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Springtime needs to hurry its sunny butt up and get here already, in my humble opinion. I miss seeing my flowers blooming and my mountains flourishing bright green!

I had some really great responses to the “pick-the-lionesses-brain” challenge about flowers in general!

Kal, who happens to be a fabulous friend, fellow musician, and all around awesome person, asked a very important question:

Hi!

Ok, so I think floral arrangements are beautiful (particularly yours!). However, I always have a guilty complex about cutting plants like flowers – I blame my Girl Scout years. So I would like to pick your brain about how one might go about using flowers and the like in some sort of recyclable way. Maybe get some ideas about how a good portion of the decor could be either re-purposed or perhaps even re-planted.

Thanks!

Kalistoga darling, that’s an awesome question. Being eco-conscious is something near and dear to my heart. Not only did I major in horticulture in college, but I’m a fellow Girl Scout alumnae (Camp Pisgah Forever, baby!) and lover of the outdoors. Sometimes it can seem like floral designs are beautiful for a time and then get tossed in the trash. Oh no, dear lions, I don’t let that happen on my watch!

Here are five easy tips for choosing your flowers wisely with the environment in mind!

1- Use potted plants for décor instead of cut arrangements.

This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your environmental impact, and one of the prettiest centerpiece ideas ever. Go to your local (and I do mean local…contact your local extension agent for ornamental plants!) nursery grower and select an array of beautiful, seasonal plants to use as your centerpieces and décor around the event.

These can range from pops of springy, retro color with gerbera daisies, to unusual Asian-inspired grasses like equisetum, to fun and funky bromeliads! Not only is this cost effective, but you can give the plants away as favors, replant them at your own home, or donate them to a local care facility for the patients!

2- Choose locally grown products.

Yet again, your local extension agent is going to come in handy for this one. There are countless nurseries out there that produce cut flowers as well as plants. If you choose locally grown products, you cut down on fuel costs for shipping and you also stimulate the local economy. Also, check local farmer’s markets and small-scale grocery stores. We have one (called Greenlife) that features locally grown flowers in their floral section.

3- Contact a local long-term care facility to ask about donating flowers.

Imagine the smile on someone’s face who doesn’t get to see family very often getting a beautiful little bouquet of flowers from your event. That, to me, is one of the best ways you can repurpose the flowers. There are organizations that can do this for you in some large cities, but all it involves is contacting the facility, asking if you can donate the flowers, and dropping them off to brighten someone’s day.

4- Flowers are compostable!

Yep, those little beauties can rejoin the life cycle as compost. Add the cut flowers (without ribbon and such) to your compost heap and turn as you normally do. After a few months, you’ll be able to use that compost to fertilize your own flower beds. That’s sustainable, ladies and gents.

5- Remember the 3 R’s?

As a child of the late 80’s/early 90’s, I remember reduce-reuse-recycle being beaten into my little permed-and-side-ponytailed head. (Captain Planet, anyone?) I challenge you to use the 3 R’s of eco-conscious flower choices:

Reduce the amount of shipped in product, un-biodegradable materials, and cut materials;

Reuse the flowers either as gifts or at another event;

Recycle the containers and compost the cut materials.

So, dear lions, here’s my challenge to you: think green in more than just your color scheme. You can make the world a better place even through your floral choices.

As always, pushing the envelope with you,

Amanda

floral + ambiance lioness

got more questions? e-mail me at amanda@dandylionevents.com

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In the vein of my fellow lioness Lindsey, I’d like to open up the floor for questions.

What’s that one floral + ambiance question that’s bugging you?

(My work, as modeled by the lovely, rocking Wade and Lily. Lily and I worked together for two years and I love her rocking attitude. We made her wedding very edgy, pink, and rocker-chic-glam.)

Here’s your chance to pick my brain about floral design, colors, textures, music…almost anything!

Pushing boundaries of love, as always:

Amanda

floral  + ambiance lioness

send some love my way: amanda@dandylionevents.com

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You know floral design is something near and dear to my design-y, ambiance-y heart. I see so many brides choosing the same-old, same-old when it comes to bouquets. You know what I’m talking about…hand tied with ribbon, spherical mixed mounds of flowers. I’ve made so many of these, I could probably whip one up in my sleep.

