Chocolate Close-up

I got my hair cut this morning. My stylist is a vegan and we were talking recipes. I do feel it's time for me to seriously face my eating habits. Like many people I rely way to much on coffee and carbs. I need a better sources of energy! I will pack healthy snacks for my littlest pheasant yet I run out of the house on empty looking to grab something later in the day. Bad. Bad. Bad. I am afraid to watch Food Inc. Any suggestions on where to start? Cookbooks to buy?

Here is a close up of photos of a chocolate cosmos. Hmmmm.....chocolate. 

 

  An ode to her mom, who carried a bouquet of daisies back on her wedding day in 1971, the bride had chamomile in hers.

 

Thank you Brooklyn Bride! Thank you Katie Stoops! And much love and thanks to Christina and Scott. Here is a sample of Katie's incredible photography. Please check out her blog for the full wedding. It's pretty freakin' awesome. 

Perfect Light

iCi. A wonderful restaurant in Fort Greene to have a wedding. Seasonal food, impeccable service, nicest staff. Really charming wedding for a insanely cute couple. I often dream of having an all white empty room, so this space is heaven to me. I'm short on words today so I say it with flowers. Hope all is well xo

Add a Touch of Blue

Good Morning everyone. As my season slows I am reflecting on everything I've learned, not only about design but also about this whole billion dollar wedding business machine that churns on and on. It's a lot to navigate for business owners and clients alike. I am already composing a little list in my head with some flower tips and stuff about set up. 

In the meantime, I was swooning over the deliciousness that was going on in these bouquets.

Cafe au Lait dahlias, clematis, tulips, smoke bush, rose hips, jasmine, garden roses, flowering thyme, hydrangea foliage plus a bit of dusty miller and muscari. 

 This the toss bouquet for the next day. The design called for a more streamlined and cleaner feel. 

Raspberry Phalaenopsis

Here are the flowers I did a couple of weeks ago for an intimate wedding at the Alger's House. I was loving the color scheme. I snagged the prettiest dusty lilac colored hydrangea I've ever seen. It was deluxe.

 

Candle Light and Figs

Detail from the "alter" table at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

The Half Bath

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and projects I have ignored for months are coming back to haunt me. For example, I've had this on going fantasy of a perfectly organized closet. You see, we have a tiny bathroom that doubles as my closet. Imagine a little room with all your clothes as well as a toilet and sink. It's kinda weird. Anyway, it is an utter mess. After successfully semi-remodeling our full bath last week (oops, I forget to photograph the before but I can show you the after), we are turning our attention to this awkward room. My husband is angling for a streamlined utilitarian style. Me, I am already calling it my boudior so you can guess there will most likely be a little frill involved. A quick perusal on the web turned up these inspirational images.

 Caroline Herrera Jr.'s Dressing Room via On Decorum

Nanette Lepore's dressing room via La Dolce Vita

from Real Simple -just a corner, real simple.

Love the bit of wallpaper via La Dolce Vita from Domino

According to Wikipedia,  the term derives from the French  verb bouder, meaning "to pout". How great is that! Everyone needs a private room to go and pout in. It doesn't help the matter that I just rented the film The Young Victoria with Emily Blunt. While not the most riveting of movies, I was fully entranced by the sets and costume design. I particularly loved the use of faux flowers - as crowns in her hair and pinned to her clothes. So pretty.

Nice information and interview by costume designer extraordinaire Sandy Powell at Confessions of a Costumeholic.

Black Transferware and Muscari

Hello everyone. Sorry I have been MIA. I am waaay behind in posting some recent work. As I try and get it together, here is a little arrangement I did yesterday with some left over muscari. Don't you just love tiny flowers? Be back soon. Hope all is well xo

You're Allowed Land

This post is not about flowers today. Sorry. I need to tell you instead that someone has taken possession over my sweet baby girl. This new person is full of attitude. She has sass to spare. Ask her nicely to to pick up her things and get a earful of reasons why that's impossible. This week I was told with clear conviction "I'm not going to be your daughter anymore!" Oh, and I have a new nickname, I'm called "mean mommy". And I'm the push over parent. You should see the lip Daddy gets. I thought I had at least 10 more years before this started. My husband jokes (kinda) that he is taking leave when she hits puberty. Because guess what folks - I'll be starting "the change" around that time as well. God help him.

I am reading all the books and talking to all the other moms about this new development (the whining PLEASE make the whining stop!!!). But I need to remember that childhood can be frustrating to those living it. In fact yesterday she told me she wishes she lived in "You're Allowed Land". A magically place where you're allowed to eat sweets for breakfast and stay up as late as you want. I told her yes, that's called adulthood but there are consequences - you're not healthy, you're tired blah, blah blah...(BTW, I ate a muffin for breakfast and went to bed at 1am and yes I feel like crap and I'm exhausted, see consequences). But she's quick as a whip and shot back that this land has no consequences. Yes, that would be a great place, I tell her.

What a drag having someone lord over you telling you what to do all the time. That's an experience of childhood too. I understand she is just asserting her ever growing independence. I'm trying to say "No" without saying "No". For example - My kid: "Can I have a cookie?" Me: "Yes! Of course right after you gobble up your broccoli". But you need to be on your mommy game for this and sometimes I just do not have it in the tank. Empathy, one of the greatest traits to cultivate.

But I like the idea of "You're Allowed Land". I think we should keep that in mind from time to time. Give ourselves permission. You're allowed to whine and complain, to speak up and demand better, you're allowed to tell people "No, I can't do that for you", you're allowed to make mistakes, you're allowed to sit in peace, eat a whole bag of chips and have another glass. You're an adult and you know the consequences. And you can deal with them.

Stay Inspired

When I made artwork I was often frustrated at my slowness. The process, the waiting, the contemplating. I was younger then and perhaps a more impatient person, if that's possible to believe. Finding flowers was such a relief. I was drawn to the instant gratification of it. What can I say? I guess I am addicted to the "voila" moment in life. 

But I've learned it's not the speed of putting something beautiful together that is gratifying. It's the ease of effort. It's when your hands and brain are working beautifully together. Your materials are looking amazing and fully inspiring you.  That's when what you are doing is not work. Yet, I think about my days and all I see is work. Emailing, accounting, cleaning, making, planning. Getting up early to shop, going back late at night to break down. Did you know, I have my own business? Because, I forget sometimes. I am busy working. 

Ok, sounds corny but when I feel off, I say to myself "say inspired". And I say that not just for my work life. In some ways I made it easy on myself, right? - nature never ceases to inspire. But I try to say it about life in general. The inspired spouse, the inspired parent. Sounds like some terrible chicken soup for the soul type of book. But I hope you get want I mean.

 

I was very inspired by this weekend's flowers. Thankfully, many delicious details to tweak and prim over. Bit of a headache to plan but in the end I just had to trust and realize I can only be so prepared. Much of it just had to come together when working (there is that word again). Ok, I am shutting up now and just showing the images I managed to captured. 

Pops of Color

What are you doing today? I am going to try to put work aside and attempt to bake corn bread with my littlest pheasant this afternoon. I love our "Mommy and Ruby" days. Childhood moves too fast.

From this weekend - table centerpieces consisted of a cluster of  bud vases filled with dahlias, roses, ascelpia, geranium and what I keep calling candy tuft. It made for a super cute, light and airy design.

A tiny perfect dahlia for the groom.

I have to say I was really blown away by this bride's dress. A classic silhouette in a large eyelet fabric. Can't wait to see the professional images. Here is a peak of the bouquet.