Hello and welcome to Weekend Coffee Share #32! I’m glad you’re here. Please come on in, help yourself to a cup of coffee, or tea, hot chocolate, or cold drink at my coffee station and let’s chat.
It was a hot and humid week with scattered thunderstorms. Daytime high temperatures reached 31C (88F) and felt like 41C (106F) on Wednesday. I enjoyed kayaking and stand up paddling within Toronto Islands where the water was calm and great for swimming. I also cycled, walked and played disc golf earlier in the day when it was cooler. One of my walks was a floral trail.
Fleurs de Villes Rosé
Toronto’s Fleurs de Villes (Flowers of Cities) took place on August 4-8, 2021 in Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood. The five-day, Rosé-themed event showcased over thirty five stunning fresh floral installations and mannequins designed by over twenty of Toronto’s top florists in support of Breast Cancer Research.
I spent time meandering around the streets of Bloor and Yorkville exploring the floral trail and taking pictures. I grouped my photos into two galleries. Feel free to browse either one or both. Remember to click on any image in the gallery to see it in full view and use the arrow to move to the next image.
Doors and Entrances
Beautiful flower arrangements adorn these doorways. Shared for #ThursdayDoors.
Pink Floral Doorway 
Manulife 
Aritzia 
Pusateri’s 
Minto Yorkville 
Brunello Cucinelli 
Church of the Redeemer 
SLATE Asset Management 
Bell Media Bloom Box
Mannequin and Other Florals
The mannequin florals are stunning. I love them all. The Breast Cancer Society of Canada (BCSC) Warrior mannequin reminded me of my girlfriends who fought breast cancer. I also learned about Sophie Scholl and the White Rose.
The other floral designs are unique: Look up to see the floral Cloud, strings of Lights and a butterfly spreading its Wings. Get a coffee from Jacked-Up Coffee Truck then hop on the cool turquoise Bicycle or the hip orange VW Van for a ride to the market.
Pose for photos by the Stairs, the Swing, or Entry and Benches. Pick up fresh flowers at the Pop-Up Shop Cart, see the floral Tree and try yummy snacks from the Market Stall.
It was a beautiful and fun walk! Shared for #LifeThisWeek, #PPAC#9.
Vyne Botanicals 
Toronto Botanical Garden 
S. Scholl and the White Rose 
Warrior – BCSC 
Breast Cancer Research Foundation 
Kim Crawford 
Beyond Monet 
Lounging Mannequin 
Cloud 
Lights 
Wings 
Jacked-Up Coffee Truck 
Bicycle 
VW Van 
Stairs 
Swing 
Entry and Benches 
Pop-Up Flower Shop Cart 
Floral Tree 
Market Stall 
Floral Close-Up
Guest Hosting
I’m delighted to be hosting the Sunday Stills photography challenge for three weeks when host Terri at Second Wind Leisure Perspectives is on her blogging break. I’ll have dedicated link-ups and posts for Sunday Stills on the following dates and themes:
- Sunday August 22: In The Garden
- Sunday August 29: Afloat
- Sunday September 5: Colourful Murals
The weekly Weekend Coffee Share link-up continues as usual, no change. The Sunday Stills photography challenge runs from Sunday at 10 a.m. to Saturday at 10 p.m. Toronto time. I hope to see you at both link-ups.
Which floral designs you would pick as your Top Three?
Copyright © 2023 natalietheexplorer.home.blog – All rights reserved.
Natalie the Explorer 
I congratulate you and your fellow citizens for all the lockdowns and restrictions you endured ( as we are here in parts of NSW Australia) because these photos show me how you are reaping the rewards of immersion in beauty and life…the photos are amazing. Congratulations on hosting Sunday Stills for the 3 weeks after this one, I will be there! Denyse
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Thank you, Denyse, for your comment. Most adults and youths in Toronto who are eligible for the covid-19 vaccines have rolled up their sleeves to receive the full dose. We’re not out of the woods yet. In fact we’re in the 4th wave of the pandemic but with the high vaccination uptake, there are a lot less people in ICU and less deaths, and we’re able to enjoy a close-to-normal summer. I hope NSW gets the situation under control so restrictions can be lifted. I look forward to seeing you at Sunday Stills.
