Monday, March 7, 2011

A Walk Through a Spring Garden

Hi girls ~ it's Violet!


If you've read our latest posts,
you've probably gotten the feeling that
we Ooh La Frou Frou girls
have been craving Spring like never before.
We walk around the city,
dreaming about sitting outside at our favorite cafes,
we stare dreamily at the spring outfits we've bought,
currently hanging in our closet ...
we look at the bare branches on the trees
and long to see green.

Even though it's still a little early
in some parts of the world
(like in ours!)
for a walk in a Spring garden,
we'll take you on a virtual one.
The first stop on our walk
will be at some of the
Spring print advertising campaigns
in full bloom!

There's the dreamy Mulberry campaign
(with its adorable piglet) ...
I personally feel this photo needs a story
to go along with it ... I could imagine
the pretty redhead in the photo
walking up to this mansion with its lovely garden room,
stopping to pick up the little piglet outside
as she wanders in to relax ...
while her rich aunt prepares a delicious Sunday dinner
to be held later in the sumptuous dining room ...
what would your version of the story be?
You can read the behind-the-scenes details
of this photoshoot and see pictures of the ad's creation here.

Then there's gorgeous Julianne Moore in the Talbots campaign ...
looks as if she's across town in another glamorous garden room
and seems to be in a relaxed, melancholy kind of mood ...
thinking about a spring love affair perhaps? ...
or maybe just admiring the pretty bows
on her charming kitten heels ...

... whatever she's thinking,
I'd say she definitely has Spring fever too ...

And the people at Elle Magazine
apparently were dealing with a bit of Spring fever, as well.
They headed out to the New York Botanical Garden
for this fashion photoshoot from the February 2011 issue.
Lounging in the golden sun of the rose garden ...
sounds rather luxurious, no?

Even L'Oreal is seeing flowers!
Is it just me or do I see the shape of a heart
as the model scoops up the blooms?
Oh Spring ... we heart you!

If there's anyone even more anxious for spring
it can only be the girls out there planning Spring weddings.
That would surely double up the lust for Spring!
And since we're taking you on a walk
through a virtual Spring garden,
let's wander over to visit
talented designer Mary Jo Matsumoto ...
something's blooming in her California studio!

Did you notice my gorgeous flower handbag
in the illustration at the beginning of the post?
Available for a limited time in Mary Jo Matsumoto's
Trust Your Style Pop-Up Bridal Shop,
you'll find gorgeous handbags like this in full bloom!
Not only for bridesmaids and mothers-of-the-bride ...
the bags have been spotted at the Oscars,
on Oprah and everywhere from InStyle Magazine
to the windows of Bergdorf Goodman ... 
so pretty with their semi-precious stone handles
and the tiny "Mary Jo M" gold tag!
Here are a few of my favorites:
The Party Pink Peony Zip Bag with Cherry Quartz Handle

And the Classic Flowered White Lipstick Bag
with White Freshwater Pearl Handle

Can you say Spring?
Watch for more from Mary Jo Matsumoto
at her blog Trust Your Style.

Our Spring garden walk has been
oh-so-lovely so far ...
and could there be a more perfect way
to wind it up than by sauntering over to the park
where Hope, Belle and Alex are waiting just for you
at a Spring soiree with luscious desserts and pink champagne?!
We're excited to introduce
the first of three
Ooh La Frou Frou Collection Spring cards!
In keeping with the title of this post,
"A Walk Through a Spring Garden,"
this charming card is entitled
"Tulip Party."
To see the glittered version with crystals
and/or to order simply go here.


The girls are looking adorable standing in a bed of pink tulips.
They're celebrating the season in glamorous style,
toasting spring with pink champagne bubbles
and enjoying glittery pastel deliciousness!
Spread before them on the table
are pretty cupcakes, macarons and
in the center of it all, a pastel pink cake
dedicated to ... Spring, of course!

Accented with sparkling glitter and crystals,
this card is an adorable way to say
that we're so glad the season we've been waiting for
has finally arrived ...
also perfect for a glamorous Easter card!
The cards are rich with pastel glitter
and accented with Swarovski crystal elements.

