Floral Sense: The Blog

Mayesh National Floral Design Contest 2012

2012-01-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

Join Mayesh in their 2nd Annual National Floral Design contest by voting for your favorite design! If you've been following us on Facebook and Twitter, you may recall some of the designs I submitted to promote this event with Mayesh. Here is the design sample I produced a month back from the "exotic box".

And you can view Mayesh's blog post here.

Designers across the nation submitted their floral art and here are the 15 finalists! My favorite is the one by Dustin Guidry of Encore Creative in Chandles, AZ. I love the fluid line movements created with the mini callas and greenery!!

Best of luck to all the designers! Click here to vote!

Yours truly,

Joanna

Disney Princess Floral Interpretations by Floral Sense

2012-01-15T19:40:00.000-08:00

What little girl doesn't want a princess themed birthday party? One princess is usually enough. But our lucky birthday girl had FIVE princesses to grace her special day! Linda Ly, lead coordinator of Grand Soirees, called me up with a challenge to create floral interpretations of Cinderella, Mulan, Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Ariel (The Little Mermaid) and Jasmine (Aladdin). The colors I needed to stick to were white, pinks and slivers. So here is what I came up with! Let's see if you can match the floral arrangement to the appropriate princess! Good luck!

Yours Truly,

Joanna

New Year's Resolution: Tackling Cake

2012-01-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

BAKING and I don't get along. And I don't get along with its sister: DECORATING baked goodies. I'm not sure what it is. I could eat an entire batch of cookies or cupcakes without blinking. But something about the process to create them doesn't mesh well with me and I usually end up with a flat cake. Thank God for Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines because I would be lost without them. And sure, I design all the time. But making edible sweets look pretty is a completely different story than making a pretty flower arrangement! My self control loses and I usually eat it before the frosting comes out to play.

So, I have decided that 2012 will be the year that I will tackle cake. I plan to bake one and decorate one with all the fanciness a cake deserves. My inspiration? One of my favorite cake designers - Lindsey Sinatra of A Wish and A Whisk Cakes. Her work is phenomenal! I've had the pleasure to work with her on a few photoshoots and weddings. Remember that Chanel-inspired photoshoot I designed a while back? To refresh your memory, this is the cake she made for that shoot:

This is photo of a cake she snapped from a wedding we worked on together:

I will tell you that this doesn't do justice to her amazing work! Check out her awesomeness on Facebook here.

I don't plan on making one as elaborate as Lindsey's cakes. Its obvious her work is WAY beyond my baking/fondant skill level. But I would be happy if I could bake a tasty, simple cake and decorate it well. We shall see. Wish me luck!

And if my New Year's Resolution doesn't work out for me....well, I just might literally tackle that cake.

Cheers to you and your New Year's Resolutions!

Yours Truly,

Joanna

The Best Christmas Tree Ever

2011-12-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!!

This is certainly one of my favorite days of the year! But it wasn't until I had children that I really cared about creating traditions....and ensuring that the base of the tree was packed with presents. One of the assumptions that I get frequently around this time of year? "Your Christmas tree must be stunning with gorgeous ornaments and ribboning!" Yes, I do get to decorate plenty of Christmas trees with lots of frill....for our clients. However, in my house, the family Christmas tree is one of those places that I give complete reign to my kids.

We make our own popcorn garlands and the garlands are never wrapped around the tree they way they are "supposed" to be. There are usually more candy canes hung on one side of the tree than the other side. The ornaments tend to make their way to the floor and to different rooms in the house. The tree is usually crooked. Sometimes, I find random toys tucked into the tree.

And I LOVE it! The tree gets to be a true representation of my kids and they get to call it their own. So, if you ask me, I have the best Christmas tree ever! And I get it every year!

Best wishes to you and yours this holiday season!

Yours truly,

Joanna

A Taste of Fall - Launch Party for The Positive Plate on 11-11-11

2011-11-08T23:26:00.000-08:00

Alright folks!! Here is the official launch party of The Positive Plate - Orange County's newest, hottest restaurant sustainability program spearheaded by Jesse Baker PhD of Ecofficiency! We have an amazing line up of food from some of OC's best "green" restaurants in addition to stellar music (including Common Kings, Jacob Luttrell and American Idol's Michael Castro)! It's all happening this Friday on 11-11-11 at an incredibly unique and fitting venue - The OC Food Bank in Irvine, CA. Tickets are still available but they are going fast! You can purchase them here for $60 a pop. Each ticket includes unlimited food and drinks.

Sending a special THANK YOU to our restaurant and beverage sponsors. AND, we are lucky enough to have Paul Schafer of PS Photo Media as our sponsoring photographer along with Fusion Linens as our linen donor. Of course, Floral Sense will be there with sustainably designed arrangements decking out the event! There WILL be a give-away of some arrangements too.

Can't wait to see you there!!

Yours Truly,

Joanna

Dancing Queen

2011-11-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

I'll admit that I got caught red-handed a few days ago...totally dancing to the beat of my own music. Completely free with no reservations, I danced my little heart out. Until...I found myself face to face with my friendly neighbors staring at me through my wide-open window. Everything stood still for a moment in time while I stared back at them like a deer in headlights. My saving grace? My two little children who stopped dancing only because I had. "Mommy, come on! Keep dancing!"

Since when did we decide that someone else's opinion of our free-spirit hinder us to express ourselves? My boys completely skipped that momentary beat of judgment and checked me back into the dancing world. I swear, I love my little teachers.

Although I serve the wedding industry as a designer, I find myself in a counseling role for my brides all the time. A frequent concern? The RIGHT way to do things, etiquette, structure, gifts, etc. I find that a huge source of stress lies in what should/shouldn't be done for their own wedding. But who said that we HAD to follow the rules of what someone deemed as "tradition"? If a wedding is about a union of love between two people, why can't the event completely reflect the couple?

Remember the JK Wedding Entrance Dance video on You Tube? If you need a refresher, just click here.

This makes me smile every single time! This couple truly embraced a celebration of their marriage that reflected them, throwing the "rules" out the window. To date, this video has had over 70 million views in addition to parodies featured on TV shows (The Office being one of them) and countless other couples following suit for their own wedding.

(Photo courtesy of google images)

I'm not sure that they expected such a response but I commend that they took complete freedom to dance to the beat of their own tune.

The lesson? Depends on how you take this post. As for me, I think I'll keep dancing with the windows wide-open like nobody is watching.

Cheers to the beat of your own music!

Yours truly,

Joanna

PS - Have any great ideas on how you make your wedding a reflection of you? Let's hear it! Send me an email or leave a message below!

Press: Floral Sense Paper Flower Backdrop with Tessa Kim's 2012 Line: Part 1

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

You are probably already familiar with our ginormous paper flower backdrop created for Tessa Kim's 2012 Line of bridal accessories. I wanted to share this awesome video that Jakfoto Productions filmed during the actual photoshoot. Click here to view the film via Vimeo. Enjoy!

Tessa's new line was also featured in Utterly Engaged and The Wedding Chicks (just to name a few). I'll post on those soon enough!

Yours truly,

Joanna

Some Things Are Just Better In Person

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

This past week has been rather....well...unique. In addition to my usual shenanigans of flower power, work and mommyhood, I have been in the middle of experiencing something I've never experienced before in response to the Mayesh Design Star Contest. But since this is just better conveyed in person, I've created a video for you!

To add to the video, I have received a ton of emails that I still haven't had a chance to respond back to. But I promise that I have read each and every one and I know you by name. And I WILL get back to all of you so I can personally thank you for your support! My two little boys and I thank you!!! Your love and support for me and my little family is something I will carry with me forever. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Floral Sense's Joanna Park: Mayesh Design Star Contest Finalist

2011-10-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

I am completely beside myself right now. It seems that I made it to the Final 5 for Mayesh's Design Star Contest and the rest is up to voting from you! You can go to the link here.

Take your time browsing through the videos and vote for your favorite! There were 38 entries in all and I am SO honored to be chosen in the Top 5! Actually, I'm also a bit terrified since I wasn't expecting my video to be viewed by so many people. I had no idea that I would even get this far. All I had that day was a borrowed Flip camera (which I placed on a chair) and 4 takes to get a decent video.

So, there you have it. Voting ends on October 22, 2011. Crossing my fingers and closing my eyes in the meantime...I can't handle the anticipation.

A special thank you to Eva Chiou of The Wedding Pantry for allowing me to use your space to film! And thank you to Wendy Ramos of Just Wenderful for being there to give me feedback between takes (and pressing the Record button)!

Yours Truly,

Joanna

Press: Summer Soiree Yacht Party in Riviera Magazine

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, we have another event that requires some memory jogging! The Summer Soiree Fashion Show/Yacht Party in which we sponsored the florals made it into Riviera Magazine! Loving the spread!

I definitely have to hand it to Marilen Coughenour and Marisa Kenson. These ladies know how to put on a party! Thanks for everything ladies!

Yours truly,Joanna

Press: Floral Sense Wedding Decor on Junebug Weddings

2011-10-10T06:00:00.001-07:00

Remember the high-fashion glam wedding of Stew and Connie Webb held at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA? Well, here is the blog feature on Junebug Weddings! Enjoy!

Yours truly,

Joanna

The Positive Plate Launch Party on November 11, 2011

2011-10-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

Ok, I know I promised tidbits of Floral Sense press so, rest assured, they will be showcased in the coming posts. But I wanted to insert an exciting announcement about The Positive Plate's launch party happening on 11/11/11 at Second Harvest Food Bank in Irvine, CA. Seriously, I am SUPER stoked about this event as we will have several of our restaurants presenting signature fall dishes with a sustainable twist. Love it! Check out the brochure below and the website here for more detailed info.

Just keep in mind that admission is limited to 200 people so purchase your tickets soon!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Yours truly,

Joanna

Press: Floral Sense Paper Flowers Featured in Hostess With The Mostess

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Press is always exciting for us to get! And it seems our past events have made a few blogs and magazines so I'll be showcasing these over the next few blog posts. Remember the awesome Bat Mitzvah Trapeze Party thrown for Bella in NYC by Lysa Scarselli? Well, Hostess with the Mostess loved is so much they featured it on their blog! You can view the blog post here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Yours truly,

Joanna

High Fashion Glam Wedding at Richard Nixon Library

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

It looks like Richard Nixon Library is where the parties are happening lately! Considering that it IS a gorgeous historical landmark, this venue is hard to pass up. The wedding featured today was held back in July and I am super excited about sharing the images with you! Our bride, Connie, came to me with this glitzy, glam, high-fashion styled theme for her special day. The trick was to get gold peacock feathers and crystals to work in the design while keeping the feel of high-style branding. Here's what came about! Enjoy!

Congratulations Stew and Connie Webb!!

A special thank you to our day of set-up team Jesse Baker and Iris Marialaki!

Yours truly,

Joanna

Even Hungry Hungry Hippos Get Substitutions

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Remember the game Hungry Hungry Hippos? This used to be one of my favorite games as a kid so it was only fitting that I pass on the tradition to my own kids. The only issue I ran into was the blatant choking hazard of the small white feeding marbles for the hippos' voracious appetite. So, rather than waiting a few more years to introduce the game, I decided to substitute the little white marbles with cereal (ie. Kix). This simple substitution works perfectly for my little men! They get to enjoy the game and eat at the same time!

My point? Yes, I do have one that pertains to the floral world. I know some of you may not want to hear this but there are times that florists will need to use botanical substitutions depending on what Mother Nature decides to offer during that season. Keep in mind that Mrs. Nature has a mind of her own and no one can control what she will produce and how she will produce it. For the most part, we can predict what will be in season but sometimes she likes to throw us a curve ball. So, in the event those precious peonies are not available in exact shade you wanted, your florist should contact you to let you know what the other options are. And if you end up hiring a GREAT designer, he/she will make your decor look just as stunning (if not better). Let's face it....its not as much about the flowers as it is the designer. Right?

As a word of advice, I might have a few back-up options in the contract if you have specific varieties in mind for your decor. My personal preference is to go with a general feel of your decor in seasonal flowers if possible.

Hope that this tid-bit of info helps you in your wedding decor planning!

Yours Truly,

Joanna

Wish Upon A Wedding Southern California Gala: Blissful Wishes Ball

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wish Upon a Wedding Southern California Chapter held its second annual Blissful Wishes Ball at the gorgeous Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda last night. For those of you unfamiliar with WUW, it is "the world's first nonprofit wedding wish granting organization, providing weddings for terminally ill individuals." It truly is an amazing organization! The guests of honor that evening were Douglas Wang and Lizabeth Tso who were granted a wedding by WUW at Bella Collina in San Clemente. The wedding was absolutely stunning but even more beautiful is the unwavering love this couple shares for each other and their children. You can read up more on Douglas and Lizabeth here. It was pretty emotional seeing the family take the stage and pour out their gratitude to the organization for giving them a wedding they have had to push back over and over again. They were met with a very well deserved standing ovation!

