BizBash coverage of tabletop competition

Here's what BizBash had to say about the table design competition...you get a chance to see all the other table designs...they were all fabulous and SO creative!

2009 Tabletop Design Competion

Here's the latest BLADE news...I competed in a table design competition last week at the Cook. Eat. Drink. Live. event. The competition was sponsored by ISES and judged by various industry professionals.

It was a lot of fun and I was SO happy to receive 2^nd Place.

BizBash

check out the "fresh face" article featuring yours truly on BizBash!

classic hamptons style...

i showed you the "just married" sign i created for this classic hamptons wedding a few months ago. here are some images of how i combined classic elegance with more rustic touches to create the perfect blend of the two styles. the outcome was a warmly lit sperry tent and guests that were treated as if they were at an intimate dinner party...

welcome to the nest

as i said i recently put together the decor for a small baby shower for my friend as she awaits the arrival of her baby boy! i decided on a nesting theme and it turned out great...nothing over the top, just some sweet touches.
it started with an invitation that i found on etsy, there were a few choices but i opted for this one from little chicken design. it was easily printed at home and i added a few white feathers in the envelope for an unexpected touch!
the tables each had a few mason jars filled with white freesia that smelled amazing! simple birch slices and mini bird nests & eggs completed the look.

each table was named for a different type of bird


my friend can't wait to use this on her front door when the baby arrives!

the theme continued with the favors...and here's where the duckie comes in...bird seed in the shape of duckies hung from a manzanita branch..it was an lovely decor element and the guests could easily pick one off of the branch to take home.
i was so excited when i found them on etsy.
2 birds in love has beautiful options and it would be a great favor for weddings as well.







and of course no party is complete without some delicious cupcakes!
i sent the sugar chic my inspiration board for the shower and she came up with THE most perfectly decorated cupcakes....everyone was thrilled!!! and some thought they were too pretty to eat...fortunately i didn't have that problem :)





it was a great day and the Mommy-to-be was so happy and by the end of the day was definitely ready to nest...err, or rest...i'm not sure which!

i know, i know

it's been way too long since my last post but the good news is that over the next few days i will be able to share with you some of the events that i've been working on over the past month or so (okay, from the last few months)
there is so much planning that goes into each event, list after list (after list) is created and then checked off...for the production of the event to go off without a hitch i need to make sure all my duckies are in a row and to be honest there is often a wayward duckie (or two!) at the last minute that i need to get back in line! by the time the event is over and i've rested my aching feet i fall short in getting the pictures together and posted!
so here we go....and since we were talking about duckies (we were, right?) let's start with a small baby shower that i worked on for one of my dearest friends who is expecting her bundle of joy in a little more than a month...i can't wait!

Better TV

Darcy Miller from Martha Stewart Weddings will appear on Better TV, Wednesday, July 22nd giving budget friendly tips for wedding flowers. She asked me to create something seasonal and local to feature...this arrangement of all white, local lisianthus is very simple while still being beautifully elegant. Don't underestimate a simple, "common" flower...on their own they are often the perfect look for a simple summer wedding.

photo courtesy of martha stewart weddings

theknot LIVE

theknot.com LIVE Wednesday webcast was great! they had some amazing cakes, dresses and of course bouquets featured. if you didn't get the chance to see it you can view it here. the bouquet segment comes up right after a short commercial from crate and barrel.
my bouquets are the final two shown so don't miss them!
(a little live webcast snafu...they forgot to mention i made them...but i promise, they're mine!)
there was a great post on their blog today too so check that out for a closer look!

photo courtesy of theknot.com

bouquets on a budget @ theknot.com

be sure to tune in tomorrow @ noon for a live webcast on the knot for a look at "recession friendly" bridal bouquet ideas. two bouquets from blade will be featured!

mentors walk with Women @ NBCU and Step UP

more about the walk from darcy miller, check it out here on her blog!

darcy miller, martha stewart weddings

i had the unique opportunity to spend a rainy morning yesterday with Darcy Miller, Editor in Chief of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. the mentors walk, sponsored by Women@NBCU and StepUp Women's Network paired mentees with mentors to learn and be inspired by these fabulous women. i was thrilled to be paired with Darcy and my fellow mentee Silfath Pinto. i truly appreciate the time Darcy spent and the advice she offered! thank you!

silfath pinto, darcy miller and me (a very rainy morning!!)

brooklyn pop-up wedding series, week 2

this week you will be able to see the fabulous photography/film exhibit in brooklyn. find out more info about here.
i was inspired to create something a little more textural in deep plums tones with accents of
chartreuse green..the combo of burlap and ribbon creates an interesting little twist.
be sure to stop by and check it out!

