Mary Berman 409 Windcrest Dr.

San Antonio, Texas 78239 210-930-7836

www.fleurdelightflorals.net Artistic Design—Pamela Stephens

FLEURISH Volume 10, October 2019

Inside this issue:

Halloween 1

Halloween cont. Roger Canamar—Designer

2 2

DRoger Canamar cont. 3

October Birthdays

4

WE ARE ON THE WEB!

WWW.FLEURDELIGHTF

LORALS.NET

Marigolds and their relatives – calendulas-- make merry for

October birthdays and light up the party with oranges, yellows,

and maroons as these hearty beauties add a heady spice of life to

the mix.

Bred by the Aztecs in Mexico, marigolds were divested of their seeds by Spanish explorers,

who headed back to their native country for flower propagation. Likewise known as “monk’s

head” and “herb of the sun,” marigolds trailed associations not only of passion and creativity

but also conversely of mercilessness, sadness, covetousness, and the ephemeral frailty of life.

Marigolds also appeared in religious life, particularly in the Day of the Dead, as sensory

guides to deceased souls who sought to commune with the living on that occasion. Marigolds

likewise appeared in festivals in India where the blooms nearly became the national flower.

As a related species of the marigold, calendula has been heralded for

its medicinal properties particularly for treating eczema, sores, indiges-

tion, and cramps just as the marigold’s essential oils and flavonoids act

as an anti-inflammatory appearing often in ointments and salves.

Acknowledgements: https://www.healthyhildegard.com/marigold-calendula-flower-uses/

Birthday Flowers for October

H a p p y b i r t h d a y t o t h e L i b r a ( S e p t e m b e r 23— O c t o b e r 2 2 ) a n d

t h e S c o r p i o ( O c t o b e r 2 3 - N o v e m b e r 2 2 ) w h o a l o n g w i t h

T o u r m a l i n e a n d O p a l , r e c e i v e b e a u t i f u l M a r i g o l d s a n d t h e

C a l e n d u l a .

Fleurish Issue 10 October 2019

Halloween and Lost Maples State Nature Area

The calendar just flipped the page to October, a corridor for the

fabulous and the fantastic with the beauty of Lost Maples State

Nature Area turning to a chromatic forest juxtaposed against

Halloween and its attendant array of the spicy and dicey.

Located about 86 miles northwest of San Antonio and five miles north of Vanderpool, TX, off Ranch Road 187, Lost Maples puts on a kaleidoscopic show of changing autumnal hues. Consisting of 2900 acres of hills, canyons, and plateaus, it boasts big-toothed maples and mountain laurels segmented by a river and threads of mountain trails that provide habitat to golden-cheeked warblers and the black-capped vireos. Visitors can star-gaze, hunt for geocaches, fish or camp in this pristine area that the Spanish began to colonize in the 17th century and ranch in the 1800’s. (For more information call the park at (830) 966-3413) continued on page 2.

“Flowers… are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty

out values all the utilities in the world.” –

Ralph Waldo Emerson Fall arrangement by

Fleur Delight Florals

Roger Canamar

Designer

San Antonio couturier Roger Canamar launched

his design firm simply – with a dress and a

dream – and his fashion entrée into San Anto-

nio’s bespoke milieu with samples and a card.

With these dual approaches he has carved out a

mirrored salon at the upscale Sloan Hall where

Austin Highway morphs into Broadway, and his

presence has set off welcoming bells in the fash-

ion industry. Last year he was voted Designer of

the Year for San Antonio and Rising New Star of

Texas by the Fashion International Group. Last

spring he showed his collection in Paris during

Fashion Week and will participate once again in

April at the acclaimed Le Bristol, the oldest and

most luxurious hotel in Paris. This venue offers

up-and-coming designers an avenue of exposure

with tickets commanding $180 each. Several of

Roger’s clients will attend to cheer him on as he

presents his trunk showing of classic styles in

colors every woman loves to wear… and wears

well—amber, blush, ivory, gray, and black.