Alright, lions, time to toss those mass-produced bouquets. You’re unique, you’re quirky…why can’t the flowers you carry down the aisle reflect this? Here are some different shapes and variations on the traditional that you can try!

Love that round shape but want something different?

Okay, let’s start with something akin to the in vogue design. A biedermeier bouquet is comprised of concentric circles of individual colors and flowers…kind of like a floral bulls-eye! These bouquets are very formal in feel and design and work really well with a very traditional looking gown.

Scale down that round bouquet and you have a nosegay. Nosegays are teeny little bouquets (very Victorian in feel and look) comprised of smaller flowers, greenery, and sometimes mounted in a tussy-mussy (a little metallic holder…very cute and very vintage!).

Are you wearing your grandmother’s dress from the 1940’s or 50’s? A ballerina bouquet is a sweet tip of the hat to your nana. Instead of lots of flowers, this uses tulle, fabric, ribbon, and greenery to create the illusion of a bouquet with only a few flowers woven in.

Now, take your typical round bouquet and tug on it. A teardrop bouquet is based on the same shape, but with some length towards the bottom. This style can draw attention to an intricately beaded and embellished bodice.

Take that length a step father to the super-romantic, dramatic cascade bouquet. Short brides, beware…cascades might make you look short. However, for those of us comfortable in our short stature, these bouquets are romance all wrapped up in one neat package! Princess Diana rocked one of these when she got married, so if you’re looking for a royal wedding, choose one of these.

Next is my personal favorite as far as the round bouquet family goes. A composite bouquet is a large flower that is assembled by gluing or wiring petals together to make a larger flower. In one of my earlier posts, I referenced a duchess rose I created out of eighteen individual roses. You can also make a glamelia (a camellia made out of gladiolus florets) or a galax rose (made out of galax leaves wired together).

Not a roundy-moundy girl?

Consider taking a page from yours truly and having a presentation bouquet draped across your arm. You can channel your inner Miss America with this bouquet. I carried a bouquet of bells of Ireland, jade roses, Tropicana roses, mango calla lilies, super green carnations, lily grass, and one very sneaky red carnation that draped across my arm. I loved it because I had a very heavily beaded bodice and chiffon overskirt that split at an Empire waistline, and I didn’t want to disguise that. Besides, I’m the floral + ambiance lioness!

Pomander bouquets aren’t just for flower girls anymore. These little orbs of flowers leave your hands free to hug friends and family, but when hung on a shepherd’s crook, double as reception décor. Double duty means less cost, dear lions!

Going with the same idea of keeping your hands free, a wrist bouquet would look amazing. No, this isn’t your traditional ribbon and lace corsage. Instead, think of a few flowers woven with my favorite tool, deco wire, cascading off your wrist with a shower of crystals and petals. It’s fun, funky, and far from traditional.

I hope I’ve given you some ideas of different ways to accessorize with flowers for your weddings. So I challenge you again dear lions, as I always do, push that envelope! Don’t settle for the same old, same old; expand your floral boundaries! I’ll be right here to help you along the way.

Unbridled love,

Amanda

floral + ambiance lioness

want to pick my brain? e-mail me at amanda@dandylionevents.com

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I’m busy as a little bee, trying to get my mom’s house (because her table seats a whole lot more than my little bistro table) prepared for a large influx of friends, relatives, and one horse-of-a-puppy named Oliver for Thanksgiving. I love tablescaping, especially for a holiday. I’m decorating for the event, so I thought I would share some of my favorite ideas for creating a fun, funky, and fabulous setting for your dinner with your loved ones.

1) Tablecloths are your friends. I like to layer different colors, textures, and sizes to create depth to my base. For example, start with an aubergine colored heavy linen tablecloth and put an antiqued gold sheer runner over the top, with maroon and aubergine fabric napkins at everyone’s place setting. In fact…this leads me to my second idea concept…

2) Look away from your typical color palette. Most people use the same old reds, oranges, and yellows for Thanksgiving. I lovelovelove deep purple on my table to compliment the reds and golden yellows of autumn. Try accents of bright green, too.

3) Height=AWESOME. When you’re putting your tablecloths down, use things like books, cake stands, and platters underneath to create height so when you put out your beautiful spread, you don’t have a flat spread.

