If I could plan my wedding all over again I think I would want something that
resembles nature. I have come to the conclusion that Mother Nature did it best.
There is so much beauty that surrounds us in our everyday lives, so many of us
and I am guilty myself, forget to take the time to slow down and see whats right
in front of us. I was reminded of this yesterday when I had a lovely meeting
with Shelly from Signature Events by Shelly. She brought me to
stunning local that over looks the water and really makes you stop and take
notice. With that as my motivation, I put together just a taste of what my nature inspired wedding would look like. Let me know what you think.

Memorial Day... the unofficial kick off to summer, a long weekend to spend at the beach or camping, BBQ's and above all, time to remember the men and women who died while serving our country.  There will parades, services and flags placed on graves nationwide as ways to pay tribute. I will be taking time to honor these heroes and share the history with my children.  The link below if from a blog I wrote last year about one of my favorite tributes for Memorial Day.

One flower I have been seeing more and more of lately is the Craspedia. With their fun color, shape and texture they provide, I can see why they are becoming more popular. Only available naturally in Yellow but they can be artifiaclly tintes. Craspedia provide a tight, round, textured blossom approximately 1/2 - 1 1/2" on top a leafless stem.

Common Name: Craspedia
Botanical Name: Craspedia Globasa (cras-PEE-dee-a  glo-BO-sa)

Also know as Billy Balls or Woolyheads, the flower represents good health.  Craspedia is a genus of daisies. They are native to Australia and New Zealand where they grow in a variety of habitats from sea level to the alps. Craspedia is available most of the year and can also be dried. While they may look fancy and expensive, Craspedia is actually very affordable.

Interesting Fact: If you try to grow Craspedia, plants will start growing as a single rosette, and each rosette generally produces only 1 flower stalk. A risky, but effective way to force basal shoots is to let the plant dry out until the leaves wilt, then water the plant. New basal shoots will appear in a few weeks. Pruning appears to be ineffective, usually resulting in the death of the plant.

Mother's Day is this Sunday(in case you didn't know). One gift that is always popular to give Mom is flowers, and who doesn't love flowers? This year it is estimated that flowers will accountant for just over $12 billion of the total $18.6 billion in Mother's day gifts given.

Did you know that all flower providers are not all the same? How, you may ask. Well let me explain the basic differences between them and you can decided which is better for you.

A. Order your flowers from a local florist. Talk to a person, support a local business. Most offer freshness guarantees and deliver a quality arrangement with a designers touch, no assembly required. The floral arrangements will also be more individual because a florist is able to personalize to your recipient.

B. When you order flowers from say FTD or another wire service they forward you order on to a local florist and keep a cut of the profits for themselves. Your local florist who is then paid less for the same arrangement also has to pay a membership to the provider. You will most likely receive a cookie cutter arrangement, and they are not always as pictured.

C. You order flowers from someone like ProFlowers who ships the flowers "fresh from the farms" you'll will receive flowers delivered via a carrier like FedEx and the flowers will arrive in a box, requiring the recipient to unpack and make the arrangement themselves. Vases are usually not included and you will be charged extra if you want one added to your order.


I maybe a bit bias but I feel when you support a local florist everyone wins. Most small business owners return the favor and spend their dollars in the same community. They provide local jobs, the owners live and work in the communities themselves and feel vested in the area. Their prices may be a bit more but when you consider the benefits, I feel they out weigh the possibilities of disaster tenfold. If you are sending flowers this Mother's Day, I recommend taking the time and looking up a local florist and place your order directly. Even if they are in a different area it will be worth the effort. If you need help, let us know, and we will find you a local florist who can help.

Will you be sending flowers this Mother's day?

With the warmer weather upon us, one can't help but dream about the beautiful outdoor weddings right around the corner. As long as mother nature cooperates,  the possibilities are endless and breathtakingly beautiful. Here are some pictures to get you in the mood. Did/Are you having an outdoor wedding? Where? Why? Let us know!