It’s here! Can you believe that next week is Christmas (Chanukah, too!). Just one week later we are in the New Year! There is so much to do that I’ll keep this short so you can get on with all the wrapping, shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, etc.
On the 8th of December I had a booth at the Made With Love Pop Up Gift Boutique and it was fabulous. Yolanda and her team were awesome and did a great job at promoting the event. I sold out! It was awesome. If you have read any of my previous posts about other events I was at, you’ll know that those didn’t go as planned, so it was great to end the year on a high note. I highly encourage you to follow the Made With Love Facebook page as some of us local artisans will be posting our wares on it and you’ll be the first to know about upcoming events.
My booth at Made With Love event
The holidays are time for fun and festivities. That being said, please be safe and do not drink and drive. Designate a driver for the night. Get a cab. Order an Uber. Whatever. The consequences far outweigh the fun you had that night. (Sorry for the soapbox moment but its only because I care.)
Thank you all for your support this year and I’m so looking forward to 2020.
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May your holiday be filled with love, happiness, and flowers!
Unfortunately, Northern California officially has a fire season. Not the kind of orange and reds we want to see in the fall. But it’s becoming the norm here and it truly saddens me. We are spoiled here in NorCal. Rarely do we have extreme weather or disasters. While other states deal with hurricanes and tornados we are sitting in beautiful weather, wine tasting and eating good food. However, the last few years have changed that. Quite literally the winds have changed. Every year people are losing their homes, businesses and even worse their lives.
At the time that I write this the Kincade fire has spread to almost 77,000 acres and is still only 30% contained. Mass evacuations occurred in the hopes of getting people to safety before the fire was upon them. Luckily, we had notice of the fire and people were able to evacuate, unlike the fires from two years ago when they were awaken from their sleep at 1am and had no time to pack anything.
I’ve been one of the lucky ones. The only affect this has had on my life is that my town is the evacuation site. Oh and the smoke I’m breathing. But really, I’m charmed compared to what others are going through. I didn’t even lose power during the shut offs.
Though I haven’t been impacted in these ways, it has hit me emotionally. I worry for friends and colleagues who are in the fire zone. It saddens me that my county, the place I’ve lived my whole life, is in this seemingly endless battle and that the landscape I once knew is changing forever. I worry for the first responders. I stop breathing for a half a second every time I hear a siren (as I listen to one go by right now). I feel like I live in a war zone…and in a way I do.
It is also affecting me with growing the business. To be quite honest, growing my business right now seems quite trivial, which makes it very hard to think about social media, classes I’ve scheduled, etc. Why would anyone care what I’m doing right now with all this going on around us?
Then I think about comedians after 911. How some had a hard time getting up on stage and making jokes while the nation was mourning. But then we found it can be quite cathartic to laugh when we are sad. It helps us to heal, to pull ourselves from the quagmire, and to move on.
So I hope if you were temporarily displaced during the fires or if you are just feeling a little blue, that you put a bouquet of fresh flowers in your home. I don’t care if you get them from the grocery store or a florist, flowers will help to lift your spirits and fight depression. Plus they add a little color to our currently ash colored state.
I want to say a great big, huge, ginormous, thank you to all the first responders who have put their lives on the line and have had to leave their families and homes to fight these fires. You will always have my gratitude and respect.
To everyone else out there, things are chaotic and emotions are strained, so be safe and be kind to one another (stole that last line from Ellen).
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A few weeks ago I posted a picture of a cocktail with a pansy laid gently on top of it. So delicate and pretty. This picture inspired me to write a little about edible flowers.
With the farm to table and craft cocktail movements (not sure if movement is the right word here but seems it isn’t just a trend) we are seeing edible flowers more and more in restaurants and bars. They aren’t just for decoration on a plate either. Squash blossoms are used in recipes and hibiscus is infused in vodka. There are so many uses.
I’m not saying this is a new thing, just a resurgence of their use…in more modern ways. The use of edible flowers have been used for centuries. Just think how long tea has been around.
Southern Living published an article on the top 10 edible flowers. I’ve listed them below. Click here to read the full article.
Borage Blossoms
Calendula
Zucchini Blossoms
Hibiscus
Lavender
Nasturtiums
Pansies
Roses
Sage Flowers
Violets
I thought it might be fun to post a few recipes for you. Mind you, I have never made these but if you try them let me know how they are…or if you need a taste tester you know how to reach me.