Just to give you an idea of the caliber of weddings that are granted, I snapped a few images of the gala. Truly, no detail goes unnoticed nor unaccounted. Keep in mind, these aren't fabulous professional images but you'll see the love in those details!

Venue: Richard Nixon Library

Ice Sculpture: Ice Bulb

Florals: French Buckets (AMAZING florist! Love you Sussanna!)
Linens: Designer Specialty Linens

Catering: White House Catering

Cake and Desserts: A Wish and a Whisk

And some of my favorite people!
Robert Arthur of Invisible Touch Events

Veronica Taylor of Designer Specialty Linens and Hanssie Trainor of Hanssie Trainor Photography

Desiree Patterson of Good Gracious and Lindsey Sinatra of A Wish and A Whisk

Sending a special congrats to the ladies of Utterly Engaged, Henny and Lucia, for winning your Shining Star Award!

Hope to have inspired you a bit this week!

Your truly,
Joanna

Photoshoot: Behind the Scenes of Floral Sense Paper Flower Backdrop Set-up

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have an obsession with designing for photoshoots. So when Tessa of Tessa Kim Birdcage Veils and Accessories asked me to design a paper flower backdrop for her shoot, I jumped at the opportunity. There's a ton a work that goes into prepping for these productions to get the final perfect images including models, make-up, hair, venue, lighting, photography and design (just to name a few). Behind-the-scenes is where lots of the work is done and its my favorite place to be!

And the grand finale!

To get a sneak peak of the photoshoot, check out the photos posted on Tessa's fan page here! The rest of the images will be up soon. Trust me, I am in as much anticipation as you are!

Yours Truly,

Joanna

Featured Wedding at Mastro's in Costa Mesa, CA

2011-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Looking for some fun, colorful, modern floral decor ideas? Here is a great modern wedding Floral Sense participated in back in July. The pictures were taken with a personal camera but you'll get the gist of it all. Enjoy!

Yours truly,

Joanna

Fulfilling Your Childhood Dreams

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I’m a little sad that the OC Fair is over but I really onlygo for one reason each year. It'sto win my boys one of these ginormous animals. That’s right. I have talent like no body’sbusiness!

I won the cow thisyear.

The frog is from theprevious year.

And who knows what next year holds.

I just want to clarify that I didn’t wake up one day anddecide that winning these animals was going to be an annual tradition. As withmost things for me, I had a great source of inspiration: Randy Pausch. If you don’t know the name, you willwant to know the name AND spend the next hour or so watching his Last Lecture. (Warning: have a notebookand a box of tissues handy.) Irefer back to his last lecture regularly. Each time I watch it, I leave with yet another lesson and find ways toapply it to my life. There’s thehead fake lesson, achieving dreams lesson….and the ginormous animals. Yes,Randy Pausch inspired me to fulfill my childhood dream of bringing home anoversized carnival toy. And nowI’m hooked.

I remember entering the wedding industry years ago for mainly one reason: To bring to life the childhood wedding dreams for a couple (ok, its usually the bride's asthetic dreams coming true and the man just wanting his woman to be happy). There is something so satisfying after a wedding set-up to take a moment, step back and admire the hard work of creating a gorgeous setting for a grand nuptial celebration. And yes, each of those details make a huge difference! Whether its the specific flower breed used to remember the couple's first date or the family heirloom brooch adorned onto the bride's bouquet, they all play part to the special day. Truly, nothing beats having a couple tell me that their wedding decor was more than they ever dreamed!

Cheers to fulfilling your childhood dreams!

Yours Truly,

Joanna

PS - We are returning to our original Monday/Thursday blog post schedule!

Barbie and Ken Get Married

2011-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

I came across this awesome photoshoot by Beatrice De Guigne of Barbie and Ken's wedding.

Yeah....pretty damn amazing! I've seen many wedding photos and I take particular interest in the detail shots. Beatrice took no shortcuts to photographing this wedding! View the rest of her photos here on her blog.

Thanks for rocking my Barbie world!

Yours truly,

Joanna

Sustainability in the Cut Flower Industry

2011-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Co-founder of Ecofficiency.org, Chrissy Gray, has spent the last few months abroad in South America and I'm excited that she is finally back! While overseas, she had the opportunity to visit Cayambe, Ecuador, and get a peak into the thriving cut floral industry there. What she learned was that the actual impacts of farming practices on these flower plantations are alarming. Detrimental practices include the use of pesticides that are illegal in the US which, in turn, are affecting the community's children born with physical deformities and mental deficiencies...not to mention the use of non-biodegradable materials just to package the roses. (I can't even tell you how much cellophane I have stored away for future design use off of cut flower packaging. I don't even purchase cellophane.) Chrissy's article (which you can read here) tells an eye-opening view into what goes behind some of the flowers you purchase.

Sustainability in the floral industry has been a difficult push. Thankfully, the demand for environmentally safe floral farming has led to the development of certifications such as Veriflora and Rainforest Alliance. For Floral Sense, this makes the conscientious purchasing of our fresh goods much easier. This also means that not all the flower breeds we want will be available within the certification which calls for some creative substitutions. You, as a retail consumer, have the option to make better choices in where and how you purchase your designed arrangements. My hope is that you are empowered with enough information to ask your florist the right questions. At the end of the day, where we put our money is what we inadvertently demand.

If you have any questions regarding this topic or would like to further the discussion, please leave a comment below. I would love to here you thoughts.

Yours truly,

Joanna

Ecofficiency.org at Doheny Days

2011-09-05T06:00:00.001-07:00

Come join Ecofficiency.org at Doheny Days this weekend. We are greening it up!

Check out the Doheny Days Facebook page for more info on attending. Hope to see you there!

Yours truly,

Joanna

Ecofficiency.org Speaker Series: Socially Responsible Investing

2011-09-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our Speaker Series at Ecofficiency is finally up and running again after a bit of a hiatus. We have a new venue too! Please join us on Wednesday September 7 at Haute Cakes in Newport Beach from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Our speaker will be Kyle Scrimgeour from Core Capital Management covering the topic of Socially Responsible Investing.

Complimentary appetizers and drinks will be provided. And a $5 donation at the door is appreciated!

Haute Cakes

1807 Westcliff Drive

Newport Beach, CA

949.642.4114

See you there!

Yours truly,

Joanna

The Positive Plate: Launching September 1, 2011

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited to finally announce the launch of The Positive Plate! Take some time to browse the website here. In essence, The Positive Plate is "an Orange County based sustainability program, helping restaurants, food trucks, and caterers implement individualized and comprehensive sustainability plans. Our mission is to help inspire a comprehensive and verifiable movement toward sustainable food production, service, and consumption from within Orange County’s dining culture. All restaurants participating in our program make significant commitments towards operating sustainably, and deserve your support."

Jesse Baker, Founder to Ecofficiency.org, has been working on this project for as long as I can remember. His hard work and dedication is finally paying off! If you are looking for sustainably certified restaurants to eat at, just check out the beginnings to a great list on the website.

To socially responsible eating!

Yours truly,

Joanna

Avanti Cafe

2011-08-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sustainable Living means different things to different people. For me? My journey has been all about making small, consistent choices that are conducive to promoting a healthier life with the environmental impact in mind. In particular, green farming practices are a huge component to my interests especially with flowers being a main component of floral design. And naturally, my research of organic floral farms have given me more reason to focus on consuming organically grown food. Needless to say, I am IN LOVE with slow food! One of my favorite restaurants that focuses on "eating responsibly" is Avanti Cafe in Costa Mesa, CA. They use produce that is grown organically AND locally. Avanti is vegetarian and vegan friendly. Oh, and their food is truly dynamic (not to mention, the recent remodeling is well suited for the cafe).

You gotta love the fact that water is served in wine bottles.

I was lucky enough to take my boys out on a mommy/son date last week so here's a sampling of their menu:

Onion Jam and Garbanzo Flatbread

Custom Kid-friendly Cheese Pizza:

Arugula and Spinach Pesto Pasta

Banana Chocolate Strudel with House-made Peanut Ice Cream

I just want to add that my 4 year old had no qualms about eating arugula, spinach, garbanzo beans or onion jam, which emphasizes against the argument that kids won't eat healthy foods that don't look like canned nacho cheese and greasy fries. Its just a matter of how the food is presented. You may recall the event I covered in San Diego of Cooks Confab's presentation of School Lunch where healthy, delicious food was presented in a way that kids will love. So, to the school districts that want to fight against school food reform based on an erroneous assumption, I say BOLOGNA! (But please don't feed that to my kid.)

So back to Avanti. Right.

See this picture below of the baskets of gorgeous organic produce? You can affordably purchase them through your local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). South Coast Farms is behind this particular branch in which Avanti serves as a pick up location. You can order on a weekly or bi-weekly basis anywhere from $31 to $42 a basket depending on if you pick up from the farm or one of their pick-up locations. See? Sustainable living choices don't have to break the bank!

And you know you would rather be eating this than what's sold in the grocery stores.

Hope this inspires you to seek out an organic meal this week!

Your truly,

Joanna

Bat Mitzvah Trapeze Party in NYC with Floral Sense Paper Flowers: Professional Photos

2011-08-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

You may recall this amazing Bat Mitzvah Trapeze Party for Bella in NYC back in June. (View original blog post here.) As promised, here are the professional photos of all the details. And you know me....I LOVE me some details.

Even the aerial decor of the hanging paper lanterns was well executed!

Love the personal touch!

Mazel Tov Bella!

Yours Truly,

Joanna

Summer Soiree: Professional Photos

2011-08-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Professional photos are in from our yacht Summer Soiree event! (View the original sneak-peak blog post here.) There were so many great images that I narrowed it down to my favorites. Enjoy!

Celebrities:

Beach Bunny Swimwear:

Macy's and Marisa Kenson Fashion:

And of course, Floral Sense florals:

Thank you Tony Lattimore and Alexander Avina for the photos!

Coscto Size My Wedding

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Costco.

Love: They have everything under the sun in massive quantities at great prices.

Hate: I, without fail, leave with a ginormous bite taken out of my wallet. This is the very reason I avoid going there.

Case in point: I don't know if you're a Modern Family fan. I am unashamedly obsessed with this show. There's an episode in which Cameron, the country mouse, introduces Mitchell, the upscale city mouse, to the wonderful world of Costco. During their outing, doubtful Mitchell is quickly and comically converted to Costco-ism, excitedly filling up carts full of "needed" items. (In truth, you're going to have to watch the episode to appreciate all the humor if you haven't already.)

But this is what happens...you go in with the intention of getting a few items and, before you know it, you walk out with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. What the hell happened?

In regards to wedding planning, I'm going to call this the Costco-syndrome. Most couples tend to under-estimate their wedding budget mainly because they start shopping not knowing what to expect, what is available and how much services will really cost. It doesn't take long for a couple to realize they are going to need some financial reinforcement to sustain their wedding day wants/needs. Trust me, I see this all the time.

I get it. The options are a bit overwhelming. Who knew that there were so many different colors and textures of linens to choose from? Personal flowers should go to other people outside the bridal party? Wedding gifts are supposed to be given the members in the bridal party? The venue has a separate cost for cutting the cake? Alright,I feel your anxiety. I'll stop there for now.

My solution for wedding planning is the same solution for an outing to Costco: Have a budget and shopping list ready before you get out there and get sucked into Costco-syndrome.

For my consultations, I suggest that my couples list out their priority floral items (shopping list) and some extra items they would like to have. Then we talk about styles that will fit within their price-range (budget). That way, when I send over the formal proposal there isn't much sticker-shock. See, you got it.

As for me, I have yet to overcome Costco's drug-like effect. Wish me luck.

Happy event planning!

Yours truly,

Joanna

PS - Due to a sudden influx of professional photos from past events and new editorial content, the blog post schedule will temporarily change to Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Summer Soiree Hosted by Peggy Tanous of Real Housewives OC and Taylor Armstrong of Real Housewives BH

2011-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Fashion Destination Group held a high fashion show aboard the Majestic yacht in Newport Harbor. Floral Sense served as a proud sponsor to the event along with Macy's, Marisa Kenson, Examiner.com, and Casore Magazine! The event was hosted by the fabulous Peggy Tanous of The Real Housewives of Orange County and Taylor Armstrong of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Here's a sneak peak of the florals from this high profile event taken with my iPhone:

Professional photos to come!

