Summer Boutonnieres

Alstroemeria, astible, lamb's ear, pink ribbon

Alstroemeria 

Lisianthus, calla lily, ghost fern, lichen

Lisianthus and lamb's ear boutonniere

Aeonium, lisianthus, and lamb's ear boutonniere

Gerberas Bring the Sunlight!

Very easy to make and super colorful - they would look stunning down the center of a long bridal/banquet table

I just love the colors that inspired me! I have all sorts of pops of color and basically the same palette of flowers in each mason jar. But what I really think brings it all together is the same burlap and ribbon cinch on the waists of the mason jars.

It's like the gerberas bring the sunlight to them!

Fuchsia mums, lime green kermit mums, and poppies

Gerberas, mums, poppies & dianthus in mason jars!

Natural Armature

Colorful gerberas, mums, grasses, berries, and ferns

Colorful gerberas and mums in an armature over a bubble bowl

Gerberas, berries, grasses, and ferns

Bright crimson and hot orange gerberas entwined in the armature encircling the arrangement

Getting a really wildflower look here with the ferns and the natural shape of the branch armature. 

I used several different greens such as ferns and grasses first and made a very airy piece, then grounded the arrangement and put in some focus for the audience's eye with the larger spots of color from the massive gerberas

Speed Floral Design

I only had an hour before guests were going to start arriving to our little shindig. My roommate took care of the food and all was on schedule. But I had just gotten home from work and needed to decorate the house for our little "goodbye to our house" party! 

Solution: flowers. I unloaded the cupboard with my vases and just picked a variety of shapes and sizes, and then went outside to my garden and started cutting away at all my hydrangea, succulents, gerberas, and stock. Here are all the arrangements I could make to decorate our house in a little less than one hour:

Matilija poppy (I can't resist using these slightly fragrant blooms since my plant is putting out several of these a week--and it just happens to be my favorite flower too!).

Lamb's ear, lisianthus, poppy, daisy

Purples and whites

Gerbera jar: poppy, gerbera, nutsedge, hypericum

Alstroemeria and bouganvillea cup

Gerbera and dusty miller jar

Pinks and whites

Gerberas and succulent with lily grass

Pinks and succulent

Thistle in apothecary jar

Thistle and chive vase with knotted bear grass

Wildflowers and succulents

I just love the colors and textures in the combination of these plant materials: aeonium, lisianthus, aloe and sage

Color and Texture

I tried to capture all the different hues in the lilies: the dark plum of the swedish ivy, pinkish coral of the heuchera foliage, soft silver white of the lamb's ear...

Color and texture

Top view of vase arrangement

Lily, stock, hydrangea, and stock vase arrangement

Cup of begonias

Angel wing Begonia

Peruvian lily (alstroemeria) and lisianthus

Pastels: Pinks and lavenders

I really suggest trying this! Especially if you are tired of designing or feel like you are lacking inspiration. Sometimes the best way to overcome that is to keep powering through and designing. Doing it this way by being in a time crunch, you really don't have to think about a cohesive design; you just let your hands and creativity go. Then put the arrangements around where you work, hang out, relax, and you will get more ideas and really understand the designs that you came up with while timed. It's a fun exercise! 

Have a great weekend!

Fourth of July Fireworks

I've been feeling very patriotic since hundreds of gay couples have been able to get married and have it recognized legally. This country continues to surprise me. Happy Fourth of July!

Use it as it's own table decoration, or do several down the center of the table for your 4th of July event

Plant material repetition is not the only way to create cohesion among the different arrangements: color works just as well. 

I fell in love with these blue mason jars and knew that I had to have them to use for the 4th of July!

Floral Fireworks: gladiolus, Queen Anne's lace, delphinium

National Anthem: Red, white, and blue

It stands at just over four feet tall with the stand alone urn as the base. I was going for a fireworks theme, hence the use of more line materials, the explosive white lace, and the raining amaranth.

Vintage 1255, SLO Wine Bar

Buffet piece for the wine bar/cheese bar

Colorful gerberas and mums as well as purple moss

Colorful gerberas: oranges, reds, and golds

Gold and pink mums with bear grass loops

Enjoying some wine at Vintage 1255

There is this perfect wine bar down the street from my house and I have always wanted a common meeting point for me and my friends (such as they have in all the sitcoms like Friends, Seinfeld, Cheers, Frasier, etc. This place is perfect! Mostly because of location so we can all walk to and from it (most important when assessing a corner meeting place!). But the people who work there are fabulous and are so friendly. We all know each other by now (after going there a few times a month for the last three months). The serves know what they are talking about whether it be their wine, beer, or cheese- and you are always guaranteed a good time. Anyway, to say thank you to Donna and John, I made them an arrangement for all their hospitality!