Birthday Fun





In the middle of all the floral events this Spring, my son turned two and we had a wonderful Saturday carnival at the house. It was complete with popcorn, a bouncy inflatable house, and the best two things I have ever gotten for a party: a slushy machine and a caricature artist!
The artist's name is Rene Pulido. If you are interested in having this truly amazing and fun person at your events I highly recommend him. http://www.aboutfacesentertainers.com/caricature/artist_pages/pulido_r.htm

The party theme was red and mostly primary kid colors and even though I went a bit overboard, everyone truly had a fun time! Enjoy the pics from the party and my popcorn containers filled with carnations!

Karin

Posted in: on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at at 2:34 PM 0 comments  

Style, Spray, & Shadow


For the opening gala at Bouquets to Arts, my model Sonia found Maria Lee to do our hair and to do Sonia's makeup. Maria did a wonderful job especially on Sonia's eyes. My hair didn't move much all night which is exactly what I requested. Long hair has a tendency to get in the way if you don't fix it just right and Maria was able to reign it in.

I recommend her especially if you love the shading and texture of Sonia's eyes and her spunky hair up-do in the photo.


Posted in: on at at 12:51 PM 0 comments  

Bouquets to Art: The Show


In my latest post I featured the competition portion of the Bouquets to Art evening but the reason for the huge gala itself is truly the work of 150 floral design teams that create one of a kind art pieces from flowers to compliment the art work in the gallery. This montage highlights some of my favorites.

Posted in: on Friday, March 20, 2009 at at 11:52 PM 0 comments  

Bouquets to Art 2009





What a night! The mist fell upon the de young in San Francisco as all of the students nervously prepped their models in the back room. Then we got the signal to enter the main lobby area that had been converted from a spacious museum to an evening of food, wine, art, and flowers! The models all lined up and took to the stairs so they could be seen from below by the crowd (and us nervous students that made their costumes). What fun it was to be a part of the opening night gala for the week long Bouquets to Art 2009. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the fundraiser where big names in the floral community interpret an art piece into a floral arrangement. There were 150 entries this year and the student competition, in my eyes, brought youth and excitement to the night's events. How amazing it felt to walk among all of the elite with our dresses and accessories - being photographed and asked about our work! I loved it. Even though I did not place in the competition I would do it again in a heartbeat. Now I MUST thank Wayne, my mother, Sonia (my tireless, gorgeous, hilarious, fun, creative, upbeat model and friend) and Jenny, my mentor at school. They encouraged me to do this even though it made them all work hard right along with me the entire week. Thank you for letting me create the wacky "Mondrian Parasol" and Sonia thank you for holding it on the stairs (yes, it was a tad heavy) in your Manolo heels! You are a strong woman.


There are so many photos I want to share and I have to give a huge bravo to my fellow competitors who did an outstanding and flawless job of creating some very haute couture out of the most tender and delicate flowers.

The article http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/22/LV6R16HCLI.DTL
This photo from the SF Gate Newspaper really shows how many people were looking up at the models from the stairs. They must have been overwhelmed! I can see myself next to my husband with my hands on my face with nerves. LOL!


-Karin

Posted in: on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at at 11:00 PM 0 comments  

School Project & Bouquet of the Week





This past week during all of the other plans and happenings at Haute Horticulture, I had to take several days to work on my mid term for floral school. This particular project was to come up with a theme and create samples that formed a cohesive "wedding" in a group of 5 people. Victoria, Kim, Monica, Vlada, and I worked on Hollywood Glamour and this is what we came up with. It is more feathers and jewels than I have ever worked with, but I think the finished product attracts a lot of attention. Since I was in charge of the feathered bouquet I will also make this my Bouquet of the Week. I think the ladies and I are all ready for the next challenge!

Also, I must say thank you to Nancy who let us use the studio on a very rainy yet productive evening. She is an avid supporter of floral awareness and education.