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Thanks Natalie. Yes will see you at Sunday Stills too….Thank you for linking up for Life This Week. Next week, the optional prompt is Time. I hope to see you link up again. Warmest wishes, Denyse.
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It’s going to be a fun weekend. See you soon.
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Great collection of flowers.
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Thank you, Quentin, for your comment. I greatly appreciate it.
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Just beautiful Natalie – every picture was just so lovely – and wonderful to be able to share the flowers with you.
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Hi Leanne, The florists did such amazing jobs on their floral designs. They kept the flowers fresh for the entire event. Thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare. Your blog on the topic of Refinancing your home later in life would be useful to people who are at that stage in life.
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All are beautiful! My favorites are the bicycle, wings, and VW van.
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Thank you, Beth, for your comment. I love those three floral designs, too. They’re all about freedom and mobility.
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There’s no way I could pick my top three, Natalie. They are all absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your weekend!
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Jill, I’m glad you liked these floral designs. The florists did such an amazing job, not only to create these designs but to keep the flowers fresh, especially those on display in the summer heat, for the entire event. Have a wonderful weekend!
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All the floral arrangements are gorgeous! If I had to pick one it would be the jacked up coffee shop. I don’t take photos of flowers often enough, but today I actually stopped on my way home to take a photo of a particularly beautiful arrangement on a bridge. It sounds like you had a great week, despite the slightly high temps. Thank you for the coffee!
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Hi Maria, The flower arrangements at the Jacked Up coffee shop are beautiful. I like the blue colour of the truck and how the flowers compliment it. Good for you to take time and photograph the flowers on the bridge on your way home. Flowers bring such beauty into our life. Have a great weekend!
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Yes, I agree! Have a wonderful weekend!
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Hi Natalie, I’m thrilled that you are doing Sunday Stills for three weeks. Your topics sound great. Your photos this week are luxurious. I’ll take some more time with them when I come back to share my link today. As a survivor of breast cancer, I appreciate all the research that has been done over the years to make it a much more survivable cancer. I am almost two year cancer-free. It changes your life, but because of technology, it leaves so much more in tact. Thanks for honoring all the hard work done in this field. 🙂
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Hi Marsha, I’m glad to hear you’re almost two year cancer-free. These floral designs are amazing to see IRL. I’ll link up with your PPAC shortly. I hope you join me for Sunday Stills.
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I never miss! 🙂
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Looking forward to your post 🙂
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Me too! 🙂
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I underestimated, your post is super pink. The door was just the start. You should have a reward for the most flowers in one post.
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Hehe, the theme of the floral event is Rosé and it’s for Breast Cancer Research (pink ribbon) so there are a lot of photos and pink. I think this post had the highest number of photos I’ve ever included in one post. I knew some readers might find it too much but I wanted to have all the Fleurs de Villes photos in one post for me!
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I doubt if anyone minded. They are all beautiful. I know exactly what you mean by getting things in one place. I have tons of pictures of murals in a town back home in CA. When Carol, the Eternal Traveller, came to visit, she managed to take all of them and put them in one post. So now I know where I can find them, but I never took the time to do that for myself.
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A real treat, Natalie, to attend Flyers de Villes. All the photos, beautiful! The telephone Bloom Box, unique. All of the displays are unique. I can (almost) smell the beautiful aromas of your walk. Thank you for sharing a fun, positive and colourful post. Have a great week! 🌻
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Hi Erica/ Erika, This walk was so much fun and such a visual treat. I’m glad you liked my photos. I like that Bloom Box, too. It had a huge amount of fresh flowers. I hope your summer is going well. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Natalie, what an amazing event! All of the florals are so beautiful and original. The Warrior is a standout for me. Have a great weekend.
