Shades of red, white or blue remind me of 4th of July parties and fireworks and special times with family and friends. Vintage aprons, adorned with red roses against what was once a vivid blue, now slightly worn with time. Blue and white checked linens - once grandmother's finest, still carrying traces of the 4th of July picnics I had as a child. Pale blue Depression glass against the finest white tablecloth, topped with a white milk glass vase and filled with the summer flowers. On the wall, a white French farmhouse shelf displays white china hand painted with red and blue buds Adding a little color to your table, shades of red, white and blue can turn any meal into a celebration. Blue and white Italian place settings against a red tablecloth. An angel food cake atop a favorite white cake stand, topped with fresh summer blueberries and strawberries. Red sugar-coated candies in a white candy dish hand painted with blue forget-me-nots. Hanging nearby, white and blue checked kitchen towels decorated with shiny red apples Placed somewhere you didn't expect, red, white and blue can create a burst of color in any corner. Red roses on canvas and hung on a freshly painted blue wall. A piece of broken china jewelry - tiny blue and red roses against pure white china. A white lace sun catcher, with a red and blue design, hanging in the window. In the guest bathroom, a blue tissue box holder painted with white and red flowers. Tucked into a corner of your purse, a blue hanky trimmed with red and embroidered with white daisies. And dangling from your wrist, a bracelet made of cinnabar, turquoise beads and bone. 
For a special touch of whimsy, plug in 4th of July light bulbs in red, white and blue. Use a white table runner with appliquéd blue rabbits and red rose buds. Display faux strawberries dipped in white chocolate placed in a blue cake box that looks pretty enough to eat. You can wear a soldered charm of red breasted robins against an azure sky, sprinkled with white German glass glitter or write on the white pages of a notebook decorated with red roses and blue ribbons.With shades of red, white and blue surrounding us, celebrations of life can happen any day.
Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink
I've never seen a rose I didn't love. From the first blossom of spring, gently swaying in the breeze, to an intricately stitched needlepoint rich in history, I love them all. Silk roses mixed with a bunch of silk hydrangeas, gracing a vase on the mantle. Cabbage roses on a sugar bowl and creamer, brought out for a grandmother's tea. Colorful rose cupcakes scented as beautifully as they look.
Throughout the years, famous artists have studied and painted every aspect of the rose. Antique lithographs and post cards from the 1800s grace our homes today with their everlasting beauty. From a rhapsody of roses printed on canvas and hung over a doorway to garlands of decal roses that make favorite items look hand painted, roses continue to gracefully fit every lifestyle and décor.
You know that sudden flutter you feel when you discover a long sought after treasure? Maybe it's a piece of faux pastry delicately iced and trimmed with lace satin ribbon that takes hold of your imagination and makes you smile. Or vintage china pieces with hand painted roses that bring back forgotten memories. A cottage frame trimmed in vintage wallpaper to hold a treasured photo. Crisp table linens, reminiscent of special teas shared with Grandmother so many years ago. Hand painted silk roses adorning a beautifully wrapped gift or Cameo soaps, delicately scented to tuck inside a drawer of vintage hankies.An armful of hand-embroidered pillowcases you can't wait to bring home and show off by piling them on your bed. A rose scented candle that hides inside a special teacup. Garden party hats with vintage floral brooches and ribbon bands, just right for a party or to dress up a corner of your room. Broken china mosaics on a teapot, lamp or silver plated tray to bring out when company comes. A vintage rhinestone necklace and bracelet to put on for just the right occasions.
A white painted cottage cabinet to be filled with hand-painted dishes, appliquéd tea towels, chenille bedspreads or vintage toys. Wrought iron candle sticks that dangle delicate crystal drops. They add an instant aura of old-fashioned romance. Vintage nursery jars to put in your powder room or the master bath, unexpectedly filled with rose-shaped soap petals and lavender potpourri. Hand stitched needlepoints, rich in history, combined with pastels silks for a treasured pillow. Tea cozies trimmed in Venice lace and satin ribbons and bows - stunning as any china teapot and just right for an afternoon tea party with friends.
Delights and pleasures that make your heart beat a little faster await you along the garden path. Sights and sounds and smells that excite your senses and inspire your imagination. Perhaps it's the purple cone flowers, multicolored morning glories, fragrant angel trumpets, or the lordly foxglove, all grown from seed and tended with love, that line the path and remind you to dream. Or the delicate shadow of a Victoria trellis supporting a new vine that takes you on a new flight of fancy. In the early morning hours, or when the sun begins to set, a verdigris candle holder or metal scroll work lantern might illuminate the garden pathway. But it's the vintage metal buckets painted with floral designs and planted with overflowing flowers, that seem to light the way.
The garden scenery is reflected in a beautiful handmade cushion, stitched from fabric alive with pink blossoms, then placed on a nearby garden chair. A decorative vintage birdcage hangs from a weather hook. On the table lies a gardening book filled with inspiration and ideas to share. Later, you'll remember absent friends and lovingly write to them on note cards reminiscent of a favorite rose garden. But for right now, you'll celebrate with those who are here, and share the treasures you've found along the garden path. 
Something old, something new. something borrowed, something blue. The age old timeless phrase describes the perfect ingredients for a beautiful summer wedding.
Discover a secret garden, a sacred place that refreshes your senses and feeds your soul. Whether purposefully planted - like grapevines carefully twisted along a white painted arbor - or tended by nature's hand - a colorful explosion of wildflowers in a forgotten field - you'll recognize your own by the little flutter you feel inside. A place that inspires new dreams and renews forgotten strengths.
Or does your own secret garden flourish indoors? A garden embroidered along the edge of a vintage linen tablecloth, or decorating the notepaper and envelopes you keep on your writing table. Romantic peach rosebuds encircling a china plate. French ribbon roses, and hand-built ceramic roses added to dresser drawers and empty table tops. A floral pattern on a vintage handkerchief. Fleur-de-lis carved into a white display shelf. A vintage needlepoint of pink stargazer lilies surrounded by burgundy roses. A garden of photographs and memories, sprinkled with tiny flowers. 
Old French perfume bottles lining a bedroom shelf. Antique silver spoons with intricate designs, soon to be polished and repurposed into delicate silver jewelry. Cozy quilts stitched from well-loved clothing.Your most cherished memories, much too precious to remain hidden. You feel a little flutter as each is carefully uncovered and made new. Everyone will wonder what great secret lies behind your sudden sparkle, but the feeling is too powerful for words.
