a stem of my own

even though these flowers are more like cabbage than they are like flowers (they actually are part of the mustard/cabbage family), they're one of my favorites. for one thing, they're interesting looking, and very autumnal. their look actually mimics, in a way, the petal-ish look of peonies and ranunculous, two of my other favorites. but mainly, i love them because they're the very first flower mitchell ever brought me. in fact, they're the first item he ever gave me, period.
it's amazing, when you think about it, how the tiniest of choices last a lifetime - i'm sure when mitchell picked these out, he had no idea that in my mind they would become emblamatic of a new love and would come back around each fall as a brilliant reminder.

although i haven't actually bought these for our house, i think this season i will. i'd like to use them incorporated into a cornucopia-like tablescape or basket. one of the nicest things about having a personal story behind something like a specific flower is that you can incorporate them into a public display, but they retain a special and private meaning to only you and maybe a precious few others.

similarly, i love the idea of choosing a wedding bouquet you can take inspiration from in real life. mine was all red ranunculous, and each time i use or even see ranunculous, i feel a sweet and private warmth because they are just mine in the most special of ways. to be able to have little bits of personal meaning in a big world is a precious gift and an endless return on the choices and investments we make each day.