August vibes, The Camellia, Thunder Bay, Ontario

                                                  Thunder Bay Flower & Gift shop

We are fortunate here in Thunder Bay, as far as this Summer's weather. It has been sunny and a few hot days, but no heat wave, with Lake Superior keeping things cool, and a little shower every day, keeping things green. This photo above was taken in Sister Bay, WI, as you can see the grass around the planter is all burnt up. How has your summer weather been? 

Everyone has been travelling, with driving to your destination being very popular. (No wonder with the current mess at Pearson airport, in Toronto. Read about it here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/toronto-pearson-airport-winnipeg-passengers-1.6544249?fbclid=IwAR23_iFL2lYAGtjt_I0gFQuGqawCS1GYFAolwUjSKkIBnG1uJ7WjZW-HRX4).

This is the Ferry to Washington Island, in WI. It takes about 30 minutes to cross over to Washington Island. 

With the prospect of Winter looming ahead of us ( we all know how long last Winter was!), it's important to go travelling, or go to Camp, while the weather is warm and there is no snow and ice on the ground. Where have you travelled to this Summer? 

There are many Weddings taking place this year, and for the next few years. We have been busy designing Wedding flowers, and are now booking for 2023 Weddings. Those of you visiting Thunder Bay for a wedding celebration, stop by and shop in our store, the Camellia, at 30/32 Hacquoil Rd. in Slate River, just outside Thunder Bay. Visit our Wedding website at https://www.lakesuperiorweddings.ca/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

This beautiful arbor above is at Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm, on Washington Island, WI. https://fragrantisle.com/

Beautiful pink Peonies, grown in our gardens. 

August is the best time to get at your Furniture pieces that need Painting with Cottage Paint. The weather is warm, and if your pieces of Furniture are big, it is easier to paint them in your garage. We do not recommend painting if your piece is directly in the sun. The colour above is Hidden Lagoon, by Cottage Paint. We have a large selection of Cottage Paint in-stock, and are excited to be offering Paint classes again. There are 58 colours in Cottage Paint, for more information, shop here https://iwindowshop.ca/collections/cottage-paint

The Camellia, Open Wednesday through Sunday, 12-5p. 

p.807-475-3551. 

IG@camelliafromnaturetohome

https://iwindowshop.ca/

We are OPEN at The Camellia!! Thunder Bay, Ontario

Hello everyone! It's almost March, and that means Spring will be here soon, yeah!!! We are Open here at The Camellia, for all your Spring & Home decor needs. 

                                                  via GIPHY

This Giphy sums it up....I have been recovering from Hand surgery, so this is what I've been doing, minus the drumming of fingers on the table. And of course, you need your hands for simply everything! We are Open here at The Camellia, and will post new Spring Classes soon. 

Hummingbirds are part of our Northern Ontario summers, here  we used #CottagePaint to stencil  a Hummingbird. It sure is difficult to capture their shimmering feathers and many colours. If you are interested in this class, contact us. 

It's the time of year when our spirit craves Flowers, and colour, and warmth. How about you? Are you ready for spring? Above is a photo of our flowering crabapple trees. 

This is the perfect time to head into our store for a Visit, to buy some new silk flowers to replace your winter decor. It's time to freshen everything up for Spring! Already have a container? Bring it with you!

Our beautiful, yet practical Tablecloths - perfect for anyone who spills or drops things when they eat. Water-repellent and stain-resistant. And this pattern is lovely and timeless - white magnolia blossoms on a light grey background. 

We have 60 colours in #Cottage paint  - you can easily add a touch of green to your furniture or Kitchen cabinets. For more information on painting your Kitchen cabinets, go to paintoldkitchencabinets.com. Not sure if your cabinets are paintable? Take a door off and bring it in so we can take a look. 

To find us, head south on Hwy. 61, turn left onto Hacquoil Rd. Look for our sign on Hwy. 61. 

We are just 10 minutes south of  the Thunder Bay Airport. 

The Camellia, 30/32 Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, Ontario

www.thecamellia.com

Spring Blossoms at the Camellia, Slate River

 

 Spring blossoms are intoxicating - so pretty and pink, our crabapple trees are in full bloom at the moment. Paris in the Spring....

Truly a miracle, with all the temperatures we have been having lately....one low was minus 5, and we thought that our blossoms may have frozen. 

