Here's to 2011!

It's hard to believe that soon the year will come to close. 2010 has been an eventful year and I'm so thankful for all the blessings I have and I look forward to the year to come for new and exciting adventures!

I wish you all the best for the year to come and hope that you enjoy every minute of your holiday season.

100 Layer Cake

finally launched, such a great site! the perfect place to find inspiration, get some help with planning or find just what you are looking for.
100 layer cake has it all, i especially like the marketplace...such great finds!
here's one of my favorites...

(image: 100 layer cake)

so simple and stunning...love it!
so take a peek, you won't be disappointed.

Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas

there are so many choices in colors and textures at this time of year. combination's can range from softer tones of orange and greens to more vibrant tones of orange and golds. of course leaves, berries and branches intertwined throughout the arrangement gives a lovely touch of fall. to create a more abundant look and perhaps use ingredients you already have for your thanksgiving dinner, use a simple wooden crate and combine vegetables and greens for a beautiful and simple table centerpiece.

mango calla lilies, green leucadendron, gold curly willow and orange cymbidium orchids

pin cushion protea, hydrangea, gold cymbidium orchids, roses and asclepia

asclepia, mango calla lilies, brassica and orange tulips

purple brassica, broccoli, echinacea, persimmon, radishes and artichokes

carrots, artichokes, radishes, zucchini, red scallions and various herbs

table decoration shouldn't end with the centerpiece! there are other ways to add special and thoughtful touches to your thanksgiving table.
here are some easy ideas...
for place card ideas and napkin accents, you can always count on Martha Stewart to have some great ideas. i saw these simple place cards over on etsy and think that these candles are so adorable and could easily be added to a floating candle centerpiece.
Country Living also put together some great looks, you can find them here.
for a more modern look for the table, i love this orange and gray color combo.

along with all of the flowers and decorations nothing is more impressive than a properly set table. below are examples of an informal and formal table settings.


photo courtesy of classy and fabulous via simplified bee

whatever you choose to do and no matter what your Thanksgiving table design looks like, give thanks and enjoy the times with the special people in your life.
xo

The Girl Effect

this post is part of the girl effect blogging campaign organized by Tara Sophia Mohr.

women are amazing and never cease to wow me with their brilliance, determination and uncanny ability to multi-task. mothers, aunts, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, nieces and friends have all shown me what it means to be strong, independent, caring and brave.

so when i saw this link over on scoutie girl, it stirred something in me.

i realize that i am blessed.
that my worries as a young girl were few.
i had my own struggle and lost a bit of my girlhood when i lost my mother before my twelfth birthday.
but when kept in perspective this did not change the knowledge that had already been instilled in me that i could DO anything,
BE anything. anything at all.
i had opportunities.

i realize this, among so many other things is not a luxury enjoyed by all.

by twelve years of age the girlhood of many girls around the world is stolen.

i urge to find out more about the girl effect, here.
and to spread the word and do what you can to help make a difference.

Juliette Roses

garden roses are romantic, feminine, luscious and perfectly beautiful. one of my favorites is Juliette, a particular David Austin variety from California that are available all year round. that's the best part since most often the bulk of garden roses are available during the summer months.

i've used it here in a design that would work really well for a Thanksgiving table. paired with the roses i used cymbidium orchids, freesia, asclepia, bush ivy and accents of curly willow. it's not your typical fall arrangement filled with berries, fall leaves and other more traditional elements but i think the colors work well for the season.

more ideas for Thanksgiving are on the way...

Halloween

i'm a couple of weeks late in posting this but i don't think you'll mind once you see the cuteness.

but first a little bit about the flowers. i created a beautiful fall arrangement for a silent auction at a halloween party for bowery babes (a group of amazaing moms (and dads) and their little ones.)

although this was technically for halloween it is really a perfect look for anytime in the fall and with Thanksgiving coming up you may be looking for ideas to decorate your table. i kept this simple and a little more on the "funky" and textured side of things. succulents, pin cushion protea and leucadendron were paired with some mango calla lilies and some berried bush ivy. i covered the vase in moss (which can be a little messy but i love the look of it!). for an extra touch i added some copper wire to give it a subtle sparkle.

i'll be posting some more ideas for your thanksgiving table decor but i would love to hear what you are planning?

