the hubs and i found the most charming little home in sonoma and i'm so excited to announce that we're moving (again) december 1st! the house has a large backyard with planter beds and plenty of space for gardening so i've been looking for inspiration. i'm currently loving all aspects of gardenista - an offshoot of remodelista - from what to plant/when to identifying gorgeous floral arrangements, this is a great guide for tips on honing your little green thumb.



image via: gardenista

you guys...the DAHLIAS right now...   **swoon**

gardenias

during a grocery run at our neighborhood safeway i was (beyond) pleasantly surprised when i found a bucket of gardenias - five gardenia stems for $7. siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. i snapped them right up and this weekend i've been happily enjoying their delicious fragrance throughout our living room. hope you're having a wonderful weekend! xo

dress up your orchid

have you ever purchased a beautiful orchid to give as a gift (or to keep and admire yourself)? you know those ugly little hair clips or green twist ties that come attached to that fabulous orchid? yeah...change those out. just use a piece of raffia, twine or string (i like to use bakers twine) and tie a nice tight bow holding the orchid to the stake in place of the clips/ties. you can even use a little moss to bump up the chic factor by tucking a bit under your bow before you pull it taut - bingo - a well dressed orchid.

flora grubb

loving these miniature aeriums from flora grubb gardens in san francisco. air plants seriously last a lifetime, but just when you feel like yours might be on their last leg, a replenishment kit is available to refresh your little gem of an indoor garden.

scenes from sunday

a rainy sunday calls for: sleeping in, eating a late brunch, candle light, puppy snuggles, a bit of cleaning and fresh flowers of course. here are two arrangements i whipped up yesterday afternoon :)

*yes there is a remote control car in the background. it's jason's :)

**floral styling by yours truly**

dear spring, where are you?

boy is the weather dreary around here these days. with heavy rain and temperatures below freezing during the night, snow is predicted here in northern california *excited grin*. i've even heard that there's a possibility of an inch or more to fall in san francisco on saturday! ummm...seriously...unheard of. today i prepared myself by going out to purchase a warmer scarf and beanie (which to my delight were on an extreme sale) but i'm longing for warm weather, open windows and barbecues. spring is riiiiight around the corner - here's a bit of color inspiration to get you out of this wintery-greyness. xo

*flowers arranged by yours truly*

peach roses, yellow parrot tulips, peach hypericum berries, white hydrangea and white anemone.

happy hump day

a little spring color to get you through the day! if only you could smeeeell it!! oh, paperwhites....sigh.

polo roses, hyacinth, stock, ranunculus, paperwhites, camellia leaves.

- floral styling by yours truly -

flowering quince

these flowering quince branches (that jason clipped fresh from our yard!) have got me longing for spring. this image also has me thinking it might be time to put down the iphone and get a better camera...

sunday morning

this morning i'm enjoying camellias from the yard and a fragrant bunch of kumquats, both displayed on the coffee table. and yes, that's a patron bottle...doesn't it make a fun vase? happy sunday!

friday flowers | harvest

hosting a harvest party? looking for a thanksgiving centerpiece? maybe you just want a beautiful fall inspired arrangement to enjoy for yourself. this hearty design would be perfect for any of the above occasions.

happy friday! xo

image: country living