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The only way that spending a little time with a bunch of friends, learning new skills, and creating your very own Holiday Flower Tree® could get any better would be if it benefited a good cause. And that’s exactly what happened when my sister-in-law, Kathy, opened her home and invited a few of her neighborhood girlfriends in to join in the fun.
Each guest made a contribution to Smile Farms at IGHL, an organization that is near and dear to my heart. 1800-Flowers.com graciously stepped up and donated all the materials needed for this workshop, which allowed us to make a nice holiday donation to Smile Farms on behalf of this group of friends. Continue Reading…

Enjoy our guide to hosting your very own Flower design whether it’s as a class, workshop or an event. The DIY floral design workshop is great fun for everyone and your guests take their flower design creations back home! 

I recently had the opportunity to go out into the “field” so to speak, and share a few of my favorite things – flowers and fun – with great friends, old and new!

The first event was of a corporate nature.  My sister Peggy, asked if I would do a floral centerpiece workshop at her annual Customer Appreciation Night.  She likes to have a little something extra and interactive for this event and the “Centerpiece Bar” worked out even better than we expected.

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If you feel, like I do, that no party is complete without a game or two, here’s a fun idea for your next wine – themed party: a Rosé party game!

Save the corks from the wine you drink, or ask friends and family to save theirs for you to collect. Fill a pretty bowl or any clear container with the corks and have your guests guess how many corks are in the container. Remember to count them as you put them in the bowl.

And the perfect prize for the winner? A bottle of wine of course!

Graduation Decorations That Go for the Gold

Graduation truly is a time to sparkle and shine—and using gold in your party décor will also put you right on trend. Gold is everywhere these days and in many different ways: foil, leaf, glitter, tassel, etc. Here are a few easy ways to make your graduation the one that outshines the rest!

Duct tape, you’ve come a long way! One of the simplest ways to customize and add some pizzazz to your centerpieces is to wrap a piece of gold duct tape around the vase and write a message on the tape. This gold duct tape is actually dry-erase as well—what could be easier! Continue Reading…

One of my favorite themes for a baby shower is “feathering the nest,” which is really the whole point of having a baby shower.  I actually threw my daughter-in-law Lina a “birds nest” themed shower when she was pregnant with my beautiful granddaughter Olivia Grace!  It was a no brainer because Lina already had a thing for birds!  There are so many ways that you can incorporate this theme into your gathering from the invitations, to the décor, and even the food.  Here are just a few decor ideas using flowers, nests, eggs, and bird cages that you might want to try too!

We knew that Lina was having a girl, and since purple is her favorite color I started simple with purple hydrangea in purple mason jars. Continue Reading…

Beach Inspired Decor for a Summer Soiree

Keep your floral varieties classic, such as roses and orchids, and use just one variety per arrangement and mass it out for maximum impact.

To design in a large shell simply place a piece of saturated floral foam in the opening of the shell, cut the floral stems short and insert into the floral foam until the entire opening is filled with flowers. Continue Reading…

I’ve become a little obsessed with Galentine’s Day, now that I know what it’s all about.

I had no idea! I thought it was “a lonely-hearts club for single ladies” on Valentine’s Day! As it turns out, I have been celebrating Galentine’s Day basically my whole life!!

What is Galentine’s Day? In the words of the holiday’s creator, Parks and Recreations’ Leslie Knope, “Oh it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus, frittatas.”

If you haven’t started celebrating Galentine’s Day yet, I would say 2017 would be the year to start! As a matter of fact, I think we should declare February Galentine’s Month. And make it a monthly celebration the rest of the year!  Any day of the month that you want, just do it and keep doing it. Celebrate each other, learn from each other, support each other, and in honor of Leslie Knope, let’s start by laughing with each other!

Now Let’s Get This Party Started!

 “Ladies Celebrating Ladies”

For inspiration, look no further then reruns of Parks and Recreation or a quick Google search of Leslie Knope quotes. Pick a quote to be your main theme or use them all and incorporate them into your decorations and games.

Of course, this one spoke to me immediately! Just one more reason to fill my house with sunflowers! I think that the sunflower should be the official flower of Galentine’s Day, don’t you?!  Continue Reading…

You can make your “Ladies Celebrating Ladies” gatherings even more meaningful by adding an element of giving back. There are so many ways to do this, in big ways or small. It’s all up to you. If you are gathering with a group of friends monthly, set a dollar amount that each person will contribute per month and vote on an organization to donate to at the end of a year. In honor of the creator of Galentine’s Day, you could contribute to or get involved with Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls or another organization that is committed to supporting girls’ and women’s causes.

Or you and your friends could organize a larger special event. Each planning meeting is another excuse to get together with the girls! I recently helped organize a Paint & Wine event that raised money for Smile Farms, an organization that is near and dear to my family and me.

A larger scale event requires more work and attention to detail, but it is worth it. Here are some tips and ideas from this event if you are thinking of giving something like this a try.

Before hiring professional instructors, see if there are people within your circle who have the necessary skills and would be willing to volunteer their time or offer a deep discount off their regular fee. Continue Reading…

I’m a doer, a creator, a lover of learning!  So, I think having an activity planned for your Galentine’s party is a must.  You can have someone come and teach a class or you can set up an online class.  You can also take it as serious as you want or just have fun with it.

One of my passions is hand lettering, so I planned chalk lettering activities, as well as a bounce lettering online tutorial.

Chalk Lettering

I incorporated chalk lettering into my party décor, which provided lots of inspiration for my guests!  And, once again, I turned to Leslie Knope’s own words for inspiration!!  I used an oversized glass canister with chalkboard label to display this fresh and fabulous arrangement of sunflowers, free spirit roses, asters, and tulips.

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