Florist websites are such a great place to look for centerpiece inspiration – especially when they’re as creative and visionary as Floral Art! This Los Angeles-based company has an impressive events & weddings portfolio, but my favorite part of their website is The Flower Bar….

On The Flower Bar, you can search the most artistic & gorgeous flower arrangements by style, type of flowers, or color. Planning a sunny yellow wedding? Want to see some cool ideas for getting creative with hydrangea? Browse away! Here’s a screenshot:

I love Floral Art’s use of creative containers too – like these oversize brandy glass and zen bowl arrangements… lovely ideas for low table centerpieces.

The vision glass arrangements are very cool too… interesting florals are displayed almost like works of art:

A few more personal favorites pictured below (clockwise from top left): Wave Glass Arrangement, Lemon Kiss (featuring a vintage wallpaper-wrapped vase), Simply White, and Bed of Bamboo.

Feel inspired yet? I sure do! …especially by the gorgeous Autumn Trough Arrangement (3rd arrangement, top pic, above). How pretty would something like that be on a modern Thanksgiving table?! Hmmm….

P.S. All of The Flower Bar arrangements are also available for purchase & delivery to the LA area.

Last week was a bit of a light posting week because I was pretty much consumed with last minute details for the Swiffer SocialLuxe Lounge - the “pampering party” kick-off for BlogHer ‘09 that I co-hosted with 5 other bloggers in Chicago last Thursday…which ended up attracting over 500 guests!

My main responsibility for the event was the party decor & room set-up. The set up became just a tad stressful when we decided to move to a larger room – with a completely different layout of course – the day before the party :0 We had to rent lounge furniture and a zillion power strips & extension cords to accommodate all the vendor & beauty station needs, but in the end the new space worked out great – blessing in disguise!

For the floral centerpieces, I wanted to do something with a “spa” feel that was impactful, yet simple to put together, since I had to do all of the arranging at the venue itself. (Here’s the inspiration board that I worked from, as seen in an earlier post.) There were 2 different styles of arrangements, and 2-3 color variations within each style.

ProFlowers shipped in tons of gorgeous mokara & dendrobium orchids, white hydrangea stems, and ti leaves. I purchased the sandblasted manzanita branches, curly willow, tall pilsner vases, ceramic vases, and dahlias at a local Chicago floral supply. (I’ll do a step by step breakdown of both of the centerpieces in another post – they’re honestly super easy!) Crystal ornaments and rhinestone word stickers (purchased at Michaels) were used to embellish each arrangement and add a bit of glam.

Framed signs with phrases like “Hello, Gorgeous!”, “Say Cheers to Cocktail Hour”, and “Yes, I do deserve to be pampered… obviously!”, sat on tables throughout the party.

I used the same stock image of the girl in curlers on the custom Jones Soda bottles that we made for the event (pictured in the top image). I liked her goofy attitude. =)

More info to come soon… in the meantime you can see more pics on the SocialLuxe Lounge Photostream over on flickr, which were uploaded LIVE from the party courtesy of Eye-Fi! (Most of the decor shots are on the last pages, since they were mainly taken before the party started.)

*****

P.S. After the past few large-scale events that I’ve done this summer – I have even more respect than ever for wedding & event planners – so a quick shout-out to all of you!

It’s amazing how much problem solving has to be done on the fly when it comes to events… between the wind blowing our centerpieces over at Tisha’s shower last weekend to the last-minute room change, step & repeat banner/stands not arriving in time (Hello, Kinkos at midnight!), and several other “road blocks” with this one – I’m really getting some use out of the thinking cap at these parties. So MAJOR props to those of you that do this stuff all the time!

Here’s a sneak peek at the inspiration board for the Swiffer SocialLuxe Lounge – a BlogHer kick-off party that I’m styling and co-hosting with these 5 wonderful ladies on July 23rd. (…which is suddenly right around the corner!)

This event is a “pampering party” but it’s also a place for socializing, checking out tech demos, taking photos, and sipping cocktails, so it was a bit of a struggle at first when trying to come up with a plan for the decor.  I definitely wanted to work the spa element in, but also have a good mix of “hip lounge” style in there as well so that the atmosphere still feels a bit glam too! So after playing around with things for a while, here’s where I ended up…

The colors are inspired by the party’s logo & invitation. Fortunately, the key colors – orange, vibrant purple, and black – work very well for both “spa” and “lounge” vibes, and they’ll be accented by punches of lime green (in honor of our title sponsor – Swiffer) and white.

Decor elements will include black linens, “zen” rocks, custom signage, “beautified” beauty tools (think blowdryers + rhinestones) and floral arrangements featuring varieties of white, orange, and purple orchids.

I’m also planning to do some floating and branch-themed accent arrangements featuring dahlias and azaleas or whatever other great color-coordinating blooms I can get my hands on from local florists when I arrive in Chicago. Ah, the joys of DIY arrangements for out of town events! (Sourcing for all flower images is at the bottom of this post.)

For the party’s signature drinks, we’ll have custom-labeled Orange & Cream and Fufu Berry Jones Soda, which can be enjoyed with or without a vodka kick, and a few other fun options like the Swiffer “Clean-tini” (a.k.a. “green apple martini”).

Custom signage & cheeky phrases will be another key element of the party. I love working a bit of Anne Taintor-style humor into parties whenever possible… so look for more of that to appear in the post-party pics! And if you have any ideas for witty phrases to feature at a party that’s specifically full of blogging women, feel free to send them my way!)

