Fresh Flowers are My Drug of Choice

I feel like I've fallen off the blogger cycle! The move to my new location preoccupied me for far too long...Princeton Designer House took it's toll...multiple traveling distractions...designer house tear-down (more about this later)...well,you get the picture. I feel like I have a lifetime of posts saved up in this creative brain of mine, and no time to get to them. Thus, the hour at present, EEK!

Last week I had a fun assignment from a retail client to design fresh flowers for a big event that she was hosting. As much as I love my beautiful selection of artificial (to fool the eye for sure) flowers from Black-eyed Susan, fresh flowers make me simply heady with delight! The designing is a different ball game all together, and it's taken some experience to get to feel competent with working with fresh. I think I have it down now and I love my designs! This particular client gives me total creative license and a fabulous budget. Those two together spell joy and creative delight!

My dear friend and creative coheart Shannon, came to the rescue to help do the design and made the day even more fun! It was really hard to edit the photos to a manageable amount, but here goes.

This is how we started the design process,with bucket after bucket of beautiful bunches-colorful, strong and heady scents filled the kitchen. (I have yet to install a utility sink at the new location, thus my kitchen became the design center).


One of my personal favorites, Jade Roses. Fresh, green (!) and neatly packed in rows. What a sight to feast on.

Sweet tulips! Soft peachy-pink and white. Note the cymbidium orchids gracing the background.

Just couldn't resist the closeup of these beauties.



I had established the pallet to be mainly whites and greens , hints of coral-y pink and lavender for one particular areas. These kermits are always welcome in my designs!

A closeup of one of the finished arrangements

Ferns and hosta leaves lining the glass containers.

This design was made for my client's daughter's closet! Yes, I said her closet. She is a dancer and her mother had a small kitchen budget in mind when they built her closet! Her favorite color is lavender, thus the hydrangeas. I love grouping like flowers and the weepy tulips were the perfect choice for this. Note the green hypernicum berries as filler! Way cute.

Trash building on the kitchen floor...only the beginning!

I consider lizianthus trash flowers! I've never been fond of them and my supplier sent them as options for items that he was unable to get for me. No way. It doesn't look so bad here, but trust me, they're not desirable.

Another completed design with cymbidium orchids and monstera leaves...I love those things! Note the limes in the water. Just plain style. Some sliced, some whole. Oh, so cute.

I'm not sure why these look so large in this photo...remember when I documented the baby cabbages used in floral design in Paris? I've been a fan of them since! I ordered them for my designs, but my supplier was unable to get them at the last minute. Luckily, I had these fake ones in my store! I used them in one of the arrangements and you couldn't even tell! They are really only about the size of a large lemon. Great save.

A favorite low packed arrangement-flat sided,low round container. It's perfect for the full mounds of roses, spider mums (oh, the color!), hypernicum berries, monstera leaf and kermits. The jade roses and fresh whole limes can't be seen on the other side, but I love the shot of the sword fern wrapped around the outside edge of the vase.




Bear with me. Just a few more! I repeated an idea that I had used for a dinner party that I had hosted some time ago with this tiered wire basket filled with fresh leaf lettuce, granny smith apples, coral hypernicum berries, parsley, basil, and cilantro. Wow! It was a big hit and the fragrance was to die for. Definitely worthy of repeating. This one is so easy to create at home. Try it!

A closeup of said cool arrangement!

I used a bunch of sweet tulips on one side of the bottom tier. I recommend this for an instant centerpiece. A bit on the expensive side, but definitely worth it.

The occasional request for fresh arrangements keeps me looking forward to the next assignment. There's not much like the thrill of working with these natural elements to create style.

I'll be happy to create something unique for your next event, large or small. Just give me a few weeks notice. Ahhhhhh.

Welcome all and come back soon!

Linda has departed.

Entertainment over...

Hard working friend, gone.

Sad,sad,sad, so sad.Very sad.SAD.

I'm am happy to report, however, that we had a very successful Grand Opening. Four days of entertaining our clients, old and new. Four days of replenishing inventory after busy days. Four days of making our refreshing drink (compliments of my daughter, Jessie's recipe), and four days of nightly baking.

As promised, here is the recipe for Jessie's refreshing and super easy drink! (The glass samovar helps make it glamorous, and shortly, you can purchase your own from Black-eyed Susan).

One two litre bottle of Sprite Zero

One packet (pitcher size) crystal light lemonade

One sliced cucumber (I think it's prettiest sliced on the diagonal)

Plenty of ice!

We had many great responses and good reactions to our new and larger space. More room for jewelry! More room for vintage furniture finds! More room for accents, small and large. More room for art and mirrors! More room for my design studio and all of my favorite resources!

I'll have to say that I'm looking forward to having a wee bit more calm life. The old space is completely empty, the new space completely redesigned and merchandised (that is, for this moment!). After all, more traffic means more sales and more sales means more work...you get the picture. The Princeton Designer House is progressing (so far, without any appearances from me, but I hope to resolve that issue this week), and it does, indeed, seem like life could take on a bit slower pace.

I hope you'll take time to come by the new retail space and see it for yourself. We're settling in and beginning to feel quite at home...even have visions of turning some additional space into something fun. Christmas has begun to come in the back door (yes, truly) and it feels like summer is upon us. Thanks for all the support and for the many personal visits and wishes for success.

This image give you some idea of the end of the day...grand opening completed! Change is always a constant at Black-eyed Susan. If you come often, you'll see new inspirations and changes all around. Come see the magic.