This week, it’s all about the vase. I don’t generally buy travel souvenirs but how could I resist this charming little vessel?
This vase from Puerto Vallarta is pretty on all sides (That’s Tessa our cat walking away in the background)
I spotted the vase on our final day in Puerto Vallarta. It’s small, perhaps the size of a tall shot glass. Once wrapped in protective paper and I stashed it in my purse for the trip home.
Scale is everything with a vase this small. I scouted my limited winter choices and decided on three white camellia camellia japonica and a few sprigs of my beloved fern.
Camellia Japonica
Camellia Japonica bud
The petals were already dropping, so I don’t think the arrangement will last the week, unless this pretty bud opens up. I love that faded pink on the tips.
Kitty vase on my home office window sill
An outdoor shot where the light is always best
Tessa the curious
As it turns out, several bloggers join the In a Vase on Monday feature. It was nice connecting some of you last week.
Thank you Cathy at Words and Herbs and Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for your ongoing inspiration.
Gardening Nirvana 
Love it! I can never resist a dachshund themed momento…these are the things that make us smile!
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So true!
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It’s so pretty! An elegant shape and a lovely colour scheme and some beautiful blooms, and you’ve got art on your windowsill.
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Kate, I do like the shape as well as the art. It’s funny how this little trinket made my day. And yes, a few flowers to soften the outdoor grey.
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I love that bud. Looks like it’s heading for spring out there!!!
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We’re definitely seeing signs of spring, Lisa. My hyacinth are always the first up, followed by freesia and narcissus. I remember smiling when we visited DC that first time. My Narcissus came and went in February, whereas your’s were up in March/April. You notice so much more when you blog.
So I hear we have a budget till February 8th. On and on it goes. My sister works for the VA so she is concerned “essential services”. How about you?
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Not me!! But I was in for half a day to be given papers, then while at lunch with a colleague, the Senate blessedly came to agreement. So back to it tomorrow!
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Oh my goodness. How stressful…and ridiculous. I’m glad your back to work for another month. I hope Congress can get it together. I’m holding out hope for the Dreamers (DACA). Please tell me that Congress can’t possibly be so cruel as to deport all those people?
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Yeesh, I’ve heard reports of a Polish doctor and Irish immigrants in Boston. Obama deported a LOT of people, but this is getting nuts. Anyone with a misdemeanor is vulnerable.
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Obama did deport a lot of people, but he also put the Dreamer’s act in place (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) in case anyone else reads this comment. It’s huge here in California. The idea of deporting someone that arrived as a child seems inhumane to me.
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No disagreement–just saying it’s more and it’s worse.
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Agreed, Lisa. My heart goes out to all of the Dreamers. We marched for DACA last September. Things looked more promising then. Now…who knows how the wind will blow. 45 follows his own random direction.
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Your Camellia is lovely Alys, and even if it doesn’t last that long I think watching flowers drop their petals and slowly fade can also be fulfilling. 🙂 We have snow and I couldn’t rally myself to think out the box this week, but I hope to be back with a vase next Monday.
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Thank you, Cathy. You know you’ve just called to mind a famous painting (name escapes me) with a vase showing fallen petals on the table). You are so right!
Ah, snow! I hope it’s beautiful and restful falling gently around you. I heard you had terrible winter storms last week. I hope everyone is recovery well.
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Yes, we had storms, although not too bad in the south here.., the snow is conveniently covering the debris left behind in the garden! LOL!
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A nice camouflage if you will. ;_)
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Very pretty vase! And the cool thing is that every time you look at it, you will remember what a great trip you had. Lovely flowers, hope they last!
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That’s it exactly. It will be a nice reminder of our fabulous time away.
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The cat really puts it into perspective for me. Even though you had said ‘about the size of a shotglass’, it fooled me until Catzilla the Giant Cat was in the frame–
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Thank you for commenting, Donnalee. It is hard to get perspective on something like this. Our Tessa, or as you cleverly put it “Catzilla the Giant Cat” wandered in front of the lens at the right time.
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A pretty hand painted vase is very often enough on its own – but your camellia decorates it nicely 🙂 Simple pleasures!! ❤
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Thank you, Pauline. Simple pleasures indeed. xo
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The vase is perfect for you, Alys, and your beautiful garden treasures
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Thank you, Mary Elizabeth. It’s amazing how uplifting it can be to tuck a few flowers into a nice vase.
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Such a pretty cat vase and a sweet touch of possible spring. No sign of it here yet. Loved seeing Tessa investigating. 🙂
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Thank you, Marlene. We’ve barely had a winter here. It’s been surreal. We’re way behind again on rain and only now really have a few cooler days. Are you getting any snow yet? Tessa is never far from the action. I adore that sweet, curious cat.
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Tessa is going to be good for a lifetime of entertainment. You can see it in her photos. No significant snow here this year and way too warm. I hate to see what the summer will bring again. Ugh. I may have to move to the north pole. 🙂
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I’m dreading summer too. We seem to be on the similar patterns. It feels cold today, only because it’s been ridiculously warm all winter and mostly dry, too. We had two rainy days this week, and that’s it for another ten days, sliding us into February.