Floral Image Sources:
Image 1 (clockwise from top left): The Knot (real wedding); Brides.com – (real wedding); The Knot (real wedding); The Knot – (real wedding); The Knot (real wedding); Image 2: Brides.com – Paradise Found; The Knot (real wedding).

The first time I stumbled upon the Mints Design website, it was love at first sight! If you’re looking for floral design inspiration that’s seriously beyond the basics and elevated to what really feels like an “artistry” level – get ready!  There’s so much visual eye candy over at Mints – from their stunning events & weddings portfolio to their gorgeous retail arrangements to the Mints Blog. Swoon…

Images from just one of their portfolio events are featured here to give you an example of their style. This “Citrus Meringue Cupcakes” wedding felt especially appropriate today with summer approaching and the weather warming up outside!

Check out the Mints event gallery to view lots more gorgeous and inspiring image like this in a variety of themes and color palettes!

Carnations seem to get a bit of a bad rap when it comes to the floral “status quo” – but the truth is that there are plenty of beautiful – and even cool – looks you can achieve with this budget-friendly flower.

Because of the price point and shape of carnations, they allow you to create soft, lush, and substantial floral arrangements – and just like anything else, it’s all about playing up their strengths and “packaging” them the right way. Here are a few great examples from floral designers who did just that….

Pictured at top – pretty carnation design ideas from InstyleWeddings.com.

Pictured above, clockwise from top left: Mini carnation bouquets from Brides.com; Todd Oldham™ Triple Scoop bouquet from FTD; a budget-friendly idea from Martha Stewart with a contemporary, yet feminine flair; and Todd Oldham™ Sweet Scoops Sundae bouquet from FTD.

Pictured below: This gorgeous “dome” design featuring all-white carnations & crystal strands is the epitomy of glam, but a similar arrangement works just as well at a casual beach wedding when paired with a simple, chic cake stand and “best wishes” notes from guests.

Pictured below… going beyond the centerpiece: This California bride had her bridesmaids carry pomanders of red carnations (which also hung from chairs lining the aisle) instead of the usual bouquets.

Last but not least… how cool is this(!): floating styrofoam balls covered with red, fuchsia and yellow carnations made a colorful splash in the pool at this St. Helena, CA reception.

If you’ve got a wedding to plan, a big party coming up, or just love looking at gorgeous design, the artfool events website is full of amazing inspiration! Click here to check out their online portfolio…this should keep you busy for a while!

Professional event design portfolios are always a great place to gather ideas for color palettes & floral design. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes with the proof:

I’m loving the artistic, contemporary vibe and fiery orange accents in the book launch party design pictured above… and the whimsical, fairytale-like table centerpiece pictured below:

Sky blue, lime green, & white create a lovely, easy-breezy atmosphere for the Benefit Party pictured below… (I’m thinking this look would also be perfect for a spring/summer wedding, bridal shower or Mother’s Day brunch.)

Feeling inspired yet? Wait… there’s more!

Pictured below: a lovely floral centerpiece design that puts a fresh twist on traditional white…

… and I think the theme of this next event – the “Fabulous Females’ Party” – should inspire us all to throw something similar – don’t you? And if you’re hosting the party you can hand-pick the “fabulous” guest list yourself!

Check out additional images of all of these events and more at artfool.com.

I’m loving these non-traditional – and super chic – red, white, & green floral arrangements for an elegant holiday party. The white stones and monochromatic blooms create such a serene, modern minimalist vibe…

The top and lower left images are from Pottery Barn and originally intended to showcase these platinum vases (which do happen to be on sale!), but you could also achieve the look of these vases – “economy style” with standard glass cylinder vases and some metallic gift wrap.

The right side of the image above shows a cluster of ruby breadseed poppies displayed in a pewter vase…casual elegance! {via brides.com}

I’m loving these super colorful and unique fall centerpiece ideas from BHG.com… perfect for a modern thanksgiving table.

Pictured above:

• Bountiful Basket: several colorful dried fruits and veggies displayed in a linen-lined basket

• Zen Gourds: large red mums and golden gourds displayed in modern rows on a sleek square tray

• Sunflower Runner: various sizes of red and yellow sunflower blooms really stand out on square white appetizer trays, like this set from Crate & Barrel. ($22.95/set of 12)

• Flowers & Fruit: large red mums & orange kumquats spill out from a pedestaled urn.  (For a very modern take on this concept, I like the idea of painting the urn a glossy white before creating the arrangement.)

I’m constantly impressed by the level of creativity out there when it comes to working with flowers!  Here are a few inspiring ideas for your fall table…

This first idea (pictured above), comes from a fantastic book called Party Basics for New Nesters and was created using 1″ wide orange masking tape in vertical strips on a simple glass vase filled with burnt-orange dahlias.

Pictured below: a few gorgeous ideas from the brides.com “Flowers of Fall” photo gallery…

If you’re planning a wedding or special party soon…or just love looking at amazing floral eye candy… the Waterlily Pond Floral Design website is just bursting with inspiration!  There are several showcases of weddings they’ve done – from colorful Orchids and Feathers to the pretty & lush Pinks to the creative & chic China Red, as well as a gorgeous “favorite bouquets” archive.

I thought this was a fun idea for personalizing a centerpiece…

And this art installation that Waterlily Pond did for the deYoung museum is just so cool & creative I had to share…