DIY Fall Floral Arrangement

November 4, 2014

You all know that I’m a flower fanatic so creating a fall floral arrangement could hardly be considered “work” 😉 The trickiest part of this task was keeping it simple enough so that the arrangement could easily be replicated by a novice. Since most of our reps in this program at work have little experience arranging florals, I needed to break this one down step by step so they could easily recreate it for their own party. Flower arranging is really intimidating to a lot of people, but it’s really so much easier than most imagine until they see it broken down. The trickiest part for me is learning the textures and strength of the stems/stalks so that you know just how much pressure you can use while arranging and finagling your flowers into your floral foam. But once you’ve done a few, it’s really easy to get the hang of it. I whipped up this beauty that would easily cost over $150 at a flower shop with less than $50 in under 30 minutes. Since we were using the arrangement for our Pink Party, we wanted to keep with the theme, but also make it seasonal. Outside of Breast Cancer Awareness, October is not a month that would traditionally make you think of pink, but with the addition of some orange and deep purple florals in combination with pink buds and fresh maple clippings, our arrangement was both perfectly pink while warm and seasonally appropriate for a cozy, fall wine tasting.

Supplies

Florals (see my list and tips below)
Oasis Floral Foam
Vessel
Floral Clippers/Pruners

Tip: Almost every big city has a flower district where you will get the best deals on bulk florals. A few quick google searches will lead you to yours. If you live in a small town with no direct access to a flower mart, do some research on what you’re looking for and call your local florist to place you an order. Also, use whatever florals you have around you. Have a tree changing colors in your yard? Persimmons, Oranges or Artichokes? Clip a few small branches or stalks and add them to your arrangement to cut down on cost and to keep your arrangement seasonal, textural and beautiful.

Instructions

1. Pick your vessel. Remember that big arrangements do not necessarily call for a big vase. When you are using floral foam, you can position stems in from every direction and maximize the amount of space you have. The arrangement we created is a medium/large size and we used a small vessel – a brass julip cup.

2. Using a knife, cut your floral foam to fit snuggly inside. I like to press the foam to the vessel to get an outline of where to cut excess foam away. You want to make sure that your foam does NOT move once it’s inside the vessel so start big and cut more away if needed.

3. Fill your vessel with water. Your foam will soak up a TON of water so make sure that you continue to let it soak in for a few minutes before you get to work and add water as your foam absorbs every drop in sight.

4. ARRANGE! There is no “right” way to arrange flowers, but I always start with my biggest floral or what will ultimately define how large the arrangement will be. Since this arrangement was going to be large, loose, imperfect and “wildflower-esque” I started with the leaves and greenery to define how tall and wide I wanted the arrangement to be. I positioned the left greens a little higher and the right greens a little lower to give it that imperfect and “freshly picked” feel.

5. Next, I added some celosia to give the arrangement some color and height.

6. Now that the back of the arrangement is filled in, it’s time to start adding some of the “wow” flowers or your showstoppers of the arrangement 😉 Dahlias come into season in the late sumer/fall, are so beautiful and make such a big statement. I added a few “dinner plate” dahlias in orange and then started filling in with smaller florals: plum colored dahlias and pink ranunculus.

Tip: you can always clip your florals shorter, but you can never make them longer. To keep the arrangement fun, casual and wild, leave some stems on the longer side. Don’t be afraid to group multiple of the same flower together either. That helps add dimension and keeps the arrangement from looking too uniform and perfect.

7. Once you’ve used all of the “wow” flowers you can fit, add in some extra green clippings to break things up a bit. I added some leaves as well as some extra celosia to pull things together and to make the arrangement look finished and picture perfect 🙂

8. You did it! Get ready for lots of compliments!

PS: Don’t let any gorgeous florals go to waste. We filled a pitcher with extra flowers and greens and utilized some on the backdrop behind our wine display too.