Oh right, you're still waiting for the cuteness...well here it is....

but of course that's just a mommy lion's opinion.

Nyssa & Chris at the Mandarin

from the first minute i met Nyssa and her mother, i knew they had fabulous tastes and that they would be a pleasure to work with and i was right on both accounts. i worked with Nyssa and Chris (Chris, i met a bit later and thought what a great couple he & Nyssa made!) to create the decor for their rehearsal dinner and wedding. they were open to different ideas and in the end we created the perfect decor for their wedding.

Nyssa wanted to focus on pink and purple for the color palette and after a few revisions we decided to use pinks & purple blooms for the rehearsal dinner at Astra restaurant while we would focus mostly on varying shades of pinks for the wedding reception at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

the design was simple and slightly more contemporary; a combination of short and tall centerpieces created the perfect look. we used a crushed shimmer linen that changed depending on how the light hit it. clear glass candle holders and amber mercury glass votive candles completed the look.

so, as much as i try, taking pictures at any of my events is where i fall short. i try, i really, really try. but there is always something left to be done, candles yet to be lit and final touches that have to made. and well, then there is the issue of lighting, focus and a steady hand...none of which i have learned to control very well. so that's why i happily leave that to the professionals.

in this case, Carlos Andres Varela of Cava Weddings captured the details and i can't wait to see the results. and since he is the professional and he is producing works of art...we have to wait, just a bit, to see the images.

so in the meantime, here are some images that i did capture leading up to the wedding and some of tables in the process of being completely set.

shopping for pink hydrangea

verena rose hydrangea

captain romance calla lilies (from Holland)

low centerpieces while still at studio

a view of the Grand Ballroom...still in progress

a close-up...ahhh, love those phals!

low centerpieces bathed in a different light

so...i promise, you will see the real deal once i get my hands on some professional shots!!

A chat with Sylvia Weinstock

i've always admired the beauty, detail and awe inspiring designs of Sylvia Weinstock's cakes. they are a thing of beauty and the woman behind the cakes is equally as fabulous. i had the pleasure of meeting Sylvia last saturday at Nyssa and Chris' wedding at the Mandarin. yes, that's right, she was there, she accompanied the delivery of the cake. i found this so amazing...she's an icon in the business and her cakes are sought after by many couples yet she still finds it important enough to be on site with the delivery of one of her cakes. of course she can't go with every delivery since they have numerous cakes going out at any given time. i introduced myself and told her how admirable i thought it was that she would be on site for the delivery and i learned a great lesson from her, no matter how successful you are, every client deserves the same attention. you are your business and the most successful person will be the one who remembers that you are there to provide a service to your clients. each client is as important as the next - you never know where your next referral will come from and what it may lead to. i appreciated the few minutes we chatted and will keep her words of wisdom in mind as i continue to grow and shape my business.

now for the eye candy...
more to come on Nyssa & Chris' wedding...and the outcome of the phaleonopsis!!

Phaleonopsis Orchids

since i'm knee deep in phaleonopsis orchids today as i prepare for the wedding this weekend, i had them on the brain, so i thought i would share. the variety that i'm using is called "happy valentina", could easily be "happy valentine" which would be so appropriate for a romantic and love filled wedding day.

there is endless information to be found online about phaleonopsis, much more than i would be able to cover here. there are experts and enthusiasts who cultivate these orchids and i wouldn't insult them by pretending to know a lot about the plants, there are soooo many species and hybrids.

here are 5 things i do know...

1 - i love them.
2 - they are simply beautiful.
3 - they are unlike any other.
4 - they are feminine, romantic, simple and elegant.
5 - oh wait, did i tell you that i love them?

a single stem can create the greatest impact while a large quantity is beyond stunning. cut phaleonopsis stems can be difficult to come by since most plants are grown to be sold as plants and not many growers want to cut the stems. a design with cut phals can be a bit more expensive but the final outcome is well worth the cost.

here are some designs using phaleonopsis that i've created in the past.






i will be sure to post some from this weekend once i have them.
you may not hear from me until then, as i wade my way through the sea of beautiful phals over the next few days...jealous?
you should be!

