Eek, it’s been a long time! I am so sorry for the lack of posts and updates.  Alot has been going on around here, but I will get to all that later.  In the mean time, I want to thank my sweet friend Natalie Franke for asking me to be a part of this beautiful shoot, featured on Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book Blog right this instant! Head on over to check out the full gallery and list of vendors!

Just two quick pictures of a really pretty autumn rehearsal dinner I did last week.  I got to have lots of fun with the containers on this one! I got to use whatever I wanted and my client specifically requested that they not match.  I love antique crocks and boxes and tarnished silver urns so this was a project right up my alley!

Head on over to Natalie Franke’s blog today to see some beautiful shots of my flowers from our Layers of Lovely shoot on film! If you are a recently engaged bride we hope you’ll enter to win a spot at our event this December 2nd!

I thought September was going to be my slow month, but what it really turned out to be was my last minute month.  It’s been kind of fun to be honest, speeding through projects and ideas and getting a little caught up in this creative whirlwind.  I am working with some really fun brides right now, all with really different tastes.  Here’s just a little snippet of an idea for a save the date!

I’ll be back later today with more of images from Monday’s shoot, but in the mean time, take a look over at Krista A. Jones and Natalie Franke’s blogs to see a collection that each of them shot from our Layers of Lovely inspired shoot! Image above is courtesy of Natalie Franke. If you are a Maryland bride, you are going to want to apply! It was an absolute treat to collaborate with some of our industry’s best this on this shoot.  I supplied the bouquets, centerpiece, paper goods, swizzle sticks, tiny sparklers, and fabric floral accessories!

A list of all the vendors involved in this shoot follows ( I hope you will book one or all for your upcoming wedding, I can’t recommend them highly enough!)
Photography – Natalie Franke Photography & Krista A. Jones Photography
Dresses – Garnish Boutique
Hair – Dana Trantas Smith
Makeup – Angela of Behind the Veil, LLC
Paper Signs – Petal and Print 
Flowers – Petal and Print 
Models – Sara (of Bayside Bride), Hanna and Katie & Krista’s family dog Abbie
Cupcakes and Macarons – Sweet Hearts Patisserie 
Flower Hair Pieces – Petal and Print 
Jewelry – Jewels in Ruxton

Here’s the thing I like about birthday parties… They don’t take themselves too seriously.  They’re usually fun and bright and they’re generally on the smaller scale which is nice to tackle every once in a while.  Sometimes it is nice to just “casually” arrange lovely stems in a collection of smaller glass jars, letting each bloom speak for itself.  These are shots from a beautiful birthday party I did recently, and these are just a snippet of the pieces I did.  I think there were 35-40 individual arrangements, and when installed they ran down the centers of long farm tables which always makes for a pretty setting.  Pictured above : I like to pack little clusters in a collection of vintage beverage crates for transport.  This JK Beverages is a favorite of mine because it has really small compartments inside!

I used some of my favorite flowers for these garden style clusters… local pee gee hydrangea (everyone from my hometown in PA calls this snowball bush), gorgeous bright orange ranunculus, bright pink Maria Theresa garden roses, the palest peach Juliet garden roses,  ruffled coral Free Spirit roses, geranium foliage, basil from my garden, and classic white hydrangea.

What do you think? Makes you want to celebrate, right?

My husband, some close friends and I just got back from a lovely trip to Nantucket. It’s the second time I have had the pleasure of visiting this charming island, and it was just what I think we all needed at the end of a busy summer.  Some time to relax and enjoy the simple joys of the waves breaking on the beach and sand underfoot.  I’ll be back later this week with some photos and a video ( if I can figure that one out) of our trip and some of my thoughts on what you should not miss while visiting this little wonderland!  Where have your vacations taken you this year?

For the first time in years, I spent my summer doing what I wanted, going to the pool, antiquing, going running, really focusing on my business, and spending time with family & friends.  I worked a little for other people (Trohv & The Floral Studio) and next week I am headed out for vacation!
It really does feel good to take some time, to center yourself on the things that matter most and to let the business of life and work settle down.  I feel ready for fall, for the onslaught of weddings and holidays, and all that comes with those.  I feel rejuvinated by the summer, like when I was a little kid about to go back to school.
For your enjoyment… some snippets of my summer

I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Here are some of the photos from this past friday’s rehearsal dinner at Woodberry Kitchen.  I love working in Woodberry Hall with it’s rustic brick walls and wooden farm tables, it is the perfect backdrop for flowers.  These arrangements were made in tiny wooden crates and ran the length of the centers of the tables.  They included hydrangea, peonies, poppy pods, garden roses, scabiosa pods, zinnias, roses, geranium foliage, queen anne’s lace, goose neck, and lisianthus in a palette of creams, whites, yellows and greens.  Congratulations to the happy couple!

Just a pretty posy from last week.  The very last of my poppies.  And a mix of peonies, ranunculus and garden roses in shades of bright pinks, corals and peach.  I hope this made for a very Happy Birthday.  It was hard for me to let it go!