Creating Floral Centerpieces on a Budget

Last week I co-hosted a surprise bridal shower at work for a colleague/good friend of mine.  We wanted to give her co-workers an opportunity to help her celebrate this wonderful milestone, so my fellow hostesses and I planned an afternoon travel-themed party complete with light refreshments and of course, a game! 

When it came to planning this party, we were all about dividing and conquering.  My assignments for the party prep included food, party paper products, planning the game and table centerpieces.  Our office provided a gorgeous tower of Georgetown Cupcakes, so I focused on savory dishes- an ultimate veggie platter and a chips/salsa/guac station (btw- this recipe for guacamole is an absolute must try!  So beyond delish!).

When trying to decide how I to go about creating arrangements for the party tables that were beautiful, unique and budget friendly, I knew that a bit of research would be required.  It was actually while perusing the dining section at my local CB2 store that floral inspiration struck and I had my "Ah ha moment."

CB2's Marta Midnight Blue Double Old Fashioned Glasses were on sale for $1.99 each, which was significantly cheaper than my original plan for vases (i.e. purchasing $8 stock vases from a flower supply store), and the perfect floral vessel solution for my centerpieces.  From there, I knew that my next step would be to visit Trader Joe's for flowers.  I mean the price and quality of flowers sold at Trader Joe's is superb and I have yet to find a comparable alternative.  

The arrangements ended up costing about $25 to make (insanely great price if you have ever made arrangements before).  Naturally this latest discovery in the world of budget florals was something that I felt compelled to share with you all on the blog.  So for today's post I am walking through how I went about creating these budget friendly floral beauties.  See below for more details.

What you will need- 

• Scissors or Floral Sheers
• Rubberbands (preferably green ones)
• Large kitchen bowl filled with water
• 3 CB2 Midnight Blue Double Old Fashioned Glasses ($1.99/each) 
• 2 3-Stem Bouquets of White Hydrangeas ($5.99)
• 1 Bouquet of Mums ($3.99)
• 1 Bouquet of Wax Flowers or Alstroemerias ($2.99-$3.99)

Instructions

1. Fill CB2 glasses with water (approximately 3/4 full)
2. Starting with hydrangeas, cut stems submerged under standing water in kitchen bowl until desired stem length is reached
3. Place two hydrangeas in each glass
4. Trim stems and remove leaves from Alstroemeria and divide bouquet evenly amongst the three glasses
5. Fill in remaining spaces with either mums or wax flowers
6. Once arranged in the vase, collect the bouquet out of the water and wrap a rubber band around the stems to give them a tighter look.
7. Trim the ends of the bouquet stems to create an even/flat base and re-submerge bouquet back into water.

Favorite Finds

One series I have been particularly fond of since I started blogging is my Kitchen Tools of the Month.  I am definitely a kitchen gadget enthusiast and I have loved sharing my latest and greatest finds with you all over the past year.   That being said, my monthly finds go beyond just kitchen tools and I have been trying to figure out a way to broaden the scope of this post series.  After much consideration I have decided to refocus my monthly kitchen tool post to now include favorite finds that would fall under any of the three categories featured on my blog.  Decor  pieces, kitchen tools, recipes, entertaining must-haves and even travel finds are all some of the areas I intend to highlight in this monthly piece.  I think that this will give me the latitude to share even more with you all and hopefully serve the interests of all of my readers.  

Jumping right in, here is a breakdown of this month's favorite finds:

The Food Lab

For those of you who are looking to bone up on your cooking knowledge/skill set, I highly highly recommend checking out The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.  This book explores the science behind the art of cooking in an effort to uncover the best methods for eliminating the guesswork and achieving consistently delicious food every time you cook.  This book is a modern day scientific Joy of Cooking, that is truly helping to evolve my understanding of food and the art of food preparation. 