If you are a baker maybe adding a few candied flowers to the top of your cupcakes would be a lovely touch. Here’s a recipe from allrecipes.com for candied flowers. Just note this takes 8 or more hours, so plan accordingly.
Now that you’ve had a delish dessert adorned with edible flowers, how about something a little healthier? (Notice how I put dessert before savory…yeah, that’s how I roll.). This squash blossom frittata looks so yummy and pretty. A great brunch dish or for a bridal shower. This recipe is from Honest Cooking.
So now I think it’s time to sit back relax and have a cocktail. Because…it’s always time for a cocktail. I have to say, I’m a bourbon girl but I couldn’t pass up this recipe for a hibiscus margarita by Life In Pleasantville.
I hope you try some of these recipes. Be sure to tell me how you liked them!
Don’t forget I have two classes coming up on October 27. The morning class is a fun, festive Halloween fresh arrangement (see below for sample). Maybe your arrangement will have eyeballs in it, or spider webs, or skulls. Whatever you decide to use you know it will be a spooktacular!
The afternoon class is for a decorative sugar pine cone. We will decorate it in time for your fall decorating and then remove that and apply a Christmas theme. This is so you can keep the pine cone up through both seasons. Here is a version I did last year. Sorry the quality is so poor…I will get a better picture posted this weekend.
Both classes are $45 each but if you sign up for both you receive $10 off the total price. Sign up with a friend and spend the day being creative and getting into a festive mood. I look forward to seeing you.
Last day to sign up is Friday, October 18.
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Oh how I’d love to say that last Saturday’s Show was a huge success…even a moderate success would be oh so nice to say. Unfortunately, no one came to this event. I’m not going to go into why I think this wasn’t well attended because I feel that it’s better to focus on what went right.
First I must give a huge thank you to Janis @livingminiatures. She was supposed to have her own booth but due to an injury wasn’t able to make her product…so she came to help me all day. In 90 degree weather at an outdoor show. I am always so thankful for her continued support and her ability to sell me better than I do. Be sure to check out her Instagram page and get you orders in for the holidays. Her stuff is so adorable!
We were given only about an hour and a half to set up. Needless to say I was quite nervous that it wouldn’t be done in time since when we had done the Art & Garden Show we took much longer than that. But I took what I learned from that experience and things went much faster this time. I didn’t use the pop up this time, opting for umbrellas. So those went up easily and were moveable as the sun moved.
I decorated the booth in heavy fall designs since most of the product was in Halloween or fall designs. I also didn’t have a lot of product opting to focus more on my services rather than the product itself.
We did have great booth placement in the fact that as soon as people drove onto the property they saw my booth…the negative was because I was at the end, people used my booth as a walk through. Anyway…I placed a fully dressed table at the front of my booth to promote orders for holiday centerpieces. Ahem…that’s a good hint for you too dear reader. Get your orders in now! Just shoot me an email and we can discuss.
At the back of the booth was a six foot table of which I had my lantern pieces available. A fun and colorful display that I put on a hay bale. (Note to self…don’t use candles on hot days).
So sad looking.
The other end of the table had a display of upcoming classes. No good pictures of that but here’s a sample of the Halloween fresh flower class. Cute right? You could make this! Click on the classes link at the top of the page to sign up.
The table that separated my booth from my neighbor’s was a combo of my faux-get-me-not arrangements and fresh. I placed the faux work on another, smaller hay bale that was in a wooden wine crate.
The fresh were put on stacks of wood rounds.
I also hung my acorn pieces from the umbrellas. You may be able to see that in the full booth picture. But here’s a close up of those adorable acorns. A reminder that those are for sale on my website…just click on the shop button on top of the page.
And for someone who just wanted a little touch of flowers, I made tussie-mussies that I hung on a manzanita branch. I just think they are so cute! See pic below.
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Omgosh! I just treated myself to a new book and this one did not disappoint. The Posy Book is written by Teresa H. Sabankaya and has all the info you need to make the cutest, most beautiful, meaningful arrangements. I love that she is somewhat local, as she has a store in Santa Cruz called Bonny Doon Garden Company (I see a road trip in my near future).
What is a posy? A posy is a small compact bouquet that is usually round in shape. It harkens back to Victorian days when giving someone a small bouquet could have a number of meanings.
