Be back soon...

Been pretty sick - I'll be back soon.

Pretty Spring Bouquet

This spring bridal bouquet makes us want to see some more sunshine and robins!! Pink mini callas, ranunculus, hydrangea, and white cymbidium orchids are accented with sweet smelling pearled stephanotis. It's such a soft, spring bridal look and we loved it!

As promised...

Rome, Italy

Sorrento, Italy

Burano / Venice - Italy

Santorini, Greece

Dubrovnick, Croatia

Sunset while on the cruise :)

As promised, here are some more picture from my adventures in Italy and the Mediterranean this past summer. As I continue to go through my over 5,000 images - I will be sure to keep posting more.

Fire-Poi Typography

How cool is this!? Fire-spun typography - took designer {Nir Tober} about 15 hours, 2 sessions, and 30-50 shots per letter to successfully complete the whole alphabet.

Yorktown Road

I think these textile accessories are really nicely done - very simple and clean. Carol Gilbert, the designer of {Yorktown Roads}, uses materials drawn from the natural world and alters them with random folds, pleats and seam-lines. She uses linen and wool because of their beauty and versatility, allowing the texture and form of the original material to shape the work and enhance particular aspects of the textile in order for them to be seen in a new way. All of the work is produced in her small workshop - the fabrics are hand-dyed, she drafts all the patterns herself, and she constructs each piece.

She also makes these great wool coasters with re-purposed leather on the back. Love them!

All of these can be purchased on her {Etsy} shop.

Why didn't I think of this?

This very well could be one of the most exciting developments in the bakeware department and I am not quite sure why I didn't think of this a long time ago. I am personally a fan of the crispy edges of a brownie and so are many of the people I bake them for. This is a pretty smart way to solve the problem of being left with a pan of just the middle part left. This {Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan} can be found at {Sur la table} - one of my top favorite housewares/kitchen stores.

Mother/Daughter Jewelry Design Team

I love these! The handmade sterling silver necklace and earings set is really well crafted and contemporary. Check out the work of {Karen and Crystal}, a mother and daughter team of jewelry designers.

Baby Changing in Style

Why not even change your baby in style? These are pretty adorable. They are made with a bold designer print on front and soft white terry cloth on the back - she has even designed matching bibs and other gifts too! Check out more work by Allisa Jacobs, on her {1000 Markets} shop called {Quiltish}.

KERN Rings

Being the type nerd that I am, I think these acrylic {KERN rings} are great! Not sure how practical it would be to wear, but love the idea.

New Math

This is probably one of the most annoying things, well maybe just for artists/designers? When someone looks at modern art and expresses their dislike - their reason being "I could have done that..." When I saw this site full of these cleaver math equations on {More New Math}, I couldn't help but post this. Though there are several really funny ones, this was my favorite. Really though, if you think you could do it...THEN DO IT!

Pisco Reservado Packaging

Though Pisco might not sound like the most tastey drink...it is apparently the traditional drink in Chile. The reason I posted this, however, is not for the contents of the bottle but for the packaging itself. I think it is very well done. Nice use of typography and graphic elements that carry onto the design of the box that the bottles come in. This was designed by Edward Pearson from {GRAFIKART}

Wedding of Lorraine and Ven

Here are some snapshots of a wedding that took place on March 7. We also helped out the bride and groom with the flowers for their rehearsal dinner (see the blog entitled "Rockin' Rehearsal Dinner"). These are the flowers they chose for their ceremony and reception--all at the Ritz.

This is the bridal bouquet. It was all purple mini callas with white cymbidium orchids. The jewels and bee pin were provided by the bride as a "special touch" for the bouquets and some of the corsages and bouts.

This was the ceremony room at the Ritz.

We provided two pieces for the front tables that had the wedding flowers to help bring color into the room.

The aisle was decorated with purple hydrangeas and ivy with ribbon tied onto the silver chairs.

The centerpieces were a cube vase with the purple hydrangea, orchids, and callas lilies-again decorated with the bride and groom's own bling.



Special thanks to the wonderful bride and groom. Lorraine and Ven--it was such a pleasure working with both of you and we were thrilled to be a part of your day!!

Arranging Books by Color

Not only did I post this for how ridiculously cool it looks and the work that probably went into making it look this good - but really the main reason was for the quote that I found on {Apartment Therapy} that went along with it - pretty inspirational:

"...organizing his books by color allows him to discover new and unexpected relationships between books he knows well already. When two unrelated books are forced to occupy the same shelf simply because of their spine color, the shelver is asked to think about whether they have ideas to share between them. Perhaps, the designers of these chromatically-related books saw something in the books' content that even their authors did not. Maybe their ideals share a common hue?"
– Rob Giampietro, {On Arranging Books by Color}

I think similar ideals can be taken into consideration in our day to day life - perhaps finding commonalities in people/places you may have never though would...? I denno - something to think about.

