Wreaths can be used in so many different ways to decorate your home and are very easy to make. Here are three options, in three different sizes, using three different bases. Which one are you going to create this Thanksgiving? Maybe you’ll do them all!

Grapevine Chair Wreath
Here’s an unexpected touch for your Thanksgiving table (or chair in this case).

• Start with a 5” grapevine wreath, which you can get at any craft store for under a dollar each.
• Glue a base of autumn leaves, a bit of berries, and assorted foliage such as eucalyptus and magnolia leaves. I used a hot glue gun.
• Attach a cymbidium orchid with a dab of floral adhesive.
• Attach the finished wreath to the back of each chair with a beautiful ribbon that coordinates with table linens.

Magnolia Wreath
Magnolia wreaths have always been popular in the South. However, we northerners are being lured by the dark glossy beauty of the two-tone magnolia leaf (the back of each leaf is brown). Making a wreath using just the leaves with a simple ribbon creates a look that is fresh and sophisticated.

• Start with a pre-made wire base or create your own using heavy-gauge wire.
• Cut the magnolia leaves from the branch.
• Wire small clusters of 3-4 leaves together.
• Wire the individual bunches of leaves onto the wire wreath form, making sure to overlap them so that their stems don’t show.
• Spray your wreath with artist’s fixative or hair spray, and hang it on a wall or door.

Fresh Sunflower Wreath
This wreath is made with a floral foam base and is designed entirely with fresh flowers and foliage. The focal flower is a sunflower, which is perfect this time of year with its chocolate brown center and golden yellow petals.

A fresh flower wreath makes a beautiful centerpiece with a pillar candle and hurricane lamp in the center. Follow these simple steps to create your own fresh flower wreath.

• Thoroughly soak the wreath form.
  
• Create the initial shape by inserting short stems of foliage into the foam.
  
• Add the sunflowers even spaced around the wreath.
  
• Fill in the wreath with the other flowers that you have chosen.
• Fill in any gaps with oak leaves, raffia, and other assorted foliage such as salal leaves or pittisporum.
  

There are so many options for flowers and décor for fall weddings that it can be difficult deciding on one theme or direction. Here are just a few combinations to delight and inspire.

Rich Hues and Lots of Texture
Tap into what’s in season in the world of flora and fauna for bouquets and centerpieces that are unique and visually stunning. Adding unexpected natural elements such as grasses, berries and branches adds visual depth to classic wedding flowers such as roses, orchids and hydrangea.

When choosing the classic wedding flowers mentioned above, opt for the rich colors of fall such brown Leondies roses or deep red Black Magic roses. Vanda orchids in burgundy and antique green hydrangeas would are also picture perfect choices.

Adding Color to a Bridal Bouquet
It’s nice to add a little bit of color to the bride’s bouquet in the fall when the rest of the wedding’s color palette is so rich and intense. Here I’ve added subtle touches of soft green with Green Fashion roses, light green hydrangea, seeded eucalyptus, lisianthus and hanging amaranthus.

Personalization – A Hot Trend Right Now!
I’m finding that more and more brides want their flowers to be personal and have a secial or sentimental meaning to them. An easy way to do that with bouquets is to add pieces of jewelry, both to the bouquet and to the stems. In the images below the bride’s grandmother had a fabulous collection of costume jewelry that she had been collecting for many years. We were able to go through the pieces and in some cases take apart bracelets and necklaces (most with broken clasps or missing stones) and add them to the bouquets to create one-of-a-kind bejeweled bouquets that were beyond the bride’s wildest expectations.

COMING UP NEXT – more fall bouquet options and ideas for the reception!

Both color and scent have emotional components to them. They can help to cheer you up or calm you down. They can trigger a memory or help to bring balance to your life. Here are a few facts about various colors and scents that you might find interesting along with fresh floral examples of each.

COLOR

YELLOW

• Yellow wakes up the room like the rising sun and is the feng shui color of sunlight. It is cheerful and uplifting. Yellow always lightens and brightens any space, as well as creates a cozy and welcoming feeling.
• Any dull, dark room with little sunlight will greatly benefit from yellow. It can help compensate for the lack of light and bring in the gentle warmth of the sun.
• Color researchers believe the color yellow increases self-esteem and can strengthen the overall well-being.

Put some yellow in your life when you want:

• clarity for decision-making
• relief from ‘burnout’, panic, nervousness, exhaustion
• sharper memory and concentration skills
• protection from lethargy and depression during dull weather

GREEN

• Green is the color of nature, fertility and life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony.

Put some green in your life when you want:

• a new state of balance
• feel a need for change or growth
• freedom to pursue new ideas
• protection from fears and anxieties connected with the demands of others

BLUE

Blue is the coolest color on the color wheel. It is the color of the sky, ocean, sleep and twilight.