Card details include:
Lavender envelope with raspberry liner.
Printed on the lavender paper inside the card is the message:
"Happy Spring!"

It's been a lovely Spring walk, girlfriends!
Go ahead and enjoy your time at the soiree ...
until next Monday on Ooh La Frou Frou
when we'll be introducing our
second spring card .. an Easter card!

Illustration of Violet and
Tulip Party card illustration
by Sandra Markwalder ~ artist and creator of the
Ooh La Frou Frou Collection
(c) Ooh La Frou Frou ~ All Rights Reserved.

Card may be purchased here

Image Credits:

Image 1: Mulberry ad spotted in March 2011 Elle Magazine
Image 2 and 3: Talbots images via

Image 4:  Fashion Editorial - Elle Magazine 2011
Image 5: L'Oreal ad from February 2011 Elle Magazine

Above ad campaign images edited by Ooh La Frou Frou
Flower purse images courtesy of Mary Jo Matsumoto via


38 comments:

Patricia said...

Oh Sandy, I want it to be spring! This is so fresh and beautiful. Well done!
Cupcake
xo

Unknown said...

I love these handbags, everytime I read your blog it's always a beautiful start to the week Sandy!

Raicreations

Piper Larson said...

Really beautiful, Sandy! And I can't wait for spring either. Have a beautiful week!
XO Piper

Layers and Layers said...

Okay ... I thought I had spring fever before, but now I'm in pain with anticipation. Gosh I love that dress & those kitten heels that JM has on in that first picture of her. How romantic are all these "floral" shots! Lovely!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful designs and some spring inspiration here. Holly Golightly hopped in a cab and went to Tiffanys. I think hopping to a cab for the Botanical Gardens would be just as nice ;-)

www.styleonthecouch.wordpress.com
www.twitter.com/styleonthecouch

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Little luv notes from Violet to:

Cupcake: Always a sweeter day when you stop by to comment ... like sprinkles!! Thanks sweetie. Chant after me ... spring ... spring ... ;) xo

Raicreations Designs: So happy to do our part in adding to your Monday pleasure, darling! We're so lucky to have such fabulous girlfriends! xo

PiperLarson: Hi Piper ~ what a nice surprise ~ so glad you could stop by! Let me grab a cupcake off of the Tulip Party table for you! Hope your week brings sunshine and lots of hints of spring!! xo

Layers and Layers: YES - JM looks ever so chic! And the ponytail goes oh-so-perfectly! Always such a pleasure to have you stop by! xo

styleonthecouch: I so agree with you ... if I were taking a cab today, that's where I'd be telling the driver to take me ... Botanical Gardens ... stat! ;) Thanks so much for stopping by to visit, lovely! xo

Ruby said...

Heavenly!Inspiring!And as always my favorite part of Monday!

Kori said...

Oh my, where to start? I am in love with that little pig, those Julianne Moore shots, and those flower bags! Too much eye candy for one post honey! Hope you are having a great day and can enter my giveaway! Kori xoxo

Unknown said...

Sandy, thank you for including me in your pretty pretty post! I am so honored! Your illustration of my bag is beyond adorable! Hope you are having a glass of pink champagne and relaxing after all your hard work!

xoxo Mary Jo

stylemefab said...

hello ladies!!! great post again. Spring is almost here and I cant wait for the world to be pretty again. Cherry blossom in Tokyo are always the best part of spring and of course the closet has been updated with some fabulous colors. I really really want some of those springs cards, i hope you ship internationally otherwise i will be bummed...

Anonymous said...

The bags are exquisite. Just bought fresh flowers yesterday after another frosty morning. Have a lovely week ~ xox Alexandra

Candy Dye said...

