Details are everything...

Have you ever seen an Arrangement that looks great from the start.
The more you look at it the better it gets. You see the things
that at first glance may not have been evident but now add
to the textures and theme of the overall design. I love the details.

Is it a table or a Wall piece. Succulent and Berzillia Berries and foliage add a feeling of under waters capes the colors at the heart of the Cymbidiums play of the Urchin shells
The heavy blown glass vase adds the colors of the Sea.

I know that pinks and lavenders tend to be a first choice for Mom's...
We did a lot of soft and feminine designs to celebrate there spacial day.
That said, what if they are more vivid and vibrant a personality. This one
was an amazing piece. Purple Tulips, Chartreuse Cymbidiums, Spotted mini Phala Orchids Rhododendrons, Hydrangea, bearded Iris and these amazing crimson Peonies. 

Things that inspire us...

   As a Designer nearly everything around us can inspire us.
things we see all the time or Events we attend. Here is one
that was in Seattle. Chihuly garden and glass at the 
exhibit hall below the Space Needle. The colors and
shapes were as always breathtaking. There is a organic
and futuristic visual that really speaks to the Artistic
whimsy in us and the plant materials used were fantastic
parings of color and texture...Stunning

Ferns and Coral Bells at the base.

The Space Needle was a backdrop.

Japanese Niponi Grass in lime 

Inspiration

Custom Linens and Paper flowers Inspiration 2

Peonies and Garden Roses for Mothers day

Soft Spring colors, a celebration of life

Mothers day for most is a time for us to thank that amazing person who has helped make us who we are. We love all the amazing flowers available at this time of year, The garden roses and Lilac or the fantastic shades of Peonies available to us make it very easy to create fantastic designs. The Sarah Bernhardt peonies has to be one of our picks for a fantastic blossom  and one can never have enough bling in ones life ......

Do you know different woods have meanings......

One of our clients is truly amazing. She gives
us a date and vibe the lets us go. We have decorated
her home for the last six years creating different
looks and using unusual materials. Always pushing the
envelope and thinking out of he box. One of our 
designers was trying to find a natural element to 
bring all the pieces together. She looked everywhere
and could not find what she was envisioning. So 
she decided to do it herself. She is very driven
by energy and you can feel the love she has for her
craft in her designs. Here is one of her creations.

Maple- Her body and wings are one of the most spiritual woods in existence.  Because of this, the primary use of the wood is that of spiritual healing.  It is also amazing when working with moon magic. Maple is a traveler's wood.  Those who are always on the move and changing will feel right at home with this type of energy.  It allows a person to focus in on the choices in any situation, eliminating luck and chance.  It enhances intellectual pursuits and learning.
Satinwood her Mid base…. contains a very powerful energy.  Though it is overall positive, it is a wood highly influenced by luck and the energies which surround it. .The wood is highly in tune with the planet Mars and The energy to overcome  In this case, the energy is very tied up with life energy as well, possibly indicating that the wood could be used to influence health issues, both spiritual and physical. Water energy is the strongest elemental force within this wood, and with it the cyclical energy of the moon.  Water brings a peaceful energy a stillness.  This energy will be strongest on the full moon and nearly nonexistent during a new moon. The most interesting aspect of this wood is the prevalence of the planet Saturn.  This would be highly useful for meditation, though may be a hindrance in other endeavors

What was chosen for her base foundation and the best word to describe the energy of Black Walnut is "introspective."  It is not for those with flights of fancy, but rather for those who seek to explore their own personal energy and the "here and now."  It is good for blocking out emotional energy so that one may focus upon the task at hand. This wood couples reason with intuition to help a person grow spiritually and to heal themselves from within.  A quiet, unassuming wood, 

Fun ways to accent a food table...

  There are some great ways to create memorable party's.
Appetizers and finger foods make for an amazing visual
and the variety's that you serve are sure to speak to 
their senses.  You can use unusual plates, over-sized ceramic
 tiles, Mirrors, Glass, as long as its sealed its good to go.
We used wire bullion, wire spheres and a pearl wrapped wire
to create these. Kalonchoe blooms, Lily grass, Dracena leaves
and Rosette succulents were glued into the woven designs.