Mawok Hammock for Babies!

Though I think I might be a bit too neurotic to use this one day, I still think it was super cool! {A great design} - with both permanent and mobile solutions. It also has the option to be hung from a tree for those days at the park! This product has been tested and proven to not only be safe, but to solve a lot of the problems that cause sleepless nights for babies (and their parents) - between the rocking and the position in which they lay in the hammock. Some might think this is just plain strange - but I love its stork-like cradle design!

Megan Auman Designs

{Megan Auman} is an artist and designer focusing on jewelry, metalwork, and pattern design. She received her BFA in Metalsmithing from Syracuse University and her MFA in Jewelry/Metals from Kent State University. She currently runs a studio based in Jonestown, PA. I love her work! From the cuffs/cozies to the ottomans and baskets - they are all creative and really well crafted. She is recreating furnishings and pillows using floral patterns rendered in steel wire - eliminating the need for internal structure. The idea is to create objects that visually signify the ideals of the home, rather than functional objects. She highlights the tension between comfort and display (when there is a loss of function), which is her opinion of the contemporary home.

Live What You Love

I just wanted to start tonight off with some inspiration. I am a firm believer in the message being presented by these letterpress posters - LIVE WHAT YOU LOVE - by {Hijirik Design Studio}.

Functional Pet-Friendly Furniture

I may not have pets, but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good idea for pet owners when I see one! These are not only functional but aesthetically pleasing as well. Visit {DenHaus} to see more of their cool products. If you have to use a crate from time to time - they have some really nice alternatives.

Framed Display Shelf

As I have mentioned before, I love seeing different ways to reuse objects (either functional or decorative). This specific one incorporates a bit of both. Originally intended as a {CD storage shelf} by Heal's, this cool vintage frame around small cubby holes, is now being used as a display of mugs! I'd say that 134 euro for this is a bit pricey - but this can very easily be turned into a DIY project. Check out some garage sales/swap meets and see what you can put together :)

Lace Chain-Link Fences

I can think of several industrial/functional things that are in desperate need of some cosmetic work - sprucing up, if you will. Chain-link fences are definitely high on that list. I'd say this is a pretty awesome solution. Dutch Design House {Demakersvan} are the designers of this - explaining that fences are signs of how we have cultivated and modified the environments we live in. They see it as "hostility versus kindness, industry versus craft." Now if only we can replace old, ugly chain-link fences with lace fences like this!

Thymes ~ Gorgeous Packaging

Although I already talked about {Duffy & Partners}, one of their projects was my absolute favorite and I felt it deserved a more detailed post of its own! The work that Duffy & Partners did for {Thymes} is the most beautiful set of cohesive packaging I have seen in a while. With a large line of products, each piece is design with extra care and attention to detail that is specific to that product. One of the parts that stuck out to me the most was even the bar soap was imprinted with the design of that particular set. Great work!

Duffy & Partners

Designing to make a difference, {Duffy & Partners} is proud that their creativity and creativity in general is being welcomed in millions of homes around the world. They explain that design has never been so appreciated, as it is today. The world we are currently living in, has been presenting consumers with many more choices than at any previous time in history. Design has the great ability to inform smart decisions - helping us find our way through what would otherwise become clutter. Duffy & Partners, in my opinion, has perfected branding, design, corporate identity, and packaging. Their work has the ability to carry a brand through many different platforms. This strategic thinking is what makes them so successful. I chose some of the ones that stuck out to me the most, as well as some of the logos I particularly liked, but be sure to check out their site for much more of their work.

Loyal Loot Log Bowls

What stood out to me about these bowls was the beautiful contrast between the natural wood and the high gloss bold colors of the inside finish. These bowls are handmade, using a variety of reclaimed trees. They are made by{Loyal Loot Collective} in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada.

Paper-cut Illustrations

These are absolutely beautiful paper-cut illustrations by {Yulia Brodskaya}. She is a Russian graphic designer based in London. These expertly crafted works of art are truly amazing. Check out some of her other work - pretty impressive!

Christian Lacroix Evian Bottles

These {Christian Lacroix Evian Snowflake Bottles} are a great idea to have on tables at a wedding reception! They are much more elegant than the average plastic water bottle. Though many just go with a simple pitcher, this could make for a nice alternative.

What a Great Night for the Louies!