Restoration Hardware Spring Launch Party

March 27, 2012

Last Thursday, I was invited to attend the Restoration Hardware Spring Launch Party in LA (yes please) and it was gorgeous to say the least. Their showroom on Beverly is nothing short of eye catching with a tremendous outdoor space attached and I’ve been looking for an excuse to drop in for a while now. Everything about this space is absolutely perfect… from mirrored fireplace walls, to the reclaimed hardwood floors to the dark, fabric wall coverings cascading up the grand staircase. Needless to say, as a huge Restoration Hardware lover, I was obsessed with nearly every room I walked into and had to capture a few (or 100) pictures to share. Here are some of my favorites.

{The Cameraman asked if I wanted him to move his tripod so I could get this shot… trying to be polite, I said no, but now I really wish I would have said yes. How amazing is this mirrored wall?}

{Restoration Hardware’s amazing signature crystal and iron chandeliers were a staple in this space}

{Stunning}

{Loved the continuous music sheet art as we walked from one room to the next}

{Beautiful orbs}

{Amazing idea for a non-working fireplace}

{Rustic farmhouse dining table + leather egg chair + spotlights = heaven}

{Naturally, I was drawn to this stunning floral display}

{Inspiration for my future store… wink, wink}

{Couldn’t get enough!!}

{The floral designer himself, Eddie Zaratsian}

{Please excuse me while I dive on in 🙂 }

{In love}

{Carrara}

{Gorgeous cascading bird cage chandeliers}

Flower Arranging Tutorial

February 15, 2012

After taking a bit of a flower hiatus over the holidays, I was really itching to get back to the Flower Mart and get my hands back to work. My friend’s February birthday was the perfect excuse so I drove downtown early one morning last week as the sun rose and with my tea in-tow to pick up a bundle of blooms and got to work. After posting about Katie and Chris last week, I received a few emails asking how I do it – How flattering! Quite simply, the answer is two fold. I was raised by the most amazing mother with a green thumb passed down from my Grandfather. For as long as I can remember, her hands were outside and in the dirt every Saturday and Sunday tending to her garden and she would make the most amazing arrangements. I learned so much from just watching her, but she’d always share little tricks and secrets with me. Also, to be quite honest, flower arranging just comes really naturally to me and is really soothing. I’m amazed at the beautiful things nature creates on its own and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and joy (even in the stressful moments!) while working with flowers. It might seem difficult, but thankfully, the steps from fresh-cut blooms to the reward of a gorgeous arrangement are fairly simple… and I’m going to share them in as much detail as possible today.

{From left to right: Succulents, Dusty Miller, Dahlias, Ellington/Korean Fir, Ranunculus, Wheat Grass, Thistle. Not pictured above: White Hydrangeas}

1. First and foremost, decide what flowers you’re going to use for your arrangement. For this one in particular, I was arranging for a friend who likes white flowers so I decided to use white flowers as a base with a lot of textured greens.

2. Make sure you have everything you’ll need: Container (and liner if your container is permeable), Oasis Floral Foam (for wet arrangements), flower picks with attached wire, floral tape (if you’re using foam to anchor your arrangements, you’ll almost never need tape, but I always keep it handy), pruners, flowers in fresh water.

3. Cut your foam to the desired size (a knife works for this so don’t get talked into purchasing a foam cutter). Make sure the foam fits snuggly in the container as to prevent the arrangement from shifting. Take the foam out and soak it in a bucket of water until it no longer floats. To speed up the process, sometimes it helps if you poke a few holes through the middle.

4. Start with your largest flower (I like to use hydrangeas for this type of arrangement) give them a clean cut on an angle and cut away any leaves. Place the first stem into the foam at one of the corners. You want the flower to hang partially over the edge of the container. Fill in the remaining three corners with hydrangeas and put the fifth hydrangea in the center. When you are finished, you should still be able to see the foam if you look closely. Make sure they aren’t packed together too tightly to add your remaining flowers.

