Spring: A Play in Three Acts

So much more to show you than I could fit into the last post. So here's another one, a play on Spring, actually, in three acts. By the way, are you all making your way over to local photographer Kirsten Mitson's blog to enter the giveaway for a $50 Gift Card to THE BLISSFUL? If you haven't done so yet, click here. Hurry!--you have until this Friday the 27th to enter.

And now we present...

Act I: A Play on Light and Darkness.

It's in the details: our jade-eyed Brass Bird Box is one of the sweetest things going for Spring.

Our Crystal Initial Tag Necklaces are great for dressing up a tee and jeans.

Fresh French Lavender Bouquets, ripe for the picking.

Don't wait for warmer weather; these make lips taste juicy fresh, anytime of year.


Ethereal nuances.

A time to plant. Well, at least indoors in Ohio.

And ooh! Look! Our basil is sprouting!

Act II: A Play on Perspective

Who can argue with this perspective?

Sneaking up sideways on tiers of Posy Mercury Glass.

Under the table and on top.


Up close, in detail.


Hardware en masse.


Sneaking around corners...

...and coming up sideways and...

...from above.

Act III: A Play on Color

We embrace every hue in the rainbow. OK, we had a big debate over orange this season, but we're making room for it, too.

Every large and small thing is given a chance to be vivid this season.


And some things can't help themselves from being vivid.

And now, for our denouement...

Behold, Sid Dickens' Spring 2009 Collection, "Madeleine."

This season, the artist quotes French writer Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time for some insight into his latest collection of plaster art tiles:

"...And so it is with our own past . . . The past is hidden somewhere outside the realm, beyond the reach of intellect, in some material object {in the sensation which that material object will give us} which we do not suspect.

"...poised a long time, like souls, ready to remind us, waiting and hoping for their moment, amid the ruins of all the rest; and bear unfaltering, in the tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection."

But remember, friends, as the German composer Richard Wagner said, "Joy is not in things; it is in us." Thanks to our customers for bringing us joy through your support and appreciation for all things BLISSFUL.

February Odds & Ends, & a Contest

A quirky Santos Head snugs up with Vintage Apothecary Bottles and fun new stationery.

Lest you think we whizzed right past Valentine's Day, think again. We started the month with an in-store giveaway. Customers on our e-mail list were invited to stop in and complete a Wish List, enumerating anything and everything they'd like to receive as a gift throughout the coming year {but especially for V-Day}. On February 14th, we randomly chose one Wish List as our winner. Congratulations to Judi G., who came in and chose a lovely Mercury Glass Urn as her objet d'adoration.

Our Spring story has been planted. Here's a peak:

This bit of midcentury wartime propaganda has made its way onto several styles of personal accessories at the shop this season. A good message for today, too, no?

Rose colored Bee Glasses and Bee Napkin Rings.

Mercury Glass Tulip Taper Vases gleam alongside a few things green.

Somewhere out there, there's got to be some scientific proof that bringing plants indoors--even permanent ones --increases happy hormone levels. Hey, we prefer real but for those of us without a green thumb or a predictable schedule, we don't discriminate against well-done fakes.

Goods for entertaining, which never goes out of style.

Numerology Wine Glasses so that everybody can keep track of their own.

More quirk.

KOBO's new collection, Motif. The proprietor's digging Tabac and Talc {like a good cigar rolled in baby powder--not a fragrance pairing you smell everyday, but let's be honest, wouldn't you like to?}.

Close up on the same.

For framing up a boy.

Don a Railroad Cap with one of our softest-of-the-soft vintage-washed tees.

Or for she who doesn't shy away from a little bling, a Crystal Cross Cap.

From a gritty shop corner. . .

...to a more sublime expanse.

Another view.

Pretty Opalescent Votive Cups, heavily antiqued and etched with a white floral bouquet.

Vintage Panel Bracelets encircle your wrist with memories of a time or place.

And Bejeweled Leather Cuffs with vintage modern imagery. Downtown Tokyo Clutch behind.

Bejeweled Leather Zip Pouches and Card Cases.

From the rustic...

to the elegantly simple.

This month, we celebrated the birthday of our shopgirl Jamie.

Let's get a close up on those sweets, shall we?

These are great for lighting birthday cake candles, by the way...

And now for the contest...for which we're the prize! Local wedding photographer Kirsten Larsson Mitson of Visible Images Photography has so sweetly and generously made a $50 Gift Card to THE BLISSFUL the prize for her 100th Post Celebration and Giveaway.


Check out Kirsten's post on her blog here to learn more details about the giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment on HER blog post {by clicking on the hyperlink above, reading through to the bottom of the post, then completing the Post a Comment section and clicking Post Comment} and you are automatically entered. The winner will be chosen by random number generator and contacted by Kirsten by February 28th. That's in just FIVE DAYS...so don't delay in clicking on over to this talented photographer's blog and entering the contest!

Speaking of Kirsten...


I have always loved the photojournalism style of photography, particularly for weddings. Kirsten's documentarian-behind-the-lens approach is much more modern, candid, and natural than the stiff, posed, traditional style of the past, and she still gets all those juicy detail shots that every bride wants to remember. {Take some time to click through the portfolios she features on her blog and you'll see what I mean.} She also does other types of portraiture. If you're in the market for a talented special occasion photographer or simply enjoy browsing great local photography {and some not so local, as Kirsten will and does travel!}, I encourage you to take some time exploring her blog and perusing her work. It's a visual treat!

And oh, by the way, the contest winner gets to spend the Gift Card on any in-stock merchandise of her choosing.


While we can't take Gift Cards through the Shopping Cart on our Online Boutique, we'd be happy to work with the winner over phone or by e-mail. The winner can choose from anything featured in our Online Boutique and/or in our blog photos {providing items are still in stock}, or if the winner is local, she can pop right in and pick out $50 worth of merchandise in person!

Bonne Chance!