Icicle Night Flights

I was walking by the brownstone next door last night and saw such beautiful reflections coming from icicles that I had to try to get a shot with my iphone. Unfortunately the photo above doesn't do the sighting justice and today it simply wasn't the same. It got me thinking about the beauty and transience of the icicle and how winter delivers these fleeting gems like gifts for dealing with the biting wind and dark days that make you want to stay in your flannels all day. So I went to the studio determined to conquer the contrived concept of the crystally/sparkly bouquet! Can the beauty of winter actually be invoked in a bouquet through campy gimmicks! Ha! and these are my daily challenges? what has life come to? But hey! I AM a florist so allow me to digress. I tore through my art supplies and floral knickknack tins and found crystals, opalescent paint pigments, faux juniper berries and commenced to spray and hot glue myself into a frenzy, coating stems of eucalyptus into shimmery snow-like and crystallized versions of their former selves. Ok, I have to admit it was fun and I was kind of tickled by the results so in they went with the Ranunculus, Angel Winged Begonia leaves and Dusty Miller. I may expand upon this idea.... I may not. After all sparkles have never been my forte but I secretly love this "Winter Garden Bouquet" then again it may simply be a case of falling in love with an idea. That's ok too.

Time to Conjure

seasonal bouquet montages

011111 Inspiration....Bring it on!!!!!

Hurrah! 011111 We are perfectly aligned to move forward into the year with pluck and aplomb!
Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by you know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom on the tree you know how I feel

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

.......Nina Simone

NY Magazine Weddings Summer 2010 Bouquet Story

The Editor's at New York Magazine's Weddings called and asked for bouquets which prominently featured the foliage as a significant design component. This was very timely because low and behold, showy Camellias were in the market. I pampered them assiduously for a week until they reach the peak of their blossoming potential and paired them up with soft pink peonies. Here they are used as the opener to the bouquet story! Thanks NY Mag!!!!



Another bouquet which was presented and selected for the story was a collection of different varieties of ferns set against a luminously saturated nosegay of fuchsia peonies and mini phalaenopsis. Not a choice for the demure bride :)

NY Magazine Bouquet Story Spring Summer 2010

Feathers of a Protea

Once upon a time I was working on the flowers for a corporate job with my fellow friend and flower nerd goddess Cornelia McNamarra and we had decided to create floating arrangements making all sorts of submerged floaters(future post). We deconstructed artichokes and sunflowers and queen proteas to construct these "rafts" to float small arrangements. Suddenly I looked over her way to the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and never thought of doing! Cornelia was making these little feather florets from the protea petals! It was as I like to say, lightning in a bottle. Hence was born the protea petal "feather"!

Here are some samples of later day appropriations for her genius idea!