Yours truly,
Joanna

*Update*: In light of recent tragic events surrounding Taylor Armstrong, we extend our condolences. Our prayers are with you.

Policies, Schmolicies

2011-08-15T06:00:00.001-07:00

There's a new rule in my house effective August 10, 2011:

Chewing gum will not be used to decorate one's face.

With two boys under the age of 5 in the home, you can only imagine the implications of how this policy came to pass. I can assure you it was one big sticky mess I was left to deal with. I've come to realize is that even with this new rule in place, it doesn't completely prevent the mess from happening again. It just serves as a reminder in hopes that the mess doesn't happen again....a preventionary (yeah, I know that's not a real word but it is now) measure.

Having said that, I have occasional questions come up regarding Floral Sense policies. So here's a little Q and A of our top competing questions:

Q) How much of a deposit is required to reserve Floral Sense services for my event date?

A) A 25% non-refundable deposit of the total cost is due once an agreement is signed. This deposit serves to reserve your date so we are committed to your event and all your decor needs surrounding your event.

Q) Why is the final balance due 45 days prior to the event?

A) We rarely purchase products for future events unless we are certain the event will be taking place. Each event we service is so unique which affects the types of products that need to be purchased. There is no cookie cutter order log. 45 days gives us the time we need to order specifically for your event and receive these items in time for production. This is also why any changes that need to be made are done prior to the 45 day countdown, ensuring we have all the design elements cohesive to your event's look.

Q) Do I really need to sign a revised contract with each change to the decor?

A) Yes. The reason? We refer to the most updated version of the contract during ordering and production. Any changes need to be reviewed and approved by you so that you get everything you want for your special day. Unfortunately, if its not in writing in the most updated contract version, the change doesn't exist. This is also why you will be contacted prior to the 45 day mark to go over the final details of your decor just to make sure everything is in its place.

So there you have it: Floral Sense policies in a nutshell. Some of our policies may change over time as we learn and grow through our experiences. In the meantime, all of these safety nets are in place so that we don't run into sticky messes on your special day.

Cheers!

Yours truly,
Joanna

Press: A Rustic Wedding in Southern California with Floral Sense

2011-08-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love it when our couples get featured in editorials for their special wedding day! Meet Tiffany and Steven Shores who got married several months back at Dove Canyon Country Club. Check out their pretty, pretty pictures here on www.insideweddings.com.

Tiffany was an awesome bride to brainstorm wedding designs with! A country girl at heart with an affinity for bling, we fused the two together by adding touches of rope and crystal throughout the floral decor.

By far, my most memorable moment that day was handing Tiffany her bride's bouquet. I got lucky enough to get that moment captured on film.

Then there's the moment all the ladies in the bridal party get to see their line-up of bouquets complete with personalization!

Congrats to the beautiful couple Tiffany and Steven! Thank you for allowing Floral Sense to share your special day with you!

And a special thank you to our day-of set-up team members Roger Hua and Thomas Cemo for all your hard work!

Yours truly,
Joanna

Summer Bloomin'!

2011-08-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Summer in Southern California is definitely a favorite of mine. The smell of sunscreen and BBQ grilling signify that school is out and the beach is in. As for us wedding folk, we get the glory of being immersed into the full swing of nuptial season. And with that come some great summer blooms for the floral decor! You may even have the pleasure of coming across these beauties in your own garden. Here are a couple of my top picks for mid-year bloomers.

Lilac

Kangaroo Paw

Cockscomb

Euphorbia

Cosmos

Dahlia

If you're planning a summer wedding for next year, you may want to consider inviting these pretty things to the party. Happy summer lovin'!

Yours truly,
Joanna

All photos courtesy of google images.

Flower Class at The Wedding Pantry on August 6th

2011-08-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

Its that time again!

Yep, get your floral design skills on at The Wedding Pantry this Saturday, August 6th from 11 AM to 1 PM. Learn how to make a standard 1 dozen rose arrangement for that special someone or just to deck out your home. And of course, I will have some fun fillers so your arrangement doesn't look so standardly blase.

Class is $50 which is inclusive of all materials.

Click here to register.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Yours truly,
Joanna

Experience This!

2011-08-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

It surprises me how inspiration can come from so many different sources. This particular blog post was inspired by recent personal experiences that have left me forever changed.
You may be familiar with this profound quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr:

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions."

Before I stepped into the floral design world 10+ years ago, the only flower I seemed to notice were the typical grocery store red roses. It didn't take long for me to hit satiation and come to dislike the red rose for its overtly common purposes. At that time, I defined good floral design as any arrangement that displayed color variation in roses. I didn't really consider other botanical components mainly because I was not aware of their existence.

Fast forward a few years, I find myself in a whirlwind of new floral experiences on a weekly basis. If you are familiar with our Facebook fan page, you may have participated in our "Name that Flower" game. This has been a fun way to share my findings with you. Here are a few of them:

Blue Thistle

Gloriosa Lily

Lady Slipper

Snowberry

Coming in contact with each new floral experience is strangely magical for me. For that initial moment, the design possibilities are seemingly endless: What new color palette can I create with this flower? What kind of emotion can I evoke with this textured component? What new conceptual photoshoots can birth from this unique floral element?

As a result, my definition of good floral design is forced to be changed and expanded. The bar of excellence is set higher. And the best part is....I can never go back to the old dimensions of what I thought was great design.

Cheers to new experiences that may forever change you for the better!

Yours truly,
Joanna

WIPA event at Church Estate Vineyards in Malibu, CA

2011-07-14T05:24:00.000-07:00

If you've been following the Floral Sense blog, you'll know by now that detail shots are a favorite to post. From the florals, to menu cards, to food presentation...love it truly in the details. And when you pull together the wedding industry's top vendors, no detail goes unnoticed. Last Thursday, Floral Sense had the privilege and honor to participate in providing floral decor for a beautiful WIPA meeting (all the vibrant, citrus colored arrangements). The chosen venue was Church Estate Vineyards in Malibu, CA. The location may ring of bell...its where Fergie and Josh chose to hold their nuptial celebrations! After sifting through these shots captured by Immaculate Immagery, you'll agree that this is a venue worth checking out. So grab a glass of wine, sit back and enjoy the eye candy!

Speaker Area:

Guest Speakers:

Cocktail area in the vineyards:

Lunch Lakeside:

The lake was complete with adornment of black and white swans.

Dessert - Fresh mini donuts!

Thank you Chris for this fab shot!

Participating Vendors:
Venue
Church Estates
Karen Waldron
Director of Events
6415 Busch Drive
Malibu, CA 90265
310-678-6199
kwchurchestate@aol.com
www.churchestatevineyards.com

Catering
Good Gracious! Events
Michelle Nowak
5714 W Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90019
323-954-2277
michelle@goodgraciousevents.com
www.goodgraciousevents.com

Catering – Desserts
The Fry Girl Inc
Shelley Beals
2052 W. 146th Street
Gardena, CA 90249
213-590-1710
minidonutgirl@aol.com
www.thefrygirlinc.com

Catering - Beverages
Stockholm Vodka
Stockholm Imports, Inc
Erica Swenson
30495 Canwood Street, Suite 101
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
310-999-5639
stockholmkrystal@gmail.com
www.stockholmkrystalvodka.com

Linens
Napa Valley Linens
Sharon Dexmier
1054 Shary Circle Suite E
Concord, CA 94518
925-459-0470
sdexmier@nvlinens.com
www.nvlinens.com

Décor Rental and Event Design
Raj Tents
Maurice Walsh
16921 S. Western Avenue. Suite 222
Gardena, CA 90247
310-329-8222 Ext. 25
maurice@rajtents.com
www.rajtents.com

Entertainment
Trio
818-217-6118
masatoshi.sato@hotmail.com
torio.bandcamp.com

Menu Design and Printing
Grand Soirees
Linda Ly
1940 E Deere Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92705
949-274-7725
linda@grandsoirees.com
www.grandsoirees.com

Florals
Floral Sense
Joanna Park
Anaheim, CA
714-512-2443
contact@floral-sense.com
www.floral-sense.com

Bound, A Floral and Event Studio
Rhonda Clelland

(909) 208-2171

Rentals
FormDecor
Jeff Sigler
14371 Industry Circle
La Mirada, CA 90638
714-493-9501
jeff@formdecor.com
www.formdecor.com

Premiere Party Rents
Sandy Radicevic
12100 W. Washington Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90066
310-391-2552
www.premierepartyrents.com

Coffees
Andrew Resnick
The Cappuccino Club, Inc.
8005 Masefield Court
West Hills, CA 91304
818-347-0472
andrew@thecappuccinoclub.com
www.thecappuccinoclub.com

Photography
Imagery Immaculate Photography
Chris Griffiths
18818 San Felipe Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
562-537-6844
iiphoto@mac.com
www.iiphoto.net

DJ
Vox DJs
KC Campbell
500 S. Sepulveda Boulevard
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310-372-2222
kc@voxdjs.com
www.voxdjs.com

Thank you to our co-chairs for this event:
Sarah Kern Possick, Events of Distinction
Michelle Nowak, Good Gracious! Events

Events of Distinction
Sarah Kern Possick
310-463-6520
sarah@eventsofdistinction.com
www.eventsofdistinction.com

Good Gracious! Events
Michelle Nowak
5714 W Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90019
323-954-2277
michelle@goodgraciousevents.com
www.goodgraciousevents.com

Sending a special THANK YOU to Mike Kanaly for tech support.

More Press for the Chanel-Inspired Photoshoot

2011-06-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yep, our Chanel-inspired photoshoot has a few more features. Feel free to check it out!

Its a Jaime Thing:

Bona Fide Bride:

Floral Sense paper flowers in NYC

2011-06-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right! Our flowers had the chance to make an appearance in New York this month and we have the pictures to prove it! Lysa Scarselli, a fabulous event planner based in New York, sent me these shots she took herself. Professional photos to come! Lysa was the mastermind behind designing and coordinating this Bat Mitzvah Trapeze Party for a lucky lady named Bella.

Our paper flowers served as part of the backdrop for the oh-so-pretty candy table:

And you have to check out the details that Lysa paid attention to from the invitation, to the candy labels, decor and color coordination!

Of course, there was some real trapeze action:

Another nice surprise? This cake was designed and created by the famous Buddy Valastro of the TV show Cake Boss!

I promise to have more photos as soon as I get them.

If you are planning for an event in NYC, you will probably want to get in contact with Lysa (iscarselli@aol.com). She will definitely pull together an incredible event for you!

Vendors
Coordinator: Lysa Scarselli (iscarselli@aol.com)
Paper Flowers: Floral Sense LLC
Venue: Trapeze School of New York
Cake: Buddy Valastro of Carlo's Bakery
Invitations: Mango Ink

Photoshoot with Large Couture Paper Flowers by Floral Sense

2011-06-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

Paper flowers have become such a hot trending item. And I am surprised at how many requests I have gotten! There's even an event happening this month in New York where Floral Sense paper flowers were shipped so be sure to check back because I'll have those photos posted soon. More recently, I had the privilege of styling paper flowers for Vivian Tran's photoshoot. Enjoy this eye candy with gorgeous images captured by Tommy Huynh.

I had end this post with this pretty pose of Vivian. Such a pretty lady!

If you have paper flower needs for your event or photoshoot, please send us an email at contact@floral-sense.com and we'll get you set up right away. And one of the best parts? You can have your flowers shipped anywhere you want!

Quick Guide to Flowers for Your Wedding

2011-05-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from Brides: What flowers are in season during the month of my wedding?
The second most frequently asked question on flowers: What does a (insert flower name) look like?

SO, I'm going to share my secret weapon with you. There is a website called Sierra Flower Finder that I often use throughout the design process to communicate with my clients.

The website allows you to view flowers by their name with the various breeds and colors each flower comes in. There is a detailed description of each flower. I also love the fact that they showcase each of their growers and breeders.

Just keep in mind that you can request a flower you find on this site but the specific color/breed may not be available to all designers. Use it as a guide to help you out and have fun doing it!

Happy designing!

Ecofficiency Speaker Series at the The Camp - Greening Your Home Part 2

2011-05-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

I'm sure you're excited to read about Speaker #2 from last week's Ecofficiency meeting. Meet the Building Doctors. Yeah, I was a bit puzzled too when James approached the stage wearing a set of blue scrubs. But I appreciate the humor! This company specializes in home energy audits and upgrades. And just as a doctor assesses a persons symptoms to determine a plan of health action, so do the Building Doctors for the home.

If you are interested in improving the efficiency of your home, this is a great place to start. Believe it or not, America's largest source of carbon emissions stem from our homes NOT our cars. Surprising, eh?