4) Flowers aren’t everything. Yes, you just saw the floral + ambience lioness go against her stripes. Thanksgiving is a season of bounty, and that screams edible arrangement to me. One of my favorites is the very kitsch cranberry tree; take a foam cone form (found at your local craft store), and stud with cranberries on toothpicks. Bowls of oranges, pears, bunches of wheat…think of what goes into a cornicopia and mass them together.

5) Check out your china cabinet! I’m pulling my whole color scheme this year from one of the most amazing presents ever. You see, my husband and I chose not to register for china when we got married because…well, when would we ever use it! My wonderful Mimi gave me her “china” pattern from 1953 for my birthday last year. My dandyLion grandmother went against the grain in 1953 and registered for pottery instead of frou frou china. I’m very excited to use my Redwing Capistrano set and my linens will reflect it: a black heavy under linen with a light green leaf-patterned runner with stoneware bowls of fruit instead of flowers.

Give thanks this year for your creativity, dear lions. If you look outside of your box again and take your cues from vintage touches, your Thanksgiving will be amazing.

Until next time, with much love and sweet potatoes,

Amanda
floral + ambiance lioness

say bonjour: eustoma.grandiflora@gmail.com

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I am a deco wire fiend. Ever since I got my first taste of the stuff in my basic floral design elective in 2004 (before I changed majors to floral management from meteorology), I was in love. For years, drab green wire has only been used as a mechanic, always meant to be covered up. You would layer colored floral tape, glue moss, or tack floral materials over the top to prevent anyone from seeing the wire. Now, you can have visually appealing mechanics, decorative accents, or (my dream) an entire arrangement made out of nothing but decorative wire and painted foliages. Said dream will be materializing over a five part blog series starting in December…stay tuned!

Anyway, let me introduce you to three different types of deco wire; 28 gauge bullion, 24 gauge Metallic, and 12 gauge Metallic. Each has their own usage in designs, but push your creative envelope! The design pictures used in this blog are of my work; please don’t steal designs! Use them for inspiration.

28 Gauge Bullion Wire

This is a florist’s best friend when it comes to accenting designs. 28 refers to the gauge of the wire; the smaller the number, the thicker the wire. 28 is a very slender wire and is mostly used for wrapping stems, wrapped around bouquets for a little sparkle, stringing blooms together to provide movement, and (one of my favorites) for strengthening an armature.

This little guy is an armature/decorative accent for a corsage, but it could easily stand alone as a flower. The fine silver wire is the bullion, wrapped over a 18 gauge black wire frame. Imagine using these floating in a low dish with candles instead of orchid blooms!

24 Gauge Metallic

Moving on up the thickness spectrum, there’s 24 gauge metallic wire. This easily replaces traditional green wire for use as anchoring, wrapping stems, and adding just a little sparkle to a design. A popular trend in centerpieces is using leaves swirled in a vase to provide some interest down below the arrangement. The deco wire could be used instead!

My mom is just as much of a deco wire nut as I am! Her birthday was a few weeks ago, and we threw her a black and pink themed party. If you’ll look, there’s bright pink 28 gauge wire floating in the vase along with our next deco entry, the 12 gauge black wire. It’s not only a mechanic for the stems, but some really great visual interest below.

12 Gauge Metallic

Up until a couple of years ago, this was the thickest wire you could possibly get in metallic colors. I’m eagerly awaiting my “mega wire” shipment from Smithers Oasis to play with it. You can use this wire for so many different things! You’ve seen above how it can be used as a vase anchor, but below is my favorite use of the product.

Gorgeous, no? This bad boy was part of my senior seminar runway show on floral fashion. Jena Oh, one of my counterparts from MSU created the armature for a competition and allowed me to use the concept for my work. Instead of the composite bouquet she put down in it, I created a duchess rose from a dozen sunset-colored roses by gluing the petals in a radial form. Imagine carrying this down the aisle instead of a dozen hand-tied roses. Talk about impact and beauty!

So, my lovely lions, I leave you with a challenge: imagine wire as a decorative tool, not just a mechanic. Push the envelope between organic and inorganic materials!

Until next time, with love;

Amanda

floral + ambiance lioness

we are excited to have amanda join our team!

say hi: eustoma.grandiflora@gmail.com

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