Let me introduce you to my current obsession. Reader, I would like you to meet Mr. Herb Boutonniere. Organically interesting, delectably fragrant, and simply chic, this little guy has it all! I have to say, he is the chameleon of all boutonnieres, perfect for almost any type of wedding--garden, spring, modern, organic, or traditional. He is also a great choice for the groom who refuses to wear a flower since he (the boutonniere, not the groom!) treads a fine line between masculine and feminine.
He is the perfect soul mate for almost any lapel, EXCEPT for maybe those that are sensitive to aromatics. Let's not forget the women. Mr. Herb Boutonniere can also moonlight as a corsage.
It was a pleasure introducing the two of you and I hope that soon he will also become your obsession!
With Project Runway running in the background and everyone sound asleep in my home, I set out to write the next blog entry that hopefully is more inspiring than this episode is turning out to be. My initial plan was to post some photos of a more neutral garden-inspired wedding I just did, but I think I'm going to switch gears and post something with a little more vibrancy to match the graphic detailing of the fabrics shown on the show. (Does that mean I was a little inspired?). It's actually quite fitting since this simple design was inspired by the Living with Flowers book I last blogged about. I better get going since the show is about over and I am literally moving an inch an hour!
I utilized numerous stems of orange ranunculus and a few chocolate ti leaves that I had leftover from a class I just taught. It was such a natural pairing against the dark brown hue of the sticks I had collected last month and stored in my garage. (Against my loving husband's protests, my garage has become a bottomless pit for design materials I hope to one day use in designing). In my opinion, the ranunculus are so visually interesting since they have natural variation and every single stem is completely unique. Without doing much, the arrangement effortlessly has depth, interest and style.
I completed the story by creating a matching bridal bouquet consisting of the same ranunculus collared with the chocolate ti leaves. Isn't it ironic how simplicity can speak volumes? Maybe if I clear my garage, my husband might agree to marry me all over again, so I can have these exact flowers for our second wedding!
PS. Thank you everyone for asking about my sickness. I'm much better now, even though I figured out that I'm allergic...to flowers! Nothing that a little Claritin can't fix!
Side Note: It's been a busy month and I've regretfully neglected this blog, but now I'm back! I've been preparing for some upcoming events including the wedding that I did yesterday and I was away on a 5-day camping trip to Yosemite (photos to be posted soon!). Usually I am always talking about the floral make-up of an arrangement, but for this post, I am going to get to the bottom of it...literally! I found a couple of random containers and used them with a simple arrangement of red roses to show that containers do make a difference and may be worth the investment.
Can you guess what type of container this was shown up above? It's a wooden utensil holder! The sleek container, unexpected use of the moss and the simplicity of the flowers all contribute to the modern look of this piece.
For an organic feel, go for a chunky wooden bowl that doubles as a salad bowl!
On occasion, if you are going for a very specific theme, using the right flowers may just not be enough. You or your florist may need to carefully hand select some containers to finish off the theme successfully. For instance, if you want a pin-up girl retro feel, find some vintage tins. You might spend a little more on the vase, but perhaps you can scale back slightly on the flowers. There are endless possibilities and, if you are like me, you might have to figure out ways to "contain" yourself. I will definitely be exploring this concept further on future blogs or for your wedding ;)
The simplicity of this arrangement, enhanced by the soothing color scheme and the modern, structured yet random look, gives off such a feeling of Zen. I created this arrangement to look like a piece of art full of interesting lines and movement...definitely not your run-of-the-mill centerpiece. The fluffiness of the ranunculus beautifully contrasts the stiff lines of the mini calla lilies and equisetum giving the overall look much more depth and texture.
Although the look is simple and clean, I would caution you to be very selective on the florist that can execute this type of style. Believe it or not, randomness is harder to achieve than uniformity. It takes a floral designer that has an eye for modern design or understands effective spacial placement...(don't tell me I didn't warn you).
Due to the height of this particular design, it would work best on a guest sign-in table or place card table. In a wedding, I would complement this arrangement with similar but lower seating centerpieces for the guest tables so that guests are able to have an unobstructed view in conversation. Surround these works of art by intimately lit candles and--voila!--a Zen scape has been painted.
A dash of floral design, a splash of crafts, a pinch of wit, and a whole lot of inspiration...all from a former magazine Art Director. Follow my journey as I grow as a designer, artist and person.
Let me introduce you to my current obsession. Reader, I would like you to meet Mr. Herb Boutonniere. Organically interesting, delectably fragrant, and simply chic, this little guy has it all! I have to say, he is the chameleon of all boutonnieres, perfect for almost any type of wedding--garden, spring, modern, organic, or traditional. He is also a great choice for the groom who refuses to wear a flower since he (the boutonniere, not the groom!) treads a fine line between masculine and feminine. 
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