A Flower Blog About Flowers, Plants & Gifting

Thanksgiving Hosting Tips by David Tutera

November 14, 2019

What are your best hosting tips for Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is about tradition, family, and being home.

I love to set a table and make it an experience. Place cards, flowers, fabrics, colors that embody the fall and adding spices and berries and texture to the table. I believe you want to truly be present at any table, therefore collectively experiencing the five senses is what makes a table become an experience. The smell/fragrance of the food and spices, the touch of texture of the fabrics on the table, and place settings. The sounds of background music that creates the ambiance. Seeing the faces of your family and friends at the table and of course tasting all the wonderful dishes made in your kitchen.

DIY Flower Crafts

Cute Thanksgiving Craft Idea for Kids: Sunflower Turkeys

November 10, 2019

Thanksgiving Bouquet of Sunflower Turkeys

Are your kids looking for something to do on Turkey Day … other than patiently wait for the bird to roast in the oven? This Thanksgiving craft idea will keep the little ones busy while you cook up a delicious feast for the family, and you’ll have an adorable centerpiece that your guests will rave about as they gobble down their food!

Materials Needed for Thanksgiving Sunflower Turkey

Construction Paper (or colored cardstock or foam)
Scissors
Glue
Sunflower bouquet*
Googly eyes or candy eyes

*The Harvest Glow Bouquet is the perfect arrangement to use for this craft.

How to Make a Thanksgiving Sunflower Turkey

Cut out the shapes shown above using brown, orange, red and yellow construction paper. (You can also use cardstock or foam for sturdier turkeys.) Continue Reading…

Floral Occasions & Holidays

Top 5 Thanksgiving Hostess Gift Ideas

November 2, 2019

One of the greatest days of the year is almost here – Thanksgiving! What plans do you have to celebrate this year? Will you be having friends and family over to your house, or will you be attending a Thanksgiving dinner party? If your schedule includes heading over to someone else’s home this Thanksgiving, you know the drill – you should never show up empty handed! That said, today, we wanted to share some of our favorite Thanksgiving hostess gift ideas – here are a few things you can bring:

Flowers. Not only will your host enjoy looking at their flowers once the holiday is over, but they’ll also make for the perfect centerpiece for their Thanksgiving table! These Thanksgiving flowers are primarily made with orange, red and yellow flowers (perfect for the season), so any one is sure to add an additional festive feel to Thanksgiving dinner.
Gifts for entertaining. Your Thanksgiving host is going to be doing a lot of entertaining, so how nice would it be for them to have some new accessories to use? For example, a wine tool kit will help with a lot of their beverage needs and give everyone something new to drink out of! (Speaking of wine kits – mason jars, beer and wine are always great gifts too) Continue Reading…

Holiday Decorations

Thanksgiving Centerpieces and Table Decoration Ideas

November 1, 2019

Think of your tabletop as a blank canvas on which you will create your “tablescape” art. You choose your mediums as any artist would—your surface, linens, flowers and candles. The layering of colors and textures, adding personal touches, all play a part in the delight and ambiance that a beautifully designed table brings to a special occasion. Go as big or as simple as you want! This is your masterpiece, and should represent you and tell the story that you want told.

Let’s start with simple! Here are a few easy, creative and inexpensive ideas that I hope will provide some inspiration to get you started on your tablescape art.

Fresh Flower Wreath Centerpiece

Floral Occasions & Holidays

What Is Singles’ Day?

November 1, 2019

History of Singles’ Day

Singles’ Day began at Nanjing University in China. It was initially called “Bachelor’s Day” since it started out with only young men celebrating the occasion, however, it is now celebrated by both genders. The holiday is celebrated on November 11th (11/11) because of the four single “ones,” and the Chinese name of the holiday, “Guanggun Jie,” appropriately translates to “bare sticks holiday.” The occasion started in the 1990s and has been spread throughout China and beyond. It was created to help stop the negative connotation surrounding the idea of being single, especially in universities. The holiday is celebrated with fun, uplifting activities to enjoy the fun of being single!

