Blooms for the Home: Summer DIY Flower Arrangement

A few weeks ago I created a little arrangement for my Grandma and Mom's birthday party. I know a lot of my readers love flowers as much as I do (which is a lot…clearly! :)) so I decided to do another Floral  Recipe for you. 

- White Hydrangea

- Dahlia (I did both this berry color and a few lighter purples)

- Alstroemeria

- Roses

- Carnation (I only used one that had opened a lot, looking more like a peony!)

- Freesia

- Filler (berry type flower…didn't get the name of it!)

1. Start with your vessel and tape it off into sections so the stems have a foundation and aren't leaning over in the vase.

2. Start with your big flower. I placed my hydrangea first, on opposite sides of one another.

3. Add in the next largest flower. I positioned the Dahlias next to the Hydrangea. 

4. Fill in with Alstroemeria.  (This is the back side of the arrangement!) 

5. Next I added a few specialty flowers, like the roses, into holes to fill the gaps.

Tips:
- Make the grid with scotch or floral tape before starting!
- Cut stems at an angle so they can best soak up all the water they need.
- Clean the flowers, meaning remove all leaves and excess buds below the water line.
- Don't pack the flowers in tightly in a perfectly round shape. To get that whimsical feel, place some blooms in at angles and let some stems stay longer than others, giving it height.

Hopefully this helps inspire you to bring home some beautiful blooms!

Happy Tuesday! Exciting announcement coming tomorrow :)
xoxo

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My Very Own Peony Plant

Hi friends! How was your weekend? Thankfully, I was able to get a few things done around my apartment and now am feeling much better about the state of the place. It's starting to actually feel like mine. Hooray!

Also over the weekend I finally got around to planting my peony bush. I bought it a week ago and just 3 days ago, I transplanted it to a nice sized pot and added some annuals around the rim of the pot for extra color. I love how it looks. Here's to hoping it actually blooms! ;) (The garden center at Lowe's assured me it would, even in a pot! Just keep it in partial direct sun and water a little every day to every other day.) I forget the name of the variation I got, but the blooms above are my favorite type of peonies, called coral charms. I made that above bouquet for Easter a few weeks ago and it's one of my favorites to date. 

Here's the plant I potted on my porch:

It has 3 small buds! After potting the bush, I came across this fantastic article on how to care for peonies! I found it on House Beautiful's website and I'll definitely be taking notes on these tips:

1. Quickly process the flowers. Don’t worry if the leaves appear a little limp. They just need some water to perk up!

2. Peonies will usually arrive wrapped in paper. Carefully remove and put the paper wrap aside.

3. Fill up a clean container or vase with at least 3” to 4” of room temperature water.

4. With sharp floral shears, cut at least ½” to 1” off each stem at a diagonal and quickly place it in the water. You’ll want to make sure you remove any foliage that falls below the water line.

5. After you’ve cut each stem, Flower Muse recommends re-wrapping the paper around the peonies. Depending on your container, you can wrap around the whole vase. This is not necessary, but wrapping around the peonies keeps them upright and enables them to hydrate better.

6. You can remove the paper wrap after 3-4 hours.

7. The rate at which the blooms open will vary and depend on a variety of factors. Some peony varieties (e.g., coral charm) open quickly, while others may take a few days to start. The temperature of the room they are kept in will also affect how quickly they open: warmer room = faster open rate.

8. You’ll want to keep an eye on the water levels as peonies can drink quite a bit of water so you may have to re-fill the vase often. Also, you’ll want to clean and refill the vase and re-cut the stems at least every 2-3 days to maximize vase life.

***

Do you have any good tips for keeping blooms alive longer? Do share!
Have a great week!
xoxo

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Inspiration Shoot Featured on Ruffled!

Two posts in one day?! Yep! Just popping in to let you know that the inspiration shoot I styled for my amazing photographer friend, Danielle, is featured on Ruffled blog today! My heart is overflowing! This table setting might be my favorite thing ever and I just might want my everyday breakfast table to look just like this :) I'm so grateful for this opportunity and am so thrilled to be able to carry my love for design to something like event design as well.

Thanks to all the amazing vendors for helping to make it so, so beautiful. 
Shoot Location: Santa Barbara, CA / Photographer: Danielle Capito Photography / Floral Design and Styling:Michaela Noelle Designs / Succulents: The Succulent Source / Wedding Dress: Saja Wedding / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bride’s Headband: Nordstrom / Bridal Sash: Untamed Petals by Amanda Judge / Makeup: Candi of All Dolled Up / Cake: Jen Manuele / Cake Pops & Fruit Tarts: Sweets & Celebrations / Table Runner:Skoope Home / Utensils: West Elm / Water Glasses: Anthropologie / Straws: Daintzy / Rentals: Elan Event Rentals / Balloons and Tassels: One Stylish Party / Invitations, Menu, RSVP & Name Plate design: SS Print Shop

Enjoy your afternoon!
xo

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The Prettiest Mess

It's not a secret. I just really love flowers. If you take one peek at my instagram, you'll get the picture {pun intended:) } My mom has always had a knack for arranging beautiful flowers, so I'm the lucky daughter who gets to come home from school to a precious bouquet sitting on my dresser each and every time. My grandma, also an interior designer, has always kept the most beautiful garden. We have pictures of us gardening together when I was young and they're some of my favorite pictures. With my pigtail braids, mini watering can and a determined little spirit, I had my own little garden that I was responsible for at grandma's house. It doesn't stop there, though. My aunt {who's daughter just got married and through this amazing bridal shower} takes the cake for green thumbs. Her backyard is luscious and colorful, filled with old treasures from antique and consignment stores. I could live in her garden.

It is no wonder that I have been bitten by the same flower bug :) One of my new year's goals was to always keep fresh flowers in the house. What a fun goal, I know! Well, I recently styled a shoot in Santa Barbara and did all the florals myself. I got up at the bootie crack of dawn to go to the flower market here in Los Angeles. It's like my heaven on earth, other than the unkind hour of the morning you have to go to make it for the good flowers! Arms full of ranunculus, garden roses, spray roses and peonies {!!!} I was ready to go. Sitting in the middle of the newspaper and freshly cut stems and buds, I thought to myself, "This is the prettiest mess I've ever made." My mom would agree ;)

These pictures make me smile so big, because that's what my heart was doing while arranging the bouquets. I can't wait to show you more of the shoot soon, but for now here are some beautiful arrangements that Danielle captured!

*all images by Danielle Capito Photography | Flowers from Mayesh at the LA Flower Market | Turquoise chair from Elan Event Rentals

Do you like?! What's your favorite flower? Currently mine are ranunculus, peonies and garden roses.

Have a beautiful Tuesday!
xoxo

PS. Welcome my sponsor Ashley & Malone!

This husband and wife duo works to create beautiful and stylish websites for creative professionals. I'm so excited to be working with them in the near future to develop my very own website. Hooray! 

SHOP

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