GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAFY

To bury one's nose in a heavenly array of petals seems to overtake the mind and soul, almost instantaneously, like great winds upon sails. Memories of dreams and hopes may spring to mind -- of possibilities, of receiving your first red rose and kiss, of candlelit pathways, sweet notes read time and time again, and warm embraces; of the words, "I love you". Such fond memories, words and feelings are truly a matter of the heart; the very deepest matter of all.



Yesterday, today and tomorrow, we celebrate roses, as their ever-returning connection to Valentine's Day and love is deeply woven in history. According to number of sources, roses are representative of love in all its forms, and more so became a popular Valentine’s Day flower during the 17th century. It all seems to stem back to the simple belief that a red rose was the favorite flower of Venus -- the Roman Goddess of beauty and love.



Hence, the rose has been claimed as the single flower of love and passion. And just who grows these delicate flowers? There are specialists throughout the world, who devote their time, expertise, passion and pursuit of continuing the tradition of growing and maintaining a beautiful part of our history. Today, we take a dip into romance, as we explore ideas on how to use, preserve and give roses, as well as three wondrous and fascinating rose gardens across the globe . . .

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Imagine the anticipation of stepping on board a grand and majestic train, all aglow, as the brisk winter’s evening has just fallen.



Inside, passengers settle in for the evening, enjoying perfect touches of comfort and luxury, echoing that of a romantic, bygone era.



And as steam trails behind and the new journey commences, the heart flutters momentarily and one is not sure what to expect, but one thing is for certain, guests are abound to endless wondrous destinations, with discoveries and sights to take in at nearly every moment along the way.



Today we explore a wonderful selection of world-renowned trains and journeys, from all different points of the world.



And so, we invite to you warm a delicious cup of drinking chocolate, and please join us on an incredible railway adventure . . .

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. . . warm neutrals, deep blues and pale blues, silver & gold, warm slate & evergreen -- so many beautiful colour combinations for the holiday season, and while this year may be white & gold, perhaps, little bits of rose may find their way into glasses and cushions, cakes and pastries and the edges of teacups . . .











{images: one // two // three // four // five // six}

. . . late-spring rain and blustery breezes, and lately there are fallen petals everywhere -- between the cobblestones, and winter-worn fountains, on boxwood hedges and in secret gardens -- and the scent of freshly picked roses in etched glass vases and beautiful bouquets of lilies of the valley are enough to make one wish for every morning on the terrace . . .

hello! home again and so lovely to see you -- sincerest apologies for being suddenly m.i.a. the past few days -- an unscheduled and dramatically last-minute trip to new york city late last week, and it's been a whirlwind of romance and strawberry cocktails, long dinners and late nights, beautiful shops and sunrises over the water, early morning swims and menus filled with the most delicious things, like wild blossom salad with champagne vinaigrette . . . much to tell and many, lovely photographs -- but first, a few moments to catch my breath . . .

{images: natalia chabanenko by serge leblon, styling by styled by mattias karlsson for harper's bazaar uk, september 2010 via picsandmodels, also seen at a dustjacket attic}