 These were created for Plums Cafe and Catering. They do an amazing job with food and its to die for....
I still haven't been able to go over there for dinner. I know they are doing a remodel and it looks like it is going to look amazing. Can't wait to see it and dig in to an amazing meal.

Bringing the outdoors in...

 I found this picture inspiring.....
Honestly I don't remember
where I got this, but the idea 
was so clever that I wanted 
to share it.
  Living moss under glass.
Really wonderful and clever
way of using natural elements
in confined spaces.

  I am a firm believer in energy. Surrounding your environment 
with living things creates a space that is an encouraging, 
positive and healthy way to share in the bounty of healing.
Bringing plants and moss indoors gives the illusion of times out doors.Candles and aromatherapy are also great ways to take a 
break. I think we are all so busy, that we sometimes forget to
take a moment and enjoy the peace that living plants and
scented foliage can give us.

  We decided to try and create designs for this holiday that were not only budget orientated. But more personal ...Including the meanings of flowers and printing them so that they could be read.
  It was really big in the Victorian and Edwardian times and we loved the idea...  Lets face it Roses can be really cost prohibitive and because the growers push for more production, the quality can some times be questionable no matter who you buy from. It is a question of supply and demand. Here were a few of our customers favorites...

Did you know Phalenopsis orchids symbolize beauty, strength and love. or that colors have meaning, Orange for passion and desire, yellow for caring and friendship, Hydrangea flowers for devotion. There seems to be a color and flower for every mood and feeling. it is fun to figure it all out.

Favorites in Holiday decor for 2012

Succulents have long been one of our favorite mediums. Cleaner lines  with lots of texture and
colors that speak to the senses.

Wonderful three dimensional wreath for the 
gate

















A solid sphere in a over sized martini glass with tumbled polished black stone

These were one of our designers creations. Mercury glass ornaments create a wreath cap on large Aluminium urns with steel gloves in the center. The light refraction and mirror effects were wonderful.

Favorite Photo Shoots....

   We were working on a mail out a bit ago. 
Something that made you want to climb in.
Textures and rich colors. We made rose
spheres and used Blackberries, balls of 
wire and thin stringer filament were woven
through the design. 

You can see how we bound the Calla Lily's if you look close.
the two tone Rose is called Pink Intuition. It looks like
someone got a paint brush and randomly painted
the petals. It does not last long , its great for party's
and events. It is  easy to refract. (peel the outer petals
back and create a wide open Rose) . There is also
Hypericum (coffee berry) and Viburnum with Lepto
woven around the box. Really was pleased with the way
this turned out.

St Regis for the Holiday

  Each year as you know we have the privileged
of decorating the St Regis Monarch Beach for the
Holiday Season. We start to install garland, swags
and trees all over the hotel. On the night of Thanksgiving.
our crew like the elves in the shoemaker fable
goes to work.I love the feel of it by night...
It is pure magic.

Night time is a wonderland...

Here is a wonderful door wreath with Russian inspired Faberge
and glass ornaments. It looked wonderful on the front
door with the iron work a back drop to its lush and textured
beauty.

Fall is in the air....Creating fun table designs for the Holidays.

Cooler days and crisp nights...You can smell it in the air. 
It makes me want to travel back east so I can see the
parade of colors in ever changing shades of the Fall.
One of my favorite seasons, Berries and textured
flowers in rich and wonderful earth hues. I love it...

Tables capes are so fun to create. You don't have
to use big flower arrangements. Nestle pumpkins and 
gourds in vases or down the table look great. Use moss 
and other dried forest goods. Go outside grab some
fountain grasses and put them in a pot. All it takes is
a little imagination.

Already working on Christmas...

   Has anyone noticed that the holidays  are being displayed
earlier and earlier each year. We retailers literally pack away
the previous year only to have to start working on the next
holiday seasons.
   We made roving wool flowers and ribbon for a wonderful
client who lets us create some incredible and unusual pieces
for her home. Here are some of the items we worked on for her.

Foam sphere covered in copper and bronze seed beads with Glass and copper wire beads accented with pearl pins.

Because you would not be here...