5. Choose your next largest flower, in this case it was the white dahlias. Place them through (not next to) the hydrangeas and into the foam. Putting them through the hydrangeas spreads the hydrangea buds apart and makes the arrangement more even and consistent. You don’t want them to get lost in the hydrangeas so allow them to stick out a tiny bit further.

6. The next flower I used was the ranunculus. Since ranunculus have really thin and flimsy stalks (unlike hydrangeas and dahlias) it’s close to impossible to stick them into foam without them breaking. Cut your ranunculus, bunch two of them together with a bud or two and wrap the wire of the pick around them as far down as you can go. Clip to the desired length and place them into your arrangement. Put a few of these little bunches through the hydrangeas and a few next to them to start filling in any gaps.

7. Now on to the greens! I used Dusty Miller to start because I absolutely LOVE the soft texture and the silvery hue. Using the floral picks again, bunch 2-3 leaves together and add them to your arrangement. Scatter several of these bunches throughout.

8. Repeat with the white thistle (using the flower picks) since they also have really delicate stems.

9. The silvery pine cone/artichoke looking greenery I picked up from the Flower Mart was referred to by two different names at different vendors: Ellington and Korean Fir. I’m still not 100% sure what this is technically called, but it was beautiful and had so much great texture. I scattered a few about in this arrangement.

10. Lastly, I added some wheat grass to give the arrangement a soft, feathery look. Follow the same steps as the ranunculus with a floral pic and scatter them throughout the arrangement. Don’t push your little bunches too far into the foam, but allow them to stick out a little higher than then rest of the flowers to enhance that texture.

11. Fill in any remaining space with some leftover flowers and voila! You’re done!

Things to remember when making this type of arrangement:

– Start monochromatically and move from lightest to darkest. I always start with the largest flower (or base flower – in this case it was the hydrangeas) and since these were white, I used all of my white flowers first before moving onto the colored flowers and greens. This allows you to seamlessly move from light to dark without too much contrast. In my personal opinion, there is nothing worse than a white arrangement with really dark purple or blue buds and nothing to bridge that transition. Working from light to dark will allow for a great flow of colors and textures.

– You don’t necessarily need to use everything you have. In this case, I picked up a few succulents and willow branches, but once I started arranging, I realized that I really didn’t need them for this particular piece. Don’t feel obligated to use every single stem you buy. Do what looks best.

If you feel like you’d still like some more instruction (and are in the LA/OC area) I’m happy to offer a crash course on flower arranging… perhaps one weekend over a few glasses of wine? 😉 Reach out if you’d be interested in something like this.

HAPPY FLOWERING!

Katie + Chris

February 7, 2012

How gorgeous is this couple?! I had the pleasure of doing Katie and Chris’s wedding flowers last fall after meeting her through our mutual friend Tiffany. After anxiously awaiting the pictures from their big day (my camera was out of battery day of – worst luck ever!), Katie passed these on to me and I was too excited to wait for another Friday to come for a Friday Flowers post.

Now on to the love story! The perfect pair met while she was Coxswain on the Long Beach State Crew Team and he was her coach – adorable! The husband-and-wife-to-be were friends for about 4 years before their romance blossomed and now they both work for Los Alamitos schools – she is a speech language pathologist and he works for the auxiliary department. For their Dana Point nuptials, Katie wanted to stick with a laid back, rustic, nautical, beachy feel (L-O-V-E) and wanted a fairly simple color palate of white blooms and yellow Billy Balls… one of my favorite combos. Lucky for me, the bride was just as fun as her style and working with Katie and Chris was an absolute delight 🙂

Florals:
{Bride} O’Hara Roses, White Roses, Ranunculus, Dahlias, Gardenias, Billy Balls
{Boutonnieres} Billy Balls, Dahlia (for the groom)
{Bridesmaids} White Roses, Dahlias, China Mums, Spider Mums, Stock, Billy Balls
{Flower Girls & Flower Ceremony} Gerber Daisies
{Table Arrangements} Hydrangeas, China Mums, Spider Mums, Dahlias, Stock, Billy Balls

