Friday Gratefulness List...

A dear friend of mine writes and publishes a list of things that she is grateful for every Friday. I think it is wonderfully rich ritual and I shall attempt to be a regular grateful list writer. Not only is it a fun way be thankful - it makes me realize how incredibly fabulous my world is and what more (besides a stiff espresso) could one need!

Oh - by the way, the dear friend of 20 + years (careful with the plus signs please!) has a fabulous foodie blog called SWEET TEA & SUNSHINE - do check it out! The name sums her up better than any adjectives in the English language and I am terribly grateful for her.

Here goes...

• Life in California - I feel I've adapted well
• The miracle of love - unconditional and unending - my husband of 16 years
  
• 8th birthdays - Adrienne my love - you rock!
• Photographers - you make my visions a reality and allow me to share with others
• My Life with Flowers - how lucky am I to play and be paid?!
• My Mother - her never-ending kindness and encouragement
• My Web Goddess - Darcie at webeclectic.com
• Opportunity - it abounds at every turn
• Change - in all of it's forms (my new do, the political current and life)
• My beautiful office and studio

The Eight Year Old



















The Flowers


















The office

Wedding & Party Magazine 2009

So fun to thumb through and see our work through the magazine! Thanks to all that used images that included our work - AND - one of our all time favorite couples is on the front (see Vineyard Gathering on our website). Where is your bouquet darling??!!! Yeah Lacey and Jason!! Dreamy picture by Colleen Rosenthal.
















Many thanks to the Monarch Club at Trilogy for enlisting us to help them in this shoot and to the Courtyard Marriott for using images from the grand opening that we showcased our work at. The cake picture is from a wedding we did in a barn this summer - the cake was beautifully designed and created by The Cakery.




















Lastly our 2009 full page ad - photograph by Allyson Magda, designed by Jake & Chloe at Mike Larson Inc.

Thanks to all!

Happy Chinese New Year!

The ox symbolizes hard work and persistance. Modesty, calm, patience and honesty also personify the ox.

Our new President was born in an ox year - how fitting?!

It has always been our great joy to work with brides to incorporate their heritage into their wedding day. Charlotte, one of those brides, came to us with an idea for an elegant and traditional Chinese inspired wedding. Her family was coming from China to the Central Coast - and she wanted familiar themes throughout the day. We live for this!
Thank you Mike Larson for sharing your images with us.

For some facinating tid bits about Chinese New Year visit: Chinese New Year: Year of the Ox.

The Miracle of Love - Cheers & a Wink!

I happen to believe there really is someone for everyone - I am walking proof! But really, when you think about it - love is a true miracle. I get to be on the sidelines of many miracles during wedding season. Every bride and groom has a wonderful story about how they fell in love and all that life has brought to the path that they are walking down to their wedding day.

I recently had the great pleasure of working with some of my favorite people in the wedding industry, on a beautiful wedding at Meridian Vineyard. This is my shout out to a team of incredible professionals with a wild creative streak that knocks wedding guests of their feet! First and foremost - the man with the vision: Mark Padgett Even Design, Paul and Linda at Fig Leaf Video, Julie Wilson Photography, San Luis Jazz Band and Two Cooks Catering (they Rock!!).

The Diva's Details - Part 1

Besides the fact that I just love working on flowers for weddings - one of my favorite aspects of it is the little details that often happen in a flicker of inspiration in my design studio. Surrounded by buckets of blooms and knee deep in greens - there are often little flashes of ahhh and ohhhh even for me and I've been doing this now for 10 years. Sometimes it is the idea sparked by someone's suggestion (hello Mr. Padgett!!) - that the grid of grandpa's prized model be made of flowers, or the setting of a fourth generation ranch that calls for a little leather to be wrapped around the brides bouquet and entwined around silk covered buttons - with the groom's boutonniere to match or kumquats and button mums as the final adornment on individual garden pot cakes - I love it all and this all of this stuff and it is what keeps me jazzed about what I get to do - in addition to keeping me up late at night. Watch for more little details coming soon to this blog spot! Yes - this fabulous wedding happened in that old barn... more on that later. Thank you to the brilliance of Colleen Rosenthal for these images.

