Easy Tiny Arrangements | My Hutch Style

There has been a big trend in home "styling."  I sort of hate that idea - especially if it is a home you actually live in.  I feel like, in this internet photo world, that there is a lot of styling going on and a lot less living.  How many people have a cozy nook that "looks" perfect for snuggling up and reading a book, but is never actually used?  Or a gourmet kitchen that rivals most on Pinterest, but is never used for cooking or baking.  Some of my biggest grievances are bath tubs that are never filled and fireplaces that are never enjoyed.  To me, a home should be beautiful only because it makes it more comfortable and livable.  

The only "styling" I do is to add flowers on a weekly/daily basis.  It is one of my favorite ways to give our home life and bring the seasons inside.  Floral arranging can seem intimidating, but when on a really small scale, these tiny gatherings are so simple.  What's more is that these small arrangements can make a huge impact on a space - powder room, bedside table, next to the kitchen sink, on an end table or on top of that coffee table book you never read ; )

I put together these fall-ish tiny arrangements to scatter around our house.  Here are the elements I used :

- Orange Roses
- Orange/Coral Dahlias
- Navy Viburnum Berries or Privet Berries (Viburnum grow in our garden)
- Deep Purple Leaves
- Small Creamer Pitchers

These are my favorite tiny helper hands that are currently at Kindergarten right now.  Kids love making floral arrangements because when you start with beautiful flowers, they can really assemble something truly beautiful all by themselves.  These small ones are especially easy to make.

I cut the flowers to length and Emma plucked them in where she saw fit.  This arrangement is made in the Creamer from the Classic Cream & Sugar set with a pewter finish.  They make the most charming vessels.

We added these dark foliage leaves for contrast with the orange and coral colors.  It turned them in to very Fall-ish looking arrangements.  In the spring, we could add fern sprigs instead to this same arrangement and they would look springy.

Now, remember when I said I hate styling my own home?  Well, since this hutch has entered our home, it has become sort of my seasonal muse.  It is the centerpiece of our kitchen/hearth/dining room and it calls out for being decorated.  I plan to keep the Creamware Platters (set of 6) on it throughout the year, then add seasonal color through plates, flowers and candles.

So, it has been one of my favorite spots to nestle a flower arrangement.  It also becomes a perfect place to set up some appetizers/bowl of nuts/stack of plates/wine & glasses when we have guests.

This tiny arrangement is made in one of these Creamware Creamers.

I always love putting the little buds of flowers in the arrangements, too - they are the perfect compliment to the blooms and so nice to add a variety of size.

Creamware Creamers
12" Taper Candles

Another version from the Creamware Creamers.

I also love to add candles - obviously.  I get these thick glass votives from Target for $2-3.  They look so expensive because of the thick glass.  I buy the 12 packs of simple votive candles in glass and slide them in the thick glass votive holders.

Little frames are another way to add charm to a corner.  This is an engraving of a river that I love.

Our garden roses are beginning to fade, but until them, I will keep cutting them and placing them around the house - for their lovely scent and their beauty.

Shop my favorite small Creamers for tiny arrangements, here >

Simple Summer Table Setting

A few weeks ago we had our friends + new baby over for brunch on a Saturday morning.  

Normally, I wouldn't really worry about having a floral 'arrangement' for a casual brunch with this group of friends, but Mike had taken Emma on a long walk that morning so I could get everything ready.

It is a rare treat for me to be in the kitchen all by myself!    I had just enough time to walk around our yard to gather some herbs, flowers and vines to make this casual, organic-y, non-arrangement.

A closeup of fresh oregano and pansies.

Can you believe I actually still have some pansies?  These are the last of them - made perfect accents to the blue hydrangea from my urns.

I'll be back with more brunch details tomorrow - I just finished up my Outdoor Entertaining Workshop tonight... ready for bed!

Simple Micro Flower Arrangement | Oak Leaves, Paperwhite Bulb & Cabbage

 
Last weekend Emma and I tagged along with Mike back to the Boston area for a work trip.  He travels there often, but we haven't been back since we moved back "home" last year.  We had a fabulous time visiting some of our friends and old favorites - Concord, Beacon Hill and Back Bay.  We also took a little trip out to Nantucket for the night - the one place we never got to go that was on my list.  I'll be sharing more (a lot more...) photos later this week, but first I wanted to share this little tiny arrangement inspired by our trip.


My Mother-in-Law is a fabulous traveler and always does a ton of shopping on their trips.  Their house is filled with pieces of art, blankets, pottery, china, etc. that all have special meaning and were collected along the way - not gift shop type souvenirs, but beautiful things that they love from specialty boutiques, inns and farms.  I recently noticed a new engraved pewter champagne bucket at their house - apparently, they ordered it while at Blackberry Farm this last Fall on a trip for their anniversary.  Now every time she walks by it she's reminded of their special weekend. 

In the past I'd never been one to stock up while away, but I have found that the "souvenirs" we buy always bring such great memories back to us when we get home.  So, I started taking cues from Joy and buying treats on our trips we can use in our home that will take us back to those special moments.

One afternoon, Emma and I went out to our old town, Concord, Ma, for a visit.  We had coffee with an old friend and stopped by all of my favorite shops.  The first on my list was Winston Flowers.  You might remember my posts about Winston's when we lived there.  It is in the middle of the quaint town center and filled with really inspired, lovely flowers.  Once a week I used to stroll Emma there to pick out flowers.  They have the most beautiful things - and most are very simple and common items, but are designed in special ways.





