Cookies & Christmas

Camellia's is now back to regular Opening hours, having taken time off for training in Sales.

OPEN Wednesday 11-6, Thursday: Noon-6, Friday 11-7.30

Saturday: 10-5. Sunday: Noon-4

Our BEST Holiday Ideas

If you are feeling overwhelmed with all the hustle and bustle of the hOlidays, take small consolation in the fact that your Tree isn't this BiG. This is the tree in the Eaton's Centre in Toronto, all aglow with Crystals.

Don't forget the Garden outside. We are busy doing up Urns for clients, these are your Summer urns which can be dressed up for the Holidays. This one is stunning with Magnolia Leaves, cedar, and Dogwood branches.

This urn is a mixture of Holiday greens and Eucalyptus , with Curly Willow accents.
Simply Stunning!
This piece will continue to wow passers-by even after Christmas is over!


We have an assortment of Artisan made Metal work at our store. We also have Artisan Angels, they are great for Holiday decorating, and can be used in your Summer Garden.



Necklaces make great Gifts. A necklace will dress up an everyday outfit.



Who can resist a fabulous Purse with matching Pashmina?

Flowers make a great Family Gift, this design incorporates Hydrangeas and Hyssop Lavender which we grew in our Garden this Summer.

A Hand-made Rug is a welcome Gift for anyone who just bought a new house, or has a Camp or Cottage.

These are Vintage Feed sacks which I picked up at Junk Bonanza , and was hoping to make them into Cushions. However, Never enough THYME!!

This is our Cedar and Birch Twig wreath, smells heavenly!!


Come out and visit us at Camellia's on 30/32 Hacquoil Rd. We are OPEN

Wednesday, Dec. 1st. 10-6 p and Thursday, Dec. 2nd. 11-8p. Fresh Wreaths are made to order, so phone in your orders early. Phone ahead if you need to come at other times, p-475-3551
We offer Delivery as well, delivery charges vary , depending on your location.

Christmas at the Camellia

Snow is here , bringing with it excitement and anticipation, gift giving , decorating , entertaining ( and for some of us, feelings of panic.!) At The Camellia, we offer great solutions for your decorating needs. We will not be at the Artisans Northwest show at the Valhalla this Saturday and Sunday. You can order wreaths and phone for prices by contacting Camille at 475-3551. We look forward to hearing from you. All wreaths are made to order, with the freshest of local greens.

Some of us can't wait for snow, like my silly Golden who loves to roll around in it.



He has loads of fun catching snow .



Here's a custom order with birch logs, faux greenery, apples, and cardinals. A great piece for a large dining table, a front foyer, or a christmas party.




For all those DIY people out there, you can purchase bundles of fresh greens and magnolia leaves for doing your own pots.
Phone first to order.

Square wreaths are also available, in a small and a larger size.

This wreath is simlpy a work of art, composed mainly of cedar and birch. Some clients have kept theirs indoors until the Spring. Cedar dries beautifully, and adds a nice aroma to the home.

A moss wreath, for a contemporary touch.

Silver maple, bamboo, weeping birch and icy branches. All grown in our gardens at The Camellia.

Red dogwood wreaths, in 2 sizes, small and large. Stunning on a bare wall.

Mixed wreath with every clip being a different bundle of greens, perfect for blue colour groupings. This wreath measures approximately 26-27" in diameter.

Under the Christmas tree...

This is the large red Dogwood wreath, one of our most popular wreaths.

This is one of the houses we decorated last Christmas. Yes, we also make evergreen garlands to order, this one has magnolia leaves, and large sugar cones. And yes, we do install!

What could be easier?

Call early to order ! OPEN Thursday, Nov. 25th. 11-2

and on Friday, 26th.Nov. 11-2

30/32 Hacquoil Rd. 10 mins. from Thunder Bay Airpot. p807-475-3551

Toll-free 1-877-523-7444

Harvesting Garden wreaths

It has been a great Summer for growing Flowers, as long as one was able to keep up with all the watering and weeding. I gave up on the weeding . Yesterday was spent picking Bamboo leaves, which were then made into a Wreath.

Wreaths symbolize the eternity of life. This wreath will be perfect for someone who loves Nature, and has neutral tones in her Home.

Today, onwards to the lime green hanging Amaranthus, which will be treated in Glycerin and Dyes before making into Wreaths.

Rocking around the Christmas Tree

at the Christmas party Hop!

I'm so behind I've decided to forget the whole "Keep Calm & Carry On" adage and just go into full blown panic! (Which sometimes manifests itself by loud, off tune singing of Christmas music).

