THE ART OF ARRANGING (FLOWERS THAT IS...)

I'd love to introduce to you today another new contributor here at c+k! Miss Lyndsy Sullivan of Yellow Brick Blog will be covering fun little events out of Los Angeles as they come across my desk. Not only does she have one of the most sparkling personalities I've ever met, but she brings fun everywhere she goes. And, I should know - she's one of my best friends! I have a feeling her adventures will leave me missing my days in LA, but I'm so excited that she'll be sharing some of these opportunities with us... especially this one! Take it away Lynds...

The Beastie Boys song “She’s Crafty” is most definitely not a song I would use to describe myself. In the fifteen years Cass and I have been friends, I have watched her style and design skills grow while what little skills I had all but disappear. Which is why I was extremely flattered that she would think of me to attend a design class at Floral Art on Abbot Kinney in Venice. Flattered... and totally nervous.

I decided to attend the “Simple Modern Masterpieces” class, and as I walked through the door of the adorable Floral Art shop, I was greeted with a delectable cocktail, smiling fellow classmates and the gorgeous owner Jennifer McGarigle (who looked as though she had just finished shooting a J.Crew catalog).  Jennifer has owned Floral Art for six years and used to offer the design classes only in private, but decided to open them up to the public (which we all thank her for!).

The gorgeous store was bright and dazzling, just brimming with beautiful flowers, vases, home accessories and anything else your heart could desire. After two cocktails and a little bit of mingling it was off to the back of the store to begin our class. Once I was settled into my workstation, Jennifer and her creative team coached us on how to create our very own submergible floral arrangement.

*top left: Jennifer demonstrating how to arrange. *top right: Floral Arts examples.

*bottom: classmates creations

I worked with flax leaves, palm fronds, green tea leaves and orchids to create my masterpiece. I was pleased with my final arrangement but of course wanted to tweak it for a more professional look after it was too late. What I found the most exciting was that although it would require additional practice on my part, I left feeling creative, inspired and like I could really use these skills on my own at home.

My final arrangement!

Of course, I jotted down some tips to pass along to all of you to master your own submergible design!

• Waxy flowers and leaves work best – orchids, anthuriums, colored calla lilies and the leaves I listed above generally last 5-7 days; roses, peonies, and hydrangeas will last 24-48 hours
• Green Tea leaves are key to creating a base to allow your flowers and leaves to stay in place.
• Once your arrangement is complete, drop in a cap full of bleach to keep your arrangement from turning into a science project.  

It was a truly wonderful experience for me and I cannot thank Jennifer or Cassandra enough for allowing me to partake in all the fun! This class is such a genius idea for those of us who need a little extra help in discovering our inner floral artist, and desire a truly tasteful centerpiece to come away with!

If you live in LA and have a love for florals, I would recommend signing up for a class. The skills you take home with you (in addition to your own arrangement!) will have leaving you feeling a little more “crafty”. Oh, and be sure to pet the darling Daisy Pickles when you walk out the door!


*first photo {via here} all other photography by lyndsy sullivan.