Do you recognize this art? It is Piet Mondrian. Guess what it's made of though...tulips!
This 1.5 acre modern flower mosaic is part of the 2017 Tulip Route in the Netherlands and is best admired from above. Mondrian's work was chosen because the tulip fields are rectangles and his paintings are also obviously rectangles.
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Happy First Day of Spring! How gorgeous is this spring bouquet? Thanks to my wedding florist, Aimee Lomeli, for sharing some of her beautiful work. Poppies, garden roses, & peonies,
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We have some wonderful florists in SF. Photos above.
If you don't live in SF, these will deliver nationwide:
Remember the post about kumquats in a bouquet? I just noticed one in the window on Union Street at the new restaurant, Contrada. The kumquats look really pretty with the white flowers and the seeded eucalyptus.
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Another SF florist for you: Tulipina. Kiana Underwood owns this boutique floral design studio with her an organic garden style full of texture and color.
Read MoreI gave these flowers to a sweet friend on her birthday. My first time using kumquats in a bouquet. I chose to pair them with pink ranunculus, and the lovely ladies at the Bud Stop added the succulent.
Read MoreTerrariums seem trendy right now. What are they?
Terrariums are glass containers containing soil and plants. Some are sealed, some are open to the atmosphere.
I received the one above as a birthday gift from friends. Here is where you can buy the same one for yourself if you live in SF.
Read MoreMy friend's boyfriend graciously offered to cook a delicious brunch for a few of us on a Sunday morning. I offered to contribute some flowers. Truth be told, I had some leftover flower arrangements from a recent flower class. Instead of buying all new flowers, I used what I could salvage. I think it turned out well!
How to make your own?.......
Read MoreThanks my friend Sharon for telling me about a Fall Wreath Class at Minted! Yes, you know Minted, the place where you get invitations and holiday cards. They now have a darling store in SF and offer classes.
I attended the class with my friend Madeline, who bought my wedding dress (more on that crazy story later!), Sharon, and about 8 other lovely ladies. We were led by Heather Lee of Hello Flowers. She taught us how to use the wire in different ways for the different options. She suggested only using part of the wreath as the branches look beautiful for fall. Perhaps a half moon. She usually starts at 12:00 and works her way to the right, overlapping the wire and stems of the flowers just placed. (this sequence did not feel natural to me.....I started at 8:00 and worked my way from there.......follow your gut!).
I went for a neutral palate with soft fall colors. We built the wreath on a grapevine wreath. I used fall maple leaves, pinecones, straw flowers, another white flower that felt like straw-forget the name!, and the things that look like olives are eucalyptus pods. I actually ended up paring down the wreath when I got home as I realized it was a bit too busy. I look forward to giving this wreath as a gift to a very special friend!
People in SF do weird things in our garages. My neighbor has a garage full of weights and uses it as a gym. Another sweet man down the street uses it as his artist studio. They both leave the garage doors open, and you can see what they're up to.
This photo above really made me smile, as you can imagine. I was on a walk in Inner Richmond in a residential area, and stumbled upon this wonderous sight. A garage door open, I hear some French music, then I see the ladies at work with peonies. Such a beautiful moment!
The florist is Flowers Claire Marie. I have not worked with them, but their website is gorgeous. Some photos below of their work. Thankful for this special memory which I took as a sign that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be in life right now.
For a selfless friend who helped me with a big wedding project.
Flowers from Bud Stop. Must be the season for cafe au lait dahlias as I am seeing them around. So pretty!
The marsala postings this week were inspired by my friend's upcoming wedding. We had discussed color schemes that would fit in with her venue.....and I had initially suggested soft neutrals. She surprised me when she asked how would marsala look thrown into the mix. She had a beautiful vision, and she was right! Adding marsala really brings out a richness....and looks beautiful for fall.
As you can tell from the photos below, marsala looks lovely mixed with greens, wood, and a soft blush color.
What do you think of marsala added into your flowers for fall?