To start, a home's performance is determined not through its individual units or systems but as a whole. Part of the process of building auditing includes analyzing the various fundamentals in the home (such as air sealing, lighting, etc) and major systems (such as heating, air conditioning, ventilation). Once the problem areas are found, a treatment plan in drawn up. And the retrofitting begins. Interestingly enough, a common source of energy inefficiency? Gaping holes in duct pipes.

Once all is said and done, the performance of the home is tested again for quality assurance purposes. As for costs, that was never covered. But I would imagine that your utility costs would diminish over time as the efficiency of your home improves.

For more information about the Building Doctors, you can visit their website here.

Cheers!

Ecofficiency Speaker Series at the The Camp - Greening Your Home Part 1

2011-05-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

As you probably know by now, Ecofficiency holds a monthly meeting at The Camp focusing on specific topics of everyday sustainability. This last Tuesday's meeting covered Greening Your Home. We were lucky enough to have 3 different speakers address various topics to assist us in making our home healthier to live in. Because each topic was so extensive, I will be spreading this meeting out over 2 blog posts.

The first speakers of the evening were Lisa and Ron Beres, a husband and wife team who co-authored Just Green It and pioneered Greennest.com. Both are building biologists who have dedicated their efforts to educating people on reducing the toxins in their home. Believe it or not, you can develop something called Sick Building Syndrome if toxins in your house reach a level that your body can no longer handle. So, here are a few tips for you to creating a a healthier living environment. Use your 5 sense and follow along!

1) Smell - Create better indoor air quality via increasing ventilation, replacing furnace filters, using HEPA vacuums and air purifiers, checking for lead paint, painting the walls with low or zero VOC paints, using non-toxic cleaning products.
2) Taste - Filter your drinking waters through reverse osmosis, carbon-based filters, distillation and shower-head filters. Avoid toxic plastic containers that contain BPA and/or are plastic #3, #6 #7. Use stainless steel water bottles and/or plastic #1, #2, #4, #5.
3) Sound - Reduce electro-pollutions that cause sleep deprivation and interfere with the body's immune system. Move your cell phone, cell phone charger, LCD tv and Plasma tv away from you sleeping areas.
4) Touch - Be conscious of the fabrics you sleep on as many are treated with formaldehyde and pesticides. Eliminate toxic flooring and pesticides.
5) Sight - Have a vision for your green life!

I hope this was insightful to you! Feel free to browse the Green Nest website here for more information on how to green your home. The Beres' book is a great place to start in case you need a manual to green living in your home.

PS - There is a book that I use regularly called Haley's Hints Green Edition that gives you great household tips from cooking to cleaning and everything in between. This is where I learned to create my own cleaning solutions with safe products such as vinegar, baking soda and toothpaste. Truthfully, I didn't care about having chemicals in my house until I had children. Just the thought of them getting into dangerous chemicals gives me chills but now I don't have to worry about it!

Cheers to green living!

Chocolate Inpsired Floral Arrangements by Floral Sense Featured on Green Wedding Shoes

2011-05-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

Floral Sense recently had the privilege of having our florals featured on the amazing Green Wedding Shoes! This is the yummiest photoshoot that we have participated in so far and I have chocolate cravings each time I look at these photos. Here's a snapshot directly from the Green Wedding Shoes blog post.

The masterminds behind this photoshoot were Leila of Be Inspired PR and Gianna of Chic Celebrations. The FAB photographer, Lane Dittoe, captured these images with film! And the chocolates - OMG - they were delish!!

Check out the blog post for more pictures and info of the amazing vendors involved. Just be prepared to have some chocolate handy to fulfill your cravings.

The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, CA

2011-05-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

Every year, I like to make a trip down to The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, CA to soak in the yummy colorful rows of ranunculus. Pictures truly do no justice to the beauty of experiencing the floral blooms in person. Here are just a few shots from their website:

The best part of this year is that the fields will be open to the public until May 15th! Check out the The Flower Field website here for more info.

It'll cost $10 per adult and $5 per child to get in. And it is totally worth it!

Venue: Hotel Maya - A Doubletree Hotel in Long Beach, CA

2011-05-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

Recall the last photoshoot of our bouquets that was featured on Style Unveiled? Well, the fabulous Kelly Mendoza of True Bliss Photography introduced me to this gem of a venue in Long Beach called Hotel Maya for that photoshoot. I got a chance to scan through some photos before heading over there. But seeing the location in person made me want to throw my own wedding here! The hotel's design is incredibly unique. I found myself looking forward to the next room and hallway to see what was in store. And I was never disappointed at each turn. Check out some of the images I was able to capture via my iphone.

Here are some photos from Hotel Maya's Facebook page:

This is the one element that I keep thinking about - this 10 foot hand-carved door.

For more information on this gorgeous venue, feel free to visit their Facebook Page here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Press: Style Unveiled Feature of Bridal Dress Bouquets

2011-05-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, Style Unveiled invited me to be a part of their Bridal Dress Bouquet Challenge. I was presented with 7 different gorgeous bridal gowns and I chose 2 of them to design from. I let the dresses do the talking for my inspiration and came up with 2 completely different looks! You can view the original post on Style Unveiled here.

And, they loved the Vera Wang inspired bouquet so much that they featured it again all by its pretty self. You can view the original post for that one here.

Hope you were inspired to find that one-of-a-kind wedding dress for you!

PS - The fab photographer behind these images is Kelly Mendoza of True Bliss Photography. She is truly amazing!

Photobucket Issues

2011-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi folks! I've had several inquiries regarding the photos on this blog since none seem to be showing properly. 'sad face' It seems as though our image server, Photobucket, is going through some major site reconstruction that is taking much longer than we had hoped. How does that affect the Floral Sense blog? It looks like we'll have to rearrange the upcoming scheduled posts to go live at a later date. In the meantime, we'll have some juicy photoless content up for you!

Thanks for understanding! Cheers!

Modern Floral Designs - Less is More

2011-04-14T06:31:00.000-07:00

I am a minimalist. And I think that's why my designs gravitate towards a very modern appeal. If you are looking to make a statement with your event floral decor, you don't have to use an excess of flowers to bring attention to it. Here are a few tips and ideas on keeping your decor clean, modern and exciting:

1) Take advantage of negative space. Tulips are a great flower to incorporate in your designs if this is the approach you're going for. They bend to and fro creating an original design each time. They almost take on a life of their own!

2) Go monochromatic. Stay within a single color palette but play up the varying hues. The different shades really play up the depth on your arrangement.

3) Choose florals based on textures. I know the 80's gave carnations a bad name. But I love using carnations to tuck into floral arrangements for their ruffly/spikey visual appeal. Look at the different seasonal flowers and think outside the box of roses. Envision your arrangements having different facets of large blooms, small blooms, feathery, fluffy, ruffly, spikey. The list can go on.

4) Keep the greenery to a minimum and the florals tight. For modern arrangements, I almost never use greenery. This is the easiest way to keep your design lines clean. If you choose to use greenery, arrange them so that they have a more purposeful symmetric placement. Or, find a way to manipulate the greenery to expose negative space.

Happy designing and event planning!

Check back for pictures in a few days with examples of each!

What To Do With the Flowers After Your Event

2011-04-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

Flowers, flowers, flowers! They are definitely plentiful at a wedding. So after the music turns off, the lights turn on and the guests go back home, what happens to all those gorgeously designed arrangements? If you aren't planning for your guests to take the florals, then it would be smart to think about finding another home for them. Need a few tips to plan ahead?

1) See if the florist that you are working with will be willing to pick up the leftover centerpieces from the venue and deliver them to your location of choice. Some may charge you for your request, some may not. Otherwise, see if someone you know personally would be willing to take care of the delivery.

2) If you rented the vases in which the flowers are arranged, then be prepared to transfer the flowers into vases you don't mind giving away.

3) Be sure to contact the location receiving your florals ahead of time so they can prepare for your delivery. Nursing homes and hospitals are great places to send your arrangements to. And depending on the location, find out if certain flowers in the arrangements are going to be of concern due to allergies and strong fragrances.

I hope this was helpful in planning for your next event! Happy planning!

Image courtesy of Luminaire Images. Thank you for such a gorgeous shot of our work!

Fibonacci's Dirty Little Secret

2011-04-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Alright, so maybe it's not really a secret but its dirty! Fibonacci's Campus Pointe Bistro has its own farm from where they harvest their own produce. And its just a walk away from the restaurant on a patch of real dirt! Check it out:

Just a little side thought - The florals on this dill plant look so much like a filler flower I like to use called Queen Anne's Lace. So what's to say that I can't use the florals from an edible garden to design with?

There is also a composting area. All composting material begin in the first bin and is moved/turned once a week into the following bin.

The progression eventually moves here where the soil is sifted. Its so easy, even the kids can do it!

So what even compelled me to visit the garden during my visit at Fibonacci's on Sunday? I noticed that all the disposable plates and utensils were made of raw, biodegradable material which was enough cause for applause. Then I had to find the trash cans after I was done with my meal.

I found a small crowd of people by the trash receptacle sorting through their garbage. Standing ovation? Getting there.

There were four different compartments: Compost, Fibonacci's Compostable Dinnerware, Recycle and Trash. Each label included a description of acceptable materials.

This composting material can be used for Fibonacci's very own garden! I love it! The system has been set up to sustain itself. (Insert standing ovation here)

Well done!

Cooks Confab Presents: School Lunch! at Fibonacci's by Waters Fine Catering

2011-04-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

Clear sunny skies at a crisp 68 degrees set the perfect backdrop for Sunday's event at Fibonacci's Campus Pointe Bistro by Waters in San Diego for the Cooks Confab School Lunch event.

I had been looking forward to this event for several weeks after getting the heads-up from Chef Andrew Spurgin of Waters Fine Catering. There were 2 main reasons this event perked my interest. The first - I was shocked to hear that a school district was openly working with the community of local farms and chefs to create better school lunches. I have seen the intense resistance that public schools have made toward such needed changes. So, I absolutely needed to see how these changes were being implemented and who was at the forefront of making these big steps. Second - Sourcing ingredients from local farms is an issue that is close to my heart and my business. I wanted more opportunities to chat directly with the local farmers and hear their voice.

I was excited to see the actual farmers who supply the produce to the school districts showcased upon entering the building.

We were greeted with a cocktail area that included samples from: Tolosa Winery (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir)

Snake Oil Cocktail Co. (Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice; Strawberry “Milkshake”)

Waters Bar Service (Housemade Beet "Vermouth"; Hibiscus Extract, Raisin Reduction, Pressed Apple Foam, Micro Radish)

This one was my personal favorite because of the innovation in its unique mix of ingredients. The flavor profile was rather intriguing and the presentation was hard to pass up.

We were eventually lured away from bar service into the restaurant for a presentation on the topic of school lunches with the needs and challenges that are faced daily.

I realized part of the resistance from many school districts to changing lunch menus lies in the immense limitations. For example, all nutrition regulations must fit within $1 for each meal. The lunch items need to be convenient, healthy and desirable. The time to prep lunch for a school of students is limited with limited prep space. In addition, The time to serve these meals is limited to usually 30 minutes. And many schools have around 2000 to 3000 students to feed! Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg of issues.

Here's a chart that speaks volumes for itself:

However, it can be done and it is being done. Broccoli was finally introduced to the San Diego schools with local farms contributing approximately 1000 pounds a week. The response has been very positive allowing for more forward momentum.

(A side note - this event is reflective of what is happening in the San Diego county school district. I'm curious as to what Orange County and Los Angeles County have going on, if anything at all. If any of you readers have insight, please leave me a message below. I would love to hear from you!)

Skipping forward to lunch. Standing in the long line made me feel a bit nostalgic to the school lunch days with my tray in hand. I remember, as a kid, being excited that my mom had to hand me lunch money because she didn't have time to make me a sandwich. But looking back, I'm not sure what the hype was all about. The food was horrible: packaged tortilla chips with canned nacho cheese, chalupas (still not sure what that was), greasy chimichangas, dry tater tots, cardboard pizza. Oh, and I can't forget the chocolate milk in a plastic bag. So wrong in so many ways.

Here are few snaps of the stations before the crowds. I was spying for those plastic milk bags but didn't find any. It looks like we're off to a good start.

Whew, just look at the color on these plates! Each healthy lunch menu item passionately created by some very talented chefs using local produce. Its exciting to think that my own kids would be eating from this menu at school! I definitely want their school lunch to look like this.

Yep, those are edible flowers! I was kinda' tempted to make an arrangement with the flowers and salad into my coffee cup.

And of course - dessert!

This is the Blood Orange Juice Box bar.

