Pretty in Pink

This weekend I was commissioned to do flowers for a wonderful afternoon tea party in the Oakland Hills by a brilliant Poet, Writer, and Artist, Katayoon Zandvakili. The invitations that were sent out invited everyone to a “Glorious Celebration of Friendship & Beautiful Springtime.”

I had a half hour phone conversation with the lovely host of the party last week, in which I realized that she wanted flowers in pink tones that looked romantic, soft, and lush. I was getting a total English garden meets Coco Chanel vibe; Lots of texture (yet not frou-frou), while mostly monochromatic (pink) with enough tonal variation to make it interesting. In one word: Chic!

So, I set off to the SF Flower market to choose my palette.

Shopping List: Dark pink Peonies, light pink Esperance Roses, white Lisianthus, miniature Ivy, and a box of beautiful little decorative birds.

There were a total of 5 arrangements; 4 of which were to be dispersed throughout the house, and a dining table arrangement. The dining table was going to be the host of some of the most scrumptious looking cakes, tarts, berries, and cupcakes I had ever seen! (It was hard not to lick the icing off the cupcakes while I was working!!!) I decided that the yummies would sit atop a garden of trailing Ivy and the small decorative birds, to allow the cakes to speak for themselves.

We chose clear Chrystal vases for the rest of the arrangements that found their place on a French console situated right by the window with a view looking towards San Francisco, the glass living room coffee table, a side table, and a console off the dining room with a fantastic Buddha statuette.

The party was a total success! Everyone had their cake and ate it too!!!!

Tip of the Day: If you buy Peonies and Roses that are still buds and you want them to open up to full bloom for your event, cut the stems a good 2 inches when you bring them home, place them in luke warm water and add a spoonful of sugar to it. You will have blooming blossoms in no time.