up : date :: family weekend

Hi all, I am blogging from the northern chicago suburb of Northfield in the home I grew up in. The hubs, pup, and I are here visiting our families for the long weekend. So the posts for the weed might be a bit on the shorter side. Impatiens (which I always thought were called 'impatients') remind me of my mom's attempts at gardening. Each year it was decided between impatiens or begonias as the colorful accent for the front yard.

This year, she chose purple impatiens!

le : sigh

These sweet photos are from Courtney Apple. She saw some of my work on Oh Joy! last week and wrote me such a sweet email. I checked out here stuff and was just blown away. How awesome are these shots from the Philadelphia flower show? And check out her website for some great food photography. 

then : now :: flowerheads

I think this is my favorite then/now yet! First of all we have Arcimboldo who was doing crazy stuff during the High Renaissance (he lived from 1527-1593). Not only did he study under DaVinci, become a royal painter, and have the first name of Giuseppe; but he was also a party planner for multiple emperors! He was the Preston Bailey of his time (think rivers of champagne and harpsichords that shot colorful water...oh crazy Archimboldo!). Anyhoo, he is most famous for his composite portraits where he would take vegetables, animals, or in this case, flowers and create a face from it.

Then we have current artist Nate Duval who is basically a rock star. He also designs posters for lots of rock stars (Wilco, Andrew Bird, Phish, just to name a few). Nate's work looks he had fun while making it...gotta love that! So go and check out his work here...it makes you want to start a band just so he can design you a poster! (Mary... the Oh Well Heroes might have to start up sooner than later!)

1:3 :: peonies

ok, more like 1:3,000! I LOVE peonies! i don't know many people who don't...i mean, they smell nice, they are kinda fluffy but not prissy, they come in beautiful colors, and they make any arrangement look 10 times more luscious. and lusciousness is a good thing. I also have fond memories of peonies that my mom had in her yard...I remember being fascinated by the ants crawling around on the buds. anyhoo, they are perhaps my favorite flower. Here are three fun ways to use them. A few blooms in hanging vases via apartment therapy, a more casual arrangement of peonies via away to garden (also with tips on how to make your peonies bloom!), and finally an arrangement from sarah at Saipua who was a huge inspiration to me to even think about becoming a florist. if you want more beautiful pics, info, and tips about peonies read her 3-part "weeder's digest" on Design*Sponge (part1, part2, part3)

stuffs : things :: floral brooch

I'm not a big jewelry person...i don't wear earrings, i have to wear nickel-free metals, and my wedding ring is about all i can stand on my fingers. But I like the idea of wearing brooches and pins. Especially on a wooly coat. I love these from Petal Mix. They are fun and elegant. She also has barrettes, hair clips, and headbands at her etsy shop.

up : date :: bikes

May is bike month and last week was ride your bike to work week. how did you do? I rode 3 days...which i feel pretty ok about. I might have ridden more if i had this bike with the floral basket! Some girlfriends and i here in bloomington started a friendly biking group/contest called the Flock of Our Lady of Ghisallo (the patron saint of cycling). We chipped in $20 each and for the next 4 months we are  keeping track of when we ride somewhere instead of driving. We have a whole point system worked out (half points for riding in the rain or dark, etc) and each month there is a winner who gets taken out for food and drink by the rest of the group. And at the end there is a grand winner who gets a gift certificate to a bike shop in town. Anyhoo, it's fun and motivating and good for the environment and the leg muscles (bloomington is not flat!).  So i hope you get out and ride this week!

top image via Cycle Chic
for funsies...here's our group's logo...

le : sigh

from Oh Joy whose blog is one of my faves to follow. She posts about design, fashion, and other beautiful things. I like when she posts about what she does with her farmer's market flowers...like putting them in her mailbox!

then : now :: bold shape

last week we had some bold color...this week we have bold color AND bold shapes.

It was actually really difficult for me to find a "now" counterpart for this print by Andy Warhol. I love the inverted photographic element, the coloring, and the overall composition. Trying to find one took some time with google, but then I remembered the work of Amy Rice. Particullarly her zinnia series which i saw up in NH at Artstream Gallery. 

