As it so often happens, last spring I was eager to make something pretty.  I wanted to stretch my wings and create.  I needed to dust off my flowering skills.  Editorial styled shoots are one of my favorite ways to quench this yearning.

The story was inspired by the sea.  The tablescape was to appear as if it had just been washed ashore.  I easily sourced driftwood and nautical touches but we all know that the flowers sometimes make the greatest impact in the overall design. You may remember the entire feature with Ashley Slater Photography here.

I remember putting the flower order together.  When it’s been months since you’ve seen and touched real live blossoms, you can start to feel overwhelmed with the whole order process.  I wanted it all.  And I always make it a point to order something new, especially with styled shoots – that’s the perfect opportunity to try something new.

Poppies.  That was my new source of inspiration.  I placed an order for lots of Matilija poppies to be the star of my bouquet.  There’s something about them that remind me of sea anemones.  Their petals are dainty and paper thin.  And in my imagination, sometimes I see them living under the sea.

The day before my flowers arrived, I was informed that my precious poppies were not available.  A quick change of plans and I substituted Bowl of Cream Peonies and other gorgeous variety with a cheery yellow center – both flown in from California.

Eucalyptus is another favorite of mine to use by the beach.  The blue green tinge compliments the water in the background so nicely.  I’m always cautious of using too harsh of a green tone against a blue backdrop.

California grown Caramel Antike Roses (the beigey, gold garden roses seen above) are some of my go-to;s.  You’ll see them in my work time and time again.  The perfect neutral.

But the piece that really pulled this whole bouquet together was the blooming branches foraged from my own neighborhood.  I stopped early morning to trim a few flowers and as soon as I started working with them, I realized I needed more and more.  I sent my husband down the road with hedge trimmers and told him to grab as much as he possibly could.  He returned a short while later with a massive pile of branches.  I thought there was no way I would ever use that much, he argued that I had told him to get ask much as he could.  Very true.  I think I ended up using all but one small branch.  They were amazing.  I’m sad I don’t have a wedding the first week of May this year – although I’m not longer living in that neighborhood either.

I added gold ribbons that complimented the stamens in my peonies, as well as the touches of glimmer in my other decor,  and blue ribbons to match Lake Michigan in the background.  Silk ribbons are your best friends in the breeze.  I can’t get over how they glide in the wind.

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