See if you can match the menu item description to the picture:
Beef & Broccoli with Brown Rice
by Jason Knibb – NINE–TEN

Chicken & Local Vegetable "Pot Pie"
by Jeff Jackson & TK Kolanko – A. R. Valentien

Cream of Tomato Soup with Parmesan Cream & Bread Crumbs; Lentil–Barley Soup with Mint Yogurt; Strawberry Yogurt with Chocolate Dipping Sticks
by Trey Foshee & Lori Huffman – George’s California Modern

“Fish & Chips” Wild Striped Bass, Baked Vegetable Chips, Tartar Sauce
by Paul McCabe – KITCHEN 1540
by Donald Coffman – Paradise Point

Suzie's Farm Vegetable "Lasagna"; Jidori Chicken Roulade; Handmade Focaccia; Strawberries n' Cream
by Katie Grebow – Café Chloe
by Amy DiBiase – Chef/Consultant

Salad Bar from Waters’ Organic Garden with “a Bunch of Stuff That’s Good For You;” Fava Bean Tops and Beans, Peas and Tendrils, Garden Herbs; Roasted Vegetables and House Made Pickles; Tofu “Caprese” with Suzie’s Farms’ Cherry Tomatoes, Shiso Sesame Soba with Ginger-Sesame; Trio of Citrus with Strawberry Spherification, Black Sesame
by Andrew Spurgin – Waters Fine Catering
by Melissa Mayer – Martini Media

Wheat “Macaroni ‘n Cheese;” Carrot Turmeric Purée; Diced Vegetables; Gruyère Cheese
by Olivier Bioteau – Farm House Café

Nathan's Natural Alpine Chicken Satay; Thai Almond Sauce; Cucumber Relish
by Antonio Friscia – Stingaree

Potato-Cauliflower Tostada, Yellow Cherry Tomato, House Queso Fresco, Pickled Broccoli Stem, Salsa Verde
by Guest Chef Ricardo Heredia – Alchemy

Cashew Nut Ice Cream Cups with Honeyed Quinoa
by Jack Fisher – Jack Fisher Confections

Spring Flavored Paletas: Blood Orange Juice Box; Choco Banana Milk; New School Tangerine and Cream; Yogurt Honey Granola Pop
by Guest Chef Lisa Altman – Viva Pops

Surprisingly, my favorite was the salad bar of raw and roasted vegetables. So simple and clean!

My other surprise favorite station - the coffee! I have never seen coffee served this way and didn't expect the flavors to stand out so much. You probably won't see this happening in a school cafeteria but you can't kill the coffee lover in me.

There is another component of Fibonacci's that I will share about on Thursday but I'll leave the topic in suspense until then. And there were some very important organizations with tables set-up in the cocktail area which I will cover separately. In the meantime, I hope this has given you more food for thought....literally and figuratively.

A special Thank You to Chef Andrew Spurgin for the invite! You're a true inspiration and your passion is contagious!

Cheers!

Ecofficiency.org Presents Japan Benefit Concert

2011-03-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

On Friday, April 1, Ecofficiency.org will be hosting a Benefit Concert for Japan at The Boathouse Collective 8 PM - 1 AM. If you are looking for another way to send support to Japan, please come out! See you there!

Scooby Doo Themed Birthday Party

2011-03-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

Birthday party requests don't come around as often as weddings do. So I admit that I have a personal project I took on recently. We'll call it "Project Scooby Doo." The challenge for me was taking Scooby Doo and interpreting him into something a little more refined. Here is what I came up with for a 4 year old birthday party. It was a little windy at the park, just in case you couldn't tell.

Try not to drool over the home-made treats of mini-cupcakes and chocolate dipped Oreos by Lisa Le.

Lisa was also responsible for making that awesome Scooby Doo cake and rice crispy pops!

This little personalization idea of the Scooby Doo fruit snacks were from Linda Ly of Grand Soirees. And they were a huge hit!

Doggy treat stations can't be complete without any meat.

And Scooby Doo MUST make an appearance!

Dough A Deer Donuts made this gorgeous contribution to the dessert table!
Trust me, there were no donuts left at the end of the party.

Activities for the kids included these stations:

The kids had a special lunch treat of Scooby Dooby Doo dog bone shaped sandwiches!

Hope this inspired you to dec' out your own kiddie party! Cheers!

Credits
Event Design and Styling: Floral Sense
Photography: D Park Photography
Desserts (cake, pops and cupcakes): Lisa Le
Mini Donuts: Dough A Deer Donuts
Linens: Fusion Linens

Know Where Your Cut Flowers Come From

2011-03-24T06:20:00.000-07:00

As my knowledge of sustainable living increases, so does my appreciation for all that encompasses sustainable floral design. In truth, at times, I find it overwhelming trying to apply all the eco-friendly changes necessary to call any floral arrangement "green." However, I am learning that a great place to start is getting to know the farms and farmers behind the cut flower industry. Inherently, we assume that flowers are great for the environment because they naturally decompose. But just as in any agriculture, farming practices have significant impacts on our environment.

I have come across two major arguments on where I should source my flowers.
1) The flowers should come from farms that are 100% organic whether they are grown locally or internationally.
2) The flowers should come only from local farms because the transportation emissions released into the environment would not offset the sustainable farming practices.

These two viewpoints have given me a lot of food for thought. So, in the meantime, I have decided to take time in researching the farms and farmers in which I receive my flowers. I currently use a wholesale distributer called Mayesh Wholesale and I work very closely with my account manager Shana who does her best to get me sustainably grown flowers. I've got my work cut out for me as I begin introducing you to these farms in which these flowers are grown.

Just a little FYI, I currently stand with Arguement #1. But my research may change my mind later on down the road. Ideally, I would love to get all of the flowers that Floral Sense uses from local farms that also have sustainable practices. So, if you are a farm in Southern California that meets that criteria, hit me up with an email or phone call! I would love to chat with you!

Any thoughts, ideas, questions? Feel free to comment below!

Ecofficiency.org presents Living With a Positive Footprint - Speaker Series Launch Party

2011-03-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

On Friday March 11, Ecofficiency.org celebrated the launch of a speaker series promoting sustainable living called Living With A Positive Footprint. The party was held at The Camp in Costa Mesa inside Cisco Home (by the way, they have gorgeous sustainable furniture) complete with cocktails, DJ and these killer tacos from Taco Asylum.

Jesse Baker, Ph D, Founder of Ecofficiency.org was the speaker of the evening as he addressed the importance of making more thoughtful choices as we consume. Each month, Ecofficiency.org will cover different aspects of sustainable living on the 3rd Wednesday of every month.

Please join us! For questions, please contact Ecofficiency.org directly at hello@ecofficiency.org.

For Japan With Love - Bloggers Day of Silence March 18, 2011

2011-03-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

I know I promised a blog post covering last Friday's ecofficiency.org meeting, but I'm going to postpone that one until Monday. Here's why.

As you are all aware by now, Japan suffered horrific tragedies last Friday as a result of the earthquake and tsunami. Thing aren't getting better as threats of nuclear plant melt downs persist. In response to the ongoing devastation, Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours have teamed up to collect funds for emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies via Shelterbox. They have also initiated a Bloggers Day of Silence for Friday March 18, 2011 to raise awareness and respect for the people of Japan. My heart aches for this country. Please join us as we acknowledge this beautiful country and the heartache they are experiencing right now.

If you would like to donate fund for Japan, click here.
If you would like to participate as a blogger, click here.

WIPA meeting at Vibiana in Los Angeles, CA

2011-03-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

WIPA - Wedding Industry Professionals Association, has quickly become my favorite organization to partner with as a wedding floral and event designer in Southern California. I have found the provided education and professional caliber of WIPA excellent. This past Tuesday's event was certainly no exception. The event was held at the beautiful Vibiana located in the heart of Los Angeles, a gorgeous venue for weddings.

We were greeted at the outdoor entrance with Lavender Botanical Bliss martinis. I'm not usually a fan of eating or drinking florals, but this one changed my mind!

We were escorted inside only to be "wow'd" with the breathtaking high ceiling architecture

AND these stunning table top displays.

This particular table's florals (by Mille Fiori) were my FAVE - deconstructed cymbidium orchids which were reconstructed into these amazing pieces.

And another unexpected element - living goldfish! The execution was done so well.

Our speaker of the hour was none other than Richard Aaron, president of BizBash Media. Talk about someone who knows how to make an entrance - he walked onto the stage singing. Love that!

He shared so many great event ideas like wall decor appetizers (yes, you pick food off the wall and serve yourself) and living tables (a real human being as the centerpiece). One of the best quotes he shared: A drop of inspiration can create a river of dreams. How true!

Lunch proceeded with a scrumptious vegetarian meal prepared by Chef Joanne Purnell of Good Gracious Events. Try not to drool too much while sifting through these pictures.

Curried Vegetables Pop Tart, Wild Arugula Salad with Feta Blueberry, Cucumber Dill Soup Shooter paired with C. Mendes Vinho Verde 2009 - Portugal

Market Garden Spring Vegetable Expression, Herb Broth and Pastry Heart paired with Chatueau De Paraza Minervois 200 - France

Dessert Spread - "All About Blueberries and Lavender"

And you can't forget the details!

Thank you WIPA for another lovely educational luncheon!

Sponsoring Vendors:
Venue - Vibiana
Catering - Good Gracious! Events
Rentals - Classic Party Rentals
Furniture - Rrivre Works
Photography - Callaway Gable
Menu Design And Printing - The Card Lady
Audio/Visual - No Static Pro Audio Inc
Linens - BBJ Linen
Entertainment - Dash Entertainment
Wines - Liquid Catering
Florals - Tick Tock Couture Florals
Cappuccino and Espresso - Cappuccino Club
Chocolate Favors - SoBelle Chocolate Favors

Table Top Designers:
Shirvan Design
Luxe Events Rentals
My Flower Guy
Tic Tock Couture Florals
Rivre Works
Premiere Party Rentals
Good Gracious! Events

Dr Seuss Inspired Floral Arrangements Revealed!

2011-03-10T05:56:00.000-08:00

Remember Monday's post on Dr Seuss and the inspiration photos?

So here is original Thing 1 and Thing 2:

And my floral interpretation of Thing 1 and Thing 2:

The original Lorax Trees:

And my floral interpretation of the Lorax trees in the theme colors:

The rest of the baby shower was designed by Erin Palos of Palos Studios with one of her friends. They did such a beautiful job pulling all the details together including these:

I just love to see how far a little inspiration goes!

Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!

A special thank you to Erin of Palos Studios for allowing me to showcase her images!

Dr. Seuss Inspired Floral Arrangement Teaser

2011-03-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

Recently, Erin (a great photographer and super pretty) of Palos Studios asked me to come up with some creative floral design concepts for a Dr. Seuss baby shower she was putting together. And let me just say....Erin is my favorite type of client!!! Why? She handed me an awesome design concept and gave me the freedom to run with it. So, what did I do? Having kids of my own, I have read almost every Dr. Seuss book. But I decided to google images of Dr. Seuss picture books to see what would spark my interest. It was hard to narrow it down but of the design concepts I sent over to Erin, the two she picked happened to be my two favorites. Here are the images that were transalated to florals:

Thing 1 and Thing 2

The Lorax Trees

Any guesses on what the florals ended up looking like?
What might you do?

See you Thursday with pictures of my floral interpretations!

Images borrowed from here and here.

Sip, See and Sparkle at The Wedding Pantry in Tustin, CA

2011-03-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

What girl doesn't love a little ice? After all, diamonds are a girl's best friend, right? Last Saturday night, The Wedding Pantry hosted a bridal event with Moment Prive complete with all things sparkling including real diamonds, faux diamonds and champagne! Tegyn of Tegyn Friedman Photography was gracious enough to supply me with the images she captured of the details. Enjoy!

And my favorite part of the evening? Chatting with Barbara Wallace, author of this book (above). She not only is a wealth of wedding knowledge, but she has an incredible life story and is full of wisdom and compassion! Love that about her! Be sure to check out her book!

Vendors:

Hosts: Eva from The Wedding Pantry, and Halleigh from Moment Prive

Barbara Wallace, author of Beautiful Bride from Every Angle

Makeup: Brenda Oen

Model: Chloe Atnip

Cake: Grace at Sweet Gems

Cupcakes: Kristin from Meringue Bake Shop

Diamonds: George from The Diamond Outlet

DJ: Steve Sievers

Cake Toppers: Melissa from Bling Diva Designs

Catering: Five Diamonds Catering

Floral Arrangements: Floral Sense

Faux Jewels: Jenn from Royal Accessories

Rentals, Linens, Bar: Chivari Chair Rentals

Photobooth: Drexelle Park from D Park Photography

Photography: Tegyn Friedman Photography

PS - I'll be sharing photos from D Park Photography's photobooth soon!

