CasaSugar

Casa Quickie: Display Flowers in Old Coffee Pots

CasaSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:00:01 -0700

This photo, from David Giles's portfolio, is breathtakingly pretty. From the baby blue cooking range to the precious mama and babe, it just speaks of domestic bliss. But my favorite idea from the photo is, by far, the idea of using old enamel coffee pots to display fresh cut flowers.

Enamel cookware is pretty enough on its own, but contrasted with some bright flowers, it looks even better. You can buy one new, but for the prettiest vintage finds, check your local flea market or eBay for the old and beautiful.

Do You Decorate With Cut Orchids?

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:00:02 -0700

When it comes to floral arrangements, i rarely think about buying cut orchids. My potted orchids usually last for months (and I've been lucky enough to have one blooming continuously for 16 months!). Still, the blooms are absolutely gorgeous, and I can see the appeal of cut orchids.

Source: Photo by Andrew Grinton

Create This Bridal Shower Table Setting

CasaSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:00:03 -0700

Why settle for boring floral arrangements when you can create a chinoiserie-inspired table setting instead? If you're in charge of hosting a bridal shower at your home this Spring, take inspiration from stylist Rebecca Thuss's look for this table setting. To re-create it, simply purchase bird figurines, vases, and branches. Alternately, you can take advantage of Spring blossoms and trim flowering trees or hedges to use, which will cut down on the cost of this look.

Feeling ambitious? You can also create a matching overhead light. The look is so seasonally appropriate, and would be sure to impress the bride, as well as the other bridal shower guests. Have you created a similar look at a bridal shower?

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Cool Idea: Thermos Appeal

CasaSugar — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:30:32 -0700

Tired of boring old vases? Don't limit your cut flower arrangements to prescribed floral containers. You can try tea cups for holding cut blooms, but if you want a more streamlined look, get creative and repurpose vintage metal thermoses for the job. I love the look of this silver, bullet-shaped thermos paired with these slender, tangerine-colored calla lilies. Have you used thermoses before for holding flowers?

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Name This Flower

CasaSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:30:00 -0800

These panels, illustrated by artist Amy Rice, were part of her installation project "Nest." Can you tell me what type of flowers these are?

Casa Quickie: Use Water Glasses For Flower Arrangements

CasaSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:15:00 -0800

Small arrangements such as this one look lovely in a pretty water glass. Just cut your flowers on a short stem to prevent toppling. This is especially pretty on a bedside table in a guest room, especially when, as in this picture, blooms are placed in Fleur-De-Lis Glassware ($44.90-59.90). It's the perfect way to welcome a Thanksgiving visitor. Source

How Often Do You Have Fresh Flowers in Your Home?

CasaSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:00:12 -0800

One of the advantages of living in the Bay Area is that I can count on blooming trees or bushes year-round. Even if it's just a humble single flower in a bud vase, I can add life to a room without spending a penny. Do you try to have fresh flowers in your house, too?

Win a Bouquet of Organic Lilies!

CasaSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:02:38 -0700

Organic Style, my favorite online destination for eco-friendly flower bouquets, just alerted me that its source for pink oriental lilies is now certified organic. Since Organic Style is so excited about the certification, it bought up the entire crop of pink oriental lilies from the California farm, and it's offering a bouquet of these gorgeous organic lilies to one lucky reader.

If you're interested in winning this gorgeous lily bouquet ($60 value, plus free shipping), just take my quiz! To enter, you must log in and take the quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just by completing the quiz once you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member and log in before you take the quiz. If you're not already a member, just register here for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Contest ends Friday, Sept. 5, at noon PDT and is only open to US readers. Click here for Official Rules.

Take the quiz

Giveaway! Win Flowers from Organic Bouquet

CasaSugar — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:30:10 -0700

In need of a pick-me-up? Have fall's falling leaves got you bummed? Then maybe you need some flowers in your life.

Enter to win an Organic Bouquet floral arrangement by taking the quiz below. (By the way, your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just simply by taking the quiz once you are logged in). You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member to take the quiz. So if you're not already a member, just register here for an account and to join in all the fun on the Sugar Sites! One quiz entry per person-all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Also, this part is important, YOU MUST BE LOGGED IN TO TEAMSUGAR FOR YOUR VOTE TO COUNT.

Interested in more details? Click here for the Official Rules.

You can take the quiz until the giveaway closes on Friday, October 5th, at 5 p.m. PDT/8 p.m. EDT. I'll announce the winner on Monday, Oct. 8. And don't forget to e-mail this to all your friends and family so they can have a chance at it too! Take the quiz

Primer: Making Cut Flowers Last Longer

CasaSugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:44:31 -0700

I love having fresh flowers in my house, but I hate it when they wilt after just a few days and have to be thrown away. So over the years, I've learned a number of tricks to help cut flowers last longer, from choosing the right varieties to exploiting the beauty of the last bloom. Here are a few hints; please feel free to share yours below.

Choose sturdy varieties of flowers. Some flowers just last longer than others. Daisies, carnations, and hydrangeas will stay nice for quite a while, as will alstroemerias, which is why you often see them adorning the tables of restaurants.
Seek out tightly closed buds. Particularly for shorter-lived flowers-such as stargazer lilies, roses, and tulips-buy buds that aren’t quite open yet and let them bloom in the vase.

For the rest of my tips, read more

“Cut in” the stems. Before putting a batch of flowers in water, cut each stem at an angle with a very sharp knife. Also, you know that packet of flower food that often comes with an arrangement? Use it.
Keep the water fresh. Just as you would with a plant, keep adding water to the vase as the flowers soak it up. Every few days, dump the dirty muck and replace it with fresh water.
Weed out the wilted ones. Instead of tossing a whole bouquet with a few brown blooms, pick out the troubled flowers and toss them, then transfer the ones that still look nice to a smaller, clean container.
Down to just one flower? Display it solo in an understated bud vase.

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