Posted in: , , on Friday, March 13, 2009 at at 10:25 PM 0 comments  

Bouquets of the Mad Hatter Tea Party





So if the Mad Hatter Tea Party that I decorated last Sunday was a wedding, I would have enjoyed making the following bouquets for the "wedding party".

What makes me so very happy to use flowers like the ultra seasonal daffodil, tulip, and narcissus, is that I appreciate their short availability and respect them even more! Daffodils also happen to be my very favorite flower.

Posted in: on Thursday, March 12, 2009 at at 11:20 PM 0 comments  

The Las Madres Mad Hatter Tea Party 2009: Part 3


The inside Scoop:


There were some unsung heroes of the event last Sunday and I want to point them out. The volunteers we has from the Key Club Division 34 South were SO helpful and gave their time and endless energy to helping in setup and clean up of this grand affair. These young adults did everything that was asked of them without hesitation or complaint.
There were a few girls who were particularly dear to me and even became my floral designers for some bar arrangements. They also got their hands all stained with dye so we could make the orange and yellow colored water that filled the test tubes on the garden arch and the bowl arrangements on the garden entry tables. I had so much fun working with them and hope to see them again in the future!

Posted in: on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at at 11:39 AM 0 comments  

The Las Madres Mad Hatter Tea Party 2009: Part 2





Here are some more pictures from the party. I am so pleased that I was able to be a part of something so wonderful for other mommies like myself.
(Apparently the day started off with an earthquake at 7:45 am but I had no idea. I'm glad Sean and Wayne kept that from me until after Sunday! )


Posted in: on at at 10:59 AM 0 comments  

The Las Madres Mad Hatter Tea Party 2009


What a busy week it has been! Between mid terms in floral class and the huge luncheon for Las Madres on Sunday I am exhausted, but very happy. I have so many photos to share from the luncheon that I don't know where to start! This may become a three part series...
The colors were vibrant yellows, oranges, and greens. The party was very spring, very citrus, and oh so very fun! I was not only the floral designer but a guest as well. It's so nice to sit and eat after working all morning to set up such a grand affair. Though sitting amongst your own centerpieces can also be cause for panic if you spot something just the slightest bit out of place. It makes me laugh to think of how had to fight the urge to go to another table and primp a flower arrangement that had obviously shifted during transport!

Many thanks are owed for the success of the event as well as the success of my business there.

I must start with my family. Wayne, my mother, and cousin Sean were key in helping me every step of the way (as usual) in a very tightly budgeted non-profit setting. They gave me moral support when I was weary, and Wayne and Sean are getting really good at hanging things (see lanterns). I guess it's an engineer thing! My mother is always a silent partner in the background while taking care of my son and must also especially get credit for all the hard work it is to chase a 2 year old. Also, I must thank Monica for coming to the house and helping me with the centerpieces. There were 34 total and I couldn't have done it without her.
Lastly, Liz Gutherie of San Jose Wedding Consultants did an outstanding job in coordinating such a massive amount of people, keeping them busy with raffles, games, and prizes, and even co-designed the event with such hilarious nuances like life size playing card greeters at the door. I never would have thought of or expected that!
There were also many Las Madres volunteer executive level women who made the event run smoothly. The top three that come to mind are Ingrid, Amber, and Amy. They work well together and with the newbies like me. I enjoyed watching them plan and being a guest in the meetings.

Now onto the event! Enjoy the pictures of a Mad Hatter Tea Party that was over the top with themed decor as well as tea tasting stations by Peet's Coffee and Tea, a "dance pole" by Divalicious Productions, and a raffle prize garden complete with entry gate. I particularly loved the queen who roamed the affair, but didn't scream "off with his head!" I guess it's not pc anymore. LOL!

Thank you to everyone who was involved in my success and stay tuned for part 2 of the Mad Hatter Tea Party (photographs by Sean St.Cin).

-Karin





Posted in: on at at 10:07 AM 0 comments  

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)