End of Summer Tidbit

With summer drawing to a close, I give you the last little bit of summer before I start busting out my fall designs.

This bouquet is for a bride looking for an alternative to flowers.  Yes, I know, I am a floral designer, but this idea was too awesome to forego, and I love creating bouquets, no matter the medium.

Perfect for a summer wedding, whether on the seashore or just trying to bring a beachy touch to your inland event, this seashell bouquet is truly unique.  And the best part is, it lasts forever!

And, of course, the matching corsage and shell-filled center piece top-off the look.  I love how simple these designs are.  But even though they're simple, I think they are still incredibly striking.

New Name

So it's been a long time since I've update, sorry guys! I've been busy with enjoying my amazing summer, including fantastic trips to my cabin in Island Park. Feel free to be jealous.

While enjoying the gorgeousness of summer, I have been thinking of customizing the name of my business to make it more "me." This is what I have come up with (drum roll):

&stems

I'm still keeping the Stems name, because I thought of it and fell in love with it years ago, and haven't fallen out of love with it since. The & is what is customizing the name to me. &=and=the first half of Andrea, and a nickname various friends have and do call me. And so, my business is now &stems.

Let me know what you think! I'll be posting a new logo soon!

Take a Walk on the Wildside

This wildflower-inspired bouquet was one of my favorites to create. The loose look paired with vibrant blooms that emulate the flowers of rugged mountain slopes excited my creative side. I left the stems loose and uneven to give the impression of a fresh-picked bundle. Yarrow, lavender, and dogwood berries complete the bouquet with a wild touch.

Ring Around the Rosies

I made this beautiful rose bouquet with all fresh garden roses. I love the full, ripe look of a natural rose cut straight from the garden. The smell of such roses is incredible, and floral shop roses are definitely no rival to the scent of roses cut from fresh earth and air.

The natural look of this bouquet lends itself perfectly to a sophisticated country wedding. I love the blend of red, orange, pink, and white roses. The look is slightly unrestrained, yet elegant.

Bite-size Bouquets

These tasty morsels are examples of one of the newest trends in bouquet designs: itty-bitty bouquets. What was once a size appropriate for a bridesmaid is becoming the bride's new favorite.

Smaller bouquets are gaining ground as a budget-friendly choice in our economic landslide. Less flowers equals a less expensive bouquet. That doesn't mean a bouquet with less aesthetic appeal, however. Like the bouquets I created here, mini-mite bouquets utilize one or two stems of a very bold, bright flower to create a look with just as much bang as a big bouquet.

Besides, who wants to carry 10 lbs of dead weight on their arm all day anyway?

Peachy Keen Round #3

This was my favorite of the three bouquet designs I created with my peach roses. I also got my favorite flower shot ever (thanks also to my brother's suggestion for my new, awesome corrugated metal background).

I tucked gorgeous plum-touched white orchids between the roses, and the outcome was honestly far more stunning than I even expected.

Peachy Keen Round #2

In this design, I played up the peach with fluffy pink stems from my mom's xeriscape garden. The design lent itself to a soft, romantic, traditional style, so I paired it with a matching small centerpiece, ideal for a traditional summer wedding.

Peachy Keen Round #1

I bought these delicious peach roses the other day and just had to try out a few different bouquet styles with them. I love the way the yellow petal unfolds to reveal the peachy-pink inside.

This is the first of my three peach-licious designs, where I paired the roses with soft, white peonies in a beadimir (layered) style:

Big, Bold Blooms

This bouquet is made almost entirely of large, bright blooms for a look that can't be ignored. Mixing a variety of flower colors and types, I created a bouquet full of jewel-tones and dynamic texture.

Updated Photos Coming Soon...

My flower photos consistently upload to my site with washed-out colors. I'm working on fixing this, and new, bolder, brighter photos will be up soon!

Summer Fusion

I love this arrangement! Mixing tropical and country, contemporary and traditional, I created one of my favorite summer arrangements ever. Lucky for me, it was featured as the image for one of my About.com feature articles.

Gorgeous gerbera daisies mingle with tropical greenery while untamed twigs contrast a strict contemporary structure. Simply delicious!

Summery Scoops

I love to experiment with unique new ways to arrange and display flowers.

These little scoops of blooms are one of my latest and favorite ideas. I love the blossoms nestled down inside and the wrapped ribbon setting these arrangements on display. I love how the shape of the cone delivers so much attention to the blossoms inside.

I am really excited to try these arrangements with different types of flowers and adornments and see what takes shape!

A Touch of the Tropics

This wedding paired tropical and traditional flowers for a dash of exotic allure. I mixed large blooms in a variety of vibrant jewel tones to give each floral piece depth and mysterious beauty.

Seeing Green

Many brides are going green in every sense of the word. Arrangements made completely out of greenery are hitting the trend scene and creating beautifully serene events. This bouquet and boutonniere feature succulents, hosta leaves, and a matching green ribbon to tie it all together.

In Full Bloom

Using your own home-grown flowers is a popular trend in weddings right now. It caters to both the economical and environmental bride.

The soft, large blooms of these backyard flowers create a romantic feel. I used irises and poppies as focal flowers, framed with rich hosta leaves, and accent flowers in a variety of pink and purple blooms.