Spring is in the air! The first thing I noticed when landing on your blog was the gorgeous floral handbag in my favorite shade of pink!! Oooooooh La La!! Spring is so fresh and sparkly! Thank you, gorgeous Ooh La Frou Frou ladies! XO Candy

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Little luv notes to:

Mary Jo from TrustYourStyle: It was my pleasure to include your lovely bags for all to enjoy ... they're much too pretty for anyone to miss! I'm off now to grab that glass of pink champagne! xoxo

stylemefab: Oooh, cherry blossoms! I'd love to see a picture if you can tweet one! Sounds so beautiful! Yes, love, we do ship internationally, but the cost varies widely based on country and how fast you need them. If you'd like to order some, send me a direct message w/yr address in Tokyo and how many cards you think you'd be interested in and I'll get a shipping price for you so you can make your decision. Thanks, sweetness.

Coco Coterie: You're just like me ... I've been buying fresh flowrs for the desk in my studio (where I spend most of my time) every week ... paving the way for spring!! Thanks, darling, for stopping by!! xoxo

Thanks so much, girls, for taking the time to come visit and leave sweet comments ~ we love it!

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Candy Dye: Hi lovely! You sound like me ... I keep putting tulips on the desk in my studio in that very shade of pink ... one of my favorites too. Some days I think pink is my favorite color. Other days I think pale pale tiffany blue is my favorite color. Those are the two colors I most often picked from the box when I was a child. Hence, the colors of Ooh La Frou Frou! Have a wonderful week, Candy!

Paris in Pink said...

A bed of pink tulips?!? Swooooooning! :) Another beautiful post, comme toujours, ma belle. Also, I don't know how I only just caught sight of your adorable Bloglovin' sidebar badge with the three doggies. Too cute for words!! Did you design it?

Big hugs xoxo

Camille @ Paris in Pink

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Paris in Pink: Hi love! Thanks so much for stopping by to see the girls and I! Yes, any illustration you see on the blog is mine ... the three doggie illustrations are Ooh La Frou Frou pups ... the pug is Violet's pug, Little Luxe; the poodle is Hope's poodle, Olive; and the yorkie is Aimee's yorkie, Paree (since she's the Ooh La Frou Frou girl that's crazy for all things French!) .. I wanted Ooh La Frou Frou to have it's own cute Bloglovin' badge ;) You can see the pups being walked by the girls that own them in the previous blog post ;) Have a wonderful week in Paris, doll! xoxo

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

Oh sweetie I have a really bad case of Pring fever too! Seems worse than ever before. Must be the dreadfully long and hard winter we've had. But I'm seriously starting to think that things will be in full bloom soon. Might be wishful thinking but what's wrong with that, right? :) xoxo

Paris in Pink said...

Ah ha! Tres cool. Each little puppy is so cute, especially Paree :)

Punctuation Mark said...

i love this post and all the colors in it... and julianne moor looks fantastic!

classiq said...

What a lovely post! Julianne Moore looks fantastic in the Talbots campaign. have a wonderful spring! Ada

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Alternative Wife: I think "Wishful Thinking" is the way to live, darling! Those blooms WILL be here soon ... we'll just have to make sure we're all out enjoying it when it does get here!! xoxo

Paris in Pink: Thanks, sweet -- yes, Paree is a cutie ... no surprise to me that you picked Paree as your favorite! haha xoxo

Punctuation Mark: Thanks so much for stopping by to visit the girls of Ooh La Frou Frou, darling! Such fun meeting new girlfriends. Thank you for the compliments on the blog post .. I'll bop over to visit you at your blog in a few minutes! xoxo

classiq: Hello Ada! So nice of you to drop by and visit us! Yes, Julianne looks oh-so-lovely in this campaign ... love the outfit she has on in the first photo! I'll stop by to visit you at your blog too! xoxo

For anyone new, did you notice that if you click on the "Follow" button on the blog, *poof!* you become a "Glamorous Girlfriend?!" Different opportunities will be offered to our Glamorous Girlfriends occasionally on the blog ! Tell next Monday, darlings!

Gorgeous Glam said...

A fun spring walk indeed! I adore the pic with the lil' piggy!! It surely does need a little story to go along with it! Aren't we all craving for spring already! Time to shed the layers and be whimsical and free! xo Keep it Glam!

