A rose in winter...

I rarely buy flowers, except in the winter. When the skies are grey, and it's raining (or snowing), there's just something about fresh flowers in the house. They brighten my mood, and make everything fresh. And they make me smile.

Today the best light in the house was in the guest room, which is upstairs in a dormer. The sun stays low in the sky in winter, and the light reaches through the windows, all the way through the house. It's my favorite room in the wintertime.

I put one of my roses in a tiny cream pitcher and carried it upstairs. In the corner of the room is a small table that holds a green and white antique quilt, and my favorite bear, made from an antique Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.

The soft pastel colors made the perfect backdrop for this pale pink rose. And the light brought out the texture of the petals, and shone clear through to the heart of the bloom.