Christmas Eve Eve with my Peeps

To say that I am a lucky, blessed creature is an understatement. In the last ten years of doing what I love (design and fleurs), I have been incredibly fortunate to bump into some of the most creative and unbelievably talented people to walk the earth. Three people in particular have become my chosen family of friends - they love me in spite of myself, they make me laugh at the tough stuff in life and - DANG!!! they are just plain FUN! We gather usually at NOVO in SLO over the Tempernillo, that really at this point should have our picture on it, and wonderful naush every month or so.


So this - is a shout out to my "girls" who share in the ups and bumps of life and work and celebrate the fabulous, every chance we get. Dawn Lambeth - truely amazing musician and stunningly beautiful person (Usonia Jazz), Linda Della Pelle - writer of the funniest emails EVER, fellow mother in arms and film producer extraordinaire (Fig Leaf Video) and my beloved Mark - creative genious, songster and travelling companion (and I don't mean just around the world!) - (Mark Padgett Event Design) - I am blessed with your witty intelligence and grace and I am so grateful for each of you.

In a last minute tango to have one more gathering before Christmas - we invited our husbands (yeah!!! we can all say that now) along to Blue to toast the season on Christmas Eve Eve. And Voila! New tradition has been born. Next year we'll make reservations though. Peace out my gals!

SLO Chamber Holiday Mixer - Hosted by Broad Street Event Group

Wow - how much fun was that! We turned our parking lot into a fabulous event. No, probably you won't want to have your wedding reception in our parking lot - but this was a great exercise in turning the blacktop in to something completely unexpected and hosting 300+ members of the San Luis Obispo business community. Thank you to the Chamber for letting us step outside the lines a bit to do things our way. To say we had a lot of help - would be an understatement. So - this is a shout out to some extraordinary partners in our community who, in their generosity contributed to our Holiday Showcase at Broad Street Event Group.

Taylor Rentals - thank you is just not enough - but "thank you" for the tent, carpet, tables and chairs, linens and dinnerware. Bill Gains Lighting - Zak, once again - thank you for making me look good - you always bring out the best in my work and it is always great to work with you. EOS Estate Winery, Sextant Wines and Justin Vineyards & Winery - to have these world class wineries come and pour at our event was such an honor and serious treat.

These Shoes Are Made for Work'in

Like most the women I know, I too, have a pretty serious "thang" for shoes. Perhaps I inherited it from my mother - I know my 7 year old has inherited it from me - but I just have to have them - a variety. I think for women they are a true friend - and no matter what size your body is this week - your shoes are still going to look great. High ones, low ones, pointy toed ones, open toed ones - I love them all.

This morning as I headed out to the production shop to finish flowers for a wedding today - I slipped on my dear friends - the leopard clogs. They have been with me now for about 6 years - they're pretty beat up and usually have chunks of green waste stuck to them from my hours of designing and the accumulation of stems, leaves and petals that fall around me in what my mother calls my "never ending mess". They are wood and it is illogical to me that they are the most comfortable shoes I own - but they are. Perhaps my feet have formed over time, to fit them. When I'm stressed - they comfort me. When I'm happy - they share in my delight. When I am exhausted - they keep me going. No judgment, no disappointment, no teasing - just happy to be with me. I wear them to the beach, in the rain and if it were to ever snow here (heaven forbid!) I'd wear them then too - probably without socks! When my high pointy pumps come off after a day at the office or a night out - the leopard print clogs go on.

My fellow event colleagues know that when the clogs arrive - it means business. It is GO TIME - bring your "A" game - we're doing flowers! At 11 pm when I break it all down again - my wood leopard print clogs get me through. These shoes have become a part of me - almost my trademark - I feel like my truest self in them. And isn't that just the best kind of friend?

Sweet 16

16 years ago today - I was an excited and glowing bride. The day is very clear in my mind and my wishes for the day as well. I desperately wanted a candlelight ceremony in a church with stained glass, no flowers on the cake - just pomegranates and gilded gold artichokes, red berries in the flowers and no plumosus fern ANYWHERE.


I had been really sick the week leading up to the day and following our rehearsal, Brian convinced me to visit the walk in clinic (quite a feat!). The exhaustion and inability to keep food down was more than just bridal jitters - kidney infection. "We'd like to admit you to make sure this clears up" a kind practitioner informed me. My determined reply - "I'm getting married tomorrow - that's not an option". After some negotiating, I agreed to a big shot (I think that needle is really for much larger land roaming mammals) of antibiotics in my delicate derriere with a trip directly to bed - no "night before" merriment!

I remember waking up the following morning feeling like a new person and thinking it was absolutely the most beautiful day on earth - overlooking Avila Beach. Not the usual scene for this girl from the frozen tundra (really just the prairies) of Canada. Brian my handsome California boy, picked me up and took me to Fat Cats where we wrote our wedding vows for later in the day over greesy spoon breakfasts surrounded by fishermen fresh off their boats. Nice!

The rest is beautiful history - the florist forgot the berries and ring pillows, added fern to the garlands, the church was a glow with candle light right at dusk, one of the ring bearer's stole the show, the stunning cake made the trip up See Canyon in one piece, my hair stayed up, we made it through our vows and my dearest friends were with us. It was completely perfect!

Denise & Ben - Santa Barbara, CA

These two are the epitome of a beautiful collaboration. Having met this couple early in the year - some major changes in their plans came about. We all stayed flexible and it worked out so beautifully. I am so blessed to work with meet such lovely people. Their wedding day took place in Santa Barbara in the midst of burn season - and it was burning. Denise was one of the calmest brides I have every encountered the morning of her wedding. Thank you Denise and Ben - for teaching me much! Thank you too to my good friend and colleague Mike Larson


and team for your
stunning talents and for all that you share - your photos are truly art.