a combination of supernova thistle, purple mokara orchids, hydrangea, celosia and flowering artichokes

sunshine and burgers

last saturday was the perfect day for a wedding in nyc! the weather was so beautiful and had followed a miserably rainy day on friday so it was a relief to see the sun shining on saturday morning. i worked with the bride on her personal flowers, flowers for the ceremony and then was the also the day of coordinator for her wedding. they did not have flowers for their reception at tabla but the decor of the restaurant is so beautiful that they really didn't need anything...and the food is amazing!

she carried a simple bouquet of all white flowers, calla lilies, freesia and roses, accented with lily grass and foliage from japenese dogwood branches. i loved the simplicty and it looked perfect with her dress. the ceremony was held at the university parish of st. joseph, a beautiful church in greenwich village.

the day went off without a hitch and the best part of the night...when shake shack delivered cheeseburgers and shakes at about 11pm! the guests were thrilled and it was the perfect ending to their beautiful sunny wedding day.

pop-up flowers

here's a peek at the design i created last week for the brooklyn pop-up wedding series. i love the combo of orange, yellow with natural accents of bark and succulents.

check out what else is coming up at 303 grand this week HERE.

brooklyn pop-up wedding series

this week kicks off the brooklyn pop-up wedding series! brought to you by the lovely ladies at the wedding library the month long event will feature martha stewart weddings and their pop-up wedding chapel. located in the rotating storefront at 303 grand there will be an amazing collection of vendors over the course of the next few weeks.
the series will run each week thursday-sunday from 1-8pm.
i'm so excited to be a part of the event and will be providing flowers each week. be sure to check back in for some coverage & schedules of the events.
in the meantime you can always count on vané over at brooklyn bride to keep you informed!

spring lilac

i did a wedding before memorial day weekend and used beautiful lilac - it was SO fragrant my studio smelled amazing while i was designing the arrangements. i loved the way the white glass vases let the flowers really pop against the clean, white design of the space. and it was a such an amazing day for an outdoor wedding...look at that blue sky!

peony love

it seems that i'm not the only one having a love affair with peonies today...i love the weeder's digest post today on design sponge

simply beautiful

tree peonies are so beautiful, sometimes pricey but always worth it. i have two shade of pink ones in my home right now and i thought i would share some images i took of them. they are like crepe paper with delicate ruffles of petals. it makes me smile each time i catch a bit of their subtle scent as i pass by....(too bad they haven't invented a way for me to share that with you)

enjoy!

"just married"

no, not me! but i did work on a wonderful wedding last weekend in the hamptons. the weather wasn't fabulous but for some reason the misty fog that lingered most of the day seemed perfect in the beautiful hamptons setting. one request the bride had was a "just married" sign for their vintage range rover. i couldn't find anything that i loved so i made one myself. i was happy with the way it turned out but know a few things i might do differently the next time around...i will share some more pictures of the wedding over the next few days and more when the professional shots come in!

bring a sprig of spring inside...

with all of the flowers starting to bloom outside why not cut a few to enjoy inside. as i've said before, you don't need a lot of flowers to make an impact. and while everyone is looking for ways to save, reuse and recycle i thought this post over at design*sponge was quite appropriate. it's a classic idea and gives you illustrated instructions on how to make it happen. enjoy!

a walk in the park...

spring in central park??? it doesn't get much better than that, except of course if you get there on one of the first sunny spring days! i spent the day there yesterday and took a little trip to the zoo with my friend and her daughter...the trees are in full bloom and everything looks so beautiful. take a walk, run or ride and enjoy these long awaited spring days!

magnolia trees are sooo beautiful...and around for such a short time before the flower petals drop off.
the cherry blossoms aren't quite bloomed yet but i have some pictures from last spring...always a favorite of brides...but remember there is only a short window of time that flowering branches are available...so if you love them and know that you want them for your wedding...think SPRING!

while you're busy looking up at the beautiful trees don't forget to look down at some of the beautiful ground cover throughout the parks gardens

the vibrant colors of this peacock were too amazing to resist...unfortunately it didn't shake it's tail feathers so that i could get a picture but it's still soo beautiful.

happy weekend!

museum of the city of new york event

as promised here are some professional shots of the event i did two weeks ago at the musuem of the city of new york. these are by far much better than the ones i shot. all of the images are courtesy of jayd gardina of jayd gardina photography, her work is beautiful, check out her blog here.

the architectural details of the space are beautiful!

the guest of honor LOVES lavender and all things French so i attached a bouquet of lavender to the back of her chair

the wonderful olivier cheng provided the catering

yum! a beautiful dessert bar.

almost too beautiful to eat! from payard