Hippie Bowl

For a little over a month now, I have been on a major Sprouted Kitchen recipe kick (see my Instagram account).  I have always loved Sara Forte's delicious recipe creations, but lately I just can't get enough SK (Sprouted Kitchen) in my life! Her Curry Roasted Almonds have made for a fabulous cocktail hour snack and her recipe for Oatmeal Souffle has become a Saturday morning ritual in our house, but the recipe that really takes the cake at the moment would have to be her famous Hippie Bowl from her recent cookbook Bowl + Spoon (which I raved about in this post).  This recipe is chock full of flavor, nutritional value, texture and deliciousness!  I will admit that it does take some time to make (definitely a weekend recipe), but it will yield plenty of leftovers and is totally worth the effort!  As if that weren't enough, you can easily substitute chicken for tofu, which has been great since my husband isn't the biggest tofu fan but loves everything else included in this dish (personally I adore tofu, so I usually make two versions of this recipe in tandem).  

Cire Trudon Matches 

My sister recently introduced me to these most unique gourmet matches.  Cire Trudon is a candle company that has come out with a series of scented matches cased in the most beautifully depicted boxes. After learning about these fabulous matches from my sister, I immediately went online and ordered the Ernesto.  These matches are lightly scented and when the box is left open in either a drawer or a cupboard the matches will lightly perfume the surrounding space!  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that matches could be multipurpose.  Cire Trudon's collection of fragrant matches have been a beautiful addition to my upstairs side table, and something that I would recommend to any of my friends.  Plus, they make for a fabulous hostess gift when paired with a nice candle.  

RH Chicago 

Last week I had traveled to Chicago for a work conference.  It was a very busy trip, but fortunately I found a window of availability the last night of my stay to meet up with a few of my girl friends who lived locally.  One of my girl friends had graciously offered to arrange the evenings activities, which I was extremely appreciative of since I a) wasn't familiar with the fabulous local spots, and b) because of all of the conference activities, I didn't have the time to proactively plan something. 

That evening she made dinner reservations for us at Summer House, a fabulous California-style concept restaurant in Lincoln Park focusing their menu around seasonal ingredients.  However, the highlight of the evening for me was definitely the cocktail hour we enjoyed at Restoration Hardware.  YES, that's right!  We enjoyed delicious cocktails from the bar at the jaw-dropping/oh so stunning 6-story (70,000 square foot)Restoration Hardware Showroom!!

Recently Restoration Hardware purchased and completely overhauled what was formerly the Three Arts Club, located in Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago (see here for the complete story).  This building is nothing short of magnificent!  Greeted with complimentary valet parking, you enter the building where it immediately opens up to a gorgeous courtyard accessorized with an array of sofas, a gorgeous fountain, exquisite chandelier and live trees.  All of this is encased under a glass roof so that guests can enjoy the beautiful night sky while enjoying a selection of delicious cocktails.  I have never experienced anything quite like this before and I have to say that it was probably one of the highlights from my trip to the windy city.  If you are ever in Chicago, visiting Restoration Hardware for cocktails is an absolute MUST.  The entire experience was nothing short of extraordinary.

Create a Beautiful Easter Basket

This weekend my husband and I (plus Dolly of course!) are headed up north to spend Easter with his parents.  In preparation for our visit, I mentioned that I will be baking this cake to serve at Easter brunch and I am also planning on bringing a homemade Easter basket as a hostess gift for my mother-in-law.

Yes, I totally went for it and created a very grand basket and hostess gift.  The reason for this elaborate creation is actually two-fold.  First, I hope you all can take some ideas from the many items/goodies you see here when creating your own Easter baskets. Second, right after my husband and I got engaged we went up to my in-laws for Easter and I will never forget the beautiful basket my mother-in-law had put together for us.  It was filled with beautiful candies, gourmet candles and even a toy for Dolly.  It was absolutely beautiful, very thoughtful and something I have always remembered.  So now I am thrilled to have the opportunity to reciprocate this Easter. 

Before I could start assembling this Easter basket, I needed to make sure that all of my components were prepped and display worthy.  The chocolates that remained in their original packaging were given fresh coordinating bows.  These gourmet chocolate covered almonds from Whole Foods (pictured above) were transferred to a clear treat bag, tied with a bow and then situated in this beautiful bunny candy dish. 