A pure blue is the color of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality. Blue is a calming color. That makes it a wonderful color to use in the home, especially for babies. Blue is so soothing that is a good color choice for pajamas.

Put some blue in your life when you want:

• calm and relaxation to counteract chaos or agitation
• to open the flow of communication
• to broaden your perspective in learning new information
• solitude and peace

SCENT

Lavender – The scent of lavender helps reduce stress. Lavender is great for headaches and general relaxation.

Mint – The benefits of mint include: soothing, cleansing, calming, refreshing and purifying.

Rosemary – Rosemary not only pleases the eye with its beautiful blue-grey flowers, but most of all pleases the mind with its symbolic qualities. Rosemary represents friendship, love and fidelity. It is said that the scent of rosemary can help improve your memory.

It has been scientifically proven that flowers make people feel good. According to behavioral research conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, nature provides us with a simple way to improve emotional health – flowers. The presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed.

By following the simple care and handling tips that I have provided you can get those good feelings to last longer! Every few days when you re-cut the bottoms of the stems and refresh the water look at your bouquet and remove any flowers that have past their prime. The natural shelf life of flowers varies from one variety to the next.

As you cut the stems and remove older flowers the arrangement will start to look different. Why not put the flowers in a different container that is a little smaller then the original. Continue this process and after almost three weeks you will probably find that you have a few stems left and that they look precious in one of your favorite vintage glasses or an old milk bottle. Place one of these on your kitchen windowsill or your nightstand and enjoy for a few more days. When flowers are cut this short and kept in water it is amazing how long they will last!

Original Arrangement:

One Week Later…

Two Weeks Later…

Keeping flowers out of direct sunlight and away from sources of heat or extreme cold will also help them to stay fresh longer.

As always be creative and have fun with it!!

Flowers can help everyone start the new school year off on the right foot. According to research conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed. “Flowers bring about positive emotional feelings in those who enter a room,” said Dr. Haviland-Jones. “They make the space more welcoming and create a sharing atmosphere.”

Here are some creative ideas that you and your child can put together the day before school starts. Your child might be a little nervous about the first day of school and spending time with you, putting a floral or plant gift together for the teacher will relax them and get them excited about giving their new teacher such a beautiful gift.

Pencil Vase
Can a teacher ever have too many #2’s? This adorable vase is just a clear beverage glass covered with unsharpened #2 pencils. Place a rubber band around the glass and insert the pencils between the glass and the rubber band until the entire glass is covered. Hide the rubber band with a fun school themed or colorful ribbon. Add about 2 inches of water into the glass (easier for transporting), but make sure the teacher knows they should add more water as soon as possible to keep the flowers fresher longer. Sunflowers are perfect long lasting flowers, but you can use any flowers. Flowers picked from your garden are great too!

Garden Fresh
Keep it simple and fresh by cutting a few stems of flowers from the garden and placing them in a mason jar. Bring your child into the garden with you and let him or her pick out the flowers. There’s no right or wrong here – any flowers cut from a garden will look good together. I love this natural look! It reminds me of my grammar school days, when kids would bring flowers to the teacher. A few stems of garden roses wrapped with a little aluminum foil seemed to have magical powers for both the giver and the receiver!

This time last year we were celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a feast of beer, potatoes and a healthy side of… flowers!

I can’t help but smile when I see these festive place settings that are just perfect for a St. Patrick’s themed meal. Mashed potatoes, corned beef and cabbage will all be served at my table this year!

In case you missed it last time: To make the potato place setting, scoop out the center of a large baking potato and fill with 2-3 stems of green spider mums.  Insert a nametag and place on each guest’s dinner plate.

No celebration is complete without some festive room décor to set the mood from the moment the guests arrive. This year, I couldn’t help but take last year’s potato and floral bouquet to a new level!

And of course you can always use this idea from last year to create the perfect tabletop décor. To create the “cabbage” vase simply remove a few outer leaves from a head of cabbage and place around a short beverage glass.

Just have fun with it and be  creative. Remember, everyone is Irish on March 17^th!

Waxed Flowers

Just when you thought your Valentine flowers were done here are two more tricks and tips to make the last few blooms more then just a memory. Waxing fresh flowers is a craft that dates back to the Victorian era. It’s quite easy and inexpensive to do. It just takes a little practice, because the most important part is getting the temperature just right for the types of flower that you are waxing. Almost any type of bloom can be waxed so go ahead and experiment.

