Vintage Wedding

I am currently working with a bride who is having a vintage inspired wedding. I wanted to give you a little sneak peek of the order. The first picture is her inspiration board and the others are pictures of the bouquet I designed for her to carry. I am very pleased with how it turned out!

Materials used: preserved roses, silk ranunculus and anemones, guinea feathers, paper berries, filler, vintage amber jewel brooch and matching earrings, satin ribbon, vintage lace, turkey feathers, millinery leaves

A Charming Wedding

Last June, my good friend, Katherine, got married to Ethan on a beautiful and unique outdoor venue called The Confluence Resort, which is located in Southern, West Virginia. The venue was perfect for the couple considering their love for nature and the outdoors. Here, there are 50 acres of fields, forests, and overlooks that are surrounded by whitewater. I was very honored to take part in both the wedding ceremony and the decorating. The venue really doesn't need alot of over the top decorating so we kept it simple and charming with a little bit of country flair. With close attention to details, I think it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever seen. So, I want to share with you a few pictures of the decor. Later this spring, I will post round two, showing more picture of the bride and groom. I also want to give a shout out to the fabulous photographer, Emily Porter, who captured the best moments of the event.

Becca, Katherine's sister, and I gathered our colored glass bottle collections and put them on the tables with wildflowers on top of a burlap runner.

The bridesmaids each wore a different color dress from Anthropologie. That's me in the purple ;)

Becca found awesome vintage candle holders at a flea market. We also put bird seed in mason jars with votive candles.

The tables were named after favorite rivers of Katherine and Ethan.

Sneak peek of the bride and groom.

The food stations were in the barn so we covered up a door with an old quilt.

This was the overlook where the ceremony took place. Gorgeous!!

Interior Design

I currently work during the day at a florist who caters to the well-known historical hotel, The Greenbrier. I was working in our main office yesterday which is located in the resort, and as I was out and about refreshing some of our flower arrangments, I snapped a few photos of some of my favorite paintings, hallways, and decor throughout the hotel. The hotel was originally decorated in the mid 1900's by the first person to proffessionalize interior design and have their own design company, Dorothy Draper. In her time, she was modern, used vibrant colors, and mixed alot of bold patterns. Today, the style and decor Draper used is still displayed throughout the hotel.

A perfect painting for the ballroom

I love these big flower light fixtures in the hallway to the banquet rooms

My arrangement next to the theater

I love the ceiling

North Parlor

Cut Flowers

This early spring weather has really got me in the mood to grow flowers so I wanted to share with you a few pictures from a year round cut flower farm I used to work on in the DC area called Farmhouse Flowers and Plants. There's about three acres of flowers growing in greenhouses, high tunnels, and in the field. They sell most of their flowers at farmer's markets on the weekends and some go to local florists. Their biggest market is the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market in DC which The Wall Street Journal called one of the best farmer's markets in the country. It was a summer I'll never forget!! Enjoy!

Dahlia

Cart of black eyed susans, ageratum, and bachelor buttons

A row of sweet william

Lily House

Dupont Circle Farmer's Market

Green Wedding

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!! Whewww.....It's been such a busy day working at the florist, getting shipments ready, running errands, and writing emails. Even though I've had barely enough time to eat, drink, or do anything else, I can't seem to get GREEN off of my mind. So, I wanted to share with you something that shows off this tranquil and refreshing color. I recently worked with a bride in Australia who is getting married at a venue called Merivale which is located in Sydney, Australia. The venue has several different rooms and floors, but her wedding event is located on a beautiful floor called The Sun Room. My words to describe this - "Garden Chic". It's like an indoor garden possessing elegance, charm, and beautiful decor. The third picture is the boutonniere I designed to be worn at this wedding event.

The Sun Room

Flea Markets

You know when people ask you - So, if you had anywhere to go in the world, what would be your top five places to visit? Well, I'd have to say the Paris Flea Market would definitely make my list. This famous market was started in the late 19th century when men called 'pickers' would ravage through garbage at night to find junk to sell that would hopefully be another man's treasure. This

scavenger hunt became so popular that it led to the 'pickers' gathering in groups outside city walls and setting up temporary booths. The flea market still thrives today covering 15 acres of ground with 2000 shops. WOW! Now, that is alot of bargaining!!

Now, back to the real world - I have an awesome little flea market right here in my little mountain town in West Virginia. It's year round and is open Saturday and Tuesday. Last Tuesday was one of the best flea markets days ever! I have always drooled over vintage stained glass but can never really afford it. But Tuesday, I spotted a small stained glass window probably only a foot high with a rose in the center and flaps on the side. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was mine. It even had a good price on it, and ended up getting it for even less! Happy flea marketing!

Books

I want to share with you a book I just started reading...Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful by Amy Stewart. If you have a passion for flowers or growing flowers, this is the book for you!! It's a New York Times Bestseller and takes you on an adventure to learn more about the cut flower industry. I've only made it to the second chapter but am totally intrigued already! The first chapter introduces you to flower legend, Leslie Woodriff, the man who is responsible for discovering the Stargazer lily. Actually, he devoted his entire life trying to find a breed of lilies that have an upright blossom. Did he succeed? Well, considering the Stargazer lily totally revolutionized the cut flower industry, I think he did.

Stargazer Lily

Spring Fever

As I am sitting here writing my first blog entry, I am realizing the last days of my favorite season, Old Man Winter, are almost over. But how can I be disappointed when I have something even better to look forward to - SPRING. When I think of Spring, I think of searching for Lady Slippers in a shaded woodland, sorting locally grown French tulips at work, and PINK! Even though I have not always cared for pink, it seems like the older I get, the more I love this color. How can you not love pink after looking through the new Martha Stewart Weddings magazine? Pink is the universal color of love and creates the most perfect pallette for a Spring wedding. On this note, I wanted to share with you something that has totally got me in the mood for Spring - my recent creations for a lovely bride, Alyssa.

Cake Topper

Bridal Bouquet

Boutonnieres