When I saw this arrangement I knew it would be the perfect "Joy-style" souvenir to take home with us.  It is a cabbage rosette (the center of a cabbage, stripped of most of the big leaves), mini preserved oak leaves, rosemary sprigs, white hydrangea and a paperwhite bulb.  I love that all of the elements are so seasonal, but presented in a unique and modern style.







I asked them to deconstruct two arrangements for me so I could carry them on the plane, then reassemble them when I got home.



It starts with a small sprig of hydrangea broken off from a larger bloom.

Then I added the cabbage.



Next, I tucked in the oak leaves on one side, then added the paperwhite.  Keeping the colors together makes it very natural and gathered looking.

I just love this arrangement.  My rosemary plant isn't looking as good as it was when we left, so I still need to add some of that when I make it to the store later today.

The best part of this arrangement is that it will keep for weeks, all I have to do is replenish the hydrangea after it wilts with a new one - the other elements are really long lasting.


I've included other photos of Winston's below - enjoy!

Here is the Concord Town Center - the most charming little New England town.  Here is a link to my Fall Foliage post in Concord from two years ago with lots of photos of the town.  I'll be sharing the rest of my photos from our trip this week and some new hostess ideas for Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone had a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend!

Dahlias | Fall Flowers from the Farmers Market | Fall Centerpiece

When Summer ends, my mind turns to Mums and pumpkins.  I always forget about Dahlias.  Last weekend at the Farmer's Market I came across these Dahlias.  I loved that there were Fall colors of orange, deep red and rust, but also had coral and pink tones. 

To top it off, the farmer had added a few sprigs of Tuberose to the arrangement, that are also in season in early Fall. 

The scent of Tuberose is amazing - it reminds me of our wedding last October.  All of the men wore tuberose boutonnieres.

I put the bouquet in one of my tin arrangements.  These are the kind of casual floral 'arrangements' that I like to use as centerpieces on my table - it looks like it could have been cut and gathered from my own garden... if I had one!

Hydrangea Season | 3 Easy Centerpieces using Hydrangeas No Vases Needed

My style of entertaining is very casual and easygoing (read more about my entertaining philosophy here!).  I like my guests to feel comfortable and the atmosphere (dare I say ambiance?) is an important part of doing just that.

If we're hosting friends for dinner on a Saturday night, a formal florist-type bouquet isn't appropriate - it would say all of the wrong things about what I want the night to be.


My favorite method is to use several stems of the same type (or color) of flower.

Entertaining | Holiday Flower Arrangement | Flower Arranging Tips | Magnolia Leaves Clove Studded Oranges Roses

For a client this holiday season, I wanted to create a sophisticated but traditional holiday floral arrangement to be the center of their cocktail party.  I am a little tired of all red and green, so I selected a variety of colors : red, coral, tangerine and pink.  The arrangement is made of red, coral and pink roses, with tangerines studded with cloves, white hydrangeas, pomegranates, and magnolia leaves.

 I started with this large pewter footed bowl that I normally use to chill beer and wine (as you might remember from my self-serve bar!).  I put 3 bricks of water soaked oasis foam in the base and taped it down with clear floral tape.

You can buy oasis at any craft store (be sure to get the 'wet' oasis and not the 'dry' used for fake arrangements), or sometimes if I'm in a pinch I run up to a florist (even at the grocery store) and buy some directly from them.  They typically cost a couple of dollars each.

Next, use your foliage to create the shape of the arrangement.  I used magnolia leaves - I love the contrasting brown and green sides.  Sprigs of evergreen (out of your backyard or the back side of your tree!) would work great, too.

Citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines and grapefruits are in abundance this time of year and are a very traditional addition to holiday decor.

I used tangerines because of the rosy color.  They added just the right amount of contrast and texture to the arrangement.  I studded the tangerines with whole cloves - it smelled amazing.  The spicy cloves, when they pierced the skin let out the fresh scent of the tangerine.  It smelled like Christmas!

 I put the tangerines on heavy floral stakes (also purchased from the grocery store florist) to insert them into the foam.  I also used pomegranates staked the same way.

At the end of the arranging, I decided to add some sprigs of white pine (from our backyard) too add even more dimension and shape.  The arrangement was looking a little too formal, so the pine added an organic look.

DIY | Entertaining | Table Setting from Dolci Odille on OnceWed.com

I stumbled upon this adorable place-setting idea on Oncewed.com created by Dolci Odille... Enjoy!

"I love it when the most mundane items can be transformed into something useful and practical. Cake icing tipsare one of those items! They come in all different shapes and sizes and can be transformed to coordinate with your wedding with just a coat of spray paint. Add your place card, and this project takes about 5 seconds to complete, shopping time not included. To add an extra element, gather up colorful glass containers and add some simple flowers. I bought spray roses, stock, hyacinth, and hydrangea all from Trader Joe’s.

-Ashley of Dolci Odille

Supplies: Cake icing tips (can be found at your local Michael’s or cake supply store), spray paint, paper and pen.

Step 1: Spray paint your cake icing tip and let dry.

Step 2: Write name on paper with a pen or paint marker.

Done!

Thanks to Dolci Odille!

Entertaining | Simple Holiday Flowers

I made a couple of these small arrangements for a brunch for the Delta Gamma Alumni. I used rustic tin buckets as the vase, then filled it with coral roses and pomegranates. To get the pomegranates to stay in place, I used forks!