Our Garden of Earthly Delights

It’s been a different kind of summer this year in Toronto, elusive and uncertain. A little bit like our world today. One minute its looking good and the next minute it’s not. The plants have certainly flourished. Perhaps it’s because they follow a natural order. They just keep the faith, move forward with confidence and grow with the flow. I guess the lesson here is to trust your instincts and make the best of what you've got. In short live for the day and advance with optimism.

I read a wonderful quote that sums this thought up nicely:

“Success is a journey not a destination and half the fun is getting there.”
- Gita Bellin

Here are some sunny Summer moments from the award winning Rooftop Garden outside our window. The first is a picture of Gwendolyne, the beautiful spirit who continues to inspire my life. And if you're familiar with Gwendolyne Hats, chances are she’s inspired you too. Many smiling faces have passed through our doors and left with joy in their hearts. Love is the thread that connects our work together. Love is full of meaning. Everything in our Atelier is infused with a little bit of that magic.

"The mind determines what is possible. The heart surpasses it.''
- Pilar Colinta

These days we've been starting work with a refreshing tête-à-tête on the Roof Garden. This peaceful oasis gets our creative juices flowing while nature's power helps to ground us. Our studio is right in the heart of the city. As we contemplate our day ahead we can feel the energy of the urban landscape around us. It's a wonderful balance. While the city feeds our mind and belly, the garden feeds our soul. I dream of a day when the roof tops of the world are green and we all live in greater harmony with nature.

Our work is a magnet for happy people. During the Summer months many travel to our city. They are always thrilled to discover this marvelous building our business calls home. Here is Lily an artist and hat lover from Vancouver who found us on her holiday. One of our greatest pleasures is meeting kindred spirits who like ourselves share their joy and spread happiness wherever they go.

As luck would have it last week we got away for a holiday up north at a cottage on Horseshoe Lake. It was so refreshing to dive into the water and wash our cares away.

It was a well deserved rest. We've been very busy working on some exciting new surprises for the cool seasons ahead. Vacations are relaxing but they're also a great opportunity to see life from a clear perspective. In our case it has re-confirmed our direction. Art is our calling and creativity the driving force behind our life. True to our hearts we have always made choices to follow that path. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but that's just who we are. We create the beautiful things that we think the world should see and we're proud of it. Our bottom line is quality and true value with meaning. This year you can expect our collection to be the best ever. Seize the day and get them while you can. After all where would the world be without flowers.