Seeking serenity

Southern Living, Jan 2003 by Jones, Sara Askew

In a world with an array of colors, this Southerner shares ways to find peace and beauty in varying shades of white.

When you step inside White Flowers Gallery, you feel an immediate sense of calm that goes beyond the soothing interior. Credit this tranquil spirit to owner Diana Hansen, whose gentle nature fosters a sense of serenity in all that she does, professionally and personally. She personifies contentment and proves the old adage that says if you find what you love to do, then you will never have to work again.

"It makes all the difference in the world to enjoy what you do," Diana says. "If I was doing something that I didn't love, it would be hard to find this inner peace. For me, wellness starts in your mind-how you feel about yourself and the serenity you get when you love what you do."

The Lady in White

By choice, Diana and her husband, Eric, center their lives around their store in Mountain Brook, Alabama, where they sell her signature T-shirts, baby clothes, and other specialty items. "Most of our time revolves around our business," she says, "but that is what we love and choose to do. It's not work; it's our therapy."

Diana creates T-shirts that focus on the elegant shapes of flowers, rather than their riotous colors. She captures the essence of nature's beauty in these and other designs that feature blackand-white photography by Eric.

"Seeing is the key to everything," she says. "I love shapes, and when there is color, you don't see the shapes as well. White provides a canvas for the beauty in life."

Everything from what Diana wears (all white, all year) to how she lives (she decorates her home in shades of white) focuses on that which celebrates calm. "My mission is to transfer that feeling to other people," she says.

Diana expresses herself through her work, hoping others will find a similar peace and joy in simple pleasures. "My inspiration comes from those that I make happy," she says.

Gifts From the Garden

Inspiration for Diana's design work and business comes from her home and garden. She and Eric inherited a large formal garden when they bought the home of noted artists Eleanor and Georges Bridges.

The painter and sculptor built the house in 1921 originally as a studio. Arches, hidden alcoves, and other architectural elements add to the eccentric glamour of the pink stucco. However, it's the glorious garden created by Eleanor that inspired Diana to find her true vocation.

"I've always felt that I've followed my business more than I've led it," she says. "Every single step that we've taken has been an opportunity, not something we tried to make happen."

When not working in the store or filling orders, the Hansens spend hours outside, preferring to do the gardening themselves. "We do this for the sheer joy of it," Diana says.

Sharing Serenity

Diana's unyielding focus on the garden, her designs, and her business serves her well. Not only does she get to do what she loves, but she's also able to share this joy with others.

"Life is not always perfect and filled with happy things," Diana says, "but it's all a part of life, and you love what you get. I feel God's hands have been in my business from the beginning and that I am on a mission for Him. Not in a way that I am standing in my store and talking about religion, but more that maybe White Flowers and what we do there can nourish somebody's soul."

Looking around her garden, Diana adds, "To me, life is really not so hard if you get back to being someone who doesn't need so much but appreciates everything. That is really all you need."

SARA ASKEW JONES

For more information: White Flowers Gallery, 1-800-784-6130 or www. whiteflowers.com.