Just making some Boho-chic rag garlands, these are great for Wedding photoprops, and for curtains at Camp. 

Just painted this cute little dresser in Flamingo Cottage with flat wax as a topcoat. Reds are the hardest colour to get good coverage with, especially with such an old piece like this one. Yes, it totally depends on what finish is on the piece before you start painting. Before you paint, read this http://cottagepaint.com/welcome-to-cottage-paint/2015/04/24/trying-to-determine-what-finish-could-be-on-the-furniture-before-you-paint-it-you-need-to-read-this/

Really old pieces like these had lots of silicas in the finish, so even though we did primer on it, our paint still cracked. When you put the primer on, leave it at least overnight to dry ( if not longer), This is to allow any reaction to occur, and then to let the Cottage Paint primer seal it all in. Did we let our primer dry overnight? of course not, we were in too much of a hurry.

Used a Sharpie paint marker to do the word Peony, this worked really well, beats painting it with a liner brush. 

Come visit us at the Camellia, our crabapple trees are in full bloom. 

Getting married? Book a free consultation with Camille today, p-475-3551, or toll-free at 

1-877-523-7444. 

The Camellia, 30, Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, On

www.lakesuperiorweddings.ca

Happy long August Weekend!

 It's been quite the July....Thunder Bay thought it was part of the tropical Rainforest...it rained and thunder showered at every opportunity. Not just a light rain, heavy, torrential, monsoon type rains. For a person that waits all year for Summer so that they can garden, it was enough to .......we will not go there. I am sure the rain would be better welcomed in Cali, which is suffering from a massive drought at the moment.

And with the thunder showers, along came the hail. Plants got shredded. Owners of plants were not happy. Plant owners stifled the urge to go buy more plants.

Rivers and waterways are filled to the point of overflowing. It's August now, and we look forward to bright sunshine and blue skies. 

 Great new Cottage Paint brushes in stock - less reloading and rounded edges.

Just making headstone flowers for an order.

Come Visit The Camellia, for Wedding Flowers , Cottage Paint and lots of cool stuff.

The Camellia - we are open all long weekend. Stop by and Visit.

Open Wed. through  Sunday. Friday 11-6p. Sat. 11-5. Sun. 12-5p.

30 Hacquoil Rd, p.807-475-3551

Summer Whites, the Camellia, Thunder Bay

 Life is all relative. We spent so much of the Winter looking at white stuff outside, longing for green. It's summer now, and the colour White seems fresh and clean and somehow full of life, and white does goes with any room.

 The faded beauty of a Garden rose.

So Fragrant are the Lily of the Valley - now blooming in the garden.

White wreaths are calming and again, they will go with any room, so you move them around your Home.

Here at #TheCamellia, we have beautiful, yet functional white vessels. Teapots, jugs, cream and sugars. And they make impromtu flower vases.

Kitchen cabinet doors painted with antique White Cottage Paint. We stock a full selection of Cottage Paint and glazes.

White is a natural when it comes to wedding bouquets...you can do DIY classes at out store. Visit www.thecamellia.com

Keep the smell of Lily of the Valley year-round with our Canadian made Soy candles.

Mini Rose wreaths make a great addition to a Wedding shower.

Just in....cotton pillowcases, with lovely embroidered details. A good choice for a Wedding or shower Gift, $25.00 for the pair.

Visit #TheCamellia, at 30 Hacquoil Road. Thunder Bay, On

Open Wed. through Sunday. 

Wed. 11-5, Thurs. 12-6, Fri. 11-5, Sat. 11-5, Sun. 12-5

p-807 475 3551

Wedding bouquets, The Camellia, Thunder Bay

 Hello! Here at The Camellia, we are excited to be taking part in the Thunder Bay Wedding Show, which will take place this Sunday, March 2nd. 2014  at the Victoria Inn, in Thunder Bay, from 11-4p.

How many of you use Pinterest to get ideas for your Wedding? And what about all those Wedding magazines with fabulous displays of masses of Flowers?  All this leads to ...I want THIS ( pointing to what is easily a $1,500 display on 1 corner of a gazebo)  for my Wedding!! Notice they never pin the cost of those elaborate displays? I overheard someone saying the other day ( a Bride-to-be) .."but it's only Flowers, how can they cost so much?"

