"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly.  "One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." - Hans Christian Andersen

This quote is from Andersen's story called "The Butterfly" written in 1861.  A rather depressing story, just like many of his stories, about a picky butterfly looking for the perfect bride who comes to the realization that his life is ending not the way he envisioned.  Despite its source, the quote itself is very hopeful, and we couldn't think of a better quote to be placed on the wall of our new Yaletown shop.

In keeping with Queensberry's philosophy, adding a little flower to your life is great... what a privilege and a joy it is to be able to provide a place that gives busy city people the chance to stop and smell the roses!

Cherry Blossom Viewing Tour Day 2

Sunday was a gloomy gray day but the cherry blossoms
were brightening up the city!
Stay tuned for more Sakura reports this week!

If you know the
best blossom viewing spots, please let us know!

False Creek, by Granville Island.  Full bloom!

By the Vancouver Maritime Museum... Full Bloom!

Queen Elizabeth Park ... will be the BEST viewing spot NEXT WEEK!  

Not quite there yet...

Vancouver's Shaughnessy neighborhood... rows of cherry trees!  

Cherry Blossom Tour in Vancouver Part 1

Happy spring, everyone!

We are so lucky to be living in beautiful Vancouver where spring time means blooming flowers and irresistible fragrance in the air...

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival kick started last week and if you walk or drive around the city, you can easily spot the light pink cherry trees.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Japanese obsession with Cherry Blossoms (known as Sakura), it is a national celebration that the entire country anticipates every early spring.  Sakura is one of Japan's national flowers and Sakura viewing (known as Hanami) events are super popular!  Hanami is where people sit under the full bloom of Sakura trees for hours and admire the beauty of the blossoms while enjoying food and drink specially prepared for the Sakura viewing.

As someone born and raised in Japan, this is the season to celebrate.  So I've decided to team up with my husband and go on a journey to find the best Sakura viewing spots with the help of Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Society's website (www.vcbf.ca).

Today, I started off with one of my favorite spots, Burrard SkyTrain Station!  You just can't miss this beautiful tunnel of cherry blossoms.  Walk around and feel the soft and fragrant air created by the millions of sweet Sakura blossoms...