Pop - The Bridal Event at The Americana by Brand in Glendale, CA

2011-02-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

On February 20th, Pop - The Bridal Event showcased their inaugural bridal show at The American by Brand in Glendale.

Special guests including David Tutera, party planner to the stars, and Ines Di Santo, world renowned designer, made an appearance. And with gorgeous Southern California weather at hand, a bridal fashion show was held outside.

Here are a few of my favorite dresses.

So maybe there were more than just a few faves! But it was too hard to narrow it down to 2 or 3.

And Candice of De-Lovely Events and I collaborated on a design for her table. I loved her color choice of burnt orange, peridot green and slate grey!

Here are the detail shots of the florals by Yours Truly!

A special THANK YOU to Jen O'Sullivan for allowing all the vendors to use her images! The photos are gorgeous!

Floral Design Class 2 and 3 at The Wedding Pantry

2011-02-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege of teaching a few floral design classes at The Wedding Pantry. In the last two classes, we went over bouquets and centerpieces. I have to say that I was lucky to have all great students on board with innate senses of design. Enjoy the pictures! A special THANK YOU to Drexelle of D Park Photography for the beautiful images!
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Floral Design Class 2 - Bouquets

Solidaster/Solidago - fun yellow filler flower

Class in action!

Eva - The Wedding Pantry owner

See what I mean? Looks like the work of a pro!

Happy little distraction and special guest.

Cutest pup ever!

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Floral Design Class 3 - Centerpieces

Softer color palette of flowers this time around.

Designers hard at work!
Each person brought their own vase to design on so that they could learn how to work with the element that would best suit their event.

Mmmmm....mercury vases....so pretty!

Guest Blogger - Jesse Baker of Ecofficiency.org - Raising funds for clean water to Haiti

2011-02-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

If you've been keeping up with Floral Sense via Facebook and Twitter since December, you may recall my fellow Ecofficiency board members Jesse Baker and Chrissy Gray's trip to Haiti to distribute water filters. Since their return, they have recognized a larger, immediate need for the people of Port-au-Prince with an urgency to raise funds to return with more water filters. I asked Jesse to guest blog for us today. The people of Haiti need your help! Thanks for taking the time to make a difference!
Yours truly, Joanna

---------------------------------

During the last two weeks of December, through the nonprofit organization Ecofficiency.org, I had the opportunity to organize and lead a pilot project distributing water filters and Cholera education in a remote area of Haiti, where people were dying from Cholera (they still area), and there had been no aid response (there still has not been). My partner, Ecofficiency.org co-founder Chrissy Gray, and I were shocked and heart broken at the conditions people in Haiti are forced to live in. We’ve all seen footage and read reports about the devastation stemming from the Earthquake that hit over a year ago, but once you visit, it takes on an entirely different meaning…especially when you come face to face with a disease that has such a profound and deadly impact on such a large scale. As of Feb 18, 4,549 people have died from Cholera, with that toll continuing to rise - especially in rural areas.

One of the most impacting things we learned is that nearly all aid projects in Haiti are focused in cities, particularly Port-au-Prince. This makes sense to a regarding the rebuilding efforts, as most of the buildings that were destroyed are in cities. The Cholera outbreak, however, is ALL OVER Haiti – except in Port-au-Prince. We carried out our mission in a mountainous area close to the border of the Dominican Republic called Pays Pourri, where nearly 100 people had already died. People there didn’t even know what a bacteria is, let alone Cholera.

Through contacts I have at the UN, I was told that our project was worthy and well thought out, but that they simply were not doing work in that area, nor did they have any plans to in the near future…nevermind that the UN was the likely cause of the outbreak to begin with.

Those who live in Pays Pourri are truly forgotten people in a forgotten land.

Our mission was organized, funded, and carried out at the grassroots level in Orange County; we were truly one community helping another community. Through friends, family, and our growing network, we offered an opportunity to sponsor a water filter, or donate to our general mission fund. We raised enough funding to bring 20 highly mobile and effective filtration systems, which will provide clean water for up to 2000 people for the next 4-5 years!

While we are proud of this accomplishment, the reality is that there are another 15,000 people in Pays Pourri (as well as millions more throughout Haiti) who are in desperate need of these filtration systems, and the education we were able to provide. We were literally begged to come back with more water filters as soon as possible. Our goal is to return as soon as possible in order to meet this need. For more information about our project, and to see how you can help us help people in need, please visit our Project Haiti website.

Ecofficiency.org Founder - Jesse Baker
--

Pop - The Bridal Event at The Americana at Brand on Sunday February 20, 2011

2011-02-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

If you are a bride looking for a HAWT bridal event to check out, POP is where you want to be this coming Sunday at The Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA! There is an great list of vendors lined up for the day including a bridal fashion show you won't want to miss!

For more information, check out the website! Tickets are $25 for a general pass and $65 for a VIP.

Be sure to keep an eye out for De-lovely Events' table and chat it up with amazing event planner, Candice! And you better believe that there will be some awesome floral design work from Floral Sense!

Detail Photos of Team Sparkilicious' Table for the Utterly Engaged Snap Crackel Pop! New Year Party

2011-02-14T07:06:00.000-08:00

Check out the yummy details to our table scape for Utterly Engaged Design Challenge! We are still so thrilled and honored to be chosen as editor's pick in their Issue #14. Thank you! There are so many great details I don't know where to begin so I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. I love that Linda (Grand Soirees) and Desiree (Good Gracious) were bold enough to mix silver and gold!

Those white poppies are actually handmade by me with paper.

And this decorative contraption? We hid a confetti cannon in here!

And Lindsey's (A Wish and A Whisk) cake is AMAZING! She never fails in delivering something exquisite.

Therese from Whimisical Designs made these 3-D pop-up menus.
And Katrina calligraphy'd names on each of the diamond place settings.

I love the design cohesive detail of the tealight holders and the cannon box with similar textured silver.

Here's the confetti cannon in action on a rather artistic level.

With the aftermath of confetti everywhere!

Even the martini drinks had pop rocks thrown in them to give a little audible Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Hope you enjoyed our modern take on SNAP, CRACKLE, POP New Year Table!

Utterly Engaged New Year Party - Snap, Crackle, Pop! at Hotel Avia in Long Beach, CA

2011-02-10T07:09:00.000-08:00

So I have been dying to post the pictures to this amazing event! And now that the Utterly Engaged Issue #14 is officially out, I can finally share all the details! Just to fill you in: On January 19, Utterly Engaged hosted a table design challenge at the gorgeous Avia Hotel in Long Beach. I was lucky enough to be asked by Linda Ly of Grand Soirees to be a part of her team. She gave me a quick run-down of the design concept which was TO-DIE-FOR. Long story short, I said YES on the spot! There were 9 teams total. Ooh, I just can't wait until the end of the post....our Team Sparkilicious was chosen as Editor's Pick of the design challenge by Editor Henny Vallee!!!!

Check page 31 of Utterly Engaged's Issue #14 here!

Enjoy the photo tour compliments of Drexelle from D. Park Photography. And congrats Drexelle! It looks like some of your amazing images made it into the Utterly Engaged Issue #14!

I loved this wall! All the guests were encouraged to write a note to themselves. And in 1 year, we would each be sent our own note.

There were two awards for the night. One would be chosen by the panel of judges and the other by guest votes.

Here's a snap of my stellar team: Linda of Grand Soirees, Desiree of Good Gracious, Linsdey of A Wish and a Whisk, Therese of Whimsical Designs and Katrina of Calligraphy Katrina (not pictured).

Check out the fab editors of Utterly Engaged: Henny and Lucia!

Drexelle pulled these mini inspiration boards together with her photos.

Here's the one of our awesome table: Team Sparkilicious! So honored and excited to be chosen as Editor's Pick!

Judges Choice!

People's Choice!

Thank you Utterly Engaged for a wonderful evening!
And a special thanks to Drexelle of D Park Photography for the gorgeous images!

I'll post details of our table in a separate post soon.
Cheers!

Floral Design Class 1 at The Wedding Pantry

2011-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday marked the first of a series of three floral design classes that I am teaching at The Wedding Pantry this month. I can honestly say that it was so much more fun than I had anticipated. Put me in a room with Eva, owner to The Wedding Pantry, and that's enough of a party right there. Add a few more fun ladies and flowers to the mix, its tempting to not throw confetti.

Of course, I had to bring in a few essentials including floral tools and ribbon.

I love this stuff....food for the flower soul. Toss some of this in their water and your flowers will be happy longer.

And what's a flower class without flowers. Any guesses to the names of these?

Oh yeah, that's definitely an essential for me. Don't judge.

I kept the colors bright for this class since Spring came so early.

Check out the newly established pros and their stellar handiwork! Those were just the boutonnieres too!

Thank you D Park Photography for the beautiful shots!

I'll be teaching on bouquets tomorrow night and centerpieces next week.
Feel free to sign up here. You know I would love to see you there!

Does 'eco-friendly' necessarily mean 'cheaper'?

2011-02-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

I've been having to address this issue quite frequently lately so I have decided to tackle this issue in our blog.

Generally speaking, people assume that if something is 'eco-friendly', it means that the cost to purchase is cheaper. And with regards to some things, it does. But, for the most part, the answer is a big, fat "NO". I know, its ironic that it costs more money to make steps towards a sustainable future...at least, this will be true until the demand for sustainable products is higher.

And you're probably disagreeing with me right now by naming off a dozen ways it can be cheaper.

For example:
'Cheaper ways to be eco-friendly':
1) Re-use plastic bags
2) Walk or ride a bike for transportation
3) Recycle bottles and cans
etc, etc...

Yet, what choices are we making as consumers when we purchase new items?

Remember the movie Vanishing of the Bees that I talked about in my last post? The film-makers exposed an interesting new trend with honey. Barrels and barrels of fake-honey are shipped from China at 18 cents a gallon leaving it impossible for US commercial beekeepers to compete. Disturbingly, this honey from China is altered with milk and man-made syrups. So no wonder they can afford to sell "honey" to America at 18 cents a gallon! And yet large American corporations purchase this honey since it is so cost effective to use in their food products....which we eat.

So....would you rather pay a little more to consume real honey made from real bees? Or would you rather pay 18 cents a gallon to consume fake honey? The answer seems pretty obvious to me.

Although the upfront lower costs might immediately gratify our pocketbooks, we pay dearly for these cheap products on the back end. And the consequences are killing us.

What are your thoughts?

Vanishing of the Bees

2011-01-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with the current crisis surrounding the disappearance of honey bees. The actual term for this phenomenon is Colony Collapse Disorder. The rate at which bees are disappearing is alarming and has left people scratching their heads.

The first time I was made aware of this issue was through an animated film called The Bee Movie.

I watched it with my son and thought it was cute since the main characters were a florist and a talking bee. I did find it a bit awkward that the woman and bee fall in love....but that's besides the point. The storyline sheds light on the fact that human behavior causes flowers to disappear because bees are no longer pollinating the flowers. And without the pollination of flowers, we have no fruits and vegetables. Of course, the movie has a happily-ever-after ending. Unfortunately, current reality reflects otherwise.

I watched that movie about 3 years ago and in those last three years I've noticed the bees making headlines...repeatedly. Here are just a few. If you google search, you can easily find more:
http://www.startribune.com/business/11222981.html
http://news.discovery.com/animals/the-case-of-the-disappearing-bees.html
http://www.usforacle.com/disappearing-bees-deserve-attention-1.2273479

Do we have a major problem? I think so. Recently, Chrissy Gray from Green Events sent me information on this documentary - Vanishing of the Bees. So, I ordered it and have yet to watch it. I'll let you know what my thoughts are. I just wonder if there is anything that can be done at this point.

Why do disappearing bees even perk my interest? Aside from the fact that I may lose job security if flowers no longer bloom? (I understand that statement is a bit oversimplified, but roll with me.) Well, if bees don't pollinate, we are facing a much bigger problem. I had no idea how large of an impact bees have on our food source. We're talking 1/3 of our produce! That's right. ONE-THIRD of our produce is dependent on honeybees...and that's just on commercial beekeeping. Scary.

Off to a little research. Any thoughts? I would love to hear them!

