InStyle Weddings feature

Here's a little bit of blog press from our friends at InStyle weddings! Love it.




And you can see a mention of our little blog in this month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens! Nice zine with lots of pretty pics.

Today's inspiration for pure beauty:

A subtle palette - Diane's wedding

Blue is a hard flower color...not too many choices out there that are true blue, so to speak. Delphinium, cornflower, muscari, and hydrangea are a few; but none of these flowers really work well together. They are different shapes, sizes, lengths, vary in tenderness etc. So it is definitely a challenge making them work together. Plus too much of any one color just tends to look washed out - especially BLUE.
So I trusted my own artistic intuition here and married in some purples and some purples on the verge of magenta. I think the results are subtle but very pretty.

Here's the palette before we put the arrangements together:



Here are the finished pieces and my little intern. She gets the best chair for some reason - even though I'm the boss. I'm always standing.




Details



cooling out after a hard day's work in the studio.

Citrus Samples

These are images from a juicy sample we did for our lovely June Bride...Usually I am anti-glitter, but in this case I'll make an exception. Have you ever seen "Little Shop of Horrors?" Well, if you have you'll know that the lead actress is a very colorful florist who loves to dust her arrangements with "glitta." Sometimes you have just give credit where credit is due. Love that movie! Anywho - you get the idea.

Does it make you think of a feast under the Tuscan sun? mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yummy. I am really excited to see the decadent tablescapes all together on the day. Though, I think we will take it down a notch from the orange to a softer sunset-y peach. Oh, it is going to be absolutely scrumptious!!!

Mommy's Day

We tried to take it easy this year for mommy day, but that's always impossible. Lots of running around topped off by a nice late afternoon margarita with my honey and the little A. She loves spicy salsa and tomatoes. Who knew?

Flowerwild begginings

Lest there be any confusion about where my love of flowers comes from....



Note the super hair cut...

Flowerwild Wedding - Nra and Marty

I have been holding onto these images from Nra's wedding, waiting for the perfect moment to show them off. I'm not certain how to describe the vibe of this wedding other than fun... A little bit country and a little bit rock and roll with a sprinkle of glam over everything. Wardrobe stylist meets talented choreographer then enter all of their creative and crazy (or famous in some cases) friends.



Pretty lace overlay on all the tables. Especially love the long head table in the middle of the tent with the chandeliers above. Vintage brooches finished off the individual place settings. Flowers were all arranged in vintage pieces rented from our private collection. Featured flowers here were dahlias, lisianthus, clematis vine and garden roses from the Rutherford valley. Lots of spilly green berries and fluttery queen anne's lace. Some people think of it as a weed - they're entitled. I happen to love it. It lends such an airiness to the flowers.








Venue - Calamigos Ranch Malibu
Photographer - Janine Mapurunga
Coordinator - Kristin Banta Events

Laying the Foundation

I was never a painter. Wanted to be. Wished I was a talented and undiscovered Mark Rothko...or that guy who paints trees. Can't remember his name now...but remember the paintings. How hard is that to paint a tree? It's damn hard. Just try doodling a shrub. It's not easy. Mine ends up looking a mess. These are not mine... these belong to someone you may know, Piet Mondrian.



So this is my version of painting, with flowers. Just the beginning stages, where you primer the canvas, and lay the foundation of the final vision. To create this part of the arrangement is very much like a meditation for me. These are some photos of some centerpieces before I add the color. Right now I am really drawn to varying textures and blending and intermixing the shapes of foliage and greens as a framework/backdrop for the final look.

Here the palette consists of hellebores, snowball viburnum, flowering dogwood, and honeysuckle vine





It's actually a really easy and natural approach to creating something "painterly." If only I could sell one for 1.5 mil. That would rock!

Venue Spotlight - The Smog Shoppe

So I had a whole different idea for a post this weekend...and even made a few really pretty flower halos to photograph. Alas, my model was uncooperative. As many flower girls will be! Little "A" just had a different idea of how she wanted to spend her saturday afternoon. Namely, splashing in puddles while daddy gardened. Can you blame her? Modeling is so overrated.





As an alternative, I just wanted to be the little bird that tells you about "The Smog Shoppe." A very cool and unique venue for events in Culver City. Great space, visually lush hanging garden walls. So cool. We just discovered it ourselves via a new bride who will be hosting her wedding there. I love the open air dining space. It just calls out to me for stunning flowers. An inspiring blank canvas. FUN,FUN,FUN! Tweet tweet.

Dahlia Daydreams

mmmmmmmmm.....I have been seeing visions of dahlias dancing in my head. Their season is just around the corner. Can't wait. In the meantime, I had to satisfy my longing for their tasty petals with these pics from the archives of Flowerwild. Hope you like them. You can bet there will be an abundance of arrangements like these to come in the summer season. Yippee!

Raspberry dahlias with hellebores, passion vine, and Chinese Tree peonies which are like the truffles of the flower world...




Part of a trio of arrangement we did for Prada's penthouse suite at The Chateau Marmont. The Tree of Heaven is simply amazing for color and texture.



Paired with tree of heaven and juicy viburnum berries.



My husband thinks this one is proof positive that I'm crazy...can't dispute that.



There is a vase in there...somewhere.

Our Anniversary

Well I am so happy to say that today is my 3 year anniversary with my wonderful husband! I still remember that late april day like no other. Wow! The sun that had been threatening to hide under a blanket of grey clouds came out. It was so warm and perfect, I almost tripped down the stairs to the ceremony area, and couldn't keep myself from crying with happiness when I saw how handsome Ken was and that he was actually standing there waiting to marry me. And I remember how radiant and happy the boys were. This was their big day too. I still love to see them in the western style suits looking so cool. It was the perfect day. And all the days that have followed add up to....us.

My Bouquet of White peonies and Lilac



Connor and Max looking tough but dapper


The Yummiest Cakes EVER by my dear friend who now lives in Seattle, Wendypies.