A Walk in the Garden

These little felt slippers caught my fancy when I first saw them. Colorful and cozy, they are like a walk in the garden all year long. Skip through winter right into spring! Handmade in Nepal, and lovingly designed in New Hampshire, HWD Felt slippers make for happy feet.

And for those of you without foot fetishes...come and try on a poppy purse, or lay your head on a flower pillow.

The Heart of Arlington

That's what we like to call ourselves, the businesses that thrive in Arlington Center!
Come take a stroll through the Heart of Arlington on Saturday, December 3rd, and enjoy all these grat events and special deals:

Artful Heart Gallery • Free earrings with $20 purchase
The Book Rack • 10% off any purchase
Buona Vita! Cucina Italiana • $20 off per table when everyone  orders a main course 2-5 pm
The Costume Company • Elmo is visiting from 2 -6!
Creative Expressions Salon • Refreshments & Free samples, free raffle for basket of hair styling products, complimentary discounts, offers & coupons
Derby Farm Flowers & Gardens • Free gift with purchases over $25, enter to win a holiday centerpiece door prize
Endurance Pilates & Yoga • Free class at 8:15, 9:15 & 11:15 and enter to win a free month of classes
Helena’s • Raffle entry for $50 gift certificate with purchase over $50, 10% off purchases over $100
Henry Bear’s Park • Free gift with $20 purchase
Isis • in-store promo of 10% off purchase, members save an additional 10%. (Excludes car seats and strollers)
The Madrona Tree  • Raffle for four $10 gift certificates
Pink Dolly • Letters to Santa Mailbox, under $20 wrapped teacher’s gifts, gift certificate raffle, afternoon champagne & chocolate
Playtime • Soda and cookies all day
Starbucks-arlington center • Free 12 oz. coffee w/purchase of any pastry
TC Jewelers • 40% off all watches, 30% off all estate jewelry
The Orange Hanger • refreshments, 20% off all sweaters
Wild Child • Refreshments, gift card raffle and fun!

Fun, Festive & Fabulous!

Our annual Women's Shopping Night is our night o' fun at Derby Farm!  Come alone, with a friend, or with a group—we know you'll have a great time! Coming up this Thursday, December 1st, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

• Free hand massages by our recently returned friend Lisa Goldfarb (finally back in the states after 4 years in Ireland!)
• Bubbly, treats, and, at last: those decadent truffles made by our secret chocolatier (my husband Ned)
• 10% off all body care products
• Door prizes including a gift certificate for a free 1/2 hour hand massage and a free flower arrangement
• Gift registry for you to fill out with "suggestions" for your special gift giver!

Healing Argan oil—a new addition to our body care lines!

Thanks for the Flowers

Celebrating loved ones with Thanksgiving flowers is one of my favorite times; remembering that in our all-too-hectic lives, we have few opportunities to enjoy a leisurely meal surrounded by beloved friends and family. We often use kale, artichoke, mini pumpkins, rosemary, and seasonal berries in our centerpieces to reflect the harvest notes of a Thanksgiving table.

This lush mantel arrangement is actually from a fall wedding last year, but the colors are similar to ones we love to use this time of year—dusky purples, soft greens, highlighted with sparkly orange and magenta hues. A long and low arrangement like this can easily move from table to mantel and back again. 

 I have a soft spot for these tiny arrangements in twig baskets which can be put just about anywhere. They are surprisingly complex, with just a few flowers, some leaves, berries and twigs, almost like little fairy houses for the table.

Vintage Bling

Tonight we're holding a workshop with the dynamic and ever-creating Lilla Rogers, who will be introducing her Ruby Violet line of embellishments, necklace kits, cuffs and stamps. I wish I had a photo of Lilla's iphone—her bejeweled case exemplifies her exuberant approach to design! With Lilla's embellishments and a bit of glue, you can add some decorative spice to even the most everyday parts of your life. Festive, fun and fabulous—just the way we like things at DerbyFarm.

The Birds

The Mincing Mockingbird's bird panels are up on our walls again—we've been eagerly waiting their arrival.

Quirky, fun and thought-provoking, these gorgeous portraits share a sense of humor about birds, and our relationship to them. Do you love beaked critters? Are you a bit afraid of them? Do you want to enjoy them through a window but not up close?

The good news is that we have them in. The bad news—they'll probably all be claimed in a week and then we'll have months of waiting. I guess it's retail migration from artist to store to home.

Dreaming of Summer Weddings

 We're still collecting photos, and thanks to our lovely brides we have a few more to show. These are from Amelia Keller's wedding in July at Fruitlands, out in Harvard, MA. Amelia's vision of a summery wedding included wildflowers, seasonal blooms, and soft textures. We chose a mix of soft colors with a few bright accents, and used mason jar centerpieces that fit perfectly into Fruitland's rural setting.

Photos by Chattman Photography

A New York Moment

A chilly NYC evening last January, Claudia, Sonia and I were desperately searching between snowbanks for Good Warm Food when were distracted (yes, it happens easily, I know) by a lovely store window filled with lush arrangements, gorgeous pillows and elegantly funky furnishings. We had found Prudence Designs; we were happy.

Warmly welcomed by the shop's owner, Grayson Handy, we talked flowers, design and food. Soon Grayson was making room for us at the yummy bistro next door and we were well into the perfect New York Evening!

Our long-lasting reminder of that magical night is Grayson's gorgeous book, Flowers for the Home which we're carrying at Derby Farm. I promised Grayson I would order it, and was so glad when it arrived last week! When you come by, pick up a copy to put on your nightstand for inspiration, it'll make you feel flowery all over. Just don't take my copy.

The Natural Garden

I love visiting Thuja Gardens, tucked away on a hillside on Mt. Desert Island! It has a wonderful combination of natural features and formal perennial gardens, all in full bloom during mid-August. Inside the lodge was my favorite botanical treasure: a 17th century book about forest trees!

Fooling around with the flowers

We've been inspired by all the pretty books I've been buying! Claudia pulled together some tulips, Queen Anne's lace and white loosestrife and made this cheery arrangement. The pitcher and the lipstick red vase are from Barbara Eigen.