Bravo must put MSG or crack in their shows because it is so addictive. You already know you don't want to watch, but just have to. Yeah I get it. What I like most about Lisa Vanderpump on #RHOBH (yes I did just hashtag a blog post), is her style. I'm so not like that. That's why I'm writing a how-to book for those of us that lack what she has- time and enthusiasm for domestic charm. I always like watching that show to see her house. I especially like watching her put those arrangements together. Like I've said before, almost anyone can do flowers. There is however an innate knack others have when it comes to design, especially when it has to do with color. Lisa Vanderpump Twitter
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The Museum of Art and Design is a small, but powerful museum in New York on the Upper West Side. These arrangements in the cafe, made of bright pink phaleonopsis were the perfect accent to the well-designed restaurant overlooking the city. Nothing less than expected! Green and pink are always a winning combo. I love the use of the plant smack dab in the middle of the vase. A good way to take up space and add texture.
Filed under: Holidays, Events Mimi submitted this a while back, and as I was reviewing emails I took a closer look. Her company The Party Queen, based in Marin County, has some really fun designs on both small and large scale. Um, how cool is this tablescape?! It reminds me of David LaChapelle's work. I love her carefree attitude, yet she clearly has a set vision for her work. Her rolodex of clients is pretty impressive as well! Let find out the inspiration for these arrangements! Mimi describes the arrangement above. "This display was part of a Halloween party where the theme was Corpse Bride. The Party Queen used deep purple dyed magnolia leaves as the base and added the protea, peacock feathers and dried winter berries for some contrast. To add elegance, diamond garland was cut into 18" pieces so it was more branch-like, and then the final touch was a loose draping of pearls for an upscale creepy elegance. There were 2 displays in urns that were 48" high so they were freestanding and large in scale in a Victorian living room setting", per Mimi. How cool are these?! Mimi said, "I was inspired by Martha Stewart for this project. The Party Queen took foam mannequin heads that we cut big gashes in the top of and covered them with torn paper towels that were dyed in strong tea. (we use a lot of strongly brewed tea around Halloween). To add highlights to the features, we painted fabric dye in the eye sockets and around the mouths. We also applied a more dye in a spray bottle to high light around the head. In the cut gashes, we stuffed various interesting died reindeer moss to mimic brains popping out. The heads were mounted on tiny dowels pushed through a piece of cork bark which gave it stability. We draped gauze to hide the sticks and around the heads to create shrouds. The bark was then propped in with various interesting dried things and more colorful moss. It was used as a centerpiece on the buffet." The Party Queen Facebook
Filed under: Weddings, Events, Editorial I originally wrote about the designs of Parrish Designs for a 2012 Trends Huff Post article. They have a new website up, and when I saw this headpiece below, I thought of one thing- Carrie! Lets find out the inspiration of these designs. To me they scream Sex and the City- with the funk, modern edge, and color combos that give a real punch. From the owner Kathryn, "The style and look of the headpiece was driven by the clients’ personality. She was having an informal beach wedding and wanted to incorporate that feel and requested feathers and orchids. Beyond that, she gave us free reign to design the piece. This headpiece really gave me an opportunity to run with my creativity. I used blue vanda orchids, bridal netting, and two varieties of white goose feathers. The bride complimented it with her own veil." She continues, "We went into this décor arrangement with our new website in mind. This design was driven by the white acrylic columns, which we had recently acquired, and complimented by the other white furniture. To contrast the starkness and modern feel of the white furniture we used very soft romantic flowers and colors with hydrangea and garden roses. The drama of the white furniture was continued into the arrangements with the use of the black dahlias."
I love this so much, and those black dahlias are killer! Even I couldn't tell that those were dahlias. I thought there were black balsa wood! Love both of these. Thanks Kathryn! Parrish Designs Facebook Marley of The Party Goddess and I are in the same women's business group (SMARTY), and follow each other on the social media circuits. She's a powerhouse business woman, author, and many more dashes than that. I had so much fun watching a video about her on her accompanying business website. On a totally unrelated note, while perusing her blog, she mentions her love for apple cider vinegar. I've started using an Aztec Clay mask (you can buy it at Whole Foods for $7) that you mix equal parts with apple cider vinegar. I had no idea the health benefits of taking a shot of the vinegar until just now! Thanks Marley! And now back to the shower... What drew me to this centerpiece was the lushness of the grass and how the flowers pushed it on different angles. I'm sure used to seeing wheat grass perfectly neat with flowers poking out from them. I love how natural, yet put together this looks and how tall the grass is-- so fresh and clean! She used a mix of exotic (lotus pods, coxcomb) and regular flowers (tulips, orchids) in a soothing palette of yellows and greens. From Marley, the Head Goddess of them all, "The bridal shower for a super hip, sassy chick who wanted something elegant and modern but with a cheerful pop of color. Attendees were treated to mani/pedis and mini massages so we were trying to incorporate some Zen like colors for relaxation without getting too literal."