Floriography – the cryptologic communication through the use of arrangment of flowers. –Teresa H. Sabankaya
What Sabankaya does in her book is to breakdown bouquets with their meaning. Cute little tags tell the receiver the thought behind the gift. They are a well thought out, meaningful treat that bring the historical meaning of flowers into the 2000s.
For each design there is a picture of the posy bouquet and on the opposite page is the definition of the flower or foliage and alternative blooms for the appropriate season.
The next page is a centerfold (boom chaka bow-wow) of an aerial shot of the bouquet with a call out of each of the botanicals. The pictures are clean and simple yet stunning.
Then there is a resource section on basic floral design instructions including flower types and descriptions, how to cut, assemble, and even how to tie a bow.
And when you think that you’ve got all the info you need, there is an extremely helpful modern dictionary that allows you to quickly look up the meaning of a specific flower. She doesn’t cut corners either. There are almost 80 pages of just the dictionary. If you can’t find it…then it doesn’t mean anything. Lol.
I’m sure this is a book I’ll be referencing many times over. In fact I will be making tussie-mussies, that she also talks about in the book, for an upcoming event I’ll be participating in at Reclaimed Antiques on Saturday, September 21st from 10-4pm. Located at 19618 Eighth Street East in Sonoma. Come see me…I’d love to see a friendly face!
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I’ve never done this type of post before, so I hope it works well. Please comment if you’d like to see more of this type of content.
As I stated in my last blog…I am ready for fall and thus the holidays that fall within. So I’ve compiled some Thanksgiving or fall-themed tablescapes that have caught my eye over in the Pinterest world. Oh and there might be one of my designs at the end.
This first table by My Creative Happy is like hunting lodge chic. Very dark but oh so elegant. There is so much depth to the table, starting with the buffalo plaid runner (which is very on trend), then the wood slat placemats, wicker charger and gorgeous plates of brown transferware. The centerpiece is a mix of different sized pumpkins, candles and foliage in various metallic and matte finishes and colors. Cozy yet elegant.
Let’s keep with the buffalo plaid theme for this second picture. From the lodge chic design above this pattern moves us completely into a farmhouse design. So versatile! While I’m not a fan of the ruffles for the charger/placemat, I do like the use of burlap for added texture. But the rest is just perfect in its simplicity and trendy items. I love the mini olive pails and the tall sheaves of wheat. A great look to keep up all season, however you’ll need to remove the wheat during mealtime otherwise your guests won’t be able to see each other. The color scheme is very neutral but the textures add depth and interest to the design. Table design is by Hip and Humble Style.
This next picture is all about the mix of patterns. While not on a traditional table it’s easily adaptable. Again it’s all about pattern upon patterns…something I have to admit I’m not good at doing, but Home Is Where The Boat Is has mastered it with this design. So why does it work? When mixing patterns you need to keep your color scheme harmonious. The brown and cream base colors are accented with bright pops of yellow. Having the pumpkins in white instead of traditional orange keeps the color palette on point and doesn’t add chaos. Because the pumpkins are a solid color, like the placemats, they give your eye a place to land within the sea of pattern. A resting point for your eyes. And then…and then the hydrangeas. Gorgeous end of season antiqued hydrangeas. Simply sublime. I wish I had this set up in my house year round.
Can you say fancy, fru-fru, high-end shi…uh stuff? And I don’t mean it in a negative way, because if I had all this gorgeousness I’d be showing it off too. First let’s start with the linen. Um…hello and yes, please! I just love that grey and orange together. Then the stacks of pewter and silver chargers and topped with the patterned plates. Gah! I want. So again with the multiple patterns, but it is so well mixed with solids that it gives your eyes a place to rest. I wouldn’t be able to stop writing about this without mentioning the simple yet glorious arrangements. Just orange roses with some seeded eucalyptus placed in silver and pewter vessels.
Another table design from Home Is Where The Boat Is. This is an easy yet equally beautiful table. Notice there is no layering of plates which isn’t needed as the plates just pop off the deep green, rust and orange tablecloth. The showstopper for this table is the table runner. No need for a container. Just lay your fruits and veggies down the center of your table and tuck in some fall leaves (fresh or faux). Add votives or tapers. Use preserved hydrangeas or using fresh flowers place in water tubes and hide under the leaves. I love how bountiful this table runner looks.
