When I make this type of investment, however, it’s important to get my money’s worth. So here are a few tips from my friend, Kim, head floral designer at Emily Joubert Home & Garden:

1. Buy your arrangements from a reputable florist. Top designers like those at Emily Joubert visit the flower market 2-3 times a week. They also develop excellent relationships with the major floral buyers so they get flowers “fresh off the farm or plane” rather than select from buckets on the floor.

2. Aim for free form arrangements rather than those dependent upon floral foam. High end floral designers strip all lower leaves from stems so the water doesn’t get unnecessarily tarnished. Really clean water is essential for fresh flowers. To change the water without disturbing the design, place the container in a sink and carefully run water through it until most of the old water is swapped out.

3. Try to keep your arrangements out of the sun (or warm areas) as much as possible. For example, if you are having a backyard party, keep the flowers in the refrigerator until just before your first guest shows up. I have gotten into the habit of refrigerating my flower arrangements each night to help them last longer.

Take another look at the photo above, it was taken about 30 minutes ago – and this display is a week old today. I can usually make my arrangements last from 10 days to 2 weeks!

4. Selecting the right flowers for an arrangement can have a big impact on its longevity. For example, Kim chose to add hydrangeas because of their unique ability to drink from both the bottom and the top. This means you can give them additional hydration via direct misting.

5. It’s important to re-cut stems from time to time, too. Certain flowers, like hydrangeas, form a seal when they’re cut. This diminishes the amount of water that can travel up the stem. Roses and other soft, gardeny flowers will also benefit from having their stems re-cut. Note: this does not apply to tropical flowers, such as ginger; they hold up longer naturally.

To keep your arrangement looking its best, check it daily and remove any sad or wilting flowers. This will give you a chance to play “floral designer” as you slowly compact your bouquet.

For me, it starts with food, flowers and getting a bit more organized. Like many people, we take it easy during the summer. A memorable vacation (two this year: one to Italy and one to Florida), lots of al fresco dining and, in general, enjoying some much-needed down time.

Fall, however, inspires me to take stock of our home and garden and think about spiffing things up. Now that the cake contest is behind me (full report to come, I promise), I can concentrate on transitioning to one of my favorite seasons.

To get into the right frame of mind, I visited my local nirvana today: Emily Joubert Home & Garden. The amazingly talented Kim created the stunning floral arrangement above and I couldn’t wait to get home and start brainstorming fall menus and party ideas. Some people consult books and magazines, I confer with my style gurus at Emily Joubert.

As luck would have it, they had just unpacked something I’ve been coveting for about a year: a simple, elegant red wine decanter (below).

I bought the white wine version last year and hoped they would re-order so we could have a matching set. Aren’t they gorgeous? Hurry and get yours before they sell out again!

Next, I began playing with a table arrangement.

This inspired me to start thinking about fall menus with red, green and dark purple things: tomatoes (finally ripening in our garden!), apples (also ripe), figs (in the stores) and grapes (versatile). I’m thinking about a dressing up a classic marinara with a little extra onion and some Italian sausage and creating a salad that combines figs, apples, argula and possibly some walnuts and chevre. What do you think?

We visited Crate & Barrel after dinner at the Yard House to see about replacing our old classic-style pasta bowls (having broken our way down to three). After looking at an updated version of the over-sized, indented ones you see at many restaurants, I decided I wanted something a bit more modern to compliment our flat white dishes (which have no indents). So I selected the plain, wide ones shown above. I knew I had bigger ones for soups and stews and I thought these would be a smaller, pasta-oriented size.

Guess what? They are EXACTLY the same ones we already have! So they are going back to the store this weekend. What can I possibly get as a birthday gift instead? If you have any ideas, please let me know!

One last look before I head to the store to get dinner ingredients!

What are you currently obsessed with?

Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mom’s out there! It’s a sincere pleasure getting to know you in person and via the Internet!

Kathy

If you want to see any of them up close, be sure to stop by Emily Joubert on Satuday for their “PJ’s and Peonies” event (11am-2pm, 3036 Woodside Road, Woodside). Kim promises to have some lovely ‘grab and go’ Mother’s Day arrangements on hand just in case your sweetheart wants to make you feel like a queen! Enjoy!

http://emilyjoubert.com/flowers.html

P.S. My absolute favorites are the nest & branch designs… wow!

If you want to throw a similar shower and need help or advice, please contact me!

I have about two more days of photos and details to post – stay tuned!

Sometimes my job makes me wish I had more disposable income…

Don’t get me wrong; I love having a work-at-home graphic design business that allows me flexibility as a mom and plenty of time to do pro bono work. But when I see gorgeous planters like these, I just want to OWN THEM TODAY (they’re probably out of my price range but I’m dreaming anyway).

I was working on adding some new content to Emily Joubert Home & Garden this afternoon – http://emilyjoubert.com/garden_whats-new.html – and this photo in particular caught my eye. The company is called Out Standing and they are Belgian no less! Go check them out and let me know what you think below… anyone else as smitten as I am?

And, please, Powers-That-Be, can’t I just win a small lottery prize so we can add these planters to our backyard? Pretty please?

So that’s how we celebrated Small Business Saturday – visiting FIVE independently owned small businesses to support those we love and cherish. Did anyone else try to support their local favorites? I would love to hear from you!

I want to dedicate today’s post to the newly freed miners in Chile who overcame odds so adverse, they should be fairy tales. Like the rest of the world, I am incredibly grateful to have them safely returned to their families. It’s a testament to the power of the human spirit and our ability to overcome intense obstacles when we work together.

It inspires me to look deep into my own heart and examine the obstacles there… then work hard to overcome them. Peace, love and joy to all. kathy
 

In the interim, if you want to follow Emily Joubert’s ‘Pumpkin Stories’ (a mini series starting today) be sure to visit the Emily Joubert Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emily-Joubert/101312312858 – have a wonderful evening!
 
kathy

p.s. A very big THANK YOU to the amazing Calvina of Calvina Photography http://calvinaphotography.com/ for giving me an incredibly useful lesson in lighting objects – Calvina, you’re a rock star!

I attended the Chol Chol Foundation benefit at Emily Joubert on Saturday night… so inspiring! It was nice to see a big crowd gathered and learn more about the Mapuche Indian women in Southern Chile who make such beautiful textiles. I was told the brown dye for my mittens came from mushrooms, bark and other plant material – whatever the women could gather nearby. They work hard and I am very proud to support their efforts.

If you want to learn more about the Mapuche Indians and their one-of-a-kind designs, please visit http://www.cholchol.org/en_index.php – let me know what you think!