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:

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!

Thanksgiving is over and I have finished cleaning up/putting away the last of the decorations and tablescape pieces (whew!). While Christmas preparations are the obvious next step (today is Cyber Monday after all!), we are technically still in the month of November, so I wanted to share some initial holiday decor pieces that have helped to create a festive space without going full blown "Merry Christmas" just yet.

Fur Throw Blanket

I love creating a warm and cozy space during the cold winter months. I have had my eye on these fabulous luxe fur throw blankets from Restoration Hardware for some time now and over the weekend (thanks to Black Friday) finally pulled the trigger and bought one for my living room. OMG so worth it and am kicking myself that I didn't get this furry piece of heaven sooner! This throw blanket comes in an assortment of colors and is the perfect cozy addition to any space during the winter months.

Nest Fragrances Birchwood Pine Candle

Nothing beats the smell of pine at Christmas! Since we aren't getting our tree until next weekend, I am filling my pine void at the moment with this Birchwood Pine candle by Nest Fragrances (*Currently on sale at Bloomingdales today for $30!). This candle is almost a dead ringer for that delicious pine tree smell and definitely the best pine fragrance I have found on the market. A current obsession of mine and a must try for anyone who loves the smell of winter pine.

Poinsettia

Poinsettias are the quintessential holiday plant and a staple decor item in my home every Christmas. I am dreaming of the day when we have an outdoor space and I can flank my front door with giant planters filled with poinsettias, but until that day my window sill will do just fine. I found this poinsettia at Safeway for $3 and outfitted it in my CB2 Bennie Low Vase Planter. Home Depot also has a great selection of Poinsettias for sale and here are a few additional planter options I happen to love (option 1 and option 2). **Tip- if your plant is too small for your planter, you can place aluminum foil in the base of the planter to help your plant fit the space.

Wreaths

There are so many types of pre-made wreaths available right now, making it extremely difficult to pick just one. For a traditional pre-made wreath, I go to Costco. They are large, fresh, fragrant and cost $15.99. If you are in the market for a boxwood wreath, like the one pictured above, Trader Joe's has boxwood wreaths for $9.99. I chose to embellish my boxwood wreath with a few gold berry picks and a homemade red bow. If you haven't tried making your own bows, I strongly encourage you to give it a whirl. They are actually super easy to make and I think they look 10-times better than the store bought equivalents. More to come on holiday bow making in an upcoming post so stay tuned!

In all honesty, we are going to get our tree this coming weekend and I am counting down the minutes. I love the look and smell of a fresh Christmas tree during the holidays and waiting hasn't been easy! While these festive touches have certainly helped to bring that bit of holiday cheer into my home, I am ready to get rolling with some serious holiday decorating!