Every year I am asked to design Christmas arrangments for all of my mother’s close friends and relatives. I agree, only on condition that my mother and sisters come over to work on the arrangements with me. That way I force feed them some design technique and get some help with the grunt work all at once. In the past, we have had fun with slightly more traditional greens and reds (while still punching the style up a notch with bright limes and unexpected elements), but this year I opted for fluorescent pinks, purples, and blues. Flocking the evergreens gave the foresty-green background a snow-kissed look and really made the colors pop.
I am not sure if my more traditional mother really jived with the whole thing, but that’s the beauty of having the creative control…

Local flowers from Oregon growers – fabulous in a robin’s egg crackled vase!

Although I often love super-embellished, frankly fancy designs, sometimes floral arrangements can be overdone and just plain fugly. Case in point:

Follow the lead of many a professional or do-it-yourself florist and just plunk some flowers into a pitcher – much more chic and much less fussy!

Megan was defintiely one of the happiest, most conscientious brides I have ever worked with. She had a very Irish wedding – from the save-the-date cards being sent out on St. Patrick’s day, to the ceremony site (St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in NW), and even the reception venue (Kell’s Irish Pub in downtown). The flowers followed this lead – all green and whites – including Bells of Ireland, lisianthus, fern curls, asparagus fern, super green roses, green zinnias, and white gooseneck.

Monday, September 7, 2009 Posted in Press
I had the pleasure this May to contribute a bouquet for a spread in the Fall/Winter ‘09 Oregon Bride magazine. The peacock-themed bouquet was really a labor of love and included mini green cymbidium orchids, turquoise, blue, and green hydrangea, delphinium, kangaroo paw, green gladiola blooms, mahogany pods, lotus pods, manzanita branches, peacock sword feathers and peacock eye feathers paved down the stems. Love it!
Colors of a sunset: deep reds, oranges, and yellows. Flowers: dahlias and zinnias. 
I just bought a new camera that I had heaps of fun playing around with after setting up for Carolyn & Bryce’s reception. While I will still post the amazing pictures that are sure to be produced by their photographers (Reversed Lens), here’s a sneak peak: French-inspired theme with colors of red, ivory, pink champagne, and chocolate. Flowers: roses, callas, dahlias, and hydrangea. 
These last couple of days of blustery mists have reminded me that Autumn is definitely my favorite of the seasons! Here is a cheery, zinnia-rich fall weekly I made recently. Zinnias’ curly petals just warm my heart.

Kelly is the (uber chic) cousing of a super close friend of mine, so I was more than elated to do her flowers when she got married in June. I think they turned out pretty close to what she had envisioned – bright, cold, but still on the elegant side. She loves stargazer lilies and they happened to work well with her color scheme – black, white, and bright pink, with damask accents. I used black glassware (which I love) with white and pink hydrangea, white and pink roses, white calla lilies, and pink stargazer lilies. So simple and straightforward, but I think it so worked…

Photography courtesy of Jonathan King of Seattle Digital Wedding.
Such a luscious wedding – definitely one of my favorites so far! Colors: green, white, and shades of pink. Flowers: peonies, garden roses, spray roses, super green roses, ranunculus, viburnum, lisianthus, and cherry blossoms.
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