I know Christmas comes at the same time every year but why does it seem that this year it's sooner than ever?

I've received quite a few calls about last minute gift ideas so here are a few suggestions - scented and unscented whipped shea butter. It's easy to spread and the perfect cure for dry skin (I use it all the time on mine because it starts to resemble the Sahara Desert once Winter sets in). Don't forget No-Crack Hand cream , a great stocking stuffer especially with the cold and flue season upon us. Treat Your Doggyness to a jar of Sally Ander Dry Dog Shampoo, for when he or she starts to smell.

Great Gift Basket ideas: Chocolate Truffles and Biscottis, Relaxation and Spa baskets, and much more. They also make a great hostess gift. And yes, we do deliver (for a price!).

For those of us who're remembering our loved ones who've passed, consider evergreens. This year, to commemorate what would've been my Dad's 80th birthday (he passed in 2001) on Dec 23rd we're hanging an evergreen wreath on our french doors. The doors open out to our back deck and boast a glorious view of the Norwester mountains - he loved sitting out there when he visited in the summer. If you'd like to send a sympathy tribute consider an evergeen wreath or our fresh evergreen headstone saddles.

On the decorating front, refresh your traditional Christmas decora with Faux evergreen wreaths, garlands and branches; if you prefer fresh, we have a small selection of real wreaths - square evergreen and magnolia, small red willows, large red pine and Magnolia with Birch twigs, and Green Moss wreaths.

We also have a lovely selection of ribbons by the yard which are great to pair with plain brown paper for a wrapping creation all your own.

I'd love to see what you've done with your decor, so do send me some pictures. I'll feature them in January on the blog.

And if you've left the impossible person to buy for last on your list, email me - I'm sure I can help.

Hours this week:

Sunday, Dec. 20, Noon to 5
Monday , Dec. 21, and Tues. Dec. 22nd, Open by appointment, Phone 475-3551
Wednesday , Dec. 23rd. 11-6
Thursday, Dec. 24th. 11-4

See you soon!

Camille

ps. Here's what's on my Christmas wish list - a virtual assistant. They exist and I'd really like one!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving??? Seriously???

Do you remember as a kid the amount of time you’d just sit around, moaning about how bored you were, or how you couldn’t wait to be grown up?

Now that I’m all grown up I moan about never having enough time to do everything that needs to be done. The long, leisurely summer days of my childhood have long given way to to-do lists, lots of frantic racing around trying to get everything done, and constantly trying to stay one step ahead of this crazy thing we call life

So imagine my surprise when I get the phone call about “Who’s hosting Thanksgiving dinner?”

How is it possible for time to have whizzed by to the point where it’s Thanksgiving? Any chance someone made a mistake? Had their calendar been turned to the wrong month??

I often think that it would be better for Canadians to have Thanksgiving at the same time as Americans. It would buy us all a few more weeks to give some thought to the important stuff…like how to decorate your dinner table!

Have you given any thought to how you’re going to decorate your dinner table?

For those of you who have no time to shop (read most all of us), use what you have on hand – backyard foliage, fruit, and tea lights.

Step out into your backyard; take a deep breath and relax for moment as you look around at the explosion of colour. Then harvest as much of that colour as you can and bring it inside.

Place a runner down the middle of the table, grab whatever fruit you have in the house, along with some candles or tealites.

Gently lay your foliage down, then your fruit, and scatter your candles in holders in-between.

If you’d like something fragrant, try Aromatique's candles – Cinnamon Cider, Pumpkin Spice, or Creme Caramel – to add to the warmth of your home. Other ideas - teensy weensy pumpkins or acorns look fantastic in a glass vase with a battery-operated tealite.

Simple, yet quietly elegant, are our beautiful Fall wreaths – perfect to welcome your guests into your home.

For a bit of fun add our custom Hell’s Kitchen (my son’s favourite cooking show) tea towels.

Thanksgiving weekend hours are limited to Saturday October 10th from 11-5p. Please be in touch for any last-minute requests/emergencies/advice…

This year I'm not too worried about surviving Thanksgiving because (thankfully) I'm not hosting dinner. My personal survival tips:

• thaw your turkey a few days in advance (my sister learned this the hard way)
• do as much prep as you can the night before (chopping vegetables, etc)
• get everyone to bring a side dish (if there are different cultures present then bring a cultural dish)
• if things get tense at any point (just in case), relax and take hope in the fact that dinner is temporary...everyone is going to leave very soon!
  

