My Little Peony

I would like to take this moment to admit that I am deeply jealous of Lisa Elliott's watercolor skills.  I thought today's amuse-bouche was a photo print at first, but it's a freakin' painting.  Woman's got talent, Internets.

Hey--remember a while back when I said I wanted to make felt happen?  I've got a new mission: I want to make peonies happen.  Seriously.  Daisies and sunflowers are played out.  Now is the time for peonies to shine. Why do I say this?  Well, I was reminded Friday of exactly how awesome peonies truly are.

See, T.H's youngest sister and her husband just adopted a baby girl (who is hecka newborn--only two weeks old at the moment) and as they made their way back from the state of adoption to their state of residence (which is about seven states' worth of driving, I think) they dropped into town this weekend.  Which was great, because an aunt of both T.H. and said sister threw a baby shower for this same weekend, so not only did I get to meet my newest niece but I also got to help set up the baby shower and stuff.  And part of that was getting the peonies for the table decorations.

Internets, I don't know if you've ever seen a peony in real life, but these things are gorgeous.  They're also perennials, so they just keep coming back year after year, which is great if you want pretty flowers well into perpetuity.  And if you like fragrant flowers, these suckers are right up your alley.  I speak from experience when I say that a carful of these bad boys will make driving a sun-warmed car at high noon far more pleasant than you could ever imagine.  By the time we arrived at our destination, I was wondering if there were any peony-scented perfumes on the market, because I would totally buy a bottle.

But until I find some, you know what this means: peony hats.  Because that's how this blog works.

First up, there's this peony-and-plume fascinator I found, which is making me think of old-timey saloon showgirls back in the Wild West.  I'm thinking it's the way the feather juts up from the bloom.  What do you think?

Peonies tend to come in pink, white, coral and red.  However, peony fascinators can be any color they like, as this orange one amply proves.

Keeping that in mind, peony fascinators can also come with a veil attached if they so choose.  Like this one, for instance.

Personally, though, I am loving the gauzy look of this fascinator.  It almost looks like something from a dream, or failing that, something from a Pre-Raphaelite painting.

And just because I like to save the best for last, here's an unapologetically ginormous peony fascinator:

I'm not sure what it is I like best; the sheer size of this thing, or the fact that the lace underneath looks kind of like a doily.

See you Wednesday!