CasaSugar

Casa Quickie: Get Your Full Serving of Vegetables

CasaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:30:56 -0700

Dissatisfied with the choice of flowers at your local market? Then head to the produce aisle instead.

Take a tip from the current issue of Canadian House and Home, and try using an unusual veggie in lieu of a floral arrangement. In this case, the editors used a red cabbage displayed in a pretty bowl.

What veg would you try? I'm interested in seeing how a Savoy cabbage's curly textures translates in a room, or how radicchio plays when it's arranged in a wide-mouthed vase.

Cool Idea: Using Cabbage as a Centerpiece

CasaSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:48 -0700

Glass vases are chic and timeless, but sometimes you need to stir things up a bit. And when you've used every old coffee pot and vessel you can think of, look to your kitchen or garden. Real Simple looked at a head of cabbage with an inventive eye, and decided to use it as a centerpiece. After cutting an opening into the top of each cabbage, they fit a piece of saturated floral foam inside, turning the produce into a vase! I love how they chose purple flowers to match the hue of the cabbage; it really makes a statement. For full instructions, go here.

10 Brilliant Wedding Bouquets

CasaSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:00:34 -0700

Whether you're looking for inspiration for an unusual bouquet, or simply some interesting ways to augment a traditional arrangement, I've found some truly splendid bouquets to pique your interest. As you'll see, several of these bouquets forego flowers altogether.
Source

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Etsy Find: Felt Flower Button Bouquets

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:16 -0700

If the fleeting beauty of a fresh floral bouquet isn't what you had in mind for your wedding or other celebration, you're in luck. Etsy seller Princess Lasertron makes custom bouquets from hand-stitched felt and vintage buttons that will last well beyond your ceremony, and perhaps your five-year anniversary. But you needn't be tying the knot to take one home. The one-of-a-kind floral arrangements look just as good set in a glass vase on your dining room table, as they do with your Vera Wang. Prices run from $60 to $250.

Cool Idea: A Colander As a Vase

CasaSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:00:44 -0700

I recently polled you on your love for Todd Oldham's ice cream cone carnation floral arrangement, and you were pretty split on it. I on the other hand was not a fan; although in general, I feel that the world-renowned designer can do no wrong. Today is no exception to that notion, though. Oldham has created another arrangement for FTD, the Todd Oldham Green Salad ($79.99), this time using a colander as a vase. I adore this innovative use of a colander, not only for its good looks but because it is something everyone can achieve. Of course, it helps to have a vibrant, kelly green colander to perk things up, but I love it regardless of color. It's also a great housewarming gift, as the colander can be used in the kitchen once the arrangement falls by the wayside. Love it?

Summer Style: Flower Arranging Tips From Paul Lowe

CasaSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:45:18 -0700

It seems like I'm not the only one who thinks that one rule of Summer style should be keeping things simple. Interior and food stylist Paul Lowe, whose gorgeous floral arrangements I featured earlier this week, agrees that simple presentations can make a huge visual impact when it comes to flowers. I asked him if he could provide CasaSugar readers with some simple Summer styling techniques when it came to flowers, and he happily agreed.

Here's one of Paul's flower tips:

"When I work with flowers I always try to keep it simple. I don't like mixing too many types of flowers in a vase. I believe that one kind of flower in a vase makes a bigger statement then a mix of flowers. If you want to use a mix, put them in separate vases.

Want to hear another of Paul's tips? Then read more.

Paul also advises, "When you work with flowers you will always have some flower heads that fall of the stems. Don't throw them away. Fill eggcups with water and place the flower heads in them. This looks very cute on a side table."

To get more advice from Paul, read his blog, full of mouthwatering food photos and crave-worthy home and garden shots.

Photos by Frances Janisch

Open House: How Do You Dress Your Thanksgiving Table?

CasaSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:30:04 -0800

When it comes to the Thanksgiving table, how you dress it is often as important to the hostess as what food sits upon it. Over the years, I've seen family members fuss over table settings, switching out placemats, rethinking china sets, and shifting floral arrangements.

I admit that I'm known to fuss over my Thanksgiving table as well. The first year that my hubby and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family, I stayed up late into the night sewing a dozen napkins, pressing tablecloths, and arranging flowers. In the end though, it was all worth it. Not only did the food turn out wonderfully, but the table looked spectacular as well. Plus, as far as I'm concerned, deciding on color schemes and flower arrangements is all part of the fun.

So tell me, how do you dress your Thanksgiving table? Do you keep things casual? Is your feast a buffet-style affair? Or do you get formal with placecards and calligraphied names? Tell me all about it in the comments!

Source: Flickr User thedabble

Do You Decorate With Paperweights?

CasaSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:00:49 -0700

I'd forgotten how pretty floral paperweights can look in a feminine home. I love this haphazard, girly arrangement from Andrea Rudolph's home. If you're looking to pick one up for yourself, try your local flea market, or head to Etsy and search for "floral paperweights."

Source

Photographer to Watch: Kari Herer

CasaSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:00:05 -0700

I came across the work of Portland, ME-based photographer Kari Herer on Etsy and was absolutely swept off my feet. She does commercial, portrait, and fine art work, but it's her floral photography that really gets me.

Fresh peonies and hydrangea make wonderful subjects for anyone behind the camera, but take a look at Herer's work and you'll be convinced she's truly a stylist at heart. Here, she's arranged and captured a delicate magnolia on a gorgeous botanical illustration - buy an eight-by-10 print here for $25. In Peony No. 9364, flower buds prove to have strength in numbers in her well-composed arrangment. A pinecone in a teacup? Unusual, but ethereal. Herer's composition is flawless and she almost gives her subjects a vintage feel, which I adore. See more of her work when you read more.

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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