This year I’m grateful for my family, my health, my life in general, and the fact that I’m not hosting Thanksgiving dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours.

the Illusion of Control

Brian Andreas, an American mixed-media artist, is known for the StoryPeople objects he makes using salvaged wood from old homesteads and includes a short story.

I've a number of his prints in my store including my personal favourite - the Illusion of Control, “If you hold on to the handle, she said, it’s easier to maintain the illusion of control. But it’s more fun if you just let the wind carry you.”

Like most of us, I like the illusion of control so I try to hold onto the handle at all costs.

I make to-do lists on every scrap of paper I can lay my hands on. Not to mention several day-planners and countless notebooks. In fact, I’ve been known to make lists about my existing lists when I’m really desperate.

Thing is, you’ve to be a bit of “list-freak" when you work at least two seasons ahead of everyone else. It’s the only way to stay on top things.

Currently I’m harvesting as much as possible before the first frost comes, gathering a variety of leaves, branches, flowers, and just about anything I can get my hands. I’ll experiment with them once they’re dried and transform into gorgeous Fall and Christmas Wreaths like this one:

Most of us deal with a fair degree of chaos in our lives and of the things I find helps immensely is coming home to an uncluttered space. If you struggle with recalling what your floor or dining room table (in my sister’s case) looks like, consider Baskets or Containers with lids and labels.

I’m South American and like most South Americans I’ll get undressed and put my clothes away – who knows what could get into your things if you leave them on the ground. After all a scorpion or another bug may crawl in, not to mention weather elements – maybe a rain storm that results in flooding.

My husband is North American – invariable he’ll get undressed and throw his clothes on the floor. There they’ll sit until he’s looking for something or another and it’s in his pocket. After 30 years of marriage I’ve finally hit upon a solution that works: placing a basket where he tosses his clothes.

He’s gotten the hint.

Things look neater, you feel more organized, you’ll spend less time looking for things that are often easily misplaced, and chances are, you’ll feel more in control.

Ask me about customized solutions for your unique storage needs.

If you’re going to let the wind carry you, why not let it carry you a serene, calm place at the end of your busy day.

For me, this is my bedroom. It’s the one area in my home where things remain in place most of the time.

My favourite scent is Lavender and I’ll have lavender in a vase with essential oil.

Monogrammed pillowcases and deliciously soft bedding create a sense of “being away from it all.”

Poet Leigh Hunt says it best, “It is a delicious moment, certainly, that of being well nestled in bed and feeling that you shall gently drop to sleep.”

We offer in-home consultation to create your personal space to escape from it all – master bedroom planning, a return to the drawing room, and even a space within a space.

Ask me about pillows and throws, washable cotton bedding ensembles, and aromatherapy options.

Fall's here

At least technically it is although it still feels like the dog days of summer with temperature's in the 80's. While it'd be nice to pretend it's summer and lollygag around, sadly it isn't ... school's back in session, and so are we.

This week is our Autumn Splendour week kicking off on September 23rd with our week-long Great Autumn Sale. Enjoy 30 - 50% reductions on select products including bath products, table linens, curtains and much more. Contact us at camille@thecamellia.com or at 807.475.3551 with questions or requests. Sale wraps up Sept 27th!

September 26 - 27 is our annual Fall Open House. Visit us on Saturday from 11-5p and Sunday from 12-5p and take in our new fall bouquets and wreaths. Custom designed with natural flowers and foliage, no two pieces are alike.

This season's must-have: our Magnolia and Birch wreaths, recently featured on the 2009 cover of "Handmade in Thunder Bay," in classic dark brown and green earthtones.

Check out our essential oil blends to help you survive the upcoming flu/cold season by breathing easy while still looking fabulous (there's nothing attractive about the sniffles and a runny nose).

If you're like me and your idea of being whisked away from it all has to do with flowers, try our "Smell of a Flower Shop" direct from France; if you're like my son whose tastes are more epicurean, then you'll appreciate the scent of Crème Caramel from Aromatique wafting languorously through your home.

Upcoming workshops:
September 26th: Celebration of Sunshine
October 3rd: Designing your Thanksgiving Centerpiece
October 3rd: Lake Superior Fall Wreath.

Please contact me to reserve your place: camille@thecamellia.com or 807.475.3551.

Well I’d better get back to it – I’m taking advantage of the continued good weather to harvest and dry our garden flowers; also working on hydrangea and oregano wreaths, and designing French Linen Laundry bags (part of the Pretty & Functional line).

Hmm...mental note to self: take a moment to stop, breathe and be inspired by everything around me. And for my readers: Dream, design, decorate, re-invent old spaces, and notice the beauty everywhere!

See you in the country.