morning, these charming paper lanterns from Dutch artist Jurianne Matter. They come seven to a package. You can email Jurianne directly to order or through the Dutch website Bijzonder.

How fantastic is this striped lawn lounger (available in single or double size) from The Handpicked Collection out of the UK? Just roll it up and take with you to the beach, the park or use it for camping out. I also love this shabby chic oilcloth picnic blanket. Just wipe it down, roll it up and pack it to go.

(via Ruby Press)

As kids, Haley and I used to escape to the backyard apple tree to hideout and make up songs or whisper swear words to each other over and over thinking that if we got them all out at once, we’d never swear again. True story: once after saying s**t Haley went and washed her own mouth out with soap and then told my Mom!

I’m too cautious now to go climb a tree so I’ll have to satisfy myself with a more grown up hideaway from Cocktail UK. The teepee swing would have been perfect for us as kids, we would have filled it with all of our stuffed animals and books. Nowadays I could sit happily in the GLOBO swing seat and swear away until my hearts content – no soap included.

I was recently hired as a freelance blogger for a new eco-blog called EcoSalon.com. At EcoSalon I will be covering artisan, decor and fashion items, similar to the things you find here at Little Willow but with an eco-edge. The thing that sets EcoSalon apart is its authenticity. It’s real people sharing how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle without being preachy or crunchy. For example you can find out how to properly wash a pillow (which I am doing as I write this), where to buy stunning recycled glass carafes made from broken windshields or how to get a healthy high from herbal espresso. I am really excited for this opportunity to contribute to the rainbow of “green” knowledge available to women! Feel free to send me suggestions and if my Editor approves, (yes people I have an Editor now, it’s the big time), we’ll write about it!

We had an amazing weekend here in the Bay Area and I did bad things to my skin all in the name of a Vitamin D deficiency. George and I spent some QT on the deck in our old and uncomfortable deck chairs, and we both believe we need some new chairs. I did some searching and found Pedlars UK, now my latest obsession for miscellaneous items. It’s a family run biz with a great selection of unique products with an eye on the environmentally friendly aspect of “things”. I love these deck chairs ($250 each) with hand-printed weatherproof canvas in your pattern choice of “pigeon and jelly” or “rabbit and cabbage”. Get lost here…

I keep passing by all these luscious blooming cherry trees in my neighborhood and plotting to come back in the dark of night and cut some branches from my neighbors trees. Rather than get caught up in a tree with a pair of gardening shears, I could just buy some longer lasting decorative branches and flowers from Nettleton Hollow. They have a great selection of branches, grasses and flowers, which arrive fresh at your door and can be dried to last indefinitely. I was happy to see they have the fuzzy and pink Protea, my new favorite flower. I also dig these crazy octopus-like rams head pods, they would make a really unusual centerpiece. Check out the site for more images to inspire your floral creativity!

We’re having a June Gloom day here in SF so to cheer myself up I was perusing the magnificent flower gallery at Annie’s Annuals Nursery. Tia told me about Annie’s and her obsession has now become mine after visiting there on Sunday. It’s in Richmond, not the best hood but so worth the trip. There is a massive selection so it’s a good idea to go with a garden plan. I bought some Echinacea, Sage, Datura and Bachelor Buttons, which are all deer proof flowers. Now I am patiently waiting for them to grow, I’ll post pictures once they come in. P.S. If your green thumb is out of state she ships within the U.S.