There is a lot that goes into the growing of Flowers and foilage, and then the transporting of these perishable products from the growers to You! Take a look at the production of foilages on this Florida operation:

http://vimeo.com/73475208

Yes, if you lived in Holland, and you run over to your neighbour down the street that grows Hortensia ( Hydrangeas),  then your Wedding Flowers would be a breeze! 

For most of us here in Thunder Bay, our Fresh flowers have travelled a long way to get here.

Look at the size of these Hydrangea blooms! ... as seen on a visit to Holland.

As for the Tulips in Holland, they are spectacular. 

 And the prices of cut Flowers in Holland are a lot less, as they grow the flowers, no transport costs. We'll blog about that another day. 

 Here at The Camellia, our speciality is Faux-Botanical Bouquets.

They won't wilt or crush, you can get them in hard-to-find colours, they are great for people that are allergic to pollen, flowers and sometimes foilages. ( Who wants to have to use an Epi-pen on their Wedding Day?) Not. And you get to keep them in a vase long after your Wedding Day.

They hold up well in Snow, faux Botanicals make perfect sense for cold, Winter days, like today, minus 40 something with the wind chill.

 This Bouquet was for a September Wedding.

And if you want Fresh bouquets, we can do also .

And this was a beautiful May Wedding...

Photo By Alan Dickson Photography.

Here are Kimberly's comments:

Camille went beyond and above my expectations. I absolutely loved the bouquets and boutounierres she did up and my bridesmaids were so impressed! Camille took my ideas and the end product was better than I could have asked for.  The tulips and little wooden shoes were such a special touch! I love that I have my bouquet as a keepsake. I would highly recommend Camille's work to any bride looking for something amazing for her special day. 

Kimberly 

Ps. The flowers you used in my bouquet are amazing and even more special that they are from Holland. I had a ton of compliments that they had no idea they were silk!!

Do visit The Camellia at the Thunder Bay Wedding show , you will find us at booth #41 in the main Ball room. We will be doing a demo at 1.50 p.m. on Cottage Paint and Pinterest. 
BRIDAL OPEN HOUSE , Sunday March 9th. 2014 

FREE MAKE 'N TAKE FOR BRIDES at The Camellia - on Sunday, March 9th. 2014. 1 -4 p.m. Learn how to make a rolled Rose. 

The Camellia, 30 Hacquoil Rd. 

p807)475-3551

Visit our Wedding blog at www.camelliasdreamweddings.blogspot.com
For Frequently asked questions, and Pricing http://camelliasdreamweddings.blogspot.ca/p/frequently-asked-questions.html 

Peony Love at The Camellia, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Hello!  Peonies are one of my favourite Flowers, they are so vibrant, so fragrant, and so pretty. Here in Thunder Bay, they are just ...  now in full bloom. In our garden here at the Camellia, we have 3 different shades of Pink Peonies.  Most of the plants have been given to us by friends and family. Peonies are an easy-going plant, just give them lots of sun, and water when it's dry, and they will reward you with many blooms. They flower only once during the Summer, but what a show they put on! Plant them where there is lots of room, as they tend to grow quite large, and dislike being moved.

 Such splendour!

 

 This is out best Vase which we sell here at the shop for Peony blooms,  $9.95 in-store. Peonies and this vase were, well, made for each other. Our other fav container is an old Mason jar.

 Here we have used them in a fresh floral design, which was used at this weekend's Wedding to commemorate Family members who have passed away. The blooms should be cut when just opening, if you want to use them in an arrangement like this one.

 And here we have used them in a Bride's Bouquet, stunning, aren't they? We used 3 different shades of Pink, a big thanks to those of you that gave us Peony blooms for Stacey's Bouquet.

A Vintage 1957 Red Pontiac and this red bouquet   ... a lovely pairing.

 Let's not forget the Whites.

 White Peony and Antique cream bowl .

 A plump Bud about to burst into bloom.

How to arrange Peonies? Just pick them from your Garden, plunk into a vase with water, make a fresh cut on all stems. Here they are looking lovely in a bathroom, paired with 1 stem of spray rose, and million star Gypsophilia.

Come visit us at The Camellia, at 30 Hacquoil Rd. We'd love to see you! 

Open Wed. 11 - ? check with us for July 17th.open until when, Thurs. 12-7. Fri.11-7. Sat. 11-5. Sun. 12-5

p 807)475-3551

Shop online at www.thecamellia.com