How do you like them apples?

I find myself doing the most random things to accomplish my job... Geri and I recently pitched an idea to a corporate client to integrate green apples in one of the centerpiece options. Little did I know where this would send me. Usually I would have ordered a case of apples from the wholesaler, but it occur ed to me (thankfully) that the apples might be too large to fit into the 3" cylinders we were using. So, where does this leave me? At the grocery store at 9pm on a Sunday night, vase in hand, measuring each and every one of the 120 apples I bought. Needless to say I got a few looks.

All in all, this was just another little adventure to remind me how much I love my job. I think all designers have to laugh at some of the things we do to "make it work". Here are the fruits of my labour. Ha! pun intended;)

Flower Shower

Love's Wishing Well

On Friday February 13th I was hired to do floral for a Wedding shower. We designed a really fun "interactive" centerpiece that I am calling "Love's wishing well". I took a large shallow cylinder vase, creating a pond of sorts, and centered an arrangement of red tulips, white Hyacinth and Bear Grass. There were little cups of pennies for each guest to toss into the wishing well and make a wish for the lovely couple. Cutsie, I know...but we're talking about LOVE here!! In fact the whole theme of the event was red. There was red food, red linens, red votives everywhere, red luminaries outside and of course a ton of red tulips! Thanks to Studio Laguna for the amazing photos. There's a chance this will be featured in a national bridal magazine!! I'll keep you posted...

Now to be honest, I do not get requests for a whole lot of wedding shower flowers. This got me to thinking... What an excellent way to get a preview of your wedding flowers! So many clients ask me if they would be able to see a sample of what they picked out. Here is a win/win situation! Mothers and Maid's of Honour listen up! Have the bride's florist create a sample of the flowers she chose for her wedding to finish of the buffet table. It would be a great surprise and would also allow the bride to make any adjustments before the big day. Ask the florist to put a bit of a spin on the design so that you all will have a "preview" but not take away any attention or drama from the wedding itself. They could use the same flowers in a different style arrangement or even just doing the same color combinations. What I always say...Things should coordinate, not match!

The Duel of the Design...Part Deux

The Duel is fast approaching! I hope you all can make it on March 5th to this crazy cool evening. Last year I competed with Todd Pinzuti from Bungalow 6 Design, and our table won! I have to admit that it was a little bit nerve racking to design in front of such a crowd and to not know what I would be doing until the moment of. Once we got rolling and Todd laid out the concept, I had a blast! He created a modern table setting that was elegant and sufficiently funky using greys and yellows. I had joked before going up there that I would probably have to design with yellow, as it was not my favorite color. I designed a tall spouting arrangement featuring delicate Oncidium Orchids and colored water, after that creation I became a believer in the power of yellow! It was a fantastic finished product and it was a complete pleasure working with such a fabulous designer as Todd.
I am looking forward to this year and all of the new added features. There are many new things in store, or so I hear...the designers of the Duel are keeping the surprises just that. I'm still a little nervous about the "on the spot" pressure of designing something fabulous, but it's a good kind of nervous! It truly helps to have such amazing team members. Whether it is Bungalow 6 or Mi Mi Design that I get paired with, the creative process is bound to be a fun one! Come see it unfold!

Our winning table-photo by Greg Jansen

Yellow Roses, Yellow Cymbidium Orchids and White Hydrangea

Our winning table-photo by Greg Jansen

Yellow Oncidium Orchids, White Dendrobium Orchids and Bear Grass

What Inspires you?

Photo credit Studio Laguna

(A fun mix of texture I used for an event at Chambers)

There were only 2 things I was concerned about when considering the new format I have for meeting clients.

1. Is meeting them somewhere other than a "traditional" flower shop going to be a problem?
2. And what in the world is going to get my creative juices flowing again? (It's been a long winter...)

Problem solved! I found out this weekend, after may appointments "out and about", that the different surroundings was the rejuvenating shot in the arm that I needed! I was calling to mind the fun rare flowers that had recently been replaced with roses and calla lilies in my mind. My favorite was sitting in a coffee shop trying to come up with the perfect chocolate brown accent to the bride's coral and ivory color scheme. COFFEE BUSH! (I've remembered since that it's actually called smoke bush but the end result is the same right?) Best yet, being in the reception venue has been wonderful! After all, how could you not be inspired while sitting at a place like Christo's Union Depot?

So now I'm excited! Bring on the consults and lets plan something spectacular!