My favorite bit of additional packaging by far, would have to be the green and white Caspari treat box (pictured above).  I had found this box of adorable Easter cookies at Whole Foods, but didn't think that the original packaging would fit the aesthetic of my basket.  When I came across the green and white chevron box I was thrilled!  To keep the cookies looking great, I placed the entire store box inside the decorative box and then lined the edges with tissue paper to keep it from moving during transport.  The cutest part of this box would have to be the removable paper tray included.  It makes for easy removal of the treats from the box without causing damage to the cookies!  So cute and beyond practical. 

To create this ultimate Easter basket, I started by lining the base of the basket with Easter basket grass I found at Target.  I then placed the biggest items in the basket first-  the cookie box, Napa Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Easter bunny candy dish with chocolate jordan almonds.  Placing these items in first helped to balance the basket and begin to set up the parameters.  

I absolutely adore Williams-Sonoma's holiday tea towels.  They are always beautifully designed and add a lovely and festive touch to any kitchen, so including this year's Easter themed tea towels was a must!  To display the set of towels- I placed them in front of the cookie box to provide the towels with additional support since they are similar in shape (*Tip- I inserted 2 bamboo skewers between the towels to keep them standing up straight).  Once I had secured the largest items, I began filling in the rest of the basket with most delicious assortment of Lake Champlain Easter Edition Organic Chocolates (again, all found at my local Whole Foods!).  I used the brightly colored chocolate eggs to flank the Napa Cellars wine and secured the Dark Chocolate Bunny to the handle (because it was simply too pretty and delicate to keep in the basket).  The final touches were the Hammond's Chocolate Egg and Hugo & Debra Naturals Egg Shaped Bath Fizz Set. 

What makes this basket extra fabulous is the fact that with the exception of the packaging and tea towels, all items came from my local Whole Foods grocery store!  This month has been exceptionally busy with work, so not having to go on some crazy extensive hunt to find beautiful items for my Easter basket was so helpful!  I really hope my mother-in-law enjoys this basket as much as I enjoyed the one she gave me years ago.  For those of you celebrating Easter this weekend, I hope this post has provided you with some ideas for creating a beautiful gift basket for your loved ones. 

Happy Easter!

Travel Tips

This month I am traveling quite a bit for work.  I know I have shared some of my best tips and strategies for packing (see this post), so for today's post I wanted to share some of my travel best practices to help you have a comfortable and healthy travel experience.  

When you get to your hotel room...

Bedrooms are very intimate and a place where I think people are the most vulnerable.  There is no way to know the true cleanliness of your hotel room or how many people have recently used that room.  While housekeeping does a great job laundering linens and maintaining an overall clean aesthetic there are still a few things that like to do upon arrival.

• Disinfect the TV Remote, Phones, Door Handles, Light Switches and Toilet.  *I suggest using either Clorox To-Go Wipes or Travel Lysol Spray 
• Take the decorative throw blankets and pillows off of the bed immediately.  Those items tend to be laundered very rarely.
• Use a luggage rack for your suitcase.  Luggage (and handbags) can carry bedbugs and other germs, so its best never to place these items directly on your bed.  
• Pack slippers and shower shoes.  This is optional, but its something that I most definitely do.  Just like decorative bedding, hotel flooring is cleaned less frequently, so I prefer not to expose my bare feet to the hotel flooring. 

Where to find travel size toiletries?

Travel sized toiletries are essential for saving on suitcase space and total luggage weight when traveling.  There are a handful of toiletries that I parse out into travel items, but when it comes to items like toothpaste and hairspray, I spring for the travel size products.  Here are my go to stores for finding all of my travel products:

• Bed Bath and Beyond
• Target
• Amazon
• Local Pharmacies (ex. CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens)

Laundry & Clothing Care

Whether I am traveling for business or pleasure, I always want to look my best/polished, so I make sure to include the following:

• Mini Tide to Go Pen- to treat small stains (usually due to a food or wine spill)
• Travel Sized Downey Wrinkle Releaser- quick way to de-wrinkle cotton clothing that may have been crumpled/creased during travel.
• Single Load Laundry Detergent - for hand-washing gym clothes, treating a stain or in the event I want to repeat an outfit during my trip.   

