Ecofficiency.org Presents Japan Benefit Concert

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

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

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

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

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

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