These paper bag ideas are posted on Martha Stewart's website. Quite a cute idea...we like it because it's easy on the pocketbook and because it's just plain easy. If you have children, you might use this idea so that your kids can take over the centerpiece portion of Easter this year. Then, when the celebration is over, you can have your kids dole these paper bag centerpieces up among grandparents or favorite aunts---won't they be thrilled to go home with a little something special?
You've heard us talk about carnations before....how we have had to slowly change our opinion about this flower. Once considered lowly and cheap, we are now seeing how carnations can be lovely and chic. InStyle Weddings has these three photos on their site, and we think the very inexpensive carnation is continuing to earn new respect. Grouped en masse, aren't they lovely? The top picture especially is a great example of a party centerpiece...we can imagine an entire theme inspired by the elegant simplicity of those white vessels with the plum-colored carnations. Check out InStyle for more inspiration.
Um, okay...this is genius! The Rachel Ray website invites various designers to come up with a monthly centerpiece idea. This month, Orla Kiely was invited to come up with a centerpiece idea. (You may remember our recent post on Orla Kiely's new line at Target). So, Orla Kiely, being the genius that she is, came up with this idea, shown above. She took fun, colorful socks, stretched them over flower pots, snipped off the bottoms of the socks so the pots sit flat on the table and...ta da! Cheery cuteness abounds. We think this is quite clever, and can come in quite useful for baby showers or a child's birthday party. For the whole how-to, and some other clever centerpiece ideas, check out Rachel Ray's "Centerpiece of the Month."
Oh, how pretty. Camellias are just gorgeous, and they come in a wide array of hues between white and red. Camellias bring back memories of our Great Grandma Steigenga, who had several camellia bushes growing against her sweet little house when we were kids. On Sundays, after church, we'd often go to Great Grandma's for coffee and cake, and us kids would play outside. Many times, we'd bring fallen camellia blooms into Great Grandma for her to float in a teacup. They were pretty then, and they are just as beautiful now! If you have a camellia bush growing, you can use these sweet blooms en masse or alone to brighten up a table or a corner of the house that just needs a little special something. (If you don't have a camellia bush, you might consider now to be a great time to go to your local nursery to pick one up. You can easily grow them in the ground or in containers).
Camellias really get our vote for one of the most ladylike blooms out there. Now is their peak performance time as camellia bushes are full of pretty flowers. These blooms make for the prettiest little arrangements. You can bunch them together in low-lying vessels (see above) that are otherwise too short for other flowers. Or, you can float a single bloom to make a different kind of arrangement (see below).
So...now there are several fun floral arrangements to set around the house for the party. The best part is that they do double-duty: when the party is over, all of these plants can go straight into the flower beds outside to bring a little cheer to the outdoor landscaping. Also, this little "Plan B Project" ended up being less pricey than buying bunches of flowers at the grocery store or florist. And aren't the colors fun? Consider doing this the next time you need fun centerpieces. Another great thing about this idea is that you don't have to be skilled at arranging flowers to make these look great. You just plunk the plant into a good-looking vase and stand back to admire your work!
Carnations have never been a favorite flower of ours. Even as a little girl, Kari had great disdain for carnations and baby's breath---two flowers she identified as "cheap filler" even at the grade school level. (This only gives you a slight inkling as the the serious issues Kari has when it comes to design elements...whew! Just ask Jill---she could tell you stories about her neurotic sister! :) Kari has had a strong opinion about carnations for a long time. As a matter of fact, when Kari sent birthday flowers in honor of a friend's birthday at the beginning of this December, her friend called to tease her: "Thank you for the flowers---they were gorgeous. But you know what? There were carnations in the bouquet..." Even this college pal of Kari's knows of the deep-rooted carnation issues!
These photos are oldies but goodies from Martha Stewart Weddings. Not that we are planning a wedding around here at the Babs Blog (oh, but we'd love to have another wedding to plan! The flowers! The dress! The par-tay!), but we think perusing the photo archives of weddings and parties in general can be a great way to kick-start inspiration. And, boy, do we need some of that. Both of us have our plates full with school/work/housework/being charming wives/folding the hubbies' underoos---and all other laundry/and basic day-to-day shtuff. These old Martha Stewart Weddings photos make us smile...and we hope they make you smile, too. Oh, and wouldn't picture #1 and #2 be great starting off points for a Valentine's soiree?
We miss spring. Thankfully, living in California affords us an earlier spring than most. As a matter of fact, today the sun is shining and little buds on trees are already pushing here and there. But still, nights are cold, it's foggy, it's still not completely spring. We've told you that entertaining is a great way to beat the winter doldrums. But did you know that recent studies have shown that fresh flowers actually improve moods? We could've guessed this on our own as we grew up in a house that frequently had fresh flowers and, yes, beautiful flowers in a vase seem to elevate a room. Our mom, Babs, is an avid gardener. Her yard has always been full of pretty things to bring inside: heirloom roses, lilacs, citrus blossoms, etc. But not all of us have a garden that looks like it should be on the pages of Martha Stewart's garden issue! So...the grocery store to the rescue! Check out the two photos above. The top pink roses are a grocery store special and they do a great job of bringing a little "spring" into the room. The bottom photo is a random mix of white roses, white tulips, and yellow tulips. Again, grocery store finds. If you need a little lift while waiting for spring to show up, try fresh flowers! You don't even need big bouquets; buy one bunch at the grocery store and divide it into several mini bouquets so you can place flowers on your bedside table, on your bathroom vanity, on the kitchen window ledge (to cheer you up when you're doing dishes!), etc. (Put flowers on your grocery list, and you won't forget next time you head to the market!)
Silver is great. Really, it is. Very pretty, dresses up a table, etc. But you have to polish it, which tends to be labor-intensive. That's why we fell in love with these pedestals from Sur la table. They are very pretty and give that dressy appearance...but they are crafted from aluminum. Genius! No polishing needed, so they are guaranteed to look shiny and fabulous whenever you need them (not just when you plan ahead so there's time for a good polishing). They come in a variety of heights and sizes and are guaranteed to be your favorite go-to pieces for entertaining. Trust us on this. :)
If you haven't noticed by now, the two of us Babs Blog sisters are BIG fans of Ebay and Etsy. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest reason is that these two sites allow us to buy fun and creative items without breaking the bank. Face it, folks: Budgets are tight these days and people are paying a lot more attention to dollars and cents. However, you needn't sacrifice style in these days of decreased expendable income. Instead, be creative!
These typical "grocery store flowers" were brought home from a quick trip to the market yesterday. Above, a $4 bunch of hypericum berries and yellow "filler" flowers.
Above, a $10 bouquet of yellow roses
And, lastly, a bunch of fun "pumpkin-like" stalks---don't know what they are, but they are fun! This also cost $4.
A silver ice bucket acts as vase. Here the bouquet starts to be built.
Adding those yellow "filler flowers" helps keep everything in place.
More roses are added...
Filling in the empty spots...
Voila! A beautiful fall arrangement that cost $18 from grocery store flowers---but it looks so much more expensive. So next time you are checking out at the market, check the fresh flowers and consider adding some to your table!
