How-To’s

I love putting the right combination of flowers and container together to create a gift that speaks to a person’s heart. This time it spoke to my heart as well because I was creating a Mother’s Day gift for my granddaughter to give to her mom, my daughter-in-law Lina.

Lina and I both love objects with a story and history, and she has always admired my collection of Made in America hobnail milk glass from the Fenton® company!

I have given Lina a few pieces over the years, including this cachepot. It’s one of my favorite shapes and sizes. It looks stunning filled with fresh-cut flowers and just as fabulous when empty with an LED votive light inside. It gives the milk glass a pretty warm glow.

Once we chose the container, it was time to choose the flowers for our bouquet. Olivia knows what she likes and pink is her favorite color!

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My grandson Manny was impressed by a Valentine’s post that I did showing how to use a wood-burning pen to personalize a birch container, and asked me to help him make one for his mom for Mother’s Day. Of course I said yes!

I chose a tall cylindrical shape vase for him to work with because it is the perfect shape to fill with beautiful spring tulips.

We started by making a template for the heart.

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As easy as it looks to use a Sharpie® to give your mom’s gift that personal touch, it just might not be your thing!

Well here’s a super cute and super easy solution! I picked up multiples of this perfect little “mug with a message” at my favorite off-price lifestyle store. I immediately thought of so many mom friends that I wanted to surprise with a little something on their special day! Continue Reading…

The hottest plant in home décor is by far the succulent! I have a bit of an obsession with them (that’s a whole other story and someday I’ll tell you all about it!), but right now, I want to show you a few easy ways to personalize a succulent garden specifically for your mom.

Start with a pre-made succulent garden in a clean, simple container.  The Succulent Garden by Real Simple®, available exclusively at 1-800 Flowers.com, is perfect for this project.

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I am in love with flower crowns of all styles and sizes. Sometimes, the bigger the better.

Like this one that my granddaughter Juliette wore for my niece’s wedding on Block Island!

It was so much fun watching Juliette and her cousin Abigail enjoying all of the magical moments of their cousin Jenna’s wedding. They were living their own fairy tale! When Jenna placed the flower crowns on their sweet little heads, it was truly their “crowning moment”!

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Wouldn’t it be great if the beautiful blooms someone has sent you could last forever, especially if there’s a special sentiment attached to them? There are a few ways that you can preserve and re-purpose your flowers, allowing you to enjoy them for much longer than you would think! There’s drying and pressing, but one of my favorite methods of preserving flowers is waxing. I’ve written about waxing flowers in the past and loved all the feedback and questions the post generated, so I thought I’d let you know about my recent find that makes waxing flowers even easier to do!

This Wilton candy melt machine is literally a “plug & play” dream.  Below are a few simple steps on how to use it to preserve your blooms. Continue Reading…

OK I have officially moved on from pallet wood to birch as my go to obsession.  Birch fits in so perfectly with my home décor style, bringing in natural texture and personality.  Birch trees and birch bark are in themselves works of art with limitless uses and opportunities for combining with other elements to create even more beauty!I have several different size and shape birch vases and planters and have been dying to try burning a heart into as you would see on a real tree where someone romantically declared their love.  Being a florist in February I am thinking love and romance 24/7 these days.  And my daughter is just starting to plan her wedding which she envisions in a tent with lots of natural décor elements.  So, if not now when? Continue Reading…

Instead of bemoaning the cold winter with all of the icy and bare branches, why not just celebrate the beauty of the season!

I think it’s magical when the bare tree branches become covered with ice during winter.  You can easily create that same dramatic look in your home using birch branches and acrylic icicles.  I filled the cylinder with a strand of clear lights and pinecones before inserting the branches, which gives this arrangement a more dramatic impact. Continue Reading…

Giving someone flowers as a gift is a wonderful thing to do.  Giving flowers that look exactly like a gift is not only wonderful but also a very creative and fun thing to do!  And it’s so easy!!

Start with a piece of floral foam cut to your desired size.  Thoroughly soak the foam before placing on a tray.  It is important to let the foam drain after soaking to eliminate excess water.  Place in a low disk or tray. Continue Reading…

Last week Crayola announced their new crayon color – Bluetiful – replacing Dandelion which was recently retired. As soon as I heard about this bluetiful, I mean beautiful, new color I immediately thought of one of my favorite flowers – the hydrangea!

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