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Suzanne, The mannequins are stunning IRL and the Warrior is exceptional. I was happy to see Toronto reopens after a long lockdown with this event. I hope your move went well. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!
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The Bell Media Bloom Box is my favorite. What a clever way to catch someone’s eye. This looks like it was a fun event all around. Very cool
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I’m glad you liked the Bloom Box. It’s a fabulous idea with a huge amount of fresh flowers in it.
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It’s hard to pick a favorite but I’m partial to the bicycle.
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The turquoise bicycle is fun and very attractive.
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As ever, your post is a delight to read with my Saturday breakfast. So many lovely displays – liked the British phone box stuffed with flowers (bloom box) and the market stall in the second set of pictures, but all were lovely to look at.
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The Bloom Box had a huge amount of fresh and beautiful flowers in it. The staff at the Market Stall were giving out free snack and it was yummy, too.
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Such lovely flower displays! I think my favourites are those with the coffee truck, VW van and bicycle! The flowers on the buildings are lovely but they’re more “daily life” to me because that type of flower decorations are the norm here where I live – which I love! My town is very colourful and nicely decorated in the summer.
I wish you a lovely weekend!
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I’m glad you liked the flower displays on the bicycle, coffee truck and VW Van. I loved them too. Most towns and cities look colourful in the summer. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Oh wow; what beautiful florals!!
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Thank you for your comment. I greatly appreciate it.
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I’m blown away by the fleurs. You’ve outdone yourself this week.
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Thank you, Susan. The florists did an amazing job and the event was well organized.
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That is so goreous! I love the manniquins dressed in the flowers. How beautiful! Our major Dept store does similar with their Dpring Flower Show which won’t be on this year due tolockdown….so sad!
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The florists did an amazing job on the mannequins. Hang in there. The lockdown is temporary and spring is on its way to Sydney.
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I think the art of floral design is incredible and to be able to see all the florals on this tour must have really been something, Natalie! Your temps sound like ours, unbelievable! And we have smoke from wildfires to boot. I’m glad you are getting out on the water. I went for my maiden voyage on my new inflatable kayak yesterday with my neighbors on the Little Spokane River. Glorious–pics later! Thank you so much for guest hosting Sunday Stills for me beginning Aug 22!
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Terri, I was so happy to walk this floral trail after a long lockdown. The florists did an incredible job with their floral designs. I can’t wait to see your kayaking photos. I love paddling in the summer. You must be getting excited for your upcoming trip. I look forward to hosting Sunday Stills on Aug. 22.
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I had to go back and look at the pics, my internet was slow. Really quite incredible to see all those florists, Natalie!
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Terri, All the flower arrangements were amazing and the floral details on the mannequins were stunning IRL. For example, the Sophie Scholl mannequin wears a handbag that is made from sunflower seeds!
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I’d be hard pressed to pick the top three floral designs, but I like the Bloom Box, the pink door and Manualife. I attended a training class with tow people from manualife, one from that office and we had a great time sharing stories and learning from each other’s experiences.
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Dan, I like the three floral designs that you mentioned too. Manulife Centre was the recommended starting point of this floral trail. The florists did an incredible job for this event. Have a great weekend!
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Hi Natalie, I adore the mannequins and flowers, how amazing! All your photos show a beautiful positive environment and I wish i was there!
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Hi Debbie, The florists did an amazing job with their floral designs and the event was well organized. I was happy to walk this floral trail for a good cause (Breast Cancer Research) and to see the city opened up after a long lockdown.
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Absolutely amazing Natalie, and so creative!
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I’d never seen decorated mannequins before. Very cool. Thanks for bringing them to our coffee share.
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Glad to share something new to you Gary. Have a great weekend!
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Those mannequin florals are stunning! I greatly enjoyed seeing them.
