Cook Off!

We had a one of a kind cook-off at Phantom Floranista headquarters this weekend! Spanish cuisine vs. Persian Cuisine. Everything was absolutely delectable! Gazpacho, Paella, and Persian Sour Cherry Rice were just a few of the dishes that we devoured during the course of an 8 hour ordeal!

As you all know, every time we have an event at HQ, I go all nuts with the flowers, and this event didn’t prove to be any different. I allowed myself to go a bit crazy with the floral budget and ended up spending $44.00 dollars on flowers at the SF Flower Mart. Purple Pride of Madeira, purple Anemones, Waterlily seed pods, some green filler, and finally a couple of bright yellow bunches of Crespedia completed my shopping list.  

 I pulled out a couple of vases I had used for past events, and decided that I would create a tiered look by using one 12” tall vase, and one 5” tall vase for the center of the dining table that all the food would be served.

 When putting together an arrangement that is in multiple vases, be sure to think of the design as something that could work separately in two different rooms, but also something that will look good together on one table as a center piece. Juxtapose placement of focal and accent flowers to create interest, and finally don’t be afraid to be bold! 

"Can" Do!

I enjoy collecting cans and tins. They have a multitude of functions, and are really fun and easy to dress up in different skins.

 I sauntered over to the San Francisco Farmer’s market this weekend, and paid $22 dollars for 3 bunches of Rununculus, and 2 bunches of Tulips. These flowers bring complete spring joy with all their color and texture.

 

Once I got home, I gathered my tins, cans, left over ribbon, and wrapping paper, and started to play dress up. This is the part that I love getting creative with. Mixing and matching papers and ribbons to my heart’s desire to come up with some fun designs.

 A word of caution; some tin cans are not sealed, so make sure you test them before you dress them up to avoid any leakage or spillage. If the tin cans are not sealed, you can create a simple lining with a  ziplock bag and a rubber band:

 Once the cans were dressed to my satisfaction, I started to play with the floral array that lay ahead of me.

 

The moral of the story is, with a little bit of mix and match, you too “can” create great arrangements for any occasion!