Neighborhoods of Newport House Tour

Yesterday I spent the day styling the Caretaker's Cottage with flowers for the Newport House Tour. I have to say, I think styling is one of my favorite things to do with flowers. When it comes to styling a home with flowers, less is better, most of the time. Except when the opportunity presents itself to you to do a lush, full arrangement in a kitchen, tucking in a few lemons :) I love warming up a space with that just picked from the garden look and bringing nature indoors. My client had this amazing silver pitcher her great grandfather won in a tennis tournament. I loved using that personal touch. I took the tour with some friends and family today and it was a lot of fun. We saw such beautiful architecture and grounds, such beautiful details, my mind is overloaded with fabulousness.

Details, Details

Found these detail shots from the last arrangement I made. Sometimes the little 'moments' happening in an arrangement are the ones I can't turn away from.

Floral Chat

   I keep going back to this article Floral Industry that was written a few weeks ago in the NY Times. It holds a shiny ray of light for what is to come in the floral industry.  Over a period of time, we started to just see the finished product of so many things such as flowers, food, clothing, etc. The source of where these things were produced was kind of forgotten about, in order to cut costs, etc., and therefore responsible practices and quality were reduced. I try to source locally and seasonally at ever chance. And realistically, I will never be able to source locally for everything, especially because of our short growing season. But, I've been pleasantly surprised even at the flower market to find vendors are using floral distributors who are making efforts towards positive change. Yes, it can be more effort on my part, but if this means I can get you cleaner, fresher flowers I'm going to do it.

Spring Palette

Morning to night.

Color Crush: Grapefruit

   Inspiration pops up everywhere for me. Lately it's been in grapefruit. Since my crush began, I've been eating grapefruit with honey for breakfast, choosing blouses in those incredible hues, and baking grapefruit olive oil cake until it is perfected! The colors on this one fruit are so amazing and I can't get enough. Creamy yellows, peaches and pinks, red to burnt oranges... What flowers can I use to create this color palette? Sweet spring ranunculus comes to mind, fabulous dahlia, garden roses, local zinnias... It's endless!

(via Lillet Rose Spring Cocktail, Grapefruit Cake, Dahlia)

Plums