seasonal floral crowns.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith All crowns made by: Nicole Valentine Don

four seasons have come and gone since I started my floral crown series; I thought it would be fun to look back at some of my favourites. the top 3 images are winter, then 2 for each season thereafter (even though we technically did more). which one is your favourite?  i think mine are still the cherry blossom antlers, but they wouldn't fit in the grid!  

rainy day outtakes.

Photos by: Fiona Galbraith

it's hard to imagine a rainy day like this one, when we shot the maple crown. it has been sunny in Sydney for weeks and weeks now! 

put a crown on it. 14.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

this is the final crown in the seasonal floral crown series as winter has gone and come again to the Southern hemisphere. i chose a bird's nest for autumn and have just realised that this is the first crown i have not actually made myself (a little bird did). lack of planning on my part or perhaps i am naturally evolving into a new conceptual crown series? this beauty just happens to be one of my absolute favourites of the year-long series. please let me know in the comments which is yours - i would LOVE to know! thank you all for following along xo

put a crown on it. 13.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

it is autumn in the southern hemisphere and i made this maple crown to round out the seasonal floral crown series. photographer Fiona Galbraith spent a very rainy Sydney afternoon with me and helped capture that little bit of magic that you can feel in the crisp fall air.

still, so long, sweet summer.

in light of this beautiful day, i thought i would share another fun collaboration with my little sister. she embellished this crown for me and i added the text. stay tuned for the autumn (southern hemisphere that is) crowns coming up just around the corner…

check out the rest of the seasonal series, here.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Digital Design: Madelaine Rumball Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

so long sweet summer.

i thought it would fun to team up with my little sister, who is a talented digital/motion graphic designer to put a little spin on a couple of photos from my floral crown series. she played with the marigold crown and image, while i added the text. summer is definitely on its way out down under, so here is one version of our mini collaboration to brighten up the day.

'I am in the mood to dissolve into the sky' - Virginia Woolf

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Digital Design: Madelaine Rumball Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

put a crown on it. outtakes.

there are always a bunch of leftover images from a day's shoot that are still really fun, but just don't make the final cut. i thought i'd share with you some of the outtakes from the most recent daisy crown; the sunshine and crisp blues of the ocean meeting the sky, made this a favourite from the series.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

put a crown on it. 12.

you can't look past the daisy when thinking of summer floral crowns…and neither could i! to re-invent this sunny day staple, instead of a simple crown, i made it into a hat (well, that's what i'm calling it). i used the most picture perfect, crisp, tall, white daisies you have ever seen from garlands in sydney. my bangs were getting quite long around this time, so i parted them down the middle (which i never ever do) for a very 60's flower child do. the dress and sunnies give it a bit of a 90's spin for a fun little drew barrymore inspired moment, maybe? needless to say, i am very happy with how this headpiece turned out for the floral crown series and i love the blue skies that went with it. do you have a favourite yet?

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

put a crown on it. 11.

the sunshiney season is well and truly pouring in down under, so what better time to introduce the next creation in the floral crown series (it has been awhile). i thought i would start with the marigold (french and african varieties by name, but both mexican in origin, who knew?) - a humble flower that seems to fly under the radar. there is nothing quite like the punchiness of their unique orangey, golden hue; the buds shone right through the summer haze, just like i was hoping they would (yay!). *side note: i reallllly wanted to make something with marigolds last november for day of the dead, but you would not believe how difficult they are to come by in Sydney. this crown was actually made up of about 10 different plants, all of which all now potted and thriving in the yard (…except for maybe one, ahem…), but seriously, there is no such thing as a bunch of marigolds in this crazy town. on my search i learned that the Spanish word for marigold is Caléndula and the Aztec word is Cempasúchil or they are simply referred to as Flor de Muertos- Flower of the Dead.

et voilà:

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

put a crown on it. 10.

okay, so maybe even better than feeding the chickens...our weekend stay in the country had an outdoor shower! this feature is high on the requirements list for my future dream home. showering in the great outdoors was so wonderful and refreshing; i made a native flora crown for the occasion and felt a little like brooke shields in blue lagoon or something. i used the bright red grevillea that you tend to see everywhere in australia and have just since learned that it is part of the protea family - one of my favourites!

put a crown on it. 9.

nothing like a make your own floral crown moment when you're on little holiday in the country.

put a crown on it. 8.

the last in the spring flower crown series is a more outrageous take on the cherry blossom headpiece. these photos turned out as my absolute favourites and the shoot proved to be the most fun as well. you wouldn't believe how ridiculous you look and feel in the middle of a public park with branches stuck on your head as antlers; giddiness ensued. i'm so pleased they ended up as ethereal and magical as they did, considering how unromantic they seemed at the time.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

This outtake is probably my fave of all the flower crowns, it really captures what a lovely time we were having taking magical little moments from our imaginations and bringing them to life; the joy of creating. See our floral crowns for winter, here.

put a crown on it. 7.

i couldn't do a spring floral crown series and look past the poppy. these beauties sing spring with their bright colours and delicate shapes. i used to find that i would often get a bunch that would be tight in their buds and never really open (i have since discovered that, when you buy them closed, you must cut the ends a little bit, put them in a small amount of warm water and place them in direct sunshine or even under a lamp. they will surely bloom this way!), so i tried to embrace the bud in this piece. poppies are so beautiful at every stage...

check out the winter crowns too.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

put a crown on it. 6.

what says 'spring' more than cherry blossoms? next, in the spring floral crown series, i used blossoms of the pink variety. this is a simple version...a more ambitious headpiece to follow...

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Crown and styling: Nicole Valentine Don

put a crown on it. 5.

spring is in full swing down under and the blooms in sydney have popped up everywhere it seems. *i have to remind myself to keep my eye on the road and not on the floral scenery when i'm driving these days.

so, with this colourful inspiration in the air, i felt like making some beautiful spring flower crowns. i had so much fun with my winter floral crowns that i am going to do it for all seasons this year. stay tuned.

for the first of the spring series i chose ranunculus in my favourite colour- orange (the colour options are endless with this flower)- and golden light!

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Styling and Crown: Nicole Valentine Don

put a crown on it. 4.

the last of my winter floral crowns just happens to be my favourite. i used bright purple kale, which flourishes over the colder months. this big, bold bunch turned out the best. which is your fave?

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Crown and Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

put a crown on it. 3.

the next instalment of the winter crowns i made that were shot by Fiona Galbraith, i used succulents.  i was imagining a halo of green, but succulents actually show a great variety of colours, especially in colder months. the thing about these is that you can replant them when you're done or keep wearing it...mine still looks amazing a month later and even has some little sprouts growing. i quite like how it turned out; next time i would add more and more to make it really overwhelming and beautiful.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Styling and Succulent Crown by: Nicole Valentine Don

put a crown on it. 2.

this north american/european summer has been rife with music festival style posts; how to dress like a bohemian, love child festival goer. no ensemble was complete without a floral headband (occasionally sub in a native headdress) in the mix, am i right? well, though it is stunning year round, it is actually winter in australia and i've felt a little out of the loop on the floral headband party train - you know i can't get enough of pretty head pieces > evidence here. i decided to make some special winter wonders with the buds that thrive and survive through the cold, starting with the little red topped cactus - the kind every kitchen in the 80's was home to.  i originally imagined the images to come out quite frida-esque, though these remind me more of Even Cowgirls Get The Blues.  

just call me Bonanza Jellybean:

photography by: Fiona Galbraith  styling & cactus crown by: Nicole Valentine Don