Susan & Peter at the Puck Building

the weather this past saturday couldn't have been better...especially following the miserable humidity we had for the days leading up to the wedding!!
susan and peter were the best kind of client, they had an idea of what they wanted to do but were open to suggestions and as a result we came up with a simple but beautiful design for their ceremony and reception at the puck building.
these pictures are just a glimpse of the decor - professional pics will follow soon and are bound to be spectacular having been shot by anja hitzenberger photography.

pre-ceremony shot - simplicity at its best, after sundown with the candles lit this created the perfect romantic backdrop for susan and peter's heartfelt and intimate exchange of vows.

the simple white linens and white chairs looked great against the white of the space. using chartruese green santini and spider mums these simple cocktail arrangements popped against the white backdrop.

an assortment of pillar, floating and taper candlelight added to the romantic, yet clean design of the room. against a chartruese green bengaline linen and accented with lime green cymbidium orchids the table was a main focal point as guests picked up their place cards.

following the ceremony guests enjoyed cocktails while the space was transformed for dinner. long rectangular tables were used (which i love! and it's a myth that they do not allow for as much conversation - i think it creates a warm more intimate atmosphere for conversation). black linens and green runners covered the tables while a series of small arrangements and candlelight ran down the table. lush succulents and orchids were used near the candlelight. each vase had a single type of flower, we used tulips, hydrangea, stock, roses and orchids.

the entire look was perfect and complimented the space beautifully. the wedding was planned by richard of atelier weddings and catering provided by thomas preti catering

Birthday brunch celebration

who doesn't love a beautiful brunch with friends? especially when a dear friend hosts it for you in her home! a recent client did just that for a 50th birthday celebration. it was a beautiful fall day, even a few degrees cooler in Chappaqua than here in the city. i have to be honest the drive up there was half the fun...i love a ride outside the city when i get the chance.

the client only had one request, all white flowers...so the rest was up to me. with one long table for her guests i opted to use three simple white ceramic vases to line the table, each filled with a combination of hydrangea, dahlias, scabiosa (a different variety than the stellata), ranunculus and parrot tulips. i used four additional etched glass vases down the center of the table. an individual bud vase was set at each place setting for the guests to take home with them...i think that a special touch like that makes the difference. it adds to the design of the table and is a token of appreciation for all your guests.




roey mizrahi planned this lovely brunch while tastings provided the catering.

Scabiosa and other funky little treasures

i woke this morning with the thought of flowers...as i often do...i have that first waking, fleeting thought of flowers in one way or another. flowers i need to order for an upcoming event, how i can possibly get 300 stems of phaleonopsis when i need them or just how many beautiful interesting and funky little things grow in this wonderful world.

apparently i'm not the only one with the same thoughts...but maybe they get a little more sleep than i do.

christina over at floresdelsol talked about one of my favorites today, scabiosa stellata...not well known and completely underrated in my opinion these little pods can add THE perfect touch to many different styles of designs.

i also loved this real wedding i saw over at style me pretty and the super cool, chic and unique centerpieces using scabiosa stellata and two of my other all-time favorites, succulents and manazanita branches...throw some fiddlehead fern in there and i would be compeltely smitten...okay maybe they wouldn't look perfect in that design but i do love them!

Photo courtesy of Alderleaf Wilderness College.

it seems that more and more of my clients are interested in using these "textural" elements into their arrangements even in bouquets...here are a few i've created in the past that had a funky twist on the traditional bouquet.

would you consider using something different, even non-floral for your bouquet?
let me know!

Fall Wedding at The Roosevelt Hotel

Fall is officially here and we had our first wedding of the season. Eirene and Nick were married at the Greek Cathedral with the reception following at The Roosevelt Hotel. Here is just a sneak peek until the professional images are available.

The bride was looking for a rich, vibrant and warm mix of tones complimented by the iridescent purple pin tuck linens. It was a great look to compliment the colors in the ballroom.
Multiple vases used on the table were filled with a mix of Spicy orange roses, purple hydrangea, Schwarzwalder black calla lilies and purple trachelium. Tall candlelight and votive cnadles were used as well. The lighting was yet to be completed as we headed off to the church so I look forward to seeing the final look.

Now we're focused on our wedding this weekend at The Puck Building - an totally different look using all white and green blooms with black and white accents throughout. Stay tuned for images...