Pith + Marrow: Beginning Floral Design

Floral design has always been such an intriguing concept to me. From far away, assembling a bouquet or table centerpiece looks rather easy. You have a bunch of beautiful flowers, you chop the stems at an angle so they can drink water, and you plop them in a vase - easy peasy folks.

Wrong. So very wrong. 

The more and more I play with flowers with Misha & Teresa (the other 2/3 of pith + marrow), the more I respect wedding florists and floral designers of all kinds. This is no joke. Between narrowing down the hundreds, probably thousands, of different blooms out there to select a collaborative color palette full of texture, variety and good smells, to filling out the arrangement with the proper ratio of flower to filler, and doing so one handed as you twist, pull, fluff and assemble to perfect grouping to cut and stick in a beautifully selected vessel. (Don't even get me started on what to put it in - glass, silver, hand thrown ceramic pots, mugs, vintage metal boxes, tea crates - TOO MANY decisions!!)

That being said, I kind of like this floral design thing. What a beautifully tangible item based off of your inspiration, that you create with your own two hands. No two arrangements will ever be alike, no matter how hard you try. They are perfectly imperfect. I'll spare you the life revelations metaphorical joy going on on the other side of this screen right now - but I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this.

In other news, we start our three part more advanced floral design workshops this week at Camelback Flowershop! I'm so excited to meet our new season of students, and to dig in and play. Let's see what we come up with this time!

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A Colorado Bridal Shower

My best friend and I have been soul sisters since the day we first hugged on the playground in 1993. We've survived bad hair, worse outfits, the awkward teenage years filled with angst, and a long distance relationship, as the last 12 years of our friendship have been spent apart. With Devin living in Colorado, and my ever changing residence (Eastern Washington, then back to Seattle, then off to the desert), we've spent the last decade having the BEST reunions, all over the country. 

When Darren proposed to Devin last year, there were few words to describe how over the moon happy I was. Not only was I completely convinced these two were meant to be together, but this was a day we had talked and dreamed about (me, mostly, as the wedding obsessed one), for more than 20 years. 

With Devin's sister currently living in Louisiana, and me in Phoenix, we had planned to hold the bachelorette party somewhere fun like Napa, Sedona, or even New Orleans. With the summer wedding taking place in Colorado, the opportunity for a Bridal Shower didn't seem to be available. 

But then, in the last days of March, we decided that this once in a lifetime chance to shower our best friend/sister was going to pass us by - and we were not about to let that happen. All bachelorette extravaganza plans were shifted to a jam packed weekend of bridal showering and single lady fun in Denver. With only three weeks to plan, we put together mimosa themed brunch through many hours on the phone, texting, and shared Pinterest board.

We stuffed the invitations with a matching recipe card, which we asked each guests to bring with them to the event. Everyone remembered! The newlyweds now have a stack of most-loved recipes from the friends and family that love them. Just the thing to start a new life together.

Devin's mom, her aunt, and her sister, were an absolute dream to work alongside! Such capable, creative women, who know how to get down to work. We flew in a mere 24 hours before the party, and with two trips to Target and a whole lot of speed-crafting...pulled it off!

We love you Devin (and Darren too!)

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Wedding Traditions: The Wedding Cake

Chocolate. Vanilla. Red Velvet. Carrot. or Lemon. Cream Cheese. Buttercream. Naked. or Fondant. Flowers. Berries. Bride & Groom Dolls. 

The options for a wedding cake are...mindblowing. The flavors, the fillings, the colors, not to mention the decor and topper. This month on Arizona Foothills Magazine - Wedding Buzz, we're talking all things cake. Read the article HERE to learn the history of the treat, and why it's important to have one - even if you're a dessert bar kind of bride. 

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Photo Credit:

1 - Bakerie // 2 - Linda Lomelino