The Best Christmas Tree Ever

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 

Mayesh's Inagural National Floral Design Contest

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!

Chic Peppermint Photoshoot Press

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!

A Mini Blogging Vacation at Floral Sense

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

Holiday Wreath

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

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!

Inspired Buyer in Newport Beach, CA

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!

Happy Halloween!

Sending a little homemade greeting from Floral Sense to you!

Happy Halloween!

Host Your Holiday Event at the Mission San Juan Capistrano

Ok, I promise, Part 3 with All Made Up Team and D Park Photography is coming. But as we enter the holiday season (already?! I know), I find myself prepping for Christmas events and photoshoots. If you are in search of a beautiful venue rich in history for your holiday event, check out the Mission San Juan Capistrano.



The ambiance created by the location alone is worth the booking.

Happy holiday planning!

No Plastic Day - June 8, 2010

Yep, today is an official world wide event of NO PLASTIC! So what can you do today to reduce your carbon footprint? Here are a few tips from the No Plastic Day website:

1. No Plastic Bags - Unfortunately, plastic bags are practically omnipresent and completely non-biodegradable. So, take a reusable bag with you today and use it wherever you might receive a plastic bag. Or if you already have these bags at home, reuse 'em!
2. No Plastic Bottles - I know. Plastic bottles are so convenient. But just for today, commit to using a resuable bottle or purchase beverages in aluminum cans and glass bottles. If you have plastic bottles, be sure to throw them into the recycling bin.
3. Limit Your Garbage - Have you noticed that most packaging is made of plastic and much of what we throw out is made of the same material? Try to find a second life for things like plastic boxes that would otherwise be trash.
4. Be Creative - This is the best part. You choose how you want to think outside the box in reducing plastic waste in your life. Go for it!

Happy No Plastic Day!

Macy's Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. And being Asian American, I was particularly excited to learn that Macy's at South Coast Plaza decided to celebrate this special month by partnering with NAAAP-OC to feature Asian American fashion. Special guests stylist Michelle Ngo, Fashion Director at Skinnie Magazine and actress Lynn Chen made an appearance.


Shiseido cosmetics served as the make-up specialists for the beautiful models. In case you didn't know, Shiseido is a Japanese based company that caters to the Asian population. So the entire line is perfect for Asian complexion. An added bonus is that all their products are allergy tested so for those of you with sensitive skin, Shisiedo won't make your skin feel crazy.


All of these gorgeous models were styled with clothing, make-up and accessories chosen for the classy, chic Asian. Here are pictures of my 2 favorites.



Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous mums out there!
Here's some celebratory floral eye candy to brighten your day.



Remember fellow mommies: YOU ARE AMAZING!
Your kids may not tell you everyday how great you are but they know you're a rockstar.

Happy Earth Day!

In commemoration of this special day, we have added a very eco-friendly component to our marketing material.

Wondering what's so special?
That red heart is plantable seeded paper.
Toss it under some dirt, add water and it will grow flowers!

Happy Earth Day!

Career Week and Dr. Seuss' Birthday

Did you know that this past week was National Career Week and March 2nd was Dr. Seuss' birthday?

And you're probably wondering what the 2 have in common. Not much except for the fact that I had the privilege to be a guest for a 1st Grade class to share about my career as a floral designer and to read some great Dr. Seuss books to them. After putting my creative juices to work, I decided to bring in a little floral design project for the kiddos to work on. In an effort to Floral Sense going green, I doctored up a project that used recycled materials you can find around your house.

Here's what I used:
An empty can (this one used to have Almond Roca in it) that we covered with paper to decorate ourselves. This was our vase.


Tissue paper (You know, the ones you save from gifts you've received, swearing that you'll use them for something one day? Well, now here's your chance) and pipe cleaners.


And some sticks (these sticks were saved from a fruit arrangement from 'Edible Arrangements' but you can use any type of stick you might have around the house).


All we did was take four squares of the tissue paper, pinch it in the middle and fluff it up.


With the pipe cleaner, we wired the bottom of our flower and twisted it onto a stick.


We threw our flowers in our can/vase thus, creating, a fab arrangement for the classroom!


If a class of first graders can make this, so can you. And Go Green in the process of it!

Happy Career Week and Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Lunar New Year Kick-Off Celebration with NAAAP-OC

Growing up in an Asian household, we didn't pay much heed to celebrating the Lunar New Year. Surprising? I never thought so but my Asian counterparts did. So, this year I decided to switch it up a notch and participate by attending NAAAP-OC's Lunar New Year Celebration.



My long-time friend Christine Huey, who now serves at secretary for NAAAP-OC (which stands for National Association of Asian American Professionals, Orange County), invited me. She, along with other officers of the board, were installed by Judge John Nho Truong Nguyen last Thursday at the Dragon Palace in Garden Grove.


And with the help of another wonderful friend, Victoria Quon, I commemorated the new year by handing out traditional red envelopes stuffed with my card and a chocolate gold coin.


I admit, I intially wasn't too sure what NAAAP-OC was all about but as I looked around the room and started to chit-chat with the members, I realized that this was much more that a social gathering. This is an organization committed to developing leaders within the community. One of the most impressive components that won me over: Mentorship. I've been to a fair share of networking events but this is the first organization I've come across that consists of generations of members, with the older generation committed to serving the younger generation in mentorship. I had the privilege of sitting next to Pat Summers (Professional Development Chair) during dinner and it was amazing to see her passion in developing leaders, true to the mission statement of NAAAP-OC.

Thank you for a wonderful evening and great start to a new Lunar New Year NAAAP-OC!

Winners Annouced for the San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway!

As promised, the Dream Team has announced the Winning couple of the San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway on Valentine's Day! Check out the video for the big reveal. Congrats to this fabulous couple!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade

One of my fondest childhood memories is waking up on New Year's Day and running downstairs to turn on the TV, frantically searching for the Pasadena Rose Parade. Its a tradition I still love so what better way to ring in the new year than to share a little of it with you.


Apparently, the roots of this parade go all the way back to 1890 in an effort to celebrate the fruits of the beautiful Winter season of sunny Southern California.

Over the years, the Tournament of Roses has progressed from the display of basic horse drawn carriages to celebrity participation.


Its pretty amazing to see how complex today's floats are. Just check out the architecture before all the foam and flowers.


The process of creating and decorating just one float is intense complete with seed charts an SO many flowers.



But to me, the magic is in the details of each float.

I found it mesmerizing as a child and I still do as an adult.

What a great way to make flowers out of flowers!
I guess you can say that my love of floral design started very young thanks to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

This is my favorite way to kick start the year.

Cheers to a fabulous 2010!

All photos courtesy of Pasadena Tournament of Rose Parade Facebook Fan Page.

Suprise Christmas Treats from Marlowe Berglund Events

Yesterday, I came home to find a neatly packaged little box on the porch waiting for me from Melissa Frank of Marlowe Berglund Events. She's a great event planner in Northern California out of Menlo Park. But not only does she do great events, she's a great baker! So you can only imagine my excitement to these goodies she sent me. And I truly appreciated all the attention to details from the beautiful packaging to the individual labels of each cookie type.
Hope you enjoy the progression of opening my gift as much as I did!

Happy Holidays!

PS - Floral Sense will be taking a break from our blog for the remainder of the year. Be sure to check back!
We can't wait to see you in 2010!