Photo credits starting from top left:
Chair: Photography: Photo by Sara & Rocky, Blog: Mod Wedding
Dahlia bouquet: Photography: With Love & Embers, Blog: Ruffled Blog, Florist: Little Big Farm
Anemone bouquet: Photography: Alyssia B Photography & Brooke Bakken Photography, Blog: 100 Layer Cake , Florist: Flowers by Adrien.
Berry colored bouquet: Photography: Katrina Louise, Blog: 100 Layer Cake, Florist: Barrels & Branches Nursery, Florist: Fox Floral Design Studio
Sign: Photography: Jillian Bowes, Design: Kenley Event Design, Blog: 100 Layer Cake , Florist: Damsel Floral Co.
Fig table: Photography: Onelove Photography, Blog: Style Me Pretty
Flowers with greens: Photography: Ty French Photography, Blog: Wedding Chicks, Florist: Soiree Design & Events.
Cake: Varese Wedding. Blog: Get Married in Italy.
How do you buy flowers for a guy? I was headed to a guy friend's house for brunch. Usually I bring flowers...but was a little stumped. I had never bought flowers for a guy before! I talked with my friends at the Bud Stop and requested greens & not girly. Here is what we came up with. It looked great on the table during brunch!.
Suggestion: bring a vase! I got lucky this time around.....but most guys probably won't have vases.
I made this summer sunflower wreath for a friend for her birthday. I chose greens with different shapes, sizes, & texture. Although the sunflowers were cheerful, I actually would not use them again. The stems are very thick, and the flowers are heavy.....not ideal for a wreath. I layered in some wax flowers as a final touch. Would this look joyful hanging on the side door to your kitchen?
I decided to bring flowers to my friend's house for a girls brunch. Since it was 6 girls, I decided to stick with a soft pink girly type look for the flowers. Of course I was sucked in by the glorious garden roses. We added the pink berries, hydrangea, rice flower, & some lemon leaves. Thanks to the Bud Stop for putting them together in these adorable jars.
I made this spring wreath for my friend for her birthday. I included lots of different shapes & textures of greenery. For the flowers, I stuck with pink & white but included different sizes. What do you think?
Can't go wrong with peonies this time of year. Brought these to my sweet friend Alyson for her 40th birthday in Sonoma.
Don't you love Spring? The longer days, warmer weather, colorful blooming flowers, birds chirping, summer just around the corner. Puts me in the best mood!
Some photos below of a recent morning walk. Notice Spring--it is all around!
I learned about garden roses while planning my wedding. My beloved peonies were out of season, so my florist suggested garden roses. Disappointed, I did some research, and was pleasantly surprised! The garden rose may be the new peony! I fell in love with the Juliet/David Austin rose as evidenced by my bridal bouquet above.
Let's talk about how these beauties are different from standard roses. Not from the grocery store, they are in a completely different league. Their lush, ruffled petals swirl around four different centers to form a rounded bloom. The standard rose has pointed shape petals rotated around one pointed center. Garden roses are softer & puffier looking; standard roses are more pointy.
Colors: punchy-pink Yves Piagets, creamy vanilla Caramel Antikes, intense deep red Piano.
They are all so lush & lovely. Are you as in love with garden roses as I am?
Images from Brides.
Flowers from:
1. White Lilac, Inc.
2. Asrai Garden
3. Nicolette Camille Floral Design
4. Kelly Kaufman Floral Design
5. Nicolette Camille Floral Design
6. Petalos Design
2 days until Valentine's Day:
A friend of mine mentioned her husband brought her one single red rose last year for Valentine's Day. Not to sound ungrateful, but she was really hoping for something different! To her, it felt like it was from 7-11 or for a funeral or from the Bachelor.......some girls love a single red rose! We all have different styles. In my book, you can never go wrong with peonies or garden roses!
Valentine's Day is not just for romance! Feel free to use these ideas for a supportive friend, a friend who needs support, your mom, your sister.....
If you are looking for something different, here are some ideas:
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