Seeing this gorgeous tree in blossom reminded me of Anne's dear Snow Queen in Anne of Green Gables. The "Anne" books weren't my favorite when I was younger. My mother loved the series and introduced it to me and my sisters when we were all young, we even visited Prince Edward Island one summer. But while I have the fondest memories of that summer and the clouds of lightning bugs that filled the fields near our relative's cabin, Anne wasn't my favorite. I never disliked her, but if I was given the choice between an Anne story and a story of talking animals or sword fights I'd often choose the latter. I could admire those lightning bugs and enjoy our quiet afternoons trying to stalk the shy beavers of a nearby pond, but when it came to stories I wanted grand adventures. I wanted to be swept away to magical realms of dapper mice, dastardly weasels (Redwall, anyone?) or girls masquerading as boys in order to become knights.
Anne was too romantic, too fond of nature, too filled with simple, homey lessons about friendship and love. It's only now as an adult that I appreciate LM Montgomery's work to its fullest; that I appreciate her way with words and the way her books make you appreciate the beauty of the things around you. After re-reading a few lines from her books, I always find myself looking at the world a bit softer and kinder and noticing the beauty around me. I don't doubt Montgomery could weave poetry out of this tree and it would fill Anne with shivers of delight.
To celebrate the beauty of this tree I wanted to capture a few romantic images with it. I wore an old favorite dress and my new floral crown from Les Couronnes de Victoire (or Victory Crowns). It's made with real dried flowers. It attaches to your hair with a few combs and the shape can be adjusted and it's just simply lovely. I'm always a fan of headbands and crowns, but this one made from real flowers but preserved to last forever is truly a dream.
“One evening, when the orchards were pink-blossomed again, when the frogs were singing silverly sweet in the marshes about the head of the Lake of Shining Waters, and the air was full of the savor of clover fields and balsamic fir woods, Anne was sitting by her gable window. She had been studying her lessons, but it had grown too dark to see the book, so she had fallen into wide-eyed reverie, looking out past the boughs of the Snow Queen, once more bestarred with its tufts of blossom.” -LM Montgomery
CONVERSATION