Venue: Ocean Institute – Dana Point, CA
Photographer: Mark Brook Photographers

Wedding Flowers

November 1, 2011

My cousin Mike recently asked the love of his life to marry him and I’m absolutely thrilled not only for their future together, but to be doing their wedding flowers next year 😉 YAY! I couldn’t think of a more splendid way to welcome Erin into our family and can’t wait for their big day (next September) which still seems way too far away to wait. Erin found a bouquet she fell in love with online, so when I was home recently for their engagement party, I decided to try to replicate it as much as possible and experimented with what will potentially be the perfect centerpieces for their autumn Northern Michigan vineyard nuptials. What do you think?!

Friday Flowers

September 23, 2011

There is nothing quite like the LA Flower Mart. Located at 8th and Wall Street, it’s the in heart of downtown adjacent to the hustle and bustle of the Fashion District. For someone who generally tries to steer clear of downtown Los Angeles, there is something so cheerful about the Flower Mart and it is truly a hidden gem in the city. I grabbed a few shots of blooms that were inspiring me while placing a few orders for upcoming events yesterday. Check out a few of my favorites below.

Happy Friday!

{I LOVED these fall colors! How gorgeous would a few sprigs of this be in a casual autumn bridal bouquet?}

{Always a fan of whimsical yellows. I used a little of this here}

{Coffee beans galore! It’s generally hard to find them in red (ripe) because those are saved for coffee making, but I think they’re just beautiful and was happy to see them yesterday morning}

{People either love or hate sunflowers and I totally understand either side, but to me they’re just so warm and cheerful. I love these colors!}

{Always a favorite… a sea of elegant ivory and green hydrangeas juxtaposed against fun, colorful gerber daisies. Heaven for the flower lover}

{City Guide} I Left My Heart in Austin

September 23, 2011

Last Thursday I left for Austin City Limits for a long, Texas weekend with the ONEHOPE Wine team (wine sponsor of this year’s festivities). I was hoping for a relaxing few days of music, wine and sleep following a treacherous week of finals, but I was in for a little surprise. I FELL IN LOVE with Austin. Every moment that wasn’t spent enduring the 104 degree heat in Zilker Park (watching the likes of Coldplay, Arcade Fire and Foster The People – can we say best music festival ever?) was spent scouring every inch of the Texas city I’m just dying to get back to. Future home? Yes please! Check out a few of my favorites below:

Disclaimer: Our trip was overly food-filled so scroll down and get hungry… and then book a trip to Austin – STAT!

FOOD

{Located on South Congress, Home Slice Pizza offers some of the best pies I’ve ever tasted. As a Chicago style deep-dish girl, I thought there was no way I’d fall for their famed New York style, but I was so, so wrong. Something else to love? Check out their menu for the perfect beer and wine pairings for each of their ‘zzas. Home Slice knew the path straight to my heart}

{Home Slice: White Pie with Spinach: Olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, ricotta, provolone and romano. This particular pizza came highly recommended by several Austin friends so I just had to give it a try. SO. GREAT. I was worried that the ricotta would weigh down the thin crust (and the flavor), but every bite was just as fresh and bursting with Italian zest as the bite before. The garlic absolutely makes this pizza. My ‘chef’ father always says, “when in doubt, throw in another clove of garlic” so I’m a huge fan of the stuff and this picture is making me seriously hungry all over again}

{Home Slice: Italian Meatball and Bell Pepper: Italian meatballs, bell peppers, mozzarella. This was one of their Pizza by the Slice options (that change daily). With a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, this pizza has everything you could ever want… Savory meat, crisp peppers, a perfectly balanced sauce and a tiny bit of spice. The flavor was so amazing that we ordered another slice to split. Hey! It’s thin crust. Less carbs. Right?}

