one of our favorite parts of the holiday's is...

Obviously, the food. -The End.

Just kidding...While we love the food, we also love a gorgeous tables cape. A pretty scenery can heighten any holiday experience. Who doesn't like sitting around a stunning table with the people you love the most? (We talk about the importance of event design in one of our previous posts.)

Since we love food AND flowers, we thought we would share a few ways for you to incorporate both into your design. We've researched, pinned and even reached into our floral archives to find you our TOP 5 FAVORITE ARRANGEMENTS HIGHLIGHTING FRUIT AND VEGGIES!        (Cue the applause.) 

Gorgeous feat inspired florals by Bare Root Flora. Photography by Sarah Box Photography. Check out the entire feature here.

We love this gorgeous, colorful set-up by Bare Root Flora. They incorporate stunning purple kale, pomegranates and berries. This design is perfect for the "farm-to-table" type Thanksgiving dinner. Why we love it: It is a super laid back approach that actually elevates the space. 

A private birthday party designed by Maxit Flower Design in the stables at Dos Brisas. 

Okay, we may be biased on this one...but did you really think we wouldn't include our favorite personal designs?! We were approached to design an intimate birthday celebration in the middle of the stables at The Inn at Dos Brisas a few weeks ago. We transformed an otherwise rustic space into something luxurious and elegant by using florals and fruit cohesive with their environment. Why we love it: We actually didn't spend a TON of money on fruits and they filled up a ton of blank space. Texture is one of our favorite things and this table has got it going on.

Stunning tables cape by Seed Floral including figs, grapes and pink florals.

FIGS ON FIGS ON FIGS on grapes.

Figs are an iconic fall fruit...at least it is in my mind. When I see a gorgeous plum colored fig, I immediately want to buy it, cut it & throw it on a place setting. While figs are amazing and gorgeous, they tend to get expensive. A good complimentary fruit is black or green grapes. They can really beef up your centerpiece while being fairly inexpensive. Why we love it: Seed Floral used an insane amount of fruit to play up an otherwise simple table. These centerpieces could almost serve as an interactive appetizer!

Gorgeous Grey and White tables cape by Maxit Flower Design at Tiny Boxwoods in Houston.

Oh heyyyy, Maxit Flower Design again. Really y'all?! Of course we are going to show off!

We actually just executed this styled shoot at the beginning of November. We worked an amazing team of vendors and killed this stunning table by Spell Events. We didn't use super obvious amounts of fruit for this design. We really just wanted touches of freshness throughout. Why we love it: Subtle touches of fresh fruit is the perfect accent to these arrangements. And you don't HAVE to use fruit in the arrangements, there are no rules. Try using it in a different way, such as the egg cups pictured above or as a cocktail embellishment.

Last, but never least : one more by our fearless leader Maria Maxit. She created this centerpiece  along with Flower Magazine. Maria used fresh kale, artichokes, and even an eggplant to execute this stunning fresh design. Why we love it: It really is centered around the freshness. Your eye is immediately drawn to the artichokes and greenery. This centerpiece is perfect for the person that loves a rustic Thanksgiving table. It kind of takes me back to what they may have used during the first Thanksgiving...I know, I have a very vivid imagination.

Our favorite place to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables is Central Market here in Houston...however, we have recently discovered Fiesta Market. They have a supply of exotic fruit almost year round. When picking out fruit, go for what stands out to you the most. I don't always necessarily choose something based on ripeness but on coloring. Dragon Fruit looks best when it is super fresh while Bosc pears look stunning when over-ripe. 

In case you need some extra inspiration, here are a few of our favorite fruits & veggies to incorporate into our arrangements:

• Figs
• Bosc Pears
• Crab Apples
• Ornamental Kale (Beware: some varieties don't smell so sweet.)
• Grapes
• Dragon Fruit 
• Seasonal Fruits (Think citrus for summer, squash for fall, use what you have!)
• Artichoke
• Hops (yes, the same kind used for beer!)

