HaPpY 4th of JuLy!!

Thought I would share these awesome shots from last night's infamous Ocean Beach extravaganza. Certainly, moderation was no where to be found when it came to the quantity of fireworks shot off from the Ocean Beach Pier!

Ahh the Finale!

Dang- Bold indigo and orange gets a look!!

Margo & Stephen are such a lovely couple and I have to say a major thank you to Eddie Bojorquez of Studio 512 for the stunning bouquet shots! The bridal bouquet was long and slender, which is a nice change of pace and a perfect style for showcasing those calla lilies, delphinium, orange star-of-bethlehem, lisianthus, and scabiosa. Quaint and colorful setting as always, The Thursday Club in Point Loma, was hoppin' on Saturday night for the newlyweds!

Groom's boutonniere of tuberose, orange ornithogalum (Star-of-Bethlehem), and eryngium

Cute little belly bar arrangements of blue delphinium in silver squares

Ahh, the cake- sugared grapes from Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. and fresh dahlias, lisianthus, delph bl0oms, surrounded by cobalt bottles and single stems of blue agapanthus

Wish I said it first!

"I'm an insatiable flower floozie... I'm always in love with a new plant. Well, I love to be in love and if you can't have a new boyfriend every week, you can have a new flower to love."

So says Annie Hayes, proprietress of Annie's Annuals and woman after my own heart! Annie's Annuals is THE source for seeds of any flower worth growing. Located right here in California, up in Richmond, the wholesale/retail operation offers native plants, hard-to-find plants, newly cultivated plants, and plants you don't even know you want yet. Don't be deceived by the solid green appearance of her nursery, should you get to visit. Annie's Annuals prefers you get to enjoy the entire blooming season of your new purchase, so you buy plantets not yet in the flowering stage. Her website is ultra organized and very informative; I highly recommend it for those with a spot of land, a desire to be pleasantly surprised, and not a clue what grows in sun vs. shade.

Check out the Union Tribune's article on Annie as she headed to speak for the San Diego Horticultural Society.

Signature Studios Throws Open its Doors

Brett Charles Rose & Darryn St. John are the talented duo behind Signature Studios located in Old Town. Couldn't ask for a better spot- killer sunset view, neighbors include Fred's Mexican Cafe and the (supposedly haunted oooh) Whaley House. Each photographer carries his individual style and resume, yet combine their forces for what they hope will be an ever expanding studio. Anyhow, a good time was had by all as we talked weddings, travel, photo shop and enjoyed delectable mango margaritas. I had a great time coming up with the flowers, so thank you over and over again for the satisfied compliments.

oh the fun you can have with succulents, cymbidiums, and berzilia!


hanging candles and bird's nests of ivy & cymbidium orchids

cool photo of a photo, credit to Darryn St. John

Rock-n-Roll!!

Who doesn't like to support a bunch of people running in white Elvis suits with enough studded rhinestones to be dangerous without sunglasses?
We were happy to participate in the Rock-n-Roll Marathon's Health Expo on Friday and Saturday in conjunction with EcoCaters. Offering all organic catering and locally grown sustainable flower arrangements seems a match made in health heaven, goodies for your tummy and your happy well-being.
Artichoke flowers and Granny Smith apples mix with scented geranium, bright gerbera daisies, and parakeet heliconia..

Shades of Green

I am personally very excited that everyone else is getting excited about Green Weddings. Green weddings are not a fad; they are here to stay, just as recycling and reusing, they will eventually become the norm. That is not to say that everyone will be wearing hemp wedding dresses and putting potted succulents on their guest tables, but there will elements of eco-consciousness available at every turn. Choose to use locally grown flowers and recycled glass vases like we did for Hans & Shannon in yesterday's post. Choose to gift your live orchid plants to your aunts and uncles or the neighborhood elementary school's science class. Choose to not go to excess when designing your wedding- Reduce is after all the first of the 3 R's. Choose a florist who cares. Yesterday the Association of Bridal Consultant's monthly meeting focused on Green Weddings and of course, I was more than happy to provide the florals seeing as how Going Green is right up my alley ;)

Wanted to be sure and showcase the lovely local selection- every flower you see here is grown in either California or Mexico. On the top we have pale yellow Stock flower with a nice fragrance to boot, pow factor orange and yellow tulips (two thumbs up for also being Veriflora certified), and the exotic looking Banksia protea, which have naturalized here in San Diego from Australia. On the bottom, we have a base of lavender purple Statice flowers, targets of red-orange Gerbera daisies, and neon mauve dahlias to seal the deal. (I feel like I'm narrating a fashion show!)
Anyhoo- great meeting yesterday hosted by the lovely Water Conservation Gardens at Cuyamaca College, informative and humorous presentation by Rene van Rems - International Florist Extraordinaire (btw, I want your job:)), and organic dining by EcoCaters. Check Heather Moreau of Vallentyne Photography's blog for her post on yesterday's event, too!

May Day!! May Day!!

With the flip of a calendar page the floodgates open, and the torrential bliss of wedding season begins!! Seriously, it's as if the fairy godmother of weddings shouts "On your mark, Get set, GO!" and waves her magic wand like a checkered flag! I'm in heaven, because I am a lucky lady running amuck with flowers in every color combination you can imagine. And just so you know, I haven't totally lost it- amuck is a veritable word defined as rushing about wildly in a state of extreme activity- which pretty much sums it up:) The wondrous part is the fact we'll be in this state of frenzy through November!! Who's up for the ride?

Cocktails with a view from the Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla terrace

Centerpieces for Jenny and Ben



Bouquet for Kristin & Jacob in Point Loma

Hans & Shannon's sunset by the Scripps Shores



The groom's dapper boutonniere of bouvardia and yarrow