Congratulations on hosting SundayStills. I look forward to reading those posts.
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Thank you, Donna. I hope to see you at Sunday Stills. Have a great weekend!
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Wow, your pictures are amazing
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Thank you Alex. The florists did an amazing job with their floral creations. Have a great weekend!
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Wow Natalie, those photos are gorgeous. I bet it smelled good there too. So stunning. I’ve been keeping my eye out for photo opportunities for the challenges you’ll be hosting.
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Thank you, Kirstin. The florists did an incredible job with their floral creations. I look forward to seeing your photos at Sunday Stills.
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The Fleurs-de-Villes walk sounds so beautiful! I’m so glad the weather was good for kayaking too.
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The walk was beautiful and the weather is perfect this weekend. I hope your weekend is going well. Have a great week ahead!
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i would pick the coffee van, bicycle, and vw
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Excellent choices! I love those three unique displays too. They’re all about freedom and mobility.
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yes!
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The Fleurs de Villes was beautiful this year.
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Yes, the florists and event organizers did a fantastic job.
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Natalie & Friends, I had to nuke my page and start from scratch. I would be most honored if You could stop by and let me know if you see anything. I just have one post at the moment. https://centerforchaosexplorations.com/2021/08/14/site-rebuild/
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Btw, Inlinz isn’t letting me post link at the moment…. have to figure that out, too. But, at least my dashboard is back.
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I hope you can join us with your new blog once it’s all sorted.
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I did get it to actually work! YEAH! I posted to inlinks, look for the red Frish’s mug. 🙂 ❤ Thanks for your patience. This new WP is just plain HARD!
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Oh Natalie, your galleries are so very cool. I adore all the floral artistry you are finding. 😀 😀
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Thank you, Cee. I’m glad you liked my galleries. Some readers may find it too much pink and too many photos. The event theme is Rosé and I put all the photos in one post for me 🙂
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Fantastic walk with the city all decked out in roses. A few years back i saw a movie about Sophie Scholl – a very brave young woman who was far more patriotic than the monsters that executed her. Anyway, hope you are havign a great weekend and have a wonderful week 🙂
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Thank you Trent for mentioning about Sophie Scholl movie. She was very brave. It was horrific that the monsters executed her by guillotine when she was just 21 years old. The weather is perfect here this weekend, sunny with low humidity. I hope your weekend is going well and have a great week ahead!
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We received the lower temperatures and humidity today, though it was still warm and sunny, so the out of doors called 🙂
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I hope you had a great time outdoors 🙂
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Thanks – it was a good weekend 🙂 Hope you did too.
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I finally had time to process your pics. It was so nice to take that virtual stroll from the comfort of air conditioning. Lol! Bear
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The heat and humidity left yesterday. This weekend is gorgeous and quite comfortable.
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Wow! Those flowers are just amazing! My favourite is probably the blooms in the telephone box. Love it!
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Excellent choice, Sanch. The Bloom Box had a huge amount of fresh flowers.
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Such fab flowers!
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The florists did an amazing job.
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Brilliant photos. I’m a sucker for beautiful doorways and like Pink Doorway the best, followed by Cloud and Warrior.
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Thank you, Trish, for your visit and comment. Your choices are excellent. The Pink Doorway, Cloud and Warrior are stunning IRL. Did you find my blog from Thursday Doors?
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I think from Trent re: coffee blog
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Thank you, Trish, for letting me know. You’re welcome to join my weekly Weekend Coffee Share any and every week.
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Holy Cow, so very beautiful. Love it. My top three are: Coffee Truck, Warrior and VW Van. All of them are great. Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks for hosting this wonderful party. Hope that you have a wonderful week.
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Excellent choices Patrick. The Coffee Truck, the Warrior and the VW Van had gorgeous flower designs IRL. Have a great week!
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What a fabulous show! All roses? and all for a great cause.