Silicone Travel Bottles

Silicone travel bottles have quickly become a toiletry essential for me when traveling.  Unlike traditional plastic travel bottles that tend to wear and break over time, silicone travel bottles can be squeezed, smushed, smashed and still retain their integrity.  If that wasn't reason enough, these bottles are wide mouthed for easy transfer of liquids, BPA-free and eco-friendly!  When it comes to packing liquid toiletries (i.e. shampoo, conditioner, body wash) silicone travel bottles are my recommendation. 

Pack a Few Healthy Snacks

Packing a few healthy snacks and breakfast options is an absolute must for me.  It's hard to gage what the food situation is going to be like on the road, so its nice to have a few healthy options tucked away in my suitcase for those moments when I need a little pick me up.  Two favorite travel snacks I would highly recommend:

• KIND Bars
• Nourish Snacks

All About Flowers

So we all know that I have a bit of a flower habit.  Okay, so that is actually the understatement of the year….I have a MAJOR flower habit.  I really just cannot get enough of them!  There is just something about adding flowers to a space in my home that immediately transforms it from a house to a home.  They are just a very lovely and welcoming addition.  So for today's post, I wanted to address a few of my best flower strategies for purchasing, arranging and maintaining fresh blooms.  

The Cost of Flowers

One question/comment I seem to constantly hear from people is: "Flowers are so expensive!  How can you afford to constantly support this habit?"  Well the truth is that flowers can be very affordable if you are strategic about what you buy and where you buy your flowers.  My #1 go-to flower store is Trader Joes.  Without a doubt, I consistently find the best selection of beautiful blooms ranging from a bouquet of roses for $4.99 to 10 Ranunculus Stems for $5.69!  There really isn't another floral retailer in my immediate area that can compete with these prices.  Well, that is with the exception of my second favorite flower retailer…Costco!  A gorgeous bouquet of the most exquisite garden roses can be purchased at Costco for a mere $9.99!  I mean that is practically unheard of when it comes to finding a dozen flawless garden roses.  

If you are in the market for flowers that are inexpensive, low maintenance and will last for weeks, I would suggest any of the following: 

• Alstroemeria ($3.99/bunch at Trader Joe's)
• Carnations (50 cents/stem at Sam's Club)
• Hydrangeas ($5.99/3 stems at Trader Joe's -- See this post for my Hydrangea Tips)
• Sunflowers ($3.99/bunch at Trader Joe's)

Flower Vases

As my love for fresh flowers has continued to grow over the years, I have started to gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of using the right vase for each type of flower.  I tend to favor using whatever flowers are in season at the moment, which means that I am needing to use vases that can accommodate a variety of flowers in order to ensure that the blooms look their best when displayed.  

For instance, when I am arranging ranunculus, I like to use a vase with a smaller opening.  Reason being, ranunculus tend to have heavy heads and weak stems, so the added support of the narrow vase opening provides additional strength needed to help the flower stand straight, which will also aid in prolonging its lifespan.  In addition, when I am arranging flowers with very voluminous blooms (like hydrangeas) or those flowers with the potential to open into larger blooms (like roses), I opt for a vase that has a wider opening to provide the flowers with ample space to accommodate the blooms. Here are a few of my favorite vases at the moment: 

• Tiffany & Co. Weave Vase
• Glass Cylinder Vase
• CB2 Joyce Bud Vase
• Tiffany & Co. Windham Vase
• CB2 3-Piece Hat Trick Vase Set

Arranging Flowers

While I tend to stay monochromatic when it comes to arranging flowers for my home, I know that there are many of you who probably enjoy mixed bouquets.  While there really isn't a whole lot to arranging a monochromatic bouquet, a mixed bouquet can be rather complex. 

This past Christmas, my mother in law gave me the most fabulous book called "The Flower Recipe."  This book really does take the guesswork out of flower arranging by providing you with a breakdown of exactly what you will need to create each of the 100 arrangements featured in this book, as well as step by step tutorial for recreating each piece.  If you are interested in learning about the art of arranging flowers, I highly recommend checking out this book.  

Flowers can most definitely be an affordable decorative addition to any room in your home.     The options available really can fit any budget and using the right type of vase for your floral arrangement can make all the difference.  If you have any questions regarding topics covered in today's post, you are more than welcome to send me an email.  I always love to hear from you all!