Las Vegas - Free Time

So in the "off time" when I wasn't at shows, my husband and I explored Las Vegas and the surrounding area.  If you have never been to Vegas, it's definitely an experience.  And off the strip is a whole other place to explore if you find the time. 

Hoover Dam is SO much more impressive in real life.  Movies and pictures do not do it justice.  The sheer size and architecture is amazing and should be truly appreciated in person.  See those dots where the river narrows? Those are kayaks.  This was taken on top of the dam looking down.  The water is unbelievably clear.

Just before the dam overlook is the Lake Mead Overlook.  Lake Mead (which was formed as a result of the dam)  is BEAUTIFUL

 Where we were standing at the overlook to the lake, these little guys were scurrying around in the shade of the ledge.  They resemble chipmunks with bushier tails.  And they were scaling the walls of this canyon, darting everywhere...it doesn't take much to amuse me.





This was the view from Henderson/Boulder City driving back towards Las Vegas:

 

We also explored the Las Vegas Speedway:

Again, much different angle from the infield versus the stands/Live TV. And yes, we did a ride along in one of the NASCAR cars.  (170 mph- OH YEA!)

So just wanted to share a few things to explore besides the strip...more posts to come!

 

 



"Passion- Las Vegas" Part 1

So I haven't posted in a little bit, mainly due to being in Las Vegas for the annual AIFD Symposium.  It includes programs, new products, runway shows and designers from around the world.  So I tried to get as many pictures as possible to share with you, (but also condensed so you aren't sifting through hundreds of pics of the same arrangement from different angles) 





First up is my good friend Jim Dempsey AIFD, CFD 's program: HAND | Craft- Design to Distinguish yourself.  It explored how we (floral designers) must work to distinguish our work, our art from all the other floral companies that offer flowers to the public.  I would LOVE to be able to create some of the wonderful things Jim designed for the show, like these hats.  This one is linen with rosettes and this collection of branches decorated with reflective discs.  Now remember- this is for the stage, to be seen up close and far away and it's the CONCEPT.  It's to showcase the handwork and craftsmanship in the design, not always a literal prêt à porter (ready to wear) design.

You can see the length of the hat a little better here.




















This is a hand-woven dress by Jim, with metallic accents and also with a boa of floral material to compliment the dress.

This dress is made with preserved/permanent botanicals of hydrangeas attached.  The picture really doesn't do the color justice as it was so much more vibrant in person.

This is a Derby Hat to me.  Or a Royal Ascot Hat, or some other equally affluent social function that requires a decorative hat.  I loved this hat.  Hmmm...maybe Jim and I can do a Christmas exchange this year :)  Just kidding.  But when you saw the detailing of each of these pieces up close it was very impressive!  I, who does not own a sewing machine and sweats it out sewing buttons back on my kids coats, was very impressed to say the least.   Every one of these took a lot of time and patience and I applaud Jim for sharing his handiwork with everyone in Las Vegas!

This is a nosegay that accompanied another hat (not shown here) Which is made with a new product that I will hopefully be able to carry here in the shop in the future.  I don't have all the details of the product with me at the moment but I will be sure to blog about that later.  There was much more to Jim's show, I am just showcasing a few things here to give you a taste of what's to come in the future blog posts concerning Symposium. 

Oh Martha, you've done it again...

So I decided to peruse Martha Stewart Weddings website to see what she's promoting this summer for weddings.  I found a link to "Affordable Wedding Centerpiece Ideas".  Overall I thought yes, some of the ideas were good, cost saving ideas.  Some ideas presented were deceiving, like this:

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/231103/affordable-wedding-centerpieces/@center/272498/centerpieces#160644While the idea of using fresh clementines, oranges and kumquats is a great way to incorporate color on the table on the cheap, it takes a serious wrong turn when they suggest orchid blossoms, stephanotis blossoms, and gardenias.  Why? Stephanotis are a small quarter sized blossom that are sold individually for around $3-$4 per blossom.  Orchids, depending on what variety and size, can either be a great buy (dendrobium have multiple blossoms per stem at $6 per stem) or expensive (Cymbidium by the bloom, $9-$13 per bloom) and gardenias.  I LOVE the smell of gardenias.  But they are one of the most high maintenance flowers in existence.  They come packaged 3 blossoms per box, at around $25 per bloom.  And yes, you will have to buy all 3 in the box.  The oils from your skin will turn the petals brown so I strongly suggest latex gloves.  Do you see where I'm going with this?  What is great in theory is not so great in real life execution Martha.
 The next idea:

Carnations are inexpensive.  HOWEVER- this arrangement features approx. 75 stems (my best guess with looking at the size in comparison to the plates).  75 stems x $1.45 =$108.75.  That doesn't include labor and the container.  Is it a great use of a otherwise plain flower- yes. Great texture and color- YES.  Is it mildly deceptive- yes.  With labor and container (it does take quite the chunk of time to arrange 75 stems of anything) possible retail - $170-$185.  Can I design a similar look but scaled down in price -Absolutely.