Finally, here is a photo from my friend Beth who asked me to make her a garland using olive branches for her Thanksgiving table. She then added the candles, pumpkins, pomegranates, and tea roses. I think it looks perfect!
And since I mentioned taking orders…I am taking orders for the holidays. Just shoot me an email and we can discuss your centerpiece needs.
I hope you enjoyed seeing other people’s ideas. I had a hard time choosing which designs to spotlight from my Pinterest boards.
P.S. One more little note: I will be participating in the Fall Art & Antique Market at Reclaimed in Sonoma on Saturday, October 21. Go to https://sonomareclaimed.com/ for more info.
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I honestly cannot believe that August is just about over and September is upon us. I promised myself that this year would go slower…like I can control time. But here we are summer is just about over and we are heading into fall.
While spring brings new growth and beautiful pastels the fall just grabs me with deep oranges, rich reds and muted yellows. It’s actually my favorite time of the year to drive through the wine country when rows upon rows of vines are changing into their fiery colors.
I start getting anxious to decorate the house for Halloween, then Thanksgiving and finally Christmas. It’s a whirl wind of moving storage boxes in and out of the house for three months but I love it! I mean, I’ve been living with the same everyday decor for nine months. This girl just can’t handle that!
It’s also the time of the year that you gather with friends and family to shop, eat, drink, attend floral classes (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), an just be merry!
As much as I want to slow this year down, I’m ready for the seasons to change. So bring on the fall ya’ll!
Are you ready for the turn of the season?
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Hi All! There is so much going on in the Marmalade Sky universe. I’mso excited to share it withy’all(yep…I saidy’all).
Disclaimer: yesterday I added items to the website not knowing they were posting straight to my FB page. In this post I’m talking about those very same things…but in a little more detail. So I apologize for the many posts…sort of.😉
Classes:
You may have seen myFaceBookand Instagram “Mark your Calendar” post. Here’sa little more detail on the up and coming classes. Thesewill also be listedon the events page and you will be able to sign up from the website.
Sunday, October 27 10am-noon: Learn how to make fresh fall flowers into a fun Halloween themed arrangement. Perfect to place on your porch to greet your trick-or-treaters, use as a centerpiece on your dining room table, or place on your desk for some festive flair.
Sunday, October 27 1pm-3pm: Make a fun and pretty sugar pine cone decoration that will move from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season. We will be making two “toppers” that you can easily interchange between the holidays.
Sunday, December 15 10am-noon: Learn to make an evergreen centerpiece and to change the design throughout the season. Bring cuttings from your Christmas tree or any ornaments you may want to include.
JUST LISTED! Sunday, December 15 1pm-3pm: In this classyou will learn how to take a pre-made evergreen wreath and add ornaments, ribbons, and baubles to fit any décor.
All classes are $45 and are fun and relaxing. Snacks and beverages are included. If you sign up for both classes for the same day, you will receive $10 off the total. I hope to see you in class! Psst! If youclick here it will take you to the sign up page.
New Products:
I’vebeen having fun working with faux flowers and I’m excited to start my new line of products called….wait for it…Faux Get Me Not. So cute right?? You can find these items on the website. Unlike my fresh flowers these can be shipped anywhere in the US. Here’sa few of the products you will find on the Shopping page. Currently listed are fall items, but keep a look out for winter items as well. The websitewill be updatedfrequently. Click here to order!
Teal & Gold Acorn Ornament
Fall Succulent BasketHalloween Lantern Swag
Holiday Subscription Packages:
It seems that during the holidays we are always more aware of keeping the house or office a tad more festive. What better way than fresh flower bouquets that accent your seasonal décor. While I offer a year-round subscription service,I’moffering two different holiday packets: one for the month of November and one for December. Both packages will consist ofa total of 4deliveries (3 standard bouquets and a final centerpiece design) for $160. Ring in the New Year by signing up for both months and receive a New Years bouquet for only $20!
These holiday packages along with the regular subscription services make great gifts for friends and family. Sorry, but at this time we can only do deliveries in Sonoma and Marin Counties. Click here to sign up now!
Holiday Orders:
Please contact me directly via email if you have special orders for the holidays. That could include garland, wreaths or centerpieces. Please give me two weeks’ notice when placing orders.
Whew!! There was a lot more to talk about than I first thought! I’msuper excited with everything going on here at Marmalade Sky. Keep checking the website as things are changing frequently. I’llhave a gallery going up soon as well.