How to Celebrate Singles’ Day

A Night on the Town Dancing and Singing Karaoke

What better way is there to meet new people and enjoy your single life more than singing your heart out and dancing the night away? We couldn’t think of any either, which is why Singles’ Day often involves parties and karaoke!

Holiday Decorations

Dia de los Muertos:
DIY Flower Sugar Skull

October 29, 2019

Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday to honor and celebrate loved ones who have passed. Originally an Aztec harvest celebration, the Catholic influence of the Spanish conquistadors combined it with the traditions of All Souls’ and All Saints Day, and the celebration now starts the day after Halloween and runs for 2 days (11/1 & 11/2).

There are so many beautiful traditions associated with Dia de los Muertos – the colors, music, sentiment, and a few iconic symbols such as the Sugar Skull! Whether you’re going big or small this year, here are a few ideas for ways that you can personalize and bring this celebration of loved ones’ past into your Dia de los Muertos.

The most iconic symbol of Dia de los Muertos is the Sugar Skull. Mexicans choose to celebrate the lives of their dearly beloved and the skull symbolizes death but in a positive way. Living in a country abundant in sugar production, they began to create beautiful clay molded sugar skulls that were decorated with flowers and colorful icing that represented departed souls.

Here’s an easy way to go from Halloween to Day of the Dead and keep the party going!

Floral Occasions & Holidays

Day of the Dead Flowers and History

October 28, 2019

What Is Day of the Dead?

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), is a holiday that is celebrated annually on November 1st and 2nd to honor and remember those that have passed on. The holiday resembles All Saints Day and All Souls Day, which are celebrated after Halloween on the Christian calendar.

First developed in Mexico, the Day of the Dead is most notably celebrated in Latin American regions, although it is becoming increasingly popular throughout the United States, too!

Why Is Día de los Muertos Celebrated?

When the Aztecs first began observing this occasion over 3,000 years ago, their ultimate goal was to honor and celebrate the deceased as their spirits returned, not necessarily to mourn those who are no longer with us. While it is definitely still a time of reflection and remembrance, the main focus is to celebrate the lives that our loved ones lived.

Floral Occasions & Holidays

Diwali, The Festival of Lights: How to Celebrate

October 24, 2019

What is Diwali?

Once a year in autumn, during the darkest new moon in the Hindu month Kartik, Hindu communities and temples will shine bright with millions of candles and lamps. This celebration, known as Diwali – or the festival of lights – dates all the way back to ancient times! Diwali 2019 is celebrated on October 27th and for several days after, depending on the family’s religion and traditions.

The traditional name of this holiday, Deepawali originates from the Sanskrit words deep, meaning light and avali, meaning row. Depending on the region and religion, the duration of the festival (3-5 days) as well as the history and origin of the holiday may vary. Although Diwali is mainly a family affair, Diwali is also a religious day for many Hindus. Many celebrate the holiday to bring prosperity and good health to their families.
Continue Reading…

Halloween, Holiday Decorations

Candy Corn

October 20, 2019

Let’s keep the iconic-Halloween-symbol-3D-floral-design thing going! This time, it’s all about the candy corn. Does anyone actually eat candy corn, or is it just for crafts and decor projects? Whatever people do with candy corn, they do a lot of it; according to the National Confectioners Association, approximately 25 million pounds of candy corn are sold annually! That’s a lot of kernels… so plug in those glue guns and get crafty! Here are a few decor ideas and a few candy-inspired beverages for young and old ghouls and goblins!

Home Decorating with Flowers

Top Fall Wreaths For Your Home

October 17, 2019

Your door is the first thing your guests see when they arrive to your home. Express your style and decorate all year long with simple, one-and-done pieces like wreaths! These warm decorations filled with lush florals and ambient colors will make you wish that it’s Fall all year round. Take some inspiration from our top Fall Wreaths to get started on your own fall home decorating!