But i thought this tiger lily painting works along side the Warhol print even better. Check out the rest of Amy's work...they are beautifully narrative. 

1:3 :: carnations

I feel like I am getting all the tough ones out of the way first. The carnation is especially tough. I think it looks best in two different ways. 

1. In "carpet" form, which Bornay does in a way that is truly breathtaking. Seriously, go look at her site. amazing!

2. In ball form. When carnations are made into a pomander or ball centerpiece they are really quite fun and graphic. This table scape is via Host-It Notes.

Since this weekly post is not called 1:2, i had to come up with a third way to showcase the carnation. I think this single bloom paper version does the trick...and it won't wilt and die! via Paper Craft Planet

Does anyone else have a favorite way to use carns? please share!

stuffs : things :: oilcloth

Last week was the mexican dress...this week mexican floral printed oilcloth! It's been such a rainy past few days in Bloomington that these bright patterns are just what i need. I have been on the hunt for a fun outdoor tablecloth...our dog likes to lay down on top of our picnic table, so it's necessary for when we eat outside. Here is a diy tutorial for making your own sweet tablecloth from Twig & Thistle. i like those wallets (especially the orange one!) and I might have to steal the shelf liner idea. At Peppertree we carry a line of bags from MY OilCloth that are a much more modern and subtle oilcloth option. By the way...I have one and love it! it is the most solidly made bag i've ever had.

: tablecloth from Doxie Shop 

: wallets from Love Shine

: shelf liner idea from Camp Whimsy

up : date :: proud momma

This week I had my first "mini" wedding that I took care of all by my onesies from meeting with the bride to tearing down. Just the bridal, bouts, corsages, toss, and a few centerpieces. I was really excited by how the bridal turned out and was so happy that this bride wanted something unusual with lots of texture (and billy balls!). We decided on buttery roses, white lisiantus, green cymbidiums, hypericum berry, billy balls, lotus pods, and a few succulents. For being only the second bridal i've done at the shop and being the first that I designed...i'm a proud momma. 

le : sigh

photos that make me go "le sigh" by Suzanne Clements 

then : now :: bold color

These then/now posts are both the most challenging and the most rewarding for me to research and write. I am not terribly good at staying up-to-date in the art world so finding such a specific genre (art with flowers) that also relates to a specific artist from the past is quite hard (i couldn't do it without google images that's for sure!). 

This week's then/now post is a happy/surprising mix. First from "then" we have Matisse's La Gerbe (1953). It was at the end of his life the he started creating his paper cut-outs...and how can you not love the bold organic shapes in this collage. Looking at his earlier works, i adore how he treats the floral patterns of wallpaper and fabric in his paintings (good examples here and here).

From "now" we have a painting from american artist Charles Ray. He normally does highly conceptual sculpture work, but he did a series of floral drawings for the 2010 Whitney Biennial. Here is a little interview with him about his show.

These paintings feel like cousins. 

1:3 :: begonias

Oh the humble begonia. I worked in a garden center a few summers during college and never fully appreciated the begonia. Sure, if someone had a shady spot and wanted a flowering plant, i would point them the way of the begonia...but it always felt like a runner-up plant. Can't grow any of the beautiful flowers? well...there's always the begonia. It has seen a bit of a renaissance lately...being more appreciated for what does make it truly beautiful...its unique foliage. Silvery, fuzzy, burgundy, swirly, patterned-y, depending on the type of begonia there are so many gorgeous foliage variations. Here are my 3 different uses for the begonia. Starting with using its foliage in a bouquet:

The silver-sage color of the begonia leaves really set off the fiery tulips...love the feather accents too! By Petalena. Next is a way to appreciate the entire begonia:

Terrariums! The sweetly reaching delicate flowers of the rex begonia feel protected in its enclosure. Here's a fun link from Craftzine to making a mini terrarium in a mason jar. This terrarium was made by one of my fave florist/shop bloggers to follow, House Martin if you are in Portland, OR...go visit her shop, Ink & Peat. Finally, begonias in a way that exploits their blooming potential in the most grand way possible:

Those are some serious begonia blooms! If you find yourself lucky enough to be in Brussels on August 12th this year, you can see this biennial celebration take place. Read about the history, learn about the making, and view past carpets (really amazing) here!

stuffs : things :: mexican embroidered dress

The mexican floral-themed embroidery on this white cotton dress transports me to a sunny field with a warm breeze just by looking at it. The dress is from Aida Coronado. It's probably a good thing it's out of stock right now... at least for my pocketbook. 

up : date :: happy mother's day!