Also, please let me know if you are having any troubles with the website (i.e. links not working, etc.)
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Hi all! Today I’m reviewing this sweet little book. There are several books out there on the language of flowers and I think even a novel, but I’m reviewing this book by Samantha Gray. The illustrations are by Sarah Perkins. I wouldn’t necessarily call out the illustrator when doing a book review but this book is so beautifully done in both writing and artwork that I can’t not give both contributors a shout out.
Most people know that red roses are symbols of love. But did you know that a single red rose means “I still love you”, “You are the one”, and “Love at first sight.” But that four red roses is a symbol of bad luck. And 50 roses no matter the color means “My love is unconditional.” If you want to say “thank you” to someone you can give them a deep pink rose.
For centuries romantic or religious meanings have been associated with different flowers. Victorians would send bouquets as secret messages of love and friendship. And sometimes even hatred…you don’t want to receive a bouquet of orange lilies from your frenemy.
While this isn’t in practice these days wouldn’t it be lovely to convey a message through flowers. This little book can help you do that.
Flowers are organized into categories based on the message they convey: Courtship, Love & Affection, Beauty, and Friendship.
Each flower has its own page(s) with an accompanying illustrated page. At the top of the flower’s page is the meaning behind it. Then a history on that particular flower, it’s origins, popularity and how it got its meaning. If you love that flower, the bottom of the page will tell you your personality.
I must have multiple personalities because I love all flowers! Lol. But since tulips are my absolute favorite I’ll use that as an example. She has tulips broken down by color because like roses, each color has a different meaning. We’ll use yellow tulips…because I can never pass up a yellow tulip.
IF YOU LOVE YELLOW TULIPS, you have a natural radiance and a joie de vivre that lights up any room you walk into.
I’m not sure if that’s me…but I’d like to think it is.
I’ve had this book for sometime (published in 2011), and I thoroughly enjoy reading it. As I continually say, if I was taught history through things like architecture and flowers I would have gotten better than a D in class.
I hope you purchase this book. It’s a great little read. And I also hope this encourages you to ask your florist to make a bouquet that conveys a specific message to the recipient. Who wouldn’t want to receive a bouquet that tells them how much you love them…even if you are buying it for yourself.
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As you know, from all my posts of late, I set up a booth at my hometown’s Art & Garden Festival. It was a lot of prep work, long hours, and hot weather…and extremely fun.
The first question I’m asked is “How did it go?” And that is hard to tell…I have mixed feelings.
I barely sold anything. And even though I offered to hold items until the end of the show, not many wanted to buy fresh flowers especially on such a hot day. So that was disappointing.
However, I got a lot of business cards and postcards into people’s hands. People I hadn’t ever met and do not follow my social media accounts. So that was a big plus and pretty much my main goal.
I also gained some potential business contacts of which I’m excited about. Even if they don’t pan out…at least I know that something I created was appreciated.
Janis, my booth mate, and I were asked to participate in a craft show in November because we had very unique items. A huge positive to the day.
What did I learn? Well…pardon the expression…but a shit ton. I learned you can never be too organized. Even with the trial run through the previous weekend, we still scrambled through some of the set up.
Also, know your product. I had a beautiful arrangement at the front of the booth that was very unique but I could not tell people what one of the flowers were (it’s not a commonly used one) and I struggled until I was lucky enough to have my grower come through the booth. So I asked her and wrote it down! After that I confidently told everyone that asked.
The white airy flower to the right of the pic is called Agrostemma.
I learned a lot about myself and what I’m capable of doing. Faced the unknown of running a booth and put myself out there like I have never done before. Yay, me! Look at me…adulting again!
The best part was meeting people and talking with them about anything. People in my community that I see as I drive around town and some that I’ve never seen before. People from all walks of life. Watching the diversity of my town…it may not be a huge diversity but it’s there if you are paying attention.
The third question I’ve been getting: “Will I do this again?” Yes, but in a different way. What that way will be I’m not sure yet. I still have a little work to do. Gather thoughts and ideas. But yes, I will be there next year…so be sure to look for me.
As always, the love and support of friends and family was wonderful and I am forever grateful for it. It’s easier to make the decisions to step outside my comfort zone knowing there is a support system there for me. I love you all. ❤️
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