Industry Play Date - Wine Tour 1

Last Thursday I actually took a day away from work and joined some fellow industry professionals on a wine tour of the back roads of Paso Robles. Kathy at the Grapeline tours organizes this tour every month and I have been dying to go - finally I had good reason - two of my favorite wedding industry gals were going. Allyson Magda from Allyson Magda Photography just happened to bring a camera along and shot this fun video and stills of our day. Jennie from Trumpet Vine Catering provided a scrumptous lunch of tapas tidbits - and, well - there was some good wine.

Not only was the wine, company and lunch delectable, getting an opportunity to visit some of the wineries as a "visitor" was a fabulous treat. Quite literally every day, I hear of a new winery and new venue for events. Truly, Paso Robles Wine Country is a gold nugget that has just begun to gain recognition as a really great spot to tie the knot.

Eagle Castle Winery - Destination Wedding Bliss

Tami and Matthew decided that the wine country of California's Central Coast was the perfect place for a destination wedding. The rolling vineyards of California is a vast change of scenery from Milwaukee and the fairy tale setting of Eagle Castle Winery was the perfect venue for both families to enjoy for their fun and intimate wedding. This couple was so easy and fun to work with for us and it was a true joy to bring flower details to their special day. Many thanks to Chloe and Sophie at Mike Larson Inc. for some really great photos. Jennie at Trumpet Vine Catering provided an exquisite menu that was a true treat, all paired with Central Coast Wines.

Zen Elements add Beautiful Simplicity

Somehow beginnings make me want to get back to basics, to simplify and appreciate the simple glorious beauty of single elements. As a new year begins, I am energized by what lies ahead. New brides, new ideas, new venues and new ways to present flowers.


Some of the most beautiful and classic floral elements are truly the simplest. These elements can be used in groupings to create a stunning centerpiece, as a single welcome statement at a bar, seating card table or entry table. These elements can also be built upon to create a more substantial ceremony or aisle design.

These are a few of my favorite ZEN elements that I love to design with:

Gardenias - at their simplest, floating in water, nestled in a pile of river rock or tucked into a napkin at a place setting. The fragrance alone will take you to a wonderful place.


Fruit - my current favorite is dark purple plums - combined with a birch branch on a bed of moss.

Candles - with a touch of the unexpected - tied with grass and a crystal for example.

Rocks - shiny black rocks, caramel pebbles or rustic river rock - they add wonderful texture and can be used in combination with candles or a back drop for a single glorious bloom.

Artichokes - actually they are flowers and can be absolutely beautiful for a harvest celebration - and they are very "California". The vast variety that is available is also inspiring - baby chocolate and globe for example.

Peonies - a single stem of a lush voluptuous peony in a very simple vase - ah nirvana...

Grass - bundles of bear grass in vases are a stunning vertical visual accent.

Mood Moss - I have a love affair with mosses - probably because as a child I had "texture" dreams. They come in a wide variety and offer a sumptuous beginning to some fantastic ideas. It always reminds of the perfect bed for a flower fairy!

Cymbidium Orchids - A single vibrant green orchid nestled in a wide vase of dark roasted coffee beans - hands down one of my very favorite combinations!

Tournament of Roses

Picture this - little three year old girl huddled in front of the TV on New Year's Day completely enthralled by all the color, the shapes and the concept that a parade float could be completely covered in plant material. It has been my dream to see this in person since I was a very young child. New Year's Day on the Western Prairies of Canada is literally a world a part from the balmy golden sun of Pasadena.

This was the year - our whole family packed ourselves down to Colorado Boulevard to watch the whole thing. I was not disappointed. Beds of pavé roses, incredible sprays of oncidium orchids for trees and giant gorillas covered in green broccoli. Pretty cool. I had the overwhelming urge to get up close and touch though - and unfortunately I could not do it from the bleachers.

My over all impression really confirmed one of my own design philosophies - that brighter color has greater visual impact even in less quantity. This certainly applies to flowers and decor for weddings. Bright color goes a long way, while you really need substantially more flowers to make visual impact with a monochromatic classic palette. Bright color draws you in - it begs you to be a part of it - to get in closer and be vibrant.

So next time - I may need to drag my entourage down to Colorado Boulevard the night before so that we can sit on the road and get up close to the flowers. I'm thinking sleeping bags, hibachi and good reading material!