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It’s going to be 60 degrees for the next 2 days!!!! Guess we are keeping all the rain to ourselves here. Down with bronchitis still and this rain isn’t helping me get out and walk in the fresh air. Of course my back going out had the doctor telling me to stay off the hills. So no mall with people and no outside. I’m kind of grumpy these days. Send me pretty pictures of NZ. 🙂 I’m so excited for you all.
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I would be grumpy too, Marlene. It’s hard feeling crummy for so long. I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been ill.
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It’s ok, Alys. It’s the Universe’s way of speaking to me. 🙂 Kind of like a hard swat on the head. 🙂 We had days I could have accomplished so much and I could do nothing but watch it pass by. I’m wide awake at 1 am! What the heck? ;/
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So charming – a wonderful souvenir that will get lots of use. Tessa is a pretty girl!
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Thank you, Eliza. Tessa has really unusually markings, and a great origin story, too. She crawled into my husband’s Tesla as a small kitten and remained trapped for 12 hours. We had to go to the dealers and have the car partially dismantled to get her out. She’s a gem of a cat (well…I think all cats are gems) but she really has personality to spare.
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Wow, what a story. She was destined to be yours!
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Tessa is such a beauty! I like the vase too~
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Thank you, Cindy. Tessa is a beauty with a personality to match.
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How nice that you found a treasure to bring home. All I bought in Mexico was Vanilla and unfortunately is was stale. Side note: did you ever do that little science thing in school where you put a drop of vanilla in a balloon and it turns into a nice perfume? Fantastic winter garden flowers too! Do they have a scent? I’ve been watching the news about the gov’t shutdown……weird stuff. Hell of a way to run a country. I heard the ‘necessary workers’ were to work for free? I don’t know how you take it all. Come back to Canada! xoxo
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I’m sorely tempted, believe me. I’m so fed up with the daily nonsense 45 dishes out, and the harm his insensitive and indifferent attitude is causing so many people. It’s heartbreaking, and moral corrupt.
I love my little vase. I spent half an hour trying to find an artist’s name before I published but no luck. I’ve never done the balloon with vanilla experiment. What fun! I love the smell of vanilla as it’s freshly dropped into cake batter. Ummmmm. Too bad your vanilla arrived home stale. What a shame.
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That’s the type of souvenir I love. When I go down into Spain I am usually tempted by ceramic bowls and plant pots.
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Oh yes! Plant pots would have been lovely too, but getting them home would be another story. You’re lucky to live so close to many wonderful European countries.
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Oh, yes! You *needed* that vase! I used to buy tons of things when I went on a trip but I seldom buy anything anymore–don’t need more stuff! But when the perfect little gem presents itself . . . And speaking of perfect gems, Tessa is growing up!
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Agreed! Few of us need more stuff. Sometimes I’ll just bring home postcards, and my own photos of course. Tessa is a gem among gems. I’ll write another post about her one of these days. She’s so fun and funny and affectionate, too. We adore her.
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The vase is so pretty; I wouldn’t have resisted it either. We’ve been buried in snow, so I’m very happy to live vicariously through your ‘limited’ winter choices’.
We honeymooned in Mexico and I regret not bringing back a momento, but in retrospect I did bring back a husband and there’s nothing better than that 🙂
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I’m sorry to hear you’ve been buried in snow, Sara. It’s been a rough winter for the eastern seaboard.
Perhaps you and the Mister can return to Mexico for an anniversary. Does that have any appeal? It probably sounds appealing right now with your frigid winter in full force. You’re comment about “bringing back a husband” made me giggle.
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Beautiful from every angle! I do love the vase and I always pay attention to camellias! And who wouldn’t love Tessa? 🙂
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Tessa is pretty irresistible. We could probably invite friends over for stress management, Tessa style.
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How very sweet. I used to pick up tiny things to put in a printers box that I have hanging on the wall but I filled it years ago. My daughter started me on magnets and that is a great way to remind me of the wonderful places I have been and take me there for a just a moment. This is a sweet reminder of a lovely weekend and you can put some of your favorite things in it all year long.
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Amy, I had to look up the term “printer’s box” but as soon as I saw one, I knew exactly what you meant. That is a clever way of displaying small treasures from your travels or any collection for that matter.
Did I ever tell you that I collect the little paper tag from tea bags? It started just after college and all these years later, with over 200 tags, they still fit in a large glass jar. It’s a portable collection. 😉
Magnets are a fun thing to collect as well, and they’re available pretty much everywhere.
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What a gorgeous little treasure you brought home! It suits you, somehow … bright and sweet and full of optimism. 🙂 Thank you for brightening my day with this lovely little slice of sunshine from your garden. xx
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You are so dear! Thank you, Heidebee. I’m counting down till spring. Only…oh never mind. We have some time yet. 😉
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Camellias never last long in a vase but it’s still worth having the blooms in sight to be admired. Your new vase is precious, as is Tessa. My own cat is a tortoiseshell-tabby mix or, as the ladies with the cat rescue organization I got her from called her, a “Torbie.”
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A torbie! That’s so cute. The Camellia bud opened within a day and the greens still look fabulous so all is not lost.
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I’ve just discovered your blog and loved reading about your Mexican holiday and little vase. You’ll be looking forward to spring while we are struggling with summer and lack of rain.
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I’m only tempted by proper local crafts when I’m on holiday and don’t tend to buy souvenirs either, but would definitely have fought you for this one!!
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🙂
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That’s a beautiful vase, I think Tessa likes it:-)
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