Design: Wildflowers in a Log

Attention flower-enthusiasts! The LA Flower Market has re-opened! God is good...

I found this awesome log vase at Luis' shop and he gave it to me for 8 bucks!

See my "Starter Vases" post for his contact information.

Additionally, I scored all this produce for $10! If you've read my post on selecting flowers, you'll know how I did this with my "old versus new" tip. :) How stunning is this multi-colored Yarrow?

Unfortunately, I don't have definitive steps for this one but maybe the pictures can give you a visual!

The gist is to build your height and shape first. Then LAYER and tuck flowers low to cover your base.

Recipe:

• Blush Lisianthuses (it's not "Lisianthi" unfortunately, according to Webster)

• White Dahlias

• Achillea Millefolium a.k.a. "Yarrow"

• Bupleurum a.k.a. "Hare's Ear"(the greenery with yellow leaves)

Since you made it to the end of this post, you get to endure some personal reflection!

Last week I constantly found myself complaining,"I miss this! I miss that!" I was perseverating so much, I decided to flip the sentence.

Here are some things I don't miss:

I don't miss the 70 hours a month I lost to commuting.

I don't miss the extreme burn-out I felt after each week trying to juggle it all.

I don't miss the days when my husband and I were "2 ships passing in the night" since I left at 6:30am and returned at 10:30pm some days. (He would literally say "see you in 16 hours.." with a sad face)

I don't miss my body feeling broken every morning because I killed it with jiu jitsu 2x/week, running sprints 2x/week, weight-lifting and dance ~1x/week. (I still miss jiu jitsu though!)

I don't miss having to tell my siblings, parents, or in-laws that my next available date to see them is 4 weeks out. Now I socially-distance see them at least 1x/week !

I don't miss that my long-distance friends and I would wait 6 months to 2 years before seeing each other's faces.... Zoom and FaceTime were there all along!

I don't miss feeling empty of creative-energy since my routine/grind was dug so deep. Work 7-5, commute, sports/exercise, bible study (I was trying to attend 2!), shove frozen food in my face, sleep, repeat.

And most of all.. I don't miss not relying on God this much.

There are so many things "up-in-the-air" nowadays. I used to micromanage my Google calendar and life timeline to the point of calculating exactly when I would hit certain milestones based on personal trajectory... It was awful! There is some sense of relief and peace knowing it's all in His hands. It has always been.

"God doesn't ask you to be strong 24/7, he asks you to give your burdens up to Him" - radio host Amy from KLOVE.

Hoping there's some things you out there reading "do not miss". Here's to our new normal <3

Easy Starter Vases

Sharing photos from the weekend! I realized all my previous posts involve floral foam which you may not have. Here are some thoughts on simple glass and water arrangements...

1) The larger the mouth, the more complicated

Try vases 3" or less in diameter. That way, you don't have to play with angles as much!

The glass pedestal vases are from my buddy Luis at Decor Center Los Angeles.

770 Wall Street

Los Angeles, CA 90014

(213) 629-6949

www.decorcenterla.com

2) Go larger if you have larger flowers

Scale your vases to the size of your flowers. I've tried putting a bunch of tiny flowers into larger vases and it never looks right to me.

3) Group 'em!

Grouping several smalls can have similar impact to 1 large when tablescaping. Without the fuss or stress of attempting lots of larges!

4) Match those colors!

If you're going to group various sizes, make sure the flowers are similar in shade so it looks like a set. I found some at Trader Joe's and some at Smart & Final. All very affordable.

Recipe for smalls:

• 2-3 Roses

• 2-3 Tulips

• 1 Lisianthus

• Fill with looped tulip stems (see previous post on Box Flowers for technique!), lisianthus buds, and bear grass

Recipe for larges:

• 3 Snap Dragons

• 2 Lilies

• Fill with tulips, roses, and lisianthuses (1-2 of each)

I meant to wrap and give to guests after but naturally ran out of time. Here's to making friends with neighbors I guess...

Design: Box-O-Flowers + My First Dupe!

Box flowers are a great option for many reasons!

1) Cheaper than vases, but equal impact

2) Your recipient has enough vases lying around, or

3) For the ultra lazy (like me)... when the flowers wilt, you don't have to a wash a vase!

Step 1: Line your box with plastic wrap to prevent water damage.

Boxes: I used these from Amazon.

Step 2: Fit a paper plate on the bottom to hold your foam. If your plate is too large, snip in 4 corners and shove it in like a bowl. Use any old plate because it'll be completely hidden!

Step 3: Soak your foam and place on top.

Don't forget to use a turntable to ensure the design looks good from all angles!

Step 4: Start with greenery. I used leaves from my camelia bush.

Step 5: "Feature flowers" - insert low and tight for good coverage.

Step 6: "Filler flowers" - tulips for me.

Step 7: Since the flowers are similar in color, I separated and highlighted them with greenery.

Greenery Technique:

I used tulip stems to create a "bow-loop" look since this boxed arrangement already resembles a present to me.

Cut the top really short - right where the leaf peels off so the cut-head is hidden.

I love this "hack" because you don't have to obtain additional greenery, you're using stems that would normally go to waste!

Tie a bow around your box! Instant smiles!

BONUS Instructional!

I feel a little silly sharing this one because it's so simple, but if it saves someone money then it's worth it!

I see these advertised all over instagram for hundreds of dollars. The designer-brands state the flowers last a long time which is great, but if you want to impress someone with a similar effect, you can at a fraction of the price!

Step 1: Line your box with plastic (this box was from a lotion set - use anything!)

Step 2: Cut your foam thin to line the bottom.

Step 3: Insert roses in rows.

Step 4: Compare to designer-brand prices and gasp!

My $4 Version:

Enjoy!!

Compared to...

....!!