Cherry blossoms float through the air, baby lettuces are nestled in the soil and spring’s first blooms beg for a vase. If you’re from the Northeast, you crave lush greenery and joyful flowers this time of year. We start planning summer’s gardens, setting out birdbaths and outdoor furniture, bringing inside breathtaking, improbable bouquets of forsythia, crabapple, lilac and quince, and gathering nosegays of daffodils and tulips.

What is so very irresistible about running your fingers along a polished piece of wood? In the hands of a master, wood comes alive.

Its solid nature takes on many beautiful forms; its fluidity is accentuated by carving, sanding and rubbing. Our homes and furnishings are largely built of wood, and we find solace in natural woodlands. Even fire, the very source of civilization, comes from wood.

A new pair of earrings is an almost irresistible purchase at Paradise City, even when you can’t attend a show. Whether you are participating in digital workplace conferences, Facetiming with your family, or “meeting up” with friends for a Zoom cocktail hour, a new pair of earrings conveys a buoyant attitude, a colorful accent and a fresh perspective when you look in the mirror or show your face to the world.

It started with a potholder. We use Ann Brauer’s wonderful patchwork potholders every day – and noticed that they were due for replacement. Hey, we could even spring for a fresh new color scheme.

Once you get on that train of thought, you start thinking about all the little things that would make your kitchen or dining experience that much… better. You may already be a serious cook, or you’re simply spending a lot more time in the kitchen now. Our cooking and dining Marketplace is loaded with ideas.

We woke up this morning to a symphony of birdsong outside our windows. From the soft cooing of mourning doves and the piercing melodies of the eastern bluebird to the complex arrangements offered by the northern mockingbird, the spring air is filled with song. That’s the inspiration for our first themed Marketplace, which centers on our fine feathered friends. Let Paradise City artists take you on your own flight of fancy. In painting, sculpture, jewelry, home furnishings, works for the garden and more, you’ll get to experience the whole panoply of avian splendor.

Dozens of artists and makers on the Marketplace incorporate bird imagery into their work. For some it’s a central theme – for others, a creative sidetrack.