{I’m the world’s biggest shameless female burger fan… and I’m not kidding. I make an honest attempt to try burgers at the locally famous joints in every city we travel to, but hopdoddy Burger Bar might have just won my lifetime award for BEST burger EVER this past weekend – twice over. Created to “honor the perfect union of beer and burgers” hopdoddy offers several craft beers (including my new favorite: Bucket Head IPA) to pair perfectly with their all natural, daily ground, hormone and antibiotic free Black Angus. Does life really get any better than this? Umm… try one of their milkshakes and you’ll see}

{hopdoddy: The Prime Time: Perfectly prepared Kobe beef, slightly sweet caramelized onions, a touch of horseradish to give it just enough kick and a mouthwatering homemade steak sauce. The scent reminded me of Christmas Eve at my parents’ house with a prime rib roast in the oven. Simply amazing. No “Prime Time” knockoff will ever compare}

{hopdoddy: Buffalo Bill: Bison, Blue Cheese, Frank’s Hot Sauce, Apple-Smoked Bacon, Sassy Saucy. I think I bit into this burger and said, “is this a joke?” The flavor was so incredible that we finished the entire thing before I could even snap a shot. I’m usually a little leery of bacon on burgers simply because if it isn’t prepared perfectly, it has the potential to ruin the entire meal. Obviously, hopdoddy pulled through with perfect prep in every way. Perfect zing with the perfect level of rich blue cheese (not overpowering) to create a perfectly balanced burger. Perfection}

{hopdoddy: Oreo Shake: Homemade spun custard with real whipped cream and Oreos. HEAVEN. This was the single best milkshake I’ve ever had in my life. I’m pretty sure the homemade spun custard is the secret, but I’ve never tasted anything like it}

{Snack Bar was a fun, little retro restaurant we dropped into for breakfast one morning. They describe their cuisine as “globally inspired, locally sourced, chef-driven and made with organic, raised-right & natural ingredients.” Love it already. The menu offers everything from Avocado Quinoa to Egg and Gravy Biscuits so there is a bit of something for everyone. The casual environment is super inviting with a kind, hospitable staff. Awesome spot! Why the Michigan map you might ask? Every table had a map of a different state under the glass and we happened to sit with Lady Mitten that morning. I’m definitely taking it as a sign of Austin welcoming yours truly with open arms}

{Snack Bar: Egg & Gravy Biscuit: Housemade buttermilk biscuit, two farm eggs any style, meat-free dirty cream gravy. Don’t judge. This was a Texas weekend and I was going to eat like a Texan. I’d never had meat-free gravy before and was a little worried it would be lacking flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised. GREAT dish (if you’re a fan of biscuits and gravy, of course)}

{Snack Bar: OhM Sandwich: 2 over-medium farm eggs, cheddar, bacon or avocado (get both!), lettuce, tomato & onion, sourdough. My perfect breakfast, right there. Unreal sandwich. Mouth. Watering. Get it}

{W Hotel/TRACE: Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Deep fried in pig fat and sliced into perfect bite size pieces. Can’t say that I’ve ever had someone offer me something “fried in pig fat”, but one piece wasn’t going to kill me. Absolutely incredible. Creamy inside with a perfectly crisp outside… It isn’t offered on the restaurant menu, but was part of the VIP section food at ACL on day one. We were all really hoping it was going to be there on day two and three but it’s probably better that it wasn’t ;-)}

Other eateries to visit: Franklin Barbeque (World Famous BBQ), The Salt Lick Driftwood (BYOB)

SHOPS

{I’ve been looking for blue mason jars EVERYWHERE at a reasonable price and have had the hardest time. I finally found some at this amazing antique/thrift store, Uncommon Objects. I could have taken home a million other vintage finds, but sadly my suitcase (and bank account) just weren’t big enough}

{Uncommon Objects: I can just picture a wildflower centerpiece in these vintage glass medicine bottles}