Chanel-inspired Tablescape

2011-01-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

As promised, this post is dedicated to the thought process behind choosing design details to a tablescape, specifically the Chanel-inspired photoshoot. With any design scheme, you want to have a starting point with your inspiration. Although a specific brand like Chanel might appeal to you, the word alone can only get you so far. Choose just a few of your favorite elements that you want your design to embrace. For me, I was drawn to the pearls and signature color palette of Chanel. And, I'm naturally a fan of varied textures. That was a great stepping stone to creating the non-floral bouquets....which in turn created a wave of inspiration for the rest. So, let me walk you through some of the detail of the table and give you a glimpse of the method behind the madness.

Colors: Generally speaking, this is the second thing I consider after I choose a theme. The blush pink is so iconic of Chanel, it only made sense to throw it in the mix. How you distribute the color is a completely different issue for a different post.

Textures: Personally, I am a huge fan of keeping color palettes simple and playing up the textures as much as possible. Let's take the color black for example. Although this particular spread of pictures from the shoot don't show all the textures within the color, I'm going to explain them.The tablebloth is a button taffeta with hundreds of mini bunches throughout the fabric. The chair sashes give off a raw silk feel. Even the napkins are a different material in black tweed. Don't be afraid to use fun textures because they will add so much elegance to your table.

Accents and Details: Pearls played a huge part as the accenting item that was woven throughout the shoot...loose pearls on the table, strung pearls on the arrangements, pearl necklaces draped on the chairs, single pearls in the lotus pods and even pearls as napkin rings.

Another thing to consider is how the accents are applied. I wanted the chair sash and pearl necklace to reflect how a woman might accessorize herself. The napkins were folded in a way to reflect a woman's silhouette and the pearls/rose napkin ring served as a stylish belt. Be thinking about your table in terms of your theme in all the details. Trust me, those details will bring magic to a table!

I hope this was helpful to you. And I hope that you were inspired to be inspired! Happy designing!

And FYI, this shoot was also published in Singapore and Russia. Check them out!

Chanel Inspired Photoshoot Featured in Style Unveiled

2011-01-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

OMG! This is, by far, my favorite design concept that I've worked on to date! Here's the story to how this FAB photoshoot came about. Vivian from All Made Up Team brought our core team (including D Park Photography and Floral Sense) together with this great idea for a Chanel inspired shoot bringing in all the signature design elements. I was in!

Rewind a few months before our meeting, I agreed to make a few bouquets for Vivian's studio photoshoots with her brides...ones that she could keep at the studio permanently. But I didn't want to use silk flowers and create a traditional bouquet. So, I looked to Chanel for a bit of inspiration and fell in love with the gunmetal, pearls and play on textures. And viola! These are the two bouquets I came up with:

We played around with a mini photoshoot session with me:

Naturally, we decided to marry the bouquets into the photoshoot.
So, the one with the dried lotus pods and pearls transpired into this amazing, full-blown tablescape!

Go to Style Unveiled's link here to experience all the labor intensive details. I'll post more on why I chose the details I did for my tablescape. In the meantime, enjoy all the great eye candy!

Thank you to all the amazing vendors who participated in this shoot!
And thank you Style Unveiled for showcasing our work on your site!

Reasons to Celebrate Bridal Show and Floral Sense Tablescape

2011-01-20T06:52:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday night, I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of this FAB bridal show at S Fine Dining in Westminster, CA. Generally, I don't to bridal shows for a variety of reasons (I'll post about that later). But I was invited by some of the industry's best including Ngoc from Sky Box Events, Stephanie from S Fine Dining and Huey from Platinum Peaks Entertainment. How could I say no? I loved that the set up was intimate with a lot of punch! And I was lucky enough to hang out with some great vendors and brides!

All photos were generously shared by Vivian Tran.
(Yeah, she's a bit of a renaissance woman with an unbelievable number of talents.)

Here's Floral Sense's tablescape in Modern Elegance.

Did you notice those awesome chairs? Fusion Linens just designed these and recently added them to their line of products.
I HAD to showcase them here!

And a few modern pieces for the patio seating area.

David and Drexelle from D Park Photography had this awesome mini-photoshoot session for brides. See those bouquets on the table? I'll have an exciting post about those soon too!

This is Kat from All Made Up Team. I have to say that she was the life of the party!

Genie from Petit Plume - She makes some kick-ass bridal accessories!

Veronica from Fusion Linens - Not only is she gorgeous, she's got a heart of gold!

From the left: David and Drexelle (D. Park Photography), Vivian (All Made Up Team), Me (Joanna) and Genie (Petit Plume).

Thanks for visiting!

Practical Solution for Resuable Grocery Bags

2011-01-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

How often do you go to the store and forget to pull your reusable bags out of your car? Its the worst when you're checking out and you finally realize that your bags are still in the car. As a designer, I am constantly shopping for products for my clients. It didn't take me too long to get tired of running into this issue and getting stuck with a plastic bag that I really didn't want. Sometimes, I would just throw whatever I could in my purse to avoid wasting more non-compostable, bad-for-the-environment plastic bags. And during my personal runs to the grocery store....ugh!...that's the worst! The solution?

Isn't she cute? These reusable bags fold up right into themselves! I keep 2 in my purse at all times and they have saved me from the death grip of taking home plastic bags. I open my purse to pull out my wallet and inevitably see these puppies. I am good to go!

You can order them here but I am certain Google can hit you up with a few other sites that sell similar products.

Happy Sustainability!

Mayesh's Inagural National Floral Design Contest

2011-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Mayesh, the world's largest wholesale floral supplier, hosted their first national design contest yesterday at each of their locations. With over 200 designers across the USA, each location voted yesterday for the favorite local design. Designers were given a box of pre-selected flowers and were challenged to create their interpretation and vision of Valentine's Day. So naturally, I entered and here's what I came up with.

I named this one "Shut Up and Kiss Me". Appropriate? And moving along the lines of sustainability, I wanted to decorate with as many organic materials as possible. The ribboning is actually created with black ti leaves. The only non-compostable ingredient was floral foam. Yeah, I know...damn that foam.

I'm not sure who won at our Santa Ana location. But the local winner will then go on to compete on a national level via online voting. Kinda fun, eh?

Thanks for stopping by!

Floral Design Classes at The Wedding Pantry

2011-01-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

By special request, I (Joanna) will be offering three different floral design classes at The Wedding Pantry in the month of February. If you have a small wedding and want to DIY the florals yourself, this may be a great time to come and learn the techniques behind the designs! Below is a snapshot of the dates and costs. Go to The Wedding Pantry's website here and sign up! Can't wait to see you there!

PS - If you attend the class and decide to book Floral Sense for your event, we'll have a little something special just for you.

Chic Peppermint Photoshoot Press

2011-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Wow! When we shot this Chic Peppermint photoshoot we had no idea how hot it would become!
So, here's a list of the places our shoot has been featured so far...and still counting.

Utterly Engaged

Wed Savvy

Fabulously Wed

Brenda's Wedding Blog

What a great way to start the year off!

Thank you to all the editorials featuring our work!
We are thrilled you love it as much as we do!

Happy New Year! Bring on 2011!

2011-01-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! And with a new year come a few forward momentum changes in 2011!

To start, we are going on a blog schedule with two weekly posts - one on Monday and the other on Thursday. With so many amazing things happening around Floral Sense, we'll be dedicating time to those projects.

Part of that change includes Ecofficiency.org. I (Joanna) have been asked to be on the board of this amazing organization and I am TRULY honored! There are so many exciting things happening over there which you will definitely get to read more about. I stand behind their mission and, more importantly, I stand behind the people behind the mission. Please feel free to follow the link here to learn more in the meantime.

And yes, Floral Sense continues to make baby steps towards sustainability...but not without the help of my friends at Ecofficiency.

Onward to another great year!

A Mini Blogging Vacation at Floral Sense

2010-12-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a year!!!
I am so truly grateful for all the amazing things that have happened through Floral Sense in 2010 and I am squealing with excitement for what 2011 has to bring. While we will still be busy servicing throughout the rest of this year, I will be taking a mini blogging break until January.
Enjoy your holidays with your family and friends.
We look forward to sharing another amazing year with you!! See you next year!

Truly Yours,
Joanna

Peppermint Inspired Stylized Bridal Photoshoot

2010-12-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

With Christmas just around the corner, I have a little treat for you! Here's a little taste of the holidays in all its peppermint wedded bliss that we shot a few months back in preparation for the season! If you know someone who is planning to have a wedding around Christmas-time, I hope this gives them a few ideas for their own special day.

Since peppermint was the inspiration point for this shoot, I really wanted to exhibit a Winter Wonderland feel with colors bursts of glittery red and modern peppermint accents. And just a little tip for any design schemes: keep the color palette simple and play up textures as much as you can! Enjoy!

Credits:
Co-coordination: D. Park Photography and Floral Sense
Photography: D. Park Photography
Art Direction, Event and Floral Design: Floral Sense
Hair and Make-up Artist: All Made Up Team
Bridal Accessories: Petit Plume
Linens, Furniture and Venue: Fusion Linens
Paper Creations: Typologie and Co.
Cake: Simply Sweet Cakery

Baccarat Party Picture Details

2010-12-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

By now, you've seen a bunch of pictures of this FAB event from Tuesday night at Baccarat in South Coast Plaza. And if you've been keeping up, you already know that the turn out was amazing with over 250 guests including some of Hollywood's own. I was lucky enough to have my friend Drexelle of D Park Photography come and snap some great photos to share with you. AND, Alexander Avina, the amazing photographer for The Examiner was kind enough to do the same! Thank you so much to both of you! Watermarked images by D Park Photography and non-watermarked Alexander Avina.

I'm a sucker for the details of any event so here they are in all its glory! Enjoy!

All floral designs were kept simple with Black Magic, Black Bacara and Hearts Roses in Baccarat crystal vases.

Champagne and wine were served in gorgeous Baccarat stemware.

The lovely Drexelle of D Park Photography:

A few of the gorgeous ladies of our planning committee:

Marisa Kenson and her team stylized me in one of her very own dresses. Love! A special thank you to Paul Mitchell for hair and make-up for us and our lovely models!

Of course, no outfit is complete without a little Baccarat crystal.

And just a little something for the wonderful women who I worked with to put this glittering evening together!

It was truly a night to remember!
Yours truly,
Joanna

Baccarat Party Covered by The Examiner

2010-12-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

Yay for press! It looks like the FAB Baccarat party made it into Examiner.com.
Go to this link for details!
I'll be posting soon too!

Baccarat Party at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA

2010-12-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

Today's the big day! Come join us in celebration of Baccarat's new jewelry line So Insomnight at 6 PM to 8:30 PM in South Coast Plaza right inside Baccarat for a full red carpet treatment!

We have many special guest: the Real Housewives of OC, Michael Costello from Project Runway, Aubrey O'day including a special performance by pop violinist Josh Vietti!

AND, if you get lucky enough, you could win some great gifts from Anqi, Charles David and Floral Sense (to name a few).

Hope to see you there!!!

ISES Orange County December Meeting - Greening Your Event at Classic Party Rentals in Santa Ana, CA

2010-12-10T20:16:00.001-08:00

Aside from the fact that I love a good party, I love a Green Party even more! Classic Party Rentals in Santa Ana hosted the most recent ISES meeting with a lovely irresistible organic twist. Of course, all tables, organic linens, stemware, silverware and chargers were provided by Classic.

Florals were beautifully designed by Sussanna of French Buckets.

Food catered by Primal Alchemy Catering with produce grown from their own garden!

Desserts by Simply Sweet Bakery were gluten free. The salted caramels were certainly the coveted sweet item of the night. And yes, I took the last one without shame.

Classic Party Rentals also provided these goody bags for each of the guests filled with treats including a reusable cup!

Holly Thach, General Manager to the Santa Ana Classic Party Rentals location, presented. And I truly appreciated the fact that Classic continues to make baby steps towards sustainability. It can initially be overwhelming trying to implement changes. But it all starts with baby steps.

You wanna learn an interesting fact I learned from Holly?
It takes less energy to wash 14,000 glasses than it takes to make one plastic cup. Wow!

Its a bit disturbing to know that so much energy is expended into making a one-time use cup.
This creates even more reason to rent. Especially at Classic, you have an incredible menu of options to fit any occasion and make it your own.

Just look at these gorgeous products! The possibilities are endless.

Here are few sample tablescapes from their showroom:

This is Cynthia Bower of Classic! She's one of the sweetest people you will ever meet!

I feel truly blessed to be around such amazing people:

Thank you ISES OC for another successful event. And a special thank you for presenting an opportunity for showcasing a Green Event!

Date change for Ecofficiency.org Holiday Party

2010-12-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update! The party for Ecofficiency has been changed to Saturday, December 18th instead of Friday.

You can still check out the Facebook invite page for details!

