A Wonderful Thanksgiving

On the left, a simple modern table with dried leaves in hurricane glass is accented with understated blue napkins and runner. Anjou pears mimic the colors of the gourds, walnuts and paper cut out leaves.

{ photo courtesy of Martha Stewart }

Dried flowers, leaves and mushrooms settle in nicely with the pears in this vintage oatmeal tin for a simple fallish arrangement.

{ photo courtesy of Design*Sponge }

Gourds within a gourd: Clean decorating often uses the same design element but in a varied fashion. This larger carved gourd becomes a natural bowl for the little guys.

{ photo courtesy of Chic It Yourself }

Keeping the decor light and simple while still engaging the eye with turning leaves and various gourds adds a freshness and life to the table.

{ photo courtesy of Martha Stewart }

*********************

I'm thankful for my family and friends and am thrilled to have spent the past holiday with my newest family: my in-laws. It was really fun to be part of such an ever-growing group where the neighbors have their annual football match while the food is being prepared amongst lively chatter and the interjections of college football.

There were over forty folks at the house and it was by far the grandest Thanksgiving I've attended. Everyone brought their "must-have" Thanksgiving dish. My mother in-law and I had a great time baking cookies and "tasting" the dough. A good ol' pecan pie recipe adapted a Texan flair by adding a few tablespoons of local bourbon.

The photos above demonstrate that Thanksgiving decoration need not be dull. As Thanksgiving transitions into the grays and browns of winter, it's easy to fall into the trap of heavily decorating with dried objects.

Hooray! The Cards Are Here!

*********************

Yesterday I received our promotional postcards and I think they came out great! I'm looking forward to UP Wedding taking over Savannah in the new year.

As I continue to research floral designs, patterns and arrangements, I am so excited to create. There is such great talent in the floral design world. I'll continue to compile a list that links other designers who inspire me.

Weddings Past

Wreaths for the Door

*********************

Martha Stewart continues to be the champion of creative home decor ideas.

In the first image, her use of simple blue hues mark a strong contrast against the white of the doors. The blue ties into the blue-grey of the lanterns and the bluish green of what appears to be a Douglas fir (or spruce?)

On the third image, one might think a garland, spruce and urns would be way too many decorating ideas happening all at once, but balance is struck because of the monochromatic nature of the greens. The reason the arrangement is not boring is because of the variety of texture achieved by the cedar boughs and moss.

{ photo of grapevine/leaf wreath from wreaths galore }

Monogram Wreaths

*********************

I love the simplicity of a moss-covered lettered wreath. As a graphic designer with a green thumb, it's easy to see why the living typography appeals to me. I'm looking forward to experimenting with various fonts and greens and will return with photos when I do.

Stationery Ideas

*********************

Getting the flower studio ready calls for great design in itself. I'm trying to decide on the colors but for now I think I'll try to incorporate both palettes.

Our Front Door

*********************

Russ put up the numbers yesterday and I made a quick little wreath out of greenery from around the house. The eucalyptus was left over from the wedding and the pine cones were lonely remnants of our neighbor's tree that no longer exists.

We finished in the nick of time because as the sun went down it became really cold (for us in Savannah). Eek, I woke up this morning to 32 degrees. I hope my newly planted agaves slept warm under their bed of mulch.

Autumn Orange Twist

***************

I think one of the reasons I struggle with fall arrangements is their normal ho-hum palette. Balance in color is often achieved with contrast.

Eddie Ross's orange sherbet roses in this posy bouquet sit comfortably with the salmony pink carnations. The clean white of the cattails (?) and the asian vase add an atypical, thereby, interesting element to an autumn arrangement.

In this second simple yet attention grabbing bouquet, orange and white ranunculus are freshly fall-like with the added element of a peacock blue vase. Modern in its minimalism, it reminds me of bright turning leaves against a crisp blue sky. { photo: Real Simple in an article sharing new uses for old objects, this arrangement shows clear rubber bands used as invisible bouquet binders- rather clever }

Shells & Things

***************

I'm absolutely in love with the work of this San Francisco floral designer, Erin of Rosenow Floral Design. She's a kindred spirit in that she has an eye for color and unique design. Though fresh flowers form most of her work, she incorporates other sundries to add interest, individuality and texture to her arrangements.

In addition to the beautiful white shells, I spy "romaine" tulips (I made up that name just now because they look like bunches of romaine lettuce)- they're actually called Ruffled or Parrot tulips (I believe the name for this one is the "Super Parrot"). I see a variegated hosta leaf and I'm still researching the greenery (so much to learn!)

Mums the Word

***************

I've learned a lot about mums today and really enjoyed working with the green spiders. Teal, green and white seem to be a popular combination these days. To keep the arrangement simple yet "classically mod tropical" I tied a clean grosgrain ribbon around the vase atop a banana leaf. White hydrangeas, yoko ono and green spider mums add the fresh touch as do the tucked in miniature white spray roses. The seeded eucalyptus adds balance to the piece. (UP: Arrangement photos: moi; mums, unknown))

The Knot is a constant source inspiration as noted on the crisp boutonniere top left. (Photo By: Allegra’s Studio, Lynchburg, VA)

A Cheerful Bouquet on a Gloomy Day

***************

The second day of chilly gray and I wanted to create a piece that seemed to give off its own light. This bridesmaid's bouquet also doubles as a centerpiece.

Every florist will tell you that peonies and ranunculus are a pretty penny at this time of the year, but our shop found the perfect solution: baroness roses- as ruffly as a ranunculus with the fullness of a peony. Mini mango calla lilies, salmon variegated carnations, fuschia spray roses and green spider mums completed the look.

An Autumnal Arrangement

***************

This morning I started working at a neighborhood florist and was thrilled to "play" in their cooler. For anyone who loves flowers, it was just like being let loose in a candy shop.

{ burgundy and yellow red chrysanthemums, sunflowers, mango mini calla lillies, maize spider mums, salmon varieted carnations, ornamental wheat and lastly, perhaps hypericum? }

Not Your Everyday Chrysanthemum

***************

I cannot tell a lie. Like daisies, I've never really been a huge fan of mums. Most of my experience with either family has been the common grocery store kind. Chrysanthemums were the flowers you bought when everything else around you was dying. I accepted them for what they were: arrangements placed next to pumpkins properly as a backdrop against the front door.

Interestingly enough, I am not the only one with this "less than pleasant" outlook. According to a column written in the Victoria Times: "Chrysanthemums are among the top five most cultivated flowers in the world. In Japan, Britain and the United States, more chrysanthemums are sold than any other cut flower. They used to mark the milestones in our lives, from weddings to funerals, and Mother's Day flowers were always "mums" in pots or cut flowers. Yet, when I conducted an informal poll, I found mums ranked second only to carnations as a least favourite cut flower."

But then I started working with them more. They are a hardy flower and work really well in arrangements. The image above is an example of one of my favorite exceptions: Yoko Onos. (tbc)

Feeling Rather Fallish

***************

This morning I stumbled around in the dark trying to add to my already growing layers of clothes. It wasn't technically freezing, but my body could not warm up. Donning my scarf, I actually turned the heat on. Looking out the window I checked on my newly planted agave and irises- gifts from my mom inundated from her own Florida garden.

The gray skies, calling crows and rusty chrysanthemums have put me in the mood for autumn. These cosmos from Wedding Flowers Magazine are a beautiful minimalist example showcasing the almost black-cherry hue- quite stunning against a white gown.