“I design real clothes for real women,” Roger said as he ticked off his industry muses – Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, and Valentino.

Page 3 Volume 10, October 2019

Roger’s fashion forward fascination erupted early

in his life. While shopping with his mother at the

venerable Frost Brothers, Roger somehow

became “lost.” With a frantic coterie of sales staff

assisting his distraught parent in the search for

the toddler, Roger turned up puckishly giggling in

the midst of a round curtain hung with designer

dresses.

Then as a teenager, he became enamored with

fashion as he watched with fascination Diana

Ross in Mahogany, and he succumbed to

fashion’s siren song.

Once he completed his education with a business

degree from Saddleback College, he joined his

mother as a buyer at her store in Orange County,

CA., and began designing for private labels before

eventually branching out on his own.

Today Roger divides his time among the Austin

Highway locale, another Sloan Hall in Houston,

and Dobbs in Newport Beach, CA., where his

clothes carry tags from $695 to $3200, all des-

tined not only to elicit compliments from hus-

bands who queue up to say to their wives, “You’ve

never looked better” but also to be passed down

eventually to another

generation as timeless treasures.

You can reach Roger Canamar Couture at RACFLEXX@gmail.com

The fabrics he se-

lects originate prin-

cipally in Milan, Ita-

ly—brocade, silk,

organza and gazer

for his tailored ciga-

rette trousers, swirl-

ing palazzo pants,

airy ensembles, en-

velope

jackets, flowing coverups, inviting wrap skirts,

ethereal dresses and magical stoles that he

invented to transform from jackets into billow-

ing scarves or cowl neck enhancements.

Roger defines his look as year-round “cocktail

resort wear” in fresh and elegant designs,

sometimes fused with luscious floral patterns

`a la Monet. These items appeal to his base

comprised of women more than 50 years of age

who exude confidence and sophistication born

of being well-traveled and grounded in a per-

sonal philosophy of taking life as it comes with-

out being duplicated at the same or similar

events. Roger avoids following the herd and

eschews slavish trends or swaddling his clients

in costumes or in the color du jour.

After draping the fabric for a silhouette, Roger

devises a set pattern for shape, then cuts free

hand for size. Next, he uses blind stitches or

French seams with details all hand done.

“I don’t put sizes on dresses,” Roger remarked. “I don’t want a woman defined by a number.” The keys to his finished finesse rest with fit and proportion. For example, one of his clients, who was 4’9”, decried her inability to wear palazzo pants. However, with his wizardry of trompe l’oeil, Roger created an illusion that transformed his client to 5’6”, a height that could carry off the look triumphantly and, incidentally, made her feel ecstatic.

Halloween Cont.

While the oranges at Lost Maples are

natural, this hue at Halloween introduces an

economic boom—tempered occasionally by

caution against crime. Decorations for this

unofficial holiday overflow. Party costumes

range from the ridiculous (Ride a Chicken)

to the humorous (Adult Cry Baby get up) to

the fey (Girl’s Gumball Machine dress) to

the totally tacky (Double occupancy adult

costume) and everything in

between –

Elvira, Little Red Riding

Hood and Mobster, as well as

the T-Rex dinosaur inflatable.

Habile even comes in mis-

matched multiples, e.g., for

the adult Scooby Doo group.

In tandem an abundance of scary movies

reappears – Psycho, 7 Nights of the Living

Dead, Rosemary’s Baby, The Silence of the

Lamb, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,

just to name a few.

Halloween migrated to the United States as

Irish and Scottish traditions before catapult-

ing into the American mainstream psyche.

Initially the Celts and the Romans designat-

ed festivals around harvest periods and also

sought a spiritual way to honor the deceased

around the same time. Thus Mexico, the

Philippines, and Brazil set aside a “Day of

the Dead,”; Bolivia, the “Day of the Skulls”;

China, “The Ghost Festival,” and Nepal,

“The Cow Festival.”

In the end, this part of the year carries as many grudges against its pagan overtones as it does compliments for honoring ancestry.

Acknowledgements: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lost-maples