Ecofficiency.org Holiday Hoedown

2010-12-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

Looking for a little holiday fun next Friday night? Join Ecofficiency.org in Costa Mesa for the last event of the year for this fabulous non-profit and help raise money to bring clean water to Haiti! Here are the event details: go to Facebook to see who's coming!

Inspiration Boards

2010-12-07T00:24:00.000-08:00

Whew! We just wrapped up another photoshoot yesterday and it was a huge success! But what kills me is the fact that I can't share a single picture with you until it gets published. What I can tell you, however, is that our inspiration came from Chanel. And, as with any creative project, it takes a great team to make it all happen.

The tricky part is getting everyone on the same page for the design concept. So how do you do that? Two words:
Inspiration Board
Not sure what I'm talking about? Well, you've seen collages of images like this, right?
(Image from www.triedandtrueweddings.com)

This is the perfect way to pull a story of colors and ambiance for your look. Pictures translate immensely more effectively than words do for designing. If the fancy computer programs scare you, just find some shots in magazines, cut them out and put them together like this one:
(Image from www.vintagemint.com)

Its pretty amazing to look back at your finished product and think that all of that inspiration came from just a few pictures!

Happy creative designing!

Baccarat Launch Party at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA

2010-11-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

The rumors are true!
Baccarat has a new line of jewelry called SO INSOMNIGHT and we are so honored to be a part of the celebrations.

Please join us for a glittering night on Tuesday December 14th, 2010 at Baccarat in South Coast Plaza from 6 PM t0 8:30 PM for hor d'oeuvres and cocktails in celebration of Baccarat's new jewelry line.

A portion of the evening's sales will benefit Working Wardrobes, an Orange County Charity Organization, dedicated to empowering men, women and young adults in crises to confidently enter the workforce through career development and wardrobe service.

Event sponsors of the night include Charles David, Marisa Kenson, Anqi and Floral Sense.

And some of our special guests include The Real Housewives of OC.

Kindly respond by December 11 to 714.435.9600 or email south.coast.plaza.store@baccarat.fr.

Hope to see you there!

Holiday Wreath

2010-11-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

You asked and I answered!

I had multiple requests for the Inspired Buyer event's demo that I teach an easy way to make a Holiday Wreath. But I'm gonna cheat and show you the finished product:

This is SO easy that I'm not even going to attach step-by-step pictures.

What you need:
1 Grapevine wreath
2 to 4 different plant and berry clippings that you like
(I chose sustainably grown materials of Liquid Amber leaves, Red Ilex berries, Seeded Eucalyptus and Yellow Solidaster)

What you do:
Start from a point in the wreath.
Clip 6 inch pieces off the plant and berry stems.
Insert the stems into the wreath until secure. Be sure to insert the stems in all the same direction.
Work your way around the wreath until you end where you started.

Viola! You have a holiday wreath!

And of course, this is a completely sustainable way to create a holiday wreath! Not only is the entire wreath decompostable, you can reuse the grapevine wreath for any holiday...including Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Statement Pieces for Your Holiday Party

2010-11-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

Every year when the holidays roll around, I always get asked for some festive decorating tips for holiday parties. One of my favorite things to do is create Statement Pieces as a focal point of any event with small, simple supporting pieces. And intimate gatherings are no exception!

We recently decorated for a Coordinator luncheon at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. I really wanted to embrace the concept of the use of a Statement Piece along with the colors and feel of the season. Here's what I came up with:

What's the first thing that your eyes go to? Yep, its the center arrangement.

The supporting pieces on either side of the Statement Piece are very simple in monochromatic colors, staggered across the table.

Only 2 of the arrangements had a mix of colors.

And mini pumpkins and gourds were clustered together in groupings throughout as a seasonal accent.

The colors were kept simple: yellow, orange and deep red.

I know its the day before Thanksgiving. So I hope I have inspired you to pull in some fun decor for tomorrow's dinner party!

A special Thank You to Molly of Luminaire Images for capturing such beautiful images of our flowers!

Bridal Gown Made of 100% Recycled Paper at Erin Cole Couture Bridal

2010-11-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right! A bridal gown made of 100% recycled paper and she is in the window of Erin Cole Couture Bridal in Costa Mesa, CA. And you can go to the shop to see her in person. Here's a picture taken by Erin Cole Couture:

Wow!

This inspires me for a photoshoot that we have planned in a few weeks!

Inspired Buyer in Newport Beach, CA

2010-11-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, Jesse Baker from Ecofficiency.org asked me if I would be willing to do a sustainable floral demo for their Inspired Buyer event coming up.

So how could I say no! Of course, I love any opportunity to share the knowledge that I have gained over the past year in Greening Up Floral Sense. I'll have a posting on the demo later on but if you are interested in attending the event, it is free! And you'll have an incredible opportunity to meet some great businesses and tour the ENC in Newport Beach, CA.

Here's the quick 411:
What: Inspired Buyer
When: Sunday November 21, 2010
Where: Environmental Nature Center
1601 16th Street, Newport Beach
What: The Inspired Buyer is a one day sustainable shopping event showcasing the finest environmentally and socially conscious businesses in the region. Geared specifically for the upcoming holiday season, the goal of the event is to inspire our community to celebrate sustainably. In addition to fabulous vendors selling holiday gifts, The Inspired Buyer will also feature do-it-yourself gift demos, nature tours, live music, kids activities, and lots of healthy food and drinks. The entire event will be powered by the sun and is absolutely free to attend!

Hope to see you there!

Floral Sense work featured on Wedloft

2010-11-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Just a little fun press for Floral Sense with our work featured on Wedloft.

Remember this?

It looks like Wedloft took a liking to it! Thanks for the spotlight!

Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, CA

2010-11-10T22:55:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited to share my latest Green Venue find. It is the first LEED PLATINUM certified building in Orange County and is located right in Newport Beach!

Welcome to the Environmental Nature Center:

Isn't she pretty? The building is single story at 9,000 square feet with a plethora of sustainable features including solar electric system and waterless urinals (that's right....waterless!)

Not only is the ENC available as a venue for a fabulous event, it is open to the public on weekdays for you to visit and peruse the premises. The center is committed to education, equipped with programs, a nature trail and even a butterfly house.

Visit and I'm pretty sure you'll be impressed!

Photos from ENC website.

Wish Upon a Wedding Southern California Gala at The Ebell in Los Angeles, CA

2010-11-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

Wow! What an amazing evening at The Ebell for the Wish Upon A Wedding Gala! There were so many talented people involved in putting this heart-warming fundraising event together. And we had the privilege of being graced with special guests including Founder of WUW - Luz Guthrie, Founding President of WUW - Sasha Souza and the first recipients of the wedding granted by the Southern California Chapter - The Reyes Family.

Come with me on a little photo recap of this FAB event! Oh, and I should mention that the theme was Old Hollywood Vintage Glam!

The Ebell of Los Angeles is a beautiful historical venue located off of Lucerne and Wilshire Blvd. Even First Lady Michelle Obama has made an appearance here!

All guests were greeted via the red carpet.

Wildflower Linens showed off one of their great linens for this guest seating table.

I love this cake! It might looks familiar to some of you.

Ice Bulb showcased a few of their creations. Such beautiful work!

A silent auction was held as part of the fundraising event.

This particular auction item had me at chocolate and wine.

And here is the grand entrance to the dining room! I SO wish I was a better photographer to capture the true essence of this room.

The Hollywood Esquires Band provided live music throughout the dinner.

All florals were provided by the ever-so-talented Tic Toc Couture Flowers.

Here's a little snap of one of the themed table names.

The menu will make your mouth water a bit so just in case you can't read the picture, I have a description for each course.

First Course - Olive Oil and Herb Poached Plum Tomatoes with Baby Arugula, Burrata and Aged Balsamic

Second Course - Slow Roasted Arctic Char Escabeche and Grilled Asparagus with Fermented Black Bean Hollondaise and Taro Chips
(Oops! I ate the food before I took the picture. Yeah...it was THAT good!)

Third Course - Spice Braised Beef Short Ribs with Sweet Potato and Cassava Pancakes and Sauteed Haricot Vert, Grilled Vegetable Risotto with Basil Sauce and Herb Salad

Fourth Course - Vanilla Poached Pears with Bourbon Anglaise, Strawberry Ribbons and Quinoa Tuiles

And a snap of the evening's presentation:

This was the point in the evening that was emotional for most. For me, the most impactful was seeing images from the first wedding wish fulfilled by the Southern California chapter for Sandra and Francisco. You HAVE TO check out their story here with full images. Just be sure to have a box of tissues handy when you do. What is SO heart wrenching is that Sandra's son, Anthony, has been in and out of the hospital as he battles Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. As a mom myself, my heart goes out to them. And I am excited that this very deserving family was granted a wedding by some of the top vendors in Southern California. Sending my love and best wishes!

Following the dinner service and presentation, we all shuffled over to the Supper Club with entertainment provided by Hey, Mister DJ.

And desserts were provided by Vanilla Bake Shop.

I got to hang out with some beautiful people. That's Christina from Simply Modern Weddings and Gloria from Grand Engagements.

Here's Victor from Invisible Touch. Seriously, if you want a fun DJ for your event, be sure to ask for this guy!

And the owner to Invisible Touch, Robert.

Thank you to all the generous sponsors for the Wish Upon a Wedding Fundraising Gala!

And a special thank you to the amazing board of the Wish Upon a Wedding Southern California!

Floral Color Combinations for Autumn

2010-11-06T00:19:00.000-07:00

Its funny how Southern California's season changes are more punctuated by our retail stores than Mother Nature. We see a few trees change color here when Autumn rolls around but its nothing like this:

And as inspiration goes, I got inspired to create a few arrangements for fall.

Just because you can't go somewhere to get the full experience of fall doesn't mean you can't bring it to you!

Happy Autumn Inspiration!

Autumn tree photos from google images.

Wish Upon a Wedding Southern California Gala

2010-11-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

Eep! I am SO excited about tonight's Gala at the Ebell in LA for Wish Upon a Wedding! I promise to have a full report about this amazing event tonight! No pictures for you yet but I have a feeling you're gonna be impressed!

Corona Del Mar Home Tour 2010

2010-11-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

This year, Floral Sense had the pleasure to decorate a beautiful home located in the heart of Corona Del Mar. The participating vendors included Baccarat, Villeroy and Boch and Wendi Young Design.

These arrangements were designed in gorgeous Baccarat crystal vases.
The collections include Ginkgo, Mille Nuits and Spiral respectively.

We also designed some succulent arrangements in these pretty vases:

And the rest of the home was designed with these colorful accent pieces.

Congratulations to the Corona Del Mar Home Tour for another successful year!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T08:35:00.000-07:00

Sending a little homemade greeting from Floral Sense to you!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Inspired Floral Arrangement

2010-10-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

So, its the night before Halloween and you have a party tomorrow. You're struggling with coming up with some elegant floral decor options. How about you try this one on for size? We pulled together dark brown with muted vintage purple colors. Even the dark foliage is a perfect play on spooky spider webs.

What other floral color combos would you like to see for a Halloween party?

Reclaimed Foral Foam

2010-10-24T11:56:00.001-07:00

Just a little food for thought: What if we reclaimed all of the used floral foam and re-purpose it for something else?

As Floral Sense makes steps to going green, the one component that is SO difficult to get away from is floral foam. This foam is completely non-biodegradable. It is used for a few days, at most, and thrown out. Multiply this by the number of arrangements throughout the world and you might begin to imagine the impact on the environment. BUT, we still use it because it allows us to create certain designs that we would otherwise be unable to. Using watermelon as a substitute is an interesting concept but is not practical for all purposes.

SO, what if we could reclaim all of this used floral foam and use it for something else?

Just a thought. Any suggestions anyone?

Baccarat Vases

2010-10-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, I had to swing by Baccarat at South Coast Plaza to pull from their amazing line of fine crystal for the Corona Del Mar Home Tour. Marcy, the boutique manager, and I had way too much fun brainstorming together in the midst of all the beautiful pieces to choose from. It was tempting to pick everything to showcase. But here's a sneak of some of the vases I'll be designing for that we FINALLY narrowed it down to. And yes, even the kitties will be making an appearance next Tuesday!

My favorite piece is The Forest of Dreams Five-Vase Holder designed by Marcel Wanders:

(This picture is borrowed from the Baccarat website.) This particular piece is surprisingly versatile. You can remove the vases to switch it out with tea light holders or stick-candle holders. And the ornamental detail I just love!
This one retails for $3500.

Baccarat's stemware is a whole different story of prettiness! Just go to their website or visit their boutique at South Coast Plaza. All I know is that I am very excited about accenting their crystal with some gorgeous flowers.

More to come on the Corona Del Mar Home Tour!