When my Son was small my Mother took him shopping for
a Mothers Day gift. He choose a silver ring with a Turtle that's
 head and legs moved independently. I love that ring and still
wear it even though he is grown. It is so important
to show our Mothers just how much we love them...
How about a wonderful mix of scented Spring flowers.

A touch of sunshine in Winter

California is such an amazing and diverse place to live.
If you ant the snow Big Bear is a couple of hours away.
 The beach in winter is a short car ride away. If you
don't seem to have the time to play. How about
sending yourself a fresh flower arrangement to give
yourself a lift.

Options for the non traditional Holiday decor

   There are color trends that you could choose for your holiday decor but keep in mind these are colors you need to love and if you are investing in a lot of decor you need to love them enough to use them year after year. You can start with a few items and add on or just go all out.

  The colors for this home were inspired by the wall art and other pieces that were displaced. We wanted to create a dramatic piece for the fireplace and after searching high and low one of our Designers decided to create a Seahorse out of Poly Clay and we collected lights that look like strings of pearls, Large abalone shells, and lots of Sea shades of glass ornaments. It is a fantastic and dramatic sea scape and has to be one of our favorites.

Fun and interesting Items for the Holiday Decorator

Ilex, from the Holly family has small berries usually red but can be shades of red. The fruits are variously colored berries, which ripen in winter, and offer a pleasant color contrast with the color of winter greens. The berries, look really amazing against Princess Pine or Cedar and because you can get them in several lengths you have the option of using them as an accent for long centerpieces or to create height and drama along with those wonderful Amaryllis bulbs that are finally blooming. We used a artisan glass vase in vibrant red to showcase these amazing berries, the sphere shaped designs are covered in a green Dianthus (from the carnation family) can you believe that. It’s just one of our designer’s favorite. We inserted forelle pears which are the perfect size into the sphere for texture and accented with Cymbidium Orchids, another favorite.

Its time to decorate for Christmas 2011

    Although Reds and golds are still a favorite in holiday decor we have been creating some really wonderful color combinations for clients over the Season. 
    Here is a great chocolate and lime green accented fireplace piece and a really vibrant orange and cinnamon color scheme for the mantel. Leaves made of crushed velvet and gems that sparkle in burnt orange catches the eye and will look fantastic by candlelight.  
   The orange hydro gel beads, Equadorian roses and hypericum berries worked really well for a fall table scape and it is very easy to add candles and switch out the gourds and pumpkins with glass ornaments or gold berries. Arrangements of cedar and princess pine with magnolia leaves would create a wonderful winter accent.

Fun and fantastic summer wedding colors

Bright and effusive colors were the pick for our summer weddings in 2011.

   We used Lemons and deep golden yellows, Apple and lime greens and some fantastic shades of fuchsia, vilolets and hot pinks. Here  are a few of our fun pics for the summer.  It is great if you can use fresh fruit with your designs. Apples and lemons look really yummy in Green dianthus designs. Succulents create texture and visual drama. We didn't have much room on the buffet table so why not go up. We created a metal tubed weaving canopy that had draping Phalenopsis and Mokara orchids. The apples filled up the metal containers and again created a colorful accent to the stainless and silver metal work.

I've been expanding my horizons....

      So, as we all know when you have been doing anything for a while you

can become stagnant and things don't excite you as much as they used to. 

Its a tough thing to work through. As much as I love my work I needed something to get those creative juices moving.My boyfriend mentioned going on a trip to the Socorro Island which included.sailing on the Nautilus Explorer out to dive and interact with the friendliest giant mantas in the world.  Believe me I so wanted to go but that meant I would have to learn to scuba dive and get my open water certification. 

      Let me tell you no easy feet. I mean get me ten feet under and

my rational brain says. "What the hell are you doing down here. you breath air..." I stuck it out...and last weekend in Catalina I got to realize just what I was working for....I now am Certified. I get to see those giant Pacific mantas at Socorro Just as wonderful are local population of bottle nose dolphins

Shark sightings are very possible with sightings of silky, Galapagos, hammerhead,white tip and silver tip sharks. Whale sharks can also be seen.

I worked hard and am so looking forward to this.

     I know that my passion for my work will so benefit from this experience. I wonder how many ideas I will get for new designs, submerged flowers, the possibilities are so exciting. I will keep you posted....