Hot Pink, Powder Pink and Lime

The final bouquet from my January Bouquet Study- thinking of spring, lots of movement, and sweetness...

Featuring a pink and green color palette, and some of my favorite flowers: parrot tulips, ranunculus, green, hanging amaranth, lisianthus, green berzillia, and the tiniest bit of stock...

And what would a bouquet be without some pretty pins and ribbon...

By the way, if you are planning a wedding this summer and would like amazing flowers for your celebration, let me know! I'm currently booking 2012 dates.... send an email to: emailbotanique@gmail.com

I would love to design flowers especially for you!!!

Busy Times of Planning and Celebration

The past few weeks have flown by.

It all started with a big snow storm on MLK day that pretty much shut Seattle down for a week straight. Snow, snow, snow, and also quite a bit of ice, made the streets pretty treacherous, so we just nestled in, made lots of good food, luxuriated in having so much down time to just sit and look out the window at the magical Seattle snow, and eventually went a little stir crazy and were ready for it all to melt.

But in that time, things happened, oh yes they did.

First of all, drum roll, please....................... ELI AND I GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!

It happened on that very same morning when all the snow started. Right after we woke up, groggy and cozy and nestled in our warm bed, Eli presented me with an engagement ring that used to belong to his grandmother (it's gorgeous!!!). Well of course I said yes (prepare for a bit of gushing......) Eli is without a doubt the man of my dreams, and I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. Look at him, who could say no to this handsome face, warm smile, and bright eyes?

Not me!

I was over the moon with excitement! We went outside for a celebratory romp in the snow, found a gorgeous pine cone, and took some photos to commemorate the day.

Can you see the ring in there, sparkling with the snow???

And so, wedding planning has ensued. I have to admit that I love it. And the big question of course has been, "Are you going to do your own flowers?" Well there are at least twenty people trying to talk me out of this idea already, but I think it would be fun! On the other hand, two of my favorite floral designers happen to be located right here, and I can't imagine anything more exciting than the gorgeous designs of either Erin Benzakein or McKenzie Powell at our wedding..... so, we'll see.

Right after the ice storm started to melt, we took a trip to Vashon Island to check out a potential wedding venue (GORGEOUS farm with incredible orchards, a very dreamy place). Driving back to the ferry, something on the side of the road caught my eye: A HUGE TRUNK OF PUSSY WILLOW had cracked off a tree from all the ice, and was just lying there, fuzzy and silver, on the side of the road!!!!!

This could not go to waste.

"Wait!" I shouted as we drove past. "Go back!"

Eli backed up, I pointed to the booty with wide, drooling eyes, and he said, "Yeah! Load up!" (Gotta love a man who is nearly as excited about finding pussy willow on the side of the road as you are!)

We collected as many branches as we could fit in the old Subaru and headed back to Seattle.

Since then, I have been busy creating and re-creating the plan for next year's cutting garden, trying to figure out where I am going to plant the zillions of seeds that I ordered. I am so excited about it! I can't wait for spring, when the barren, muddy backyard turns into a blooming paradise!

Plum Ranunculus

I think it's safe to say that this week's flower obsession was rich, plum-colored ranunculus. Here are a few shots of arrangements made with this incredibly gorgeous flower!

Ranunculus, tulips, feverfew, and stock...

And here we have a similar palette, but take out the stock and yellow tulips, and add some pincushion protea, quince branches, and blackberries...

Makes me think of spring...

Two More Bouquets

If you haven't already guessed it, I have decided to make January "Bouquet Month." I've been experimenting with different flower combinations and ways to secure hand-tied bouquets. Here are two more, using the extra ranunculus from the Woodland Bouquet in the the last post:

A simple bouquet of lavender-colored scabiosas, white ranunculus, and blackberries.

With a simple, satin ribbon wrap, and three white pins to secure it:

And the second bouquet:

White ranunculus, blackberries, and queen anne's lace, secured with a slightly fancier satin ribbon wrap.

I LOVE this white ranunculus!

A Woodland Bouquet

Lady Slipper Orchids, Ferns, Larkspur, Pine Cones, Blackberries, Queen Anne's Lace, White Ranunculus, and a few little sprigs of Bupleurum.

Wrapped up with natural twine and three white pins.

And a matching boutonniere with ranunculus, ferns, and blackberries:

The end of 2011, the beginning of 2012, and flowers in our muddy back yard...

Happy New Year! I am so excited for 2012 to unfold.... I have this feeling that it is going to be an amazing year, filled with giant strides down many different avenues of life!

To celebrate the final week of 2011, Eli and I went offline (no computers, no working, no obsessive thinking about work... you get the picture) and had a wonderful "staycation" at home. It was filled with lots of sleeping in, long walks, great conversations, amazing meals, visits with dear friends... it was such a wonderful way to spend the end of the year, and gave us a chance to truly unwind, recharge, and spend some really good time together. It made me realize my tendency to go head first into my work, sometimes forgetting to enjoy all the little moments that actually make life so meaningful.

And so, I am starting 2012 with the resolution to maintain a level of sanity, peace and rest in my life, even as I voraciously pursue my creative and business endeavors! I am excited to live this year with a balance of work and play, activity and rest, boisterous times and quiet times. I am committed to finding a balance that honors the true centers of my life: family, health, creativity, community, nature and sharing.

I have many more thoughts about resolutions and goals for 2012, but I am sure they will spill out in posts throughout the year.

And so, without further ado, a few photos to kick off the New Year!

Have a bouquet! This one was made with some leftovers from Christmas arrangements: anemones, stock, dusty miller, privet berries, queen anne's lace and berzilia berries.

Or deck yourself out in a nice, oceanic boutonniere! These were made for Eli and his two bandmates for their final performance of Wisemen, a brilliant, original musical comedy- definitely one of the highlights of 2011...

Berzilia and Privet Berries...

And finally, if you're really looking to start the New Year off right, place one lily petal behind each ear and start making funny faces:

Guaranteed to make you (and/or the people around you) smile :)