We hope you feel as inspired by fruit as we do. Enjoy creating beautiful spreads.

Happy Holidays to you & yours. 

event design - it matters

Do you have a general direction and inspiration of what you'd like your event to look like and feel like but do not know where to start?  You've looked at Pinterest, but can't fathom how to pull everything together.  So many moving parts, so many vendors to contact... what first?

Contact an Event Planner OR an Event Designer.  Sometimes your venue already has an Event Planner or you'd like to capture the aesthetics of a Event Designer but need the Event Planner to coordinate all elements during the day and many weeks leading up to the event.  My suggestion, do your research and find out what combination of experts will best suit your needs.  Not all Event Planners are Event Designers and not all Event Designers are Event Planners.  Each have their own identity, with equally important rolls to make an amazing, seamless event.

Bellow is a general list of what each does, that might help you decide which route you wish to go.  We all work closely together, and believe me, the magic happens when everyone is involved.

Event Planner "The Manager":

• Point of Contact for all Vendors and Client
• Budget Management of the Entire Event
• Client & Family Management
• Handling Contract & Payments
• Vendor & Client Timeline
• Arrange Travel Needs
• Day of Event Management
• Troubleshooting Before/During/After Event

Event Designer "The Artist":

• Create Personal Brand for your Event
• Mood Board to Represent Direction
• Aesthetic Cohesive Design of all Desired Items
• Procurement of All Items
• Knowledge of Vendors that have similar aesthetics 
• CAD drawing of Layout 

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working with other boss ladies

When a mother who works in the interior design field puts together her daughter's wedding, it's headed in an amazing trajectory.  Cherry of The Longoria Collection was a hands on creative that we absolutely loved collaborating with.  To see her mull over every detail made me have such an appreciation for all creatives.  I forget how we work, as I am always in the thick of it all.  Thank you Cherry for your trust, creating your vision was a blast.  Hands down on of my favorite intimate weddings we have created in a while.

Here are some cell phone shots, as I just can't wait for the professional ones! But when those do come, you'll find them in our Gallery page, so keep an eye out! 

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let's get woo woo

When I worked at my last "job" in a cute little flower shop over 9 years ago, I knew I wanted to start my own business.  Not because I REALLY wanted to, but because where I wanted to work, didn't exist.  So I created it.

During that time at the last flower shop, there was this gorgeous woman who frequented the shop. She was intelligent, fierce, decisive and carried herself like a queen. I was immediately drawn to her. She questioned my motivation to be working at a low level paying job with a VERY difficult boss. As perplexing it was at the time, as my boss was beyond manageable, I explained my motivation and she got it.  

After that point, she motivated me with kind, but firm words. She told me I could do it, and I believed her. 

That was over 9 years ago, at least that's my best estimated guess. This past Spring I met with a bride, her mom and the event planner.  I for a moment recognized the mom (Ms. Kaldis), but what you don't know is that I have a horrible tendency to think I know someone that I really don't.  After MANY embarrassing moments, I've given up on the idea that I "recognize" anyone.

In our last meeting to review everything, Ms. Kaldis mentioned that she lived in the community directly next to the flower shop I used to work in. So I quickly mentioned if she ever went to that flower shop.  After a few words, it was confirmed, it was her.  I could have cried, shouted, and just died right there out of sheer joy.  The stars aligned.

This is what we created for her gorgeous daughter, Alex's wedding.

some recent goodies

There are those clients that allow us to fill there homes with the most fresh, seasonal blooms with out restrictions. Even though we wish all clients would allow us to do this, I understand the limitations we create through desiring certain color schemes/themes to achieve a particular aesthetic.  

But when we get to choose, without restriction or expectation, it's like putting a kid in a candy store.  You are so excited, you don't even know where to begin.  I enjoy every second!! 

Here are some recent creations in flowers and photography...

Keep creating!!!