Panacea rocks Hearst Castle

It was a huge honor for us to be invited by Friends of Hearst Castle to flower up their annual Holiday Feast Event this year. Honor because it was the 50th Anniversary this year and we have long admired this philanthropic organization for their significant effort in the preservation and conservation of this American historic venue. Mark Padgett Event Design was our guiding light in the intricate details of making this happen and as always it is a complete pleasure to share Mark's vision and see it come to life. Truly at several times during the day I found myself pinching myself - to make sure that this was really going on and that we were a part of it! Big thanks to Mike Larson Inc. for these off the hook photos too!



The little brown shack out back of the Castle was Julia Morgan's (the renowned California architect) office - it was the historic backdrop to our prep station - pinch!

Broad Street Event Group Hosts SLO Chamber Holiday Mixer

Join the gang this Wednesday for some Holiday festivities on Broad Street.

Therapy - It's a Beautiful Thing!

The researchers from Rutgers determined that the flower recipients in the study experienced an elevation in mood that lasted for days. And Chinese healers - who've long believed in "flower power" - say that it doesn't stop there. They say you can utilitze flowers to summon whatever power or emotion you'd like - and that the secret is in the flower's color. Each color creates a different frequency of lightwaves, they believe, which travel through the retina and down the optic nerve, setting off a chain reaction of responses in the body. Neurotransmitters are then released, inducing the production of calming hormones like melotonin, stimulating hormones like adrenaline, and mood-boosting hormones like serotonin.

For example, RED stimulates adrenal glands, boosting energy. ORANGE strengthens the immune system, among other things... INDIGO also helps to free the mind of worries, fear and inhibition.

Read more about this study at About Flowers.com.

Lindsay & Adam

In our ever growing file of "brides we love" - Lindsay floats right to the top. Lindsay and Adam contacted us from LA to plan their Central Coast wedding at the Cliffs Resort. We had the key words of modern, non traditional, black and white to work with and we emailed some sketches and ideas back. At our one meeting, we refined the details and had a blast working together. It is the best that I can hope for - to have a bride be excited about what we are doing for her - and share the vision. Kenneth Morgan's photo of Lindsay with the red shoes pretty much sums it up!

2009 Color Trend Alert

the colour gods (pantone & Leatrice Eisman) have released their Color Report for Spring 2009. this is a great place to stay on top of the trends for wedding attire and coming style. it truly starts here and trickles down to everything from fashion, home wares, interiors - and yes - even weddings. i highly recommend Leatrice's books on colour - my two favorites are: Color - Messages and Meanings, and Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color. the colours that you choose for your special day say a lot about you and how your guests will feel - colour is a great way to make a statement. check it out!

Splendor at Meridian

Rob & Ashley Rader @ Meridian Winery. Photos by Rosenthal Photography, lounge groove by Brian at AVSolutions, fabulous food by Two Cooks Catering, Event Coordination by Janice Cassaca, wedding cake by the Cakery. panacea provided the flowers, chandeliers and lounge furniture. Really a beautiful result of incredible team work!

Tasting Goodness

my dear friend and colleague Jennie over at Trumpet Vine Catering hosted a wonderful tasting for her clients this weekend. we contributed some floral details and linens and had a blast working with Jennie in making this fun afternoon happen. oh - the food... tapas menu served on a lazy Susan, it was fabulous! Mike and Rachel showcased their supper fun photo booth too - we did some crazy fun pictures.

Showcase - Central Coast Wedding Professionals come to Broad Street Event Group

It was our great delight to host our fellow industry insiders from the Central Coast Wedding Professionals at a showcase event at our offices and lounges on Broad Street. The whole evening was an incredible collaboration of efforts from our team of professionals and the outcome was impressive.

3592 Broad Street, Suites 104 & 106
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Broad Street Event Group Members: Mike Larson Photography, Kramer Entertainment, panacea event floral design, CateringUnlimited.com

Our Weekend

the barn at Taft Ranch in Atascadero was the setting for Danielle and Bryan's wedding. a bonus of the lake setting up in the hills above the barn was a wonderful surprise to us - and the perfect place for this nature loving couple. one of my favorite photo journalists, Allyson Magda caught these shots.

Price Lists - Priceless Blooms for your Wedding

As most of our wedding work is completely custom designed for your wedding day, we price all design elements stem by stem. Once we have had an opportunity to sit down with you a listen to your hopes and dreams, we develop your personal Flower Outline, that describes each element, bouquet, centerpiece, etc. and provides the cost for it.

Occasionally, we meet a bride that has set a floral budget of what she believes should be allocated to the flower part of her day. When I ask how the number was decided upon, I'm often met with a blank look and a response of "it seemed reasonable". Well of course - that is how we usually figure things out when we don't know - and assuming you aren't buying a lot of wedding flower packages, how would you know what it costs?

In hopes of being helpful to you, we have outlined a price list for you that we feel can be a guide for the cost for your flower needs.

Now, having said that - this list takes into account our unique design philosophy that your wedding flowers need to be WOW! We do not use a lot of greens and fillers - we are in love with blooms and want to provide you with the most beautiful bouquets and flower pieces - like they walked out of a magazine, and into your wedding.

You will find flowers for less - and we'd be happy to provide you with a list of wedding floral designers that will do everything for less. You will also be purchasing an entirely different product.

Please give us a call (805/595-7795) or email us (bloomdiva@panaceaflowers.com) and we will be happy to email you our general pricing guide for our Signature Custom Designed Packages. If you are looking for simplicity and an economical approach to your wedding flowers - please have a look at our Boutique Express Packages on our website. Each of these packages have been designed for excellent value and can be modified depending on the size of your wedding party. We also offer a beautiful line of Express Centerpieces which can be viewed on this blog.