carnation love.

The other day I stumbled upon this photo of peonies and carnations:

It got me thinking about the carnation, the floral equivalent of "always a bridesmaid never the bride," the flower that Charlotte from Sex and the City deemed "a filler flower." I have to admit, I've had my doubts. Probably because carnations remind me of marigolds which remind me of crickets (long story there). But maybe we've over looked something here, like the fact that carnations are super cheap, long lasting and look great in monochromatic bunches:

Carnations also look classy in all white bouquets, for a holiday party or wedding:

This couple even made an entire elephant out of the flowers:

Have I convinced you yet?

(Photo 1 via Flickr); (Photo 2 via Martha Stewart); (Photo 3 via Apartment Therapy); (Photo 4 via Martha Stewart); (Photo 5 via Martha Stewart). <---- What can I say, the lady knows her stuff.