And the last one:

"Mix inexpensive blooms like miniature daisies, doily-shaped Queen Anne's lace, and baby's breath to create a show-stopping centerpiece."
Hmm.  Well, yes those are inexpensive flowers. But no, this particular arrangement is not inexpensive.  I'm assuming most people would look at this and think it costs all of $35.  Could it be done more reasonably- yes of course.  But as shown- I would estimate around the $200 mark.  It's hard to see how many stems of those flowers is in it, but judging on what I can count, there are many, many stems and it is quite large.  Labor is also another factor here. 
I'm not writing this to depress you, mainly just to educate you on the reality of glamorous magazine photos you see online and in print. Ask us if we can modify, if we can design something in the same style/color scheme/flowers but at your budget. We can do that and more.  Just ask!

Reality TV bites

Just saw a commercial last night for WE network's newest wedding related reality show...the premise is 5 couples(former Bridezilla brides?) after the wedding, must live in a house together.  It looks like another hot mess in the world of reality tv.  How many more wedding/marriage  themed reality shows do we need?  If you want to tune in it airs tonight http://www.wetv.com/shows/marriage-boot-camp-bridezillas
Not sure if I will tune in or not....some shows are like a car wreck, you can't help but watch, other shows I absolutely refuse to tune in because I don't want to encourage ratings.  Let me know what you think after you watch!

AIFD- The American Institute of Floral Designers

AIFD is an organization the promotes credibility, creativity, ethics and education throughout the floral design industry.  Every year around the 4th of July they hold their National Symposium (think runway shows in Paris and Milan) in a different city each year.   The Symposium consists of days of back to back programs, all presented on stage in a huge ballroom.  It is really something to see.  Our group takes over the entire hotel/conference center.  There are flowers in the lobbies, elevators- everywhere.  It's a great event for retailers  to recharge their batteries.  Here's some pics from previous events:

Abstract Designs to get you thinking...

Christmas Ideas (Boston, 2010)

Mirror Ideas(Boston 2010)

Wedding Flowers Runway show(Boston 2010)

Holiday Screen (DC,2006)

Merchandising/Party décor (DC, 2006)

So this may give you a little insight into the proportion of the event.  1,000+ people from around the globe in one place, at the same time, sharing ideas, creativity, education.  It's a great experience.  And this year it's in......LAS VEGAS.  I am SUPER excited as I have never been to Vegas and haven't been able to go to a Symposium since Boston.  I will post lots of pics after I get back to share all the fun and beautiful things I see. For more info on AIFD visit www.aifd.org

 

 

May Weddings

I haven't blogged in awhile mainly because the Month of May is CRAZY.  Not only did we have to be shut down during Apple Blossom Festival, the following week brought Mother's Day, 3 Proms (!), SU graduation and Nurses week- ALL in ONE WEEK.  Scheduling 3 proms mother's day weekend is insane for many reasons, but I won't go into that right now...that's a whole other blog post.
So finally after all that crazy, I thought (initially) the following week with 4 weddings wouldn't be that tough.  Unfortunately  my long time partner in crime (i.e. designer) had moved on to another opportunity closer to home.  Good for her, bad for me.  So it was me, myself, and I designing all the daily arrangements (funeral, hospital, birthdays, etc) and designing the weddings.  I got it all done and my designer did come in one night after her other job to help me out for a few hours.  (and I am so thankful she did).  With all the daily work I got a late start on the weddings and worked late into the night Thursday and Friday. Here's some pics:
One wedding inside the cooler waiting for Saturday delivery

Wedding #2 inside the cooler waiting for Saturday delivery:

Some other pics from this weekend's weddings:

Submerged orchids The bride's bouquet

Centerpieces in metal cube vases

Centerpieces.
(I apologize for all the weird spacing, but I haven't gotten the blogging format down to perfection just yet)

 

 

 

Apple Blossom Festival

It's that crazy time of year again when we must close our doors for a few days due to the huge festival known as Apple Blossom. 
"The Bloom is an annual event organized by the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival organization and held in the City of Winchester and Frederick County. Attracting crowds in excess of 250,000 people, the festival includes over 30 events such as the Old Town Wine & Fine Arts Festival, Apple Blossom Carnival, dances, parades, band competitions, a circus, and much more." courtesy of
http://www.winchesterva.gov/apple-blossom 

26,587 Is the current population of Winchester, VA.  Add 200,000 people and it gets crazy downtown.  The big Grand Feature parade route happens right in front of our store so it makes it impossible to access our store or even park near it during this weekend every year. 

I love the fact this attracts so many people to this area.  We are in the heart of apple country and all the fields in the county are in full bloom of apple trees.  So if you've never been, come out, enjoy and have a great time!