Happy mother's day momma!

It was a long week at the flower shop and i'm pooped! I hope all the moms out there had a relaxing day.

le : sigh

dandelions. I could probably fill a whole redwood with just the dandelions from my front yard.

le sigh

photo by artist Richard Shilling

then : now :: still life

I ADORE Flemish still life paintings...what with their gloom and doom macabre themes. Fun art fact to impress your friends: these types of still lifes are called vanitas paintings...they remind us of our imminent death and the fleetingness of life and pleasure. Vanitas literally means 'vanity' in Latin.

But seriously, i do love them. The first painting is by Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625). Wiki P. tells me that one of his nicknames was "Velvet." This guy was clearly awesome. For more info on Jan Brueghel the Elder- check out this page.

The modern painting was done by New York artist Bella Foster. Though I am not sure if her intentions were to be dark and moody (as her other paintings don't seem to touch on the whole death theme)...I think this is a lovely modern floral still life and it compliments our buddy Velvet's beautifully.

1:3 :: billy balls

top : La Partie Events
middle via Landlocked Bride
bottom : Kelly Oshiro Events

Oh billy balls! you are so 'in' right now that I almost didn't want to post about you. But you are so damn cute. Also called billy buttons or craspedia, the billy ball add such a light heartedness to a bouquet or arrangement. They are the perfect shade of yellow for the yellow-grey junkies (admittedly I painted a kitchen yellow and grey...love it!). I love the combo with the succulents in the first one and the pomander in the second would be loads of fun to carry around (though i might be tempted to bop someone with it). the final pic is just a great mix of textures: yarrow, protea, hydrangea, and our friend billy b.

stuffs : things :: metal flower magnets

I think these metal magnets from baconsquarefarm are quite sweet. I especially like the white one. I would like to create a little wildflower magnet garden on this fridge!

up : date :: what's up with botaniche anyway?

What's up with botaniche? last week i talked about research and inspiration being a big bonus and motivator of starting this blog. But what's with the prints i'm selling? What's with the name?

The idea behind the prints actually came from my boss at Peppertree. She thought it would be nice to illustrate bouquets as a way for brides to preserve theirs. It was a great idea, but the thought of illustrating bouquets as bouquets didn't feel right. I wanted to create something that didn't scream WEDDING! I wanted to offer a piece of art that would look hip and sophisticated and be meaningful all at once. Botanical illustrations! A deconstructed bouquet! Since I have always loved botanical and scientific art it felt 100% right that that be the layout. I also wanted to offer a more "artsy" version if someone wasn't a fan of the more rigid layout. After making a few examples I also realized this would be a great way to memorialize a garden, heck...a prom corsage, or just some favorite flowers. I am so excited that the botaniche shop is up and running....but wait...why "botaniche"?

short answer: because it sounds cool. 

longer answer: i was brainstorming name ideas, and it was important for me to not have a cheesy name. and i wanted something that could go beyond just a blog name if i ever wanted it to. (my flower business in Bend, OR). longer answer short: i saw that botany in italian was "botaniche" and i knew right away that that would be the name. A lot of people think i hybridized 'botany' and 'niche.' which is fine by me...i kinda love the word 'niche.' ***in italian, it is pronounced "bo-ta-nee-kay," but i slaughter it and say "bo-ta-nee-sh"***

anyhoo, there you have it, a few more answers to these oh so pressing questions. have a superb monday!

top image from 1stdibs

up : date :: officially launched!

Hill School, May Day, originally uploaded by The Library of Virginia.

Well, it's May Day...and now Botaniche is officially launched! I wanted to have a few weeks worth of entries, so you can see what this blog is all about. hopefully it will just improve with age like a fine wine or cheese (not like the 6 week-old grapefruit shriveling on my toaster oven).

Please visit the shop section...it will show you the other HUGE project i have been working on.

go dance and smell the flowers today!