In Full Bloom - Building A Table Arrangement

As a flower lover, spring is naturally one of my favorite seasons.  And one of the most lovely things about living on the West Coast is the array of flowers so readily available at the local markets and grocery stores.  It's a bit dangerous for me actually. Just ask my husband...I'm totally the girl that swoons over the buckets of freshly cut flowers - sometimes he has to drag me away and remind me what we're actually shopping for.  Bad, I know.

Anyhow, I worked at a flower shop for a bit in high school and took a few floral arranging classes, and have also worked with a few brides to create their one-of-a-kind bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages.   So I admit, my floral knowledge and experience may be greater than that of the average homemaker, but building an arrangement doesn't have to be difficult or intimidating.

So I thought I'd share a few tips for building a simple, but stunning table arrangement.

1. Choose a vase appropriate for your table. 
• If your arrangement is for a dining table, try to keep your arrangement low so your guests can see above it.  
• If for a night stand or bathroom sink, I like to use mason jars.
• And for my coffee table, I tend to like short vases with wide openings {I actually use a short drinking glass I found at a thrift store}.  
• Keep in mind, the wider the opening of your vase, the more buds you will need to fill it.
2. Pick a flower and stick with that one type of flower.  Be sure to buy enough to fill your vase. 
• I love garden roses, anemones, or peonies to name a few.  
• Gerber Dasies and Hydrangeas are great at making a statement as well.
3. Arrange.  Run a stream of cold water in your kitchen sink and with sharp scissors or garden shears, cut your flowers at a slight slant to the desired length.  Be sure to remove any extra leaves that would be sitting in the water.  {These leaves tend to sop up water and breed bacteria, harming your precious blooms.} The blooms that rest on the outside of the arrangement should be slightly shorter than the ones that stand in the middle - arrange the outside blooms first and work your way in.  
4. Voila!  You have a beautiful arrangement ready to proudly display. 
• Lastly - Be sure to check your water levels daily, freshly cut blooms will drink up quickly.

Here are a few of my recent floral arrangements...

{Garden Roses}

{Garden Roses}

{Peonies}

{Hydrangeas}

{....and of course, more Peonies}

I would love to know!  What are your favorite fresh cuts to have arranged in your home??  

Let me know in the comments below.

XOXO


- images via Danya Collyer

Life In Full Bloom

Hi Friends,

It's Monday and I feel I'm still adjusting to the time change...its a silly thing, isn't it?  We had a wonderful weekend - hiking, exploring more of the California Coast and worshipping with our friends at Calvary Monterey.  I wrote this post over the weekend and wanted to share it with you this morning. Hope it encourages your heart on this sleepy Monday.  Lots of love....

"Bloom where you're planted."  I've heard the phrase many times, but it took on a different meaning a few days ago, as I sat in my dining room, gazing at a vase of fresh cut flowers I had just purchased from the market.

If you know me, you know that I adore flowers.  I worked at a flower shop in high school and I quickly learned to make all sorts of things with the delicate blooms - corsages, boutonnieres, fresh arrangements, funeral sprays, wedding bouquets, etc.  I loved it!  As an employee at the shop, I had to take a few classes on floral arranging.  I learned things such as how to properly cut and prepare the flowers before using them, how to feed and nurture them before adding them to an arrangement, how to pair one flower with another so that they both shine, how to arrange them so that each flower is seen and every bloom has the space to expand to it's fullest, and how to keep each bloom from overshadowing another.  You see, when you put together an arrangement of just cut flowers, chances are, the blooms are still tight - they haven't opened completely.  If cared for properly, each bloom will open and expand.  One by one, petals will unfold, showing the world all it has to offer - layers of color, texture, and smell.

I found beautiful pink ranunculus and orange anemones at the market for $5 a bunch.  I couldn't resist.  They seem to grow easily here on the West Coast; you rarely see them in Florida.  If you do, they are at least $5 a stem.  Eeesh!  Anyhow, I came home and arranged them in a pitcher of fresh water.  I cut each stem carefully and cleanly, giving it a specific length and a designated place in the vase.  Happy with my creation, I sat the arrangement on the coffee table and walked away.  It was almost 2:00 and I still hadn't had lunch, so I pulled out left overs and sat down to eat.  The apartment was quiet.  Sun was brightly shining through the windows and Blakely was sitting at my feet.  Enjoying the peace, my eyes fixed themselves on the flowers.  Already the blooms were beginning to open.  Somehow they were more beautiful now than just a few moments ago.  Bright pink petals were becoming more relaxed as they began to settle into their new home.  

{Day 1}

I feel much like these flowers.  Plucked out of my home and placed in a totally new environment.  Prepared, pruned and arranged in such a way that will allow me to grow into my fullest potential.  Paired with a man who will encourage me to shine.  Hydrated & sun-fed so that I may grow strong.  Strategically placed so that I will expand.  And layer by delicate layer, I'm blooming into all that I was made to be - revealing God's perfect design.  Bursting with color and layers of intricate textures, emitting a sweet, sweet fragrance and exploding with life!

{Day 2}

I'm not saying that I've arrived, but I can feel I'm getting closer.  This time last year, I was very much in that seedling process - going through painful growth spurts and pruning sessions.  God has done SO much in my heart over the past few years, and looking at that beautiful vase of God made flowers gave me hope that I am headed towards beauty in the fullest.  

{Day 3}

Friends, be encouraged.  You too have a place in this world.  Bloom where you're planted and know that beauty is the end result of a life sought after Him.

- images via danya collyer