Sisters Flowers was proud to be a part of the 2009 Louie Awards for the St. Louis Chapter of ISES. Sisters is a member of this special events vendor networking group. Every year, ISES gives out awards (or Louies) to vendors who have shown excellence in their specific fields and categories.

We were also on the planning committee for the awards banquet. Sisters was able to provide all of the centerpieces for the tables. Here are some of our snapshots of the event held at the Foundry Arts Centre in St. Charles.

"Wine and Dine" was this year's theme, so the linens and decor reflected the rich color and texture of a Tuscan winery.

We did three different centerpieces for the tables. This was a taller urn with hydrangeas, roses, hanging amaranthus, stock, and curly willow.

The tallest of the three centerpieces were these arrangements done in our silver stands with hanging votive candles.

The same flowers were used in these lower footed urns.

As members of ISES, we were asked to present the award for "Best Lighting" to a fellow vendor. Here are the presenters, Emily & Shelly.

One of the best parts of the evening is when Sisters Flowers won an award for "Best Floral Design"!!!! We submitted one of our weddings from last year (see the blogs from Nov. and Dec. '08 entitled "Trees at the MAC" and "Dominie's Fall Wedding") and it was picked out of a field of other fantastic floral vendors. We were very honored to be recognized.

Here are Emily & Shelly accepting the award.

We thanked all of our awesome employees and the other vendors that helped with the event. It's hard to think of things to say in front of a crowd!! :)

Thanks to ISES and all the other vendors for a great night!!

(And thanks to our husbands, Jess and John, and Emily's daughter Jennifer for being our dates!!)

Happy Weekend!

I'll be back with posts Sunday/Monday! Have a great weekend :)

Sisters Wins an Award

Just a quick message to say how proud we were to be honored at the St. Louis 2009 ISES Awards this past Friday. (ISES-International Special Events Society) We submitted a few of our weddings from last year in different categories and won the award for "Best Floral Design-Budget Under $10,000". We are very excited to see our staff get recognized for their hard work and dedication!!

Look for a blog to follow shortly with details/pics of the evening and of the centerpieces we did for the tables!!

Inspirational Interiors

Over the past couple years, I have been collecting images of interior design that is inspirational to me. Decorating and designing are my favorite things to do - I thought it was time for me to put some of the images of the interiors I particularly liked together to share for anyone else who loves them as much as I do. When your living space is organized and decorated/designed well - your life will immediately be worlds better because of it. It has been proven that a clean space, free of clutter, is calming and actually improves quality of life, emotional health, and overall happiness to come home to a place you are proud to call home.

Roasted Veggies...MMM

Here is another favorite recipe from my (in progress) cookbook. This dish is to die for. It is easy, healthy, has great presentation, and is delicious! Seriously. Try it.

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 jar of red and yellow peppers (or roast fresh)
Salt and Aleppo pepper to taste
Olive oil for drizzling

Directions:

Start by brushing both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil. Grill them on both sides until they are soft.

Layer the grilled eggplant with the roasted peppers, parsley, and goat cheese. Add salt and Aleppo pepper to taste and drizzle with olive oil.

See, I told you it was easy :)

Enjoy!

Papercut Diecut

So, really, I thought I was insanely anal and detail oriented - enjoying working on very intricate projects by hand - but this takes the cake for sure! This like this, that most people think is nuts, is what I love. I have so much respect for this {artist}. I was first drawn to the dandelion print in the frame, or so I thought it was a print...Little did I know that these are all designs that have been cut of paper by hand. The paper being used is rice paper - it is too delicate for any machine to cut. After reading further, I learned that this is an ancient Chinese art form that can be traced back to ancient times. Absolutely beautiful work!

Vibrant Reds

Lush and bright reds with hints of silver was what this bride wanted for her 3-7-09 wedding. Here are some snapshots of how we made that happen for her!!

The bridal bouquet was the epitome of lush and vibrant reds. It included mini gerbera daisies, roses, and red makara orchids within and cascading down. Crystal accents added sparkle for the bride for her special day.

The ceremony and the reception were at the DoubleTree Westport. This is a shot of our chuppah and fabric with silver curly willow and a red sash cover to bring in the wedding colors.

The guest tables featured two different centerpieces. Some of the flowers were these black cube vases filled with gerbera daisies, roses, and mini carns. in all the shades of red.

The other tables had these tall pilsner vases filled with silver curly willow and accented with bright red gerbera daisies.

This cute cake was decorated even more with layers of red carns. between the layers and at the base.

Thanks to the wonderful bride, Lisa, and her family for making this wedding a pleasure to be a part of!! Best wishes to the bride and groom!