What you will need:

• Fresh flowers
• Paraffin wax
• Double boiler
• Wax or Parchment Paper
• Empty vases or bottles for drying the flowers

How to:

• Melt two blocks of paraffin wax in the top of a double boiler. Using a wax or candy thermometer to measure temperature, heat the wax to 150 degrees, and maintain temperature throughout the process.
• Cut the flower stem to about two inches. Holding the flower by the stem, dip the flower head completely into the wax. Immediately lift it out, allowing excess wax to drip into pot. Let wax harden 30 seconds, then place blossom on its side on a parchment-lined tray to harden completely for about 5 minutes. For large multi-petal flowers such as a fully open rose, I prefer to place it into a bottle so that it can dry while upright.
• Repeat the dipping process once more, allowing the wax to fully cool and harden between each step. Be sure to handle waxed flowers carefully to avoid cracking them. Use your waxed flowers to make beautiful arrangements or to decorate a basket or a wrapped gift.

Dried Rose Framed Art

There really isn’t any easier way to preserve flowers then to just let them dry. I think flowers look beautiful when they are dry; they take on such a romantic vintage feel. And while the flowers that your loved one sent you were beautiful, the message that was sent with them is just as beautiful. Why not frame a few of the flowers that have dried and the sentimental card? By framing the flowers and card, you are able to get the same good feeling that you had when you first received the gift!

• Always use clean vases or containers. Bacteria in the water will shorten the life span of your flowers. Household bleach is an excellent cleaning agent for your floral containers.
• Have your vase ready before working with the flowers. Fill the container about ¾ full with warm water and floral food (according to packet directions). Of course, I always have extra packets of floral food at my house, because I always have fresh flowers. If you buy flowers from a florist they will give you packets to use at home – why not ask for a few extra so that you have them on hand too. If you find yourself without a commercially prepared food click here for a version that you can make yourself.
• Remove all of the leaves that will be under the water while in the vase. Leaves that are submerged will rot, thus creating bacteria.
• Each stem should be given a fresh cut, on an angle and ideally while holding the stem under water. Cutting under water prevents air from getting into the stem which could block the flow of water from going all the way up the stem and to the actual flower. You can fill up a sink or a small bowl to do this. Cut at least an inch from the bottom of the stem. Of course you can cut it as short as you would like for your arrangement
• Change the water and flower food every three to four days and re-cut the stems.

I’m still thinking about this whole feeling good and being happy thing. Of course, I immediately think of the power that flowers have on one’s well-being and state of mind, but there are so many little ways and things we can do each day to make a difference. Have you heard of The Happiness Project? It’s a book by best selling writer, Gretchen Rubin, that is an account of the year she spent test-driving studies and theories about how to be happier. She also has a website and a blog where she shares insights to help you create your own happiness project. I highly recommend checking it out. At the very least, take one minute to watch this utterly charming, sweet, and heart-warming video that Gretchen made based on one of the Four Splendid Truths that she identified – “The days are long, but the years are short.” To view the view click here.

One of my goals this year is to work on my own personal happiness project. From time to time, I will share with you some of the things that I have found or learned that might be of interest to you too. It might just be a quote or a beautiful image. Please feel free to pass these along and share your thoughts with me. As Chris McCandless (on whose journey the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer was based) wrote at the end of his Alaskan journal in big block letters: “HAPPINESS ISN’T REAL UNLESS IT IS SHARED.”

Valentine’s Day is all about love and expressing your feelings, so I prefer to keep the event itself low key and comfortable. At the same time the mood should be sensual, encouraging contact and communication. There are a few key elements that definitely help you to create this vibe: flowers, candles, and food that can be eaten (and fed to each other) with your fingers!

Food and Flowers

The simple act of sharing food has long signified trust and bonding. There are however, certain foods that are know to be natural aphrodisiacs for various reasons. Fruits are said to entice passion with their sweetness and succulence. Oysters have been linked with love and sexuality for thousands of years. “Aphrodisiac” was born from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, who was said to have been born from the sea, causing many types of seafood to have reputations as aphrodisiacs. According to the website Alternet.org, the top ten aphrodisiac foods are: honey, oysters, garlic, figs, chocolate, basil, bananas, avocado, almonds, and asparagus.

The presentation of the food itself can be the strongest aphrodisiac. Here are a few ideas to help you set the mood this Valentine’s Day.

Oysters on the Half Shell
How’s this for a sexy way to serve oysters?! Simply fill a tray with crushed ice and line the sides with red roses – the flower of love and passion. Cut the stems very short and place them right into the crushed ice and lay the oysters over the “bed” of ice. Certainly a good way to get the party started!

Chocolate Strawberries and Champagne
Enjoy strawberries dipped in rich dark chocolate with a light bubbly glass of champagne – this is a sweet and sensual way to end the night.

Candles

Can you really have too many candles when setting the mood for love? An easy and inexpensive way to add a Valentine touch to a simple clear glass votive is to wrap it with ribbon, decorative trim, or real rose petals. What’s nice about doing this is that you can have a dozen or so plain votive holders that you change out according to the occasion or event.