Happy Spring 2019! Purples and Lavenders at The Camellia, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Happy first day of Spring! Here in Thunder Bay it's too early to see flowers growing outside, but we can certainly look at photos of beautiful flowers.  Purple is a colour that's so cheery and uplifting. 

Lovely purple anemones and muscari blooms in the background. Spring blooms are simply magical. 

Lilacs are such a treat, here in Thunder Bay they bloom later than they do in Holland. Lilac bushes sure do attract many Butterflies. 

Lavender is our very favourite of all purple flowers. Lavender helps calm and soothe away anxiety. Here at The Camellia we carry dried Lavender buds, and Lavender and Lemongrass skincare from Neob Lavender Farm in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Come into our store to try out these products!

A Lavender Bath bomb is a real treat in your Bath. Time spent in a warm Bath is wonderfully relaxing. Call today to order a Bath Gift Basket for delivery to a special someone in Thunder Bay. Phone 807-475-3551 to order or visit www.thecamellia.com 

Cottage Paint has many lovely Spring colours, like this Lilac. Paint is a quick way to refresh your home or your furniture. We sell Cottage Paint at The Camellia, in Thunder Bay and we ship within Canada.  

Enjoy the first day of Spring, and visit us here at The Camellia for Spring Wreaths and more. 

Open Wednesday through Sunday. 30/32 Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, On. 

p 807-475-3551

The welcome effect of Spring, after a long, cold Winter.

via GIPHY

It really has been a long Winter here in Northern Ontario...never-ending amounts of snow, shovelling snow, long weeks of cold temperatures with no day or so of warmer temperatures, which might give us some much-needed hope. What has your Winter been like? 

Maybe you live in  a place with no Winter. I grew up in such a place, a few degrees below the equator, warm temperatures every day, tropical and humid heat with 2 seasons...Dry season and Rainy season.

In the evenings, we would head to the ocean, to catch a cooling breeze, and listen to the waves. Our parents would make us wear a sweater afraid that we may catch a 'chill' from the evening ocean breezes. It was probably still 75 degrees F. Hey, if that was the coldest temperature you had ever experienced, then in your eyes, it was well, chilly.

Another thing one gets completely fed-up with in the Winter is the amount of clothing you have to put on, in order to go out in the cold. You long for the Spring, for sandals, for that time when you can throw on a light jacket and quickly head out the door. 

You start hallucinating about green leaves and Flowers. You run over to your Plant collection which you tried to save from last year's Garden, some of which are flourishing and green and healthy. You rush out and buy Spring potted bulbs, they provide a temporary relief from the winter blahs. 

You pore over your photographs from your trips to Holland in the Springtime. You continue to dream about Camping, and fishing, and you find you really have to work at being positive, and remembering that Spring will come. 

Here at The Camellia, we are hard at work on our Lake/Summer line of products. Blue seems to be a favourite this year as seen in Ikea's Spring forecast below. 

Photo credit: www.Ikea.ca 

Wouldn't this make a great outdoor shower area? This is part of the OTTSJON PHI59488, from Ikea's Spring 2019 Collection. Are you planning on sprucing up your Lakeside retreat? Navy blue paired with crisp white is always a popular choice. 

Why is Blue so popular? It's the colour of our skies, the Lake, Rivers and Ocean. It's calming and goes well with whites, greys, yellows, and so many other colours. We sell #CottagePaint here at The Camellia, visit our store to see our palette of almost 60 colours!  

We often need a change in the Spring, something to get us excited about Life again. A quick and affordable change is to makeover your furniture with Cottage Paint. Painting is therapy.  Stop in and see us here at The Camellia, at 30/32 Hacquoil Rd.
The Camellia, Slate River, On.
www.thecamellia.com
See us at the upcoming #Springhomeandgardenshowtbay 2019. We are excited to take part in #SpringCraftRevival which takes place on Sunday, May 5th. 2019 ( 10am. to 5pm.)

Island Life at The Camellia, Thunder Bay

Hello there! It's almost the end of February in Thunder Bay, and the end of Winter is in sight. Although with another winterstorm heading our way, it sure doesn't feel like it's almost March. Are you done with winter, and you can't wait for Spring and Summer!! Then The Camellia is your store....here we focus on an Islander Lifestyle. This is when you live in a very cold place, and you pretend you live on an Island in the Tropics. No embracing the cold here....or professing love for your Sorel winterboots. 

It doesn't matter where you live....whether it's an Island in the Caribbean, a small town in Northern Ontario, or a town on Vancouver Island. Most of us have to work to make a living, and there are mundane tasks that consume the hours after work. We all tend to take for granted the beauty of the areas where we live. While we may fantasize about moving away to an exotic locale where it never snows, deep down we know that Summer in a hot country would be unbearable (all that high humidity, frizzy hair, and clothes pasted to your skin...!). Next best thing to moving is to decorate in an Island theme. Here at The Camellia, we have loads of Island accessories, ask about the tablecloths in above photo. They are vibrant, and practical as they are water and stain resistant. 

Here we are at Viva Wyndham Maya, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Nothing says Island more than a Palapa. Sometimes you can can find a fake, raffia one at the Party store. The real ones are made from Palm leaves and they really do keep the rain out. 

You can take a Class at our store, the Camellia, and make up your own stencilled or hand-lettered Beach and Lake signs. These are made with Cottage Paint, which comes in 60 colours, you can buy Cottage Paint at The Camellia.

Not sure where to start with your Lake theme? Here at #TheCamellia, we have Lake themed cushions, knitted throws, pillows and so much more. Need help with choosing a colour scheme? We can help you with that! 

You can make this sign in one of our Cottage Paint workshops at The Camellia. https://www.thecamellia.com/classes-at-the-camelia.html

Fill your home or your Patio with fresh, green Plants. Nothing says Island Living more than large leaf Tropical plants. 

Island Life is all about the Beach... the crashing of the waves on miles of sandy shores. 

Are you ready to decorate in an Island theme?  (Those vibrant blooms in the above photo are Hibiscus ). Come see us at #TheCamellia at 30/32 Hacquoil Rd. We are a short, 10 minutes drive south of Thunder Bay Airport. 

We will be at the Spring Home and Garden Show Thunder Bay, which is on April 5, 6, and 7th. 2019, at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition grounds. 

www.thecamellia.com