{Uncommon Objects: Wire baskets = LOVE. Vintage Edison bulbs, chemical jars and candlesticks. As much as animal head/skull decor freaks me out, I could have definitely brought home a pair of antlers (or two). Getting them on the plane would have been a nightmare, however. TSA had a Ball with my mason jars… no pun intended}

{Uncommon Objects: Vintage costume jewelry. Gorgeous green!}

{I can’t help it… I just really love West Elm. And after hearing about their Austin store a TON over the course of the last few weeks in the blog world, I had to drop by. Out of all of their stores, this one is my favorite – complete with a super friendly staff}

{I think my shelves might need a revamp ;-)}

Other shops: Anything on South Congress… tons of little boutiques with great clothing and decor. I could have spent an entire day on that street but sadly we only had an afternoon.

SITES

{We took a stroll around the state capital. It was beautiful to say the least and there is just so much state pride in Austin and throughout Texas – It’s contagious}

{Gorgeous}

{I came across this old, deserted florist during one of our walks to the festival. It still had the original glass and paint and the inside was covered with dead plants hanging along the rafters that had long been left to wilt away. It was as though someone packed their bags and left town one day and this is all that remains. I would just love to fix that place up and call it my own}

Other sites: University of Texas (what a FUN school), Lake Travis (I’ve heard it’s beautiful, but we were unable to make it), the downtown Austin bar scene (hundreds of bars – old and new – line the streets near UT).

Unfortunately, we couldn’t see EVERYTHING in Austin, but we will definitely be back for more. I was blown away by the friendliness of the people, the sense of welcome that I received and the overall lifestyle which is a world of difference from LA. I’m very lucky to live where I do, but I’ve got to say, I left my heart in Austin.

xoxo
Meg

Friday Flowers

September 2, 2011

Happy Friday! I just wanted to pass along a few images of some arrangements I did for a recent bridal event. We stuck with a neutral, ivory palate with some subtle pops of yellow. A little technique I’ve been into lately is using the primary blooms (ivory) and secondary blooms (yellow) in the larger containers with just the secondary blooms in smaller containers or bud vases to keep the space from looking too monotonous. I love the way these turned out… fun and whimsical yet still elegant.

I’m signing off until Tuesday… Wishing you a lovely, safe and relaxing holiday weekend!

Pink and Bling

August 30, 2011

I’ve got to say, until Friday I never knew that a bright pink + diamond themed wedding could possibly be so elegant and enchanting. Pink and bling are just really not my thing, but the start to our wedding filled weekend (as mentioned here) was completely stunning and filled me with so many great ideas for floral clients that aren’t into traditional containers and an ivory color palate. Additionally, I tend to get some push-back when I suggest varying centerpieces from table to table (half with flowers and half with candles or half with tall arrangements and half with short, etc.) because I think the concern is that the room will suddenly look too sparse or uneven when that isn’t the case at all. Some variation adds visual interest without becoming “too much” (as this gorgeous reception proved) so I’m excited that I now have the perfect example to present to clients.

{Floating candles at varying heights set the romantic mood for dinner and drinks}

{Gorgeous array of both low and stemmed glass containers atop a lucite platform with rows of candles}

{One of the tables without a floral centerpiece… several candles atop rose petals kept the theme consistent and romantic}

{Incredible menu… and the napkin rings were bracelets that guests rocked all night and later wore home}

{I love the idea of integrating “giving back” into a wedding and I also love the idea of sending guests home with a bottle of wine… They found the perfect balance and selected this wine (one of my favorites!) and the faux diamond toppers with pink tags were just perfect}

Wedding(s) Weekend!

August 26, 2011

Lucky us! We have not one, but two weddings to attend this weekend – one tonight in the LA area at my favorite place in the whole wide world; Terrenea Resort (check out my friend Lauren’s post about it here) and one in the San Francisco Bay area. I’ve become a little stir crazy this past week so I’m thrilled to be skipping town tomorrow morning for a short weekend away. I can’t wait to fuel up on floral inspirations to bring back to you all. Have a great weekend!

{Image via}

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