My top 3:
1) Beyond Monet (period dress is recreated so realistically)
2) Bell Media’s Bloom Box (I love that the phone box is filled with somethings beautiful instead of ugly stickers & bad smells)
3) Swing (interactive displays are cool)
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The florists and the event organizers did an amazing job. While roses were dominant (the theme is Rosé so a lot of roses and pink colour), there were also a lot of orchids, big mums, lilies, alliums, baby’s breaths and other flowers in the floral designs. Your three choices are excellent. They all had gorgeous fresh flowers. The florist was spraying water mist on the Beyond Monet display when I was there.
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It must have smelt amazing, especially when they are freshly misted! Such fun!
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It was lovely.
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I love the Bloom box, cloud, and floral tree. These are stunning designs!
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You’ve got three excellent choices, Julie. The florists showed so much creativity and talent in their designs.
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Thank you for the coffee Natalie! I absolutely LOVE the flowers with the coffee truck, the VW Bus florals and I also love all the roses! All your photos are so beautiful and since I love flowers so much this is definitely one of my favorite posts of yours!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!! ❤️
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Thank you, Diana. I’m glad you enjoyed my photos. The florists did an amazing job. The coffee truck and VW Van flower arrangements were fun and beautiful. Have a great weekend!
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I am really enjoying all the pictures, flowers, doors and what have you!
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Thank you, Tessa, for your comment. It was a well-organized and stunning floral event.
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Hi, Natalie. I love the coffee truck, VW, and Wings!
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Excellent choices, Pam, The Wings were gorgeous IRL and the coffee truck and the VW Van had beautiful flower arrangements. They were all fresh flowers.
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Oh this is so beautiful, thank you Natalie for brightening my Monday morning. #lifethisweek
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You’re welcome, Sue. Thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare.
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Natalie your post is the perfect way to start a new week. These flower displays and your photos really did make me smile. It’s so great you are able to get out and about again
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I’m glad my photos made you smile, Jennifer. I was happy to walk this floral trail and see the city opened up after a long lockdown.
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Oh this is beautiful and I’m so glad I read it this morning before beginning the work day.
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The florists did an amazing job for this event. Have a great week, Jo!
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Gorgeous photos! And what a wonderful event. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you, Janet, for your comment and for joining my Weekend Coffee Share link-up. I hope you like the experience and join in often.
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Such beautiful and uplifting photos Natalie – thank you! I particularly love the mannequin florals. So much creativity and talent in the world! Hope you have a great week ahead! xo
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You’re welcome, Min. The florists did an incredible job for this event. Have a great week!
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Also, not sure if I did the link up right (I’ve never used Inlnkz). Does it work the same as a pingback? In case it doesn’t, my post is here: https://janetalcorn.com/2021/08/15/a-photo-safari-through-madera-canyon-arizona-after-a-very-rainy-summer/
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Hi Janet, If you click and enter my InlInkz link-up (see the Blue button at the end of my post), your post thumbnail will appear in the dashboard so other bloggers can see it, and you can see everyone who has participated. It’s different from pingback. Your pingback worked. Pingbacks require my moderation so they may not appear right away when I’m unavailable.
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Got it – thanks! And thanks for hosting–this should be fun.
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You’re welcome, Janet. Enjoy the link-up! May I ask how you found my blog?
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I think I found it through one of Cee’s photo challenges.
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Cee’s photo challenges are fun. Thank you for letting me know. Have a great week!
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Oh Natalie, roses aren’t my favourite flower but they’re lovely. And I love so many of those displays and bunches – particularly where they’ve got additional foliage. The green amidst the pastel colours of the roses is stunning.
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The florists did an amazing job for the event. There were also a lot of orchids, mums and other flowers in the flower arrangements.
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Hahaha the flowers mannequins seem like a scene from a Disney movie, or something Cruella De Vil would throw (before deciding to wear a court made of 101 dalmations ha!)
~B
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The artists who do makeup for Cruella character or these mannequins are creative and talented.
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