Filed under: Editorial I originally stumbled upon the genius of Jacky Tsai after a friend sent me his work from Hyperbeast, and holy cow!!! It DID look familiar and that's because you can see his work in Alexander McQueen's designs and runway shows. I emailed Jacky to find out his inspiration and the work this entailed, and to my joy he emailed me right back (even during Chinese New Year's!). Lets find out what he had to say: From Jacky, "The skull took around 1 year to finalise all the detailed flowers. The inspiration comes from the iconic floral skull image I made for McQueen 6 years ago. I upgraded the floral skull game in a new level.. ... My design partner, Linda Tsai spent 3 months to experiment the leather flower technique, after many tests, you see the beautiful outcome.
Each leather flower represents a soul of animals in this planet....the giant skull makes all the souls revived." Happy Friday kids! Today I'm sharing with you Kristi's creations using peacock feathers, which as you can tell, takes a painstakingly long time (and well worth the effort). Her company Bloomed to Last specializes in these types of ornates accents and dresses. Per Kristi, "I wanted to have a completed look (for a custom dress). I didn't want to hide the dress so a traditional bouquet wouldn't work and since the gown is so different it was the perfect opportunity to create a very unique floral piece. Constructing the peacock feather parasol was very time consuming and features over 200 individually pick and placed feathers. To make sure this parasol was stunning, no matter how she was holding it, I carried the feathers to the underside. And I think the peacock on the very top is the perfect accent."
I absolutely love this floral backdrop by celebrity florist Shawn of Shawn Rabideau Events & Design. He's also a Celebrations Expert. I love these tips from his Last Minute Entertaining article too. Like he notes, using items from your backyard like branches and produce in your kitchen, is such an easy, quick, and inexpensive way to whip up a centerpiece (it looks impressive too!). This design is a great example of how to make the sign-in table both functional and beautiful. Shawn says, "The inspiration was to create a "wow" factor as guests walked in and out of the space. The couple had already purchased the mirrored circles with the idea of writing guests name and table number on, so I took their vision to create something that was functional as well and something that created art out of flowers." I spotted this anniversary dinner (below) on his website and love the traditional, romantic design. Sometimes classic is just right for the occasion and he nailed it. The buttery yellows, lime greens and soft peach under the candlelight is a color combo that you can't go wrong with. I also like how lush the napkin flowers are. For the sweetheart table, adding lush flowers instead of one stem really makes it special.
Originally spotted on my good friend's Vanessa De Vargas's Instagram of Turquoise, I love this arrangement by The English Garden in Las Vegas for the magneficient duo Woodson * Rummerfield's House of Design room for the Stanley Furniture showroom. I asked Jaime what their inspiration was for this room. It was by client request; a W&R signature style that featured SIX different collections of Stanley furniture.
I love the blue walls, the old world style, yet somehow updated with a modern twist. What drew me to this arrangement was the color (remember from school the color wheel; that orange/yellow works well with blues), the height, and the bear grass woven throughout. As florists the goal is to enhance a room instead of making it the focal point. Twitter: Woodson & Rummerfield, Facebook Since this is a daily blog and I know you guys check-in (which is awesome, and I do check the stats daily to see who's coming back for more flower love;) I wanted to say: Happy Friday! Happy Weekend!! Happy Happiness!!! Come back Monday when I will feature two of the hottest interior designer's room at this past week's Las Vegas design convention. I spotted the arrangement they used in their room on a tiny Instagram pic from my super talented interior design friend Vanessa of Turquoise.
Also, I didn't really take the day off. Well, I sort of did, but was emailing on set (they shot a tv show at my uncle's amazing place in the Village) Flour LA and PR related things all day, so no guilt there! Have a relaxing weekend, and I'll see ya on Monday:) |