TOTALLY SPRUNG

Dear spring... Would you stop being such a tease and get here already???

I have so many wonderful goodies to adorn myself + home with when you do!

*birdcage pendant by voliere at conran shop, christian louboutin gingham pumps at luisa viaroma, stripe pillow at urban outfitters, jonathan saunders skirt at net-a-porter

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.

A WHISPER OF SPRING

The days here have been cool and wet, inspiring subdued shades of spring. Whether the grey provides a muted backdrop to quiet celedon and pale pale pink...

Or fresh whites and warm creams help bring these colors to life...

The palette is that feeling of foggy spring mornings that turn to soft afternoon sunshine. The perfect type of day to be just a little bit lazy...

*images via saipua, unknown, sharyn cairns, martha stewart, domino, lonny, domino, and james merrell

BRING IN SPRING

After a sunny little weekend I have visions of springtime dancing in my head...

I'm ready to surround myself with sweet, colorful flowers...

From tabletop arrangements to fresh floral wallpaper. That's a sure to fight away the grey clouds creeping in this morning...

*images via j.crew and lonny magazine

JUST PEACHY

I am in love. LOVE LOVE LOVE. with this centerpiece.
Chocolate cosmos are so cute! The textures and different shapes and sizes are perfect, and the pinwheels very sweet. For my BFF who has been looking for a casual wedding bouquet options in a very similar palette... take note m'dear!

*arrangement by a. hana designs

HAPPY (LOVIN') WEEKEND!

Happy happy, my loves! Friday is here, and I am so ready for the weekend. I hope you all get out and spread the love a little bit. Whether with some very appropriate eyewear...
Or some creative joy...
I will be celebrating with you!

And speaking of love... I gotta give some up for my fabulous February sponsors! If you haven't visited them yet... why the heck not? Thanks to Project Wedding, Ada & Darcy, Oliver & Lilly's, and PieWacket for your support!

One more thing... thank you all for your love this week with the comments on my festive banner! I may have to make changing it up a more regular thing..! I have to say it definitely put me in the mood for Valentine's Day... time to start sipping some pink bubbly!

xo,
cassandra

*photos via pink wallpaper and snippet & ink

I JUST POSTED... TO SAY...

I love you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you SO much to everyone who has left a comment (and continues to leave comments!) on last week's Friday post. I have never found a community more supportive than those within the design blog circle. You are all truly amazing, and your enthusiasm is unreal! If I could send you all some lush spring flowers to make your day the way you made my week I would! Consider this a virtual offering. With x's and o's while we're at it.

xoxo,
cassandra

*via domino

THE ESPELETTE TABLE

Pop quiz hot shot: How do you know when you've entered a truly fabulous hotel?
When they hire someone as talented as Ken Marten to create gorgeous floral designs like this one for their little bistro. This table at The Espelette restaurant in The Hotel Connaught is a constantly rotating piece of inspiration that has been documented in a set of amazing photos on flickr that I was so happy to have stumbled upon!
Can you imagine having gorgeous arrangements like these all year long? I love the use of varying heights, the beautiful colors, and the technique of bunching the same flowers in each arrangement - it helps create a bold palette.
If you're looking for a little inspiration for your own holiday arrangements, then I would stop by his flickr page for a dose! I especially love the look of lush greens in polished (or even tarnished!) silver...
And of course, drooling over this palette of greys, greens and rich blues. This may be my own tabletop inspiration for the holidays this year... I sense a tabletop post coming on...

Merci!

You know you're in for a treat when a little shop like this greets you with chic black double doors, topiaries, vintage lighting and an overstuffed mini...
Welcome to Merci, an incredibly adorable floral boutique in (where else?) Paris that I stumbled upon over at Rosenow Floral's new blog.
I've always thought that flower shops are some of the happiest places on earth, and I'm convinced that this one would be at the top of that list. Not just because of the cheery colors or sweet scents, but also because the profits go to children's charities in Madagascar and India!
Plus, with a beautiful collection of home goods to top it off, you really can't go wrong, can you?

Mood Swings: Black + Floral

The weather here in Seattle has me losing my mind. Sunshine. Then rain. Then sunshine. I'm thinking I should dress accordingly by taking a cue from this soft Victorian meets gloomy Goth style...

A few pieces from Anna Sui's fall collection could do the trick...

I love the juxtoposition of a heavy black evening gown in a sunfilled garden. Here's how I would rock it: My absolute favorite spring dress from Lela Rose. Pair it with girlish but strong black accessories like the leather bow belt from Giambattista Valli, lace heels from Givenchy, and bling bangles from Giles & Brother or a chunky cuff from Tom Binns (don't you love that hint of blue amongst the black? pink would be even more perfect!)

*photography by craig mcdean, and via vogue uk

Bambako Winner!

Thanks to all of you who entered the giveaway for the adorable Bambako headbands! The winners are...

Kelly at Design Crush and Logan at Oh, Hello (quite appropriate since she blogged about them last week too!)

Congrats ladies!

