Carnations - A Guilty Pleasure

In a former life, I finished work on a Friday afternoon, popped to the local flower stall and decorated my home with nature's sweet blossoms. With the onset of motherhood, though, the belt was tightened (to the point of asphixiation) and such luxuries became a thing of the past. And so, I had to make do with blooms from the garden in the summer (mainly hydrangeas) and faux flowers (eek, I'm turning into my mother) at all other times.

When visiting my best friend in the UK, I returned green with envy. Not of her newly built cottage, in a beautiful picturesque village, nor of her perfectly (and expensively) decorated home, or her beautiful dog or gourmet stocked fridge, or anything else that is perfect in her life. I had flower envy. Every room, had beautiful flowers spilling out of vases and pitchers... beautiful white ranunculus in the dining room, freesias in the bedroom, roses in the hallway, tulips in lounge... All stunning! Returning home, I looked at my dusty faux florals, popped them in a plastic bag and banished them to the attic. Could I be any more miserable?

A few weeks later, reading http://www.abeachcottage.com/ , the lovely Sarah commented that her weekly treat was to buy fresh flowers for her home, and that $8 treat can bring so much joy... The light bulb went on above my head. Of course, she's right. Flowers may be a luxury, but for a few dollars we can spread a little happiness in our homes. As I said, money has been tight since becoming a stay at home mum and so the old pennies don't stretch as far as ranunculus, tulips and roses; but I have rediscovered the beauty of carnations.

Once upon a time, these only conjured up images of naff lapel flowers, dodgy Indian restaurants, and gas station bouquets. But by keeping to all one colour and displaying in simple jars or pitchers, I think they can stand up to any flower. So, when doing the weekly shop, a bunch goes in the trolley, and this cost is balanced out by cutting out a packet of cookies... An all round win-win situation!! Not sure what my bf would say though... What do you think of this unsung bloom? Well worth the money or best kept in the 70's?