Unknown said...

Darling, your fabulous post is, unfortunately, the only spring action I have seen so far. It is cold and rainy in new York and feels so great to visit you and read this full of beautiful images wonderfully written Spring post. It gives me hope.:-))) And it gives me inspiration I need so much to work today.:-)))Thank you!

Christel @ Captivated by image said...

Fabulous new Spring Card with the tulips and the glitters, LOVE it! Can't get enough of all the flower influenced campaigns either. Looking forward to Spring might be just as good as enjoying Spring itself. You definitely have a hand in looking forward, thank you:)

Anonymous said...

The spring card is beautiful! I'm sure it's even more stunning with the crystals and jewels :)

Once again, this post was an overload of uplifting images - thanks for the escape!

*Tania @ Passport2Design.com

Anonymous said...

Very excited for Spring as well. Thanks for stopping by my blog (always)!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Xo,
E&J

bridal jewellery said...

Such pretty colours! Can't wait for spring :-) That white handbag would be stunning for a bride - beautiful.

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

I think we're all ready for spring Violet!

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Taj Acosta: Thanks so much for stopping by! Shedding the layers says it perfectly, darling! What a free feeling to step out without cumbersome coats! We're doing our best to usher in spring here at Ooh La Frou Frou! Xoxo

Couture Millinery Atelier: Hello love - SO good to have you stop by! You're right ... Here at Ooh La Frou Frou IS the only sign of spring I've seen so far too and that's why we're doing several spring posts ... Do you think it will make spring come sooner? We're hoping! Xoxo

Christel at Captivated by Image: Than you so much, sweetie, for stopping by and for your compliment on the card (we heart you). Yes, we've decided since spring weather hasn't come to us, we'd grab some and bring it to you! Maybe it will make the spring season seem longer .. Ya think? ;) Xoxo

TLC_Designs: Thanks so much, Tania, yes the card IS beautiful all glittered and with sparkly crystals! It's always hard to show how sparkly they are in a twitpic and even on the website. So nice to have you drop by - I love to hear about your adventures!

Eddie Ross: Working on that pretty new window must have really made it feel like spring! Keep those window posts coming - we love them! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Bridal Jewellery: Yes, the white bag WOULD be sooo pretty for a spring bride! We simply cannot resist doing posts about spring ... It's the only spring we've seen so far and snow is predicted for us again tomorrow! Soon soon (that will be our mantra!

Thanks again everyone! Love love reading your comments! Xo Sandy

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Kristin: Hi sweetie ... you're so right! We have snow predicted again tonight ... maybe these spring posts will make it come soon (ya think?) ... positive thinking! xo

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

I'm send some Florida sunshine your way!

Unknown said...

Sandy,
This latest illustration is just beyond tres chic....the girls gallavanting with pink champagne and cake in pink tulips. Stop, I can't take it, it's so fabulous!!!! :)

Love your girls' adventures, as always.....
xoxo Elizabeth

The Simply Luxurious Life said...

Such a spring-filled post. Oh, how I can't wait for it to arrive. Mary Jo's designs are absolutely amazing. And I love the pink booties in the first illustrations - beautiful Sandy. :)

Unknown said...

Dear Sandy, I have stopped to wish you wonderful weekend. I am still waiting for Spring and hoping it will come here soon. I am also working all weekend long again so it does look like a great way to spend not s Springy weekend for me.:-) Wishing you spectacular weekend!

Margarita Bloom said...

Oooh, what beautiful ethereal pictures!! I adore the soft, dreamy quality they have...I just might have to nick one for my blog!! lol.. such pretty bloom purses and of course your illustrations are always absolutely gorgeous & fun. Big hugs Sandy & Violet!

SoapyMermaid said...

enchanting blog!! (colours, design, drawings, photos...)

wedding ring said...

Beautiful vintage portraits...impressive.

engagement rings perth said...

what a stunning blog i must say. the photographs you have put together here are just beautiful