PS - Don't you love these wallpaper inspired floral arrangements? I can't remember where I found the image, so if you know, tell me!

April Fools + Flowers

Today, I had an April Fool's joke from mother nature. Snow outside my window this morning? You've got to be kidding. So, I was happy to see another few photos added to Jen's flower set on Flickr... her poloroids always cheer me up.

At least it's springtime in LA! Here are some of my favorites from her collection...

Smitten Kitten

I'm so excited to be featured on Joanna's Glamour blog, Smitten, today, where we've asked the question - would you or have you thrown a singles party for your unattached friends? Here's how I would do it...

And while we're at it - Happy St. Patty's day to you all as well! May a little luck 'o the Irish be with you today!

*photography by roland bello

Dark + Jeweled

Wanting to cozy into winter, but avoid the dreary grey, I'm finding myself pulled towards these images where dark corners meet jewel tones and light...

room via isuwanee, photography vogue germany

photo via .v by olaf wipperfurth

photography by yelena yemchuk and jonny valiant

floral design by lmd

Haute [Floral] Couture!

No, I'm not talking runway style and floral dresses, but these are still some of the most amazing couture creations I have ever seen...


Floral couture artist Krislyn in Los Angeles is the master behind these designs (To call this a work of a florist seems so mundane!) and these pieces go far beyond any 'floral arrangements' I've ever seen. I'm completely inspired...


The attention to detail is amazing, and each piece is so perfect in simplicity and balance. The structure of the design is reminiscent of the Japanese ikebana and bonsai design techniques, but with less traditional twists like bold colors and feathers, which I love!


Out of all of them, I think the blues are my favorite because they have such a surreal quality to them. And the roses growing out of the driftwood? Gorgeous. Something I'll have to try myself for my next dinner party!

The next time I'm back in LA, you can be sure I'll be popping in to see the shop and check these pieces out in person.

Bring On the Bouquets!

I. LOVE. FLOWERS. Just thought I'd get that out there before diving into this post, because choosing bouquets for my wedding? Tough. At first I thought I wanted a lot of champagnes/pinks, and then I realized that I really wanted more whites in my own bouquet... so the truth is that until the day I really get married, I'm never going to make a decision! But here's what I do know...


These are the flowers I love: dogwood, poppy (love the dark centers!), pink astilbe, peachy ranunculus (with the green centers!), lambs ear, white peonies and anemones with a hint of pink.

It was close to impossible to try and find a bouquet with each of these elements in it (not that I'd necessarily want ALL of them anyway), so here are my top three arrangements...


I adore the old-fashioned romance of this bouquet (from MS Weddings). It looks fresh out of the garden, but still structured, which I love, and it uses a lot of the flowers I want! I also like the use of the satin ribbon to add in an antique gold, which i think gives it warmth.


This bouquet (via brides.com) has a similar feel, but is a bit more wild. I love the anemones for their dark centers which I think add some depth to the arrangement. Also, you can't see, but this arrangement includes a bit of Jasmine, which is one of my favorite scents. When I was born, my mother planted a bush right outside my bedroom window, so this would be an extra special touch!


I figured I should pick out something for the table as well, and this centerpiece from The Green Vase was absolutely perfect.

I suppose I'll have to wait until my REAL wedding to have the bouquet of my dreams, but for now, these will get me started!

Charmed, I'm Sure!

Those of you who peruse the wedding blogs from time to time may already be familiar with event designer Lisa Vorce's incredible site for her company Oh How Charming!, which is simply overflowing with inspiration. Well, I popped by her site last night and loved this tabletop so much, I had to share...

Most wedding cakes are so overdressed, but this one is so simple and perfectly captures the more relaxed garden feel of this event. And, as noted in my post yesterday, I just love simple natural linens for their rustic Italian feel. Combine a bit of antique silver and the effect is complete!

Rustic farm tables! I simply can't resist them. Simplicity is still the key here, and that shade of red is just warm and divine.

Can we say Tuscan? I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to have a bit of an Italian feel to my own wedding someday, and I will definitely be filing these images away for inspiration! Love the fresh floral tucked into a clean white napkin with the red menu.

If you have time, pop over to Lisa's website for more amazing decor. As an event planner myself, I can say that I'm truly impressed with every single piece of her portfolio!

Sometimes A Girl Just Needs Flowers...

Yesterday was one of THOSE days. By 5pm I was ready to head home and either pop open a bottle of wine or run out my stress on the treadmill. Luckily I already had a gym date, so I was a good girl and got a good run in before the wine. You know what I really needed though? Flowers! So I did a little 'shopping' through my two favorite floral blogs, and got myself some beautiful bouquets.


For the living room, via Housemartin's archives.


And for the bedroom, via Saipua. (PS - I love how fitting the stack of books is for this romantic bouquet!)

More Fresh Greens...

I told you there'd be more to my previous post! Yummy green interiors and inspired bouquets...


another favorite past room of the week with some au natural floral design from michelle rago.



more michelle rago styling, and a room from domino mag.



a relaxing indoor/outdoor room via elle decor and a unique bouquet from brides to match.