Elegance

Boss' day arrangement for one "elegant" woman. 

Love love love. . .

A favorite customer of mine ordered the above bouquet for his wife for their wedding anniversary.  His request: 16 red roses for the years they've been married plus one white rose.  Nothing says lovin' like a bouquet of roses!  

Beachy Bride-to-be!

We gave my cousin's bridal shower a nautical theme because she is quite the seashore gal and is getting married in Monmouth Beach in December.  All white and green flowers were used including hydrangea,  roses, and queen ann's lace.  This displayed arrangement was sprinkled with ribbon and toule to add a veil-like effect.  The table centerpieces were arranged in glasses with blue starfish and seahorses and surrounded by seashells and beige fish net.

It was a perfectly beachy day, and we're all looking so forward to her wedding!

Autumn Showers!

A sample from Lauren's bridal shower!

And the 'maids...

Another sample of the flowers for Bria's wedding.  The b'maids' bouquets contained maren dahlias, tulips, and gerber daisies.  I went for a monochromatic using only a few blooms to keep a simpler, more streamlined look for the girls.  The blossoms were wrapped in white and orange gingham ribbon. Lovely!

Getting married in the Autumn

Bria's Bouquet!

Today I had the pleasure of arranging for a pretty and preppy bride-to-be.  Bria wanted popping orange flowers to compliment her ladies' chocolate dresses and her Tiffany "something blue" heels.

Miss Cindy provided all of the fabulous dahlias, and gerbers, tulips, zinnias, hypericum berries, and crocosmia surrounded the beautiful blooms.

Check out my Facebook album to see more photos of the event, including some of the bridemaids' bouquets and a modern twist on the corsage.

Congratulations to Bria and Matt!  And joy and love to you both : )

Hello, Dahlia!

Bria's beautiful wedding is this weekend!  Did a little shopping for the principal bloom today in Sellersville: dahlias!  Cindy and Dana grow some of the most incredible dahlias I've seen, and I was fortunate enough to get a few bunches for my bride.

More photos to come during the arranging process : )

Happy Anniversary!

Flowers have thankfully become a staple for weddings and are similarly popular to celebrate wedding anniversaries. In celebration of September 18, 2009, the blessed union of Rachel and Rich, I wanted to display a few favorite arrangements I created for their wedding.

Happy Anniversary, Loves!!

The roses of Reno

Another fabulous vacation where I was surrounded by spectacular blooms was a venture to Reno, Nevada. My boyfriend's Mom cultivates the most incredible flowers, these are just a few of the variety of roses she raises. They love the Nevada climate, and as you can see, thrive in the warm, typically dry, land. They don't call it the "Great Basin" for nothing!

In the summertime...

Summer is another amazing time for flowers. They are abundant in bright golds, corals, and greens; all of the "warm" colors that are reminders of sunshine and wonderful weather. The blooms tend to be large and bright in their varieties, more so than other times of the year. Shown here was a housewarming arrangement that displayed beautiful in the recipient's country-themed kitchen. The vivid colors of the flowers were further enhanced by the bright, goldenrod ribbon and tempered with the woven, straw container.

Tea party!

When I refer to getting "creative" with containers, there really is no limit to what you can arrange in. An example of that is displayed here. We organize a "tea party" theme for one of my closest friend's bridal shower and tea cup arrangements centered every table. The arrangements contained a variety of pink, white, and green buds, the colors chosen for Kate's wedding, and were placed on lace doilies for an added dimension of girliness and to expand the arrangements a bit. Personalized tea tins were given as favors to all attendees.

The "tea-riffic" bride-to-be had a fabulous time and was thrilled with every detail of her day!

Proud to be an American

What better way to celebrate American independence than with a red, white, and blue floral display?? Though blue flowers are sometimes tough to come by, you can always get creative with a blue vase or ribbon. Putting an American flag in a tall display with white and red is another great way to display your patriotism in your arrangement. I used one of the most loved flowers in its blue variety, hydrangeas, that had a hint of white throughout.

God bless the U.S.A.!

Before and After

One of my favorite flower "gigs" are weddings. I love the whole process, from meeting with bride or couple and understanding their style, ideas, and dream for the big day to every part of creating their vision. Displayed here are a few of the stages of making receptions centerpieces. I'm thrilled that more and more couples are planning their wedding earlier in the spring and later in the fall so that the traditional "Wedding Season" is extended into most of the year.

I have a wedding coming up in September that I'm looking so forward to arranging for! If you are planning a wedding or know someone who is, please feel free to email me. I would be happy to chat with you about ideas or share examples of events I've had the pleasure of designing for.

A big thanks to Kait and Joe (their centerpieces show here) for allowing me to participate in their fabulous, special day!

Going to the Chapel

Congratulations to Suz and her love on tying the knot Saturday afternoon! The bride selected orange and yellow for her colors, and the roses, freesia, ranunculus, and button mums displayed the shades beautifully. I loved having the opportunity to make each bouquet, boutonniere, and corsage especially for the recipient. The bride's bouquet shown here is just one example!

For more photos from the wedding, check out my Facebook page 'Summer Wedding' album. Looking so forward to the weddings I'll be arranging for this fall....! Here's to love!

'Tis the season...

... for baby showers! Some of my closest friends and co-workers are expecting this month. What better way to anticipate and welcome the new bambino/a than with flowers! Shown here are a few arrangements that were displayed at a shower held at work. Nature offers us so many fabulous pink, blue, green, and yellow floral shades to choose from. I decided to include baby's breath in these arrangements for a soft, innocent look (and pun intended : )

Also, flowers delivered to the hospital or home after the baby has arrived are a wonderful way to bring mom some cheer. Her favorite flower can be added into a specially-arranged pink or blue bundle for a little extra personalization and attention. So remember to celebrate all those new mamas with flowers that say 'congratulations!' and 'you rock!'

I've got sunshine and sunflowers

There's nothing like a bouquet of flowers or beautiful arrangement to bring sunshine to a not-so-sunshiney day. This teacup of bright yellow sunflowers, lilies, and roses were requested by a friend for her aunt after she returned home from the hospital. She loved the surprise and the unique floral presentation.

Today's tip: bring flowers to someone who isn't expecting them. They'll be so thrilled to receive them and you'll feel fantastic for having spread such beautiful joy!

Happy Mother's Day!

Our mamas are all wonderfully unique and what better way to tell them how much they mean to us and how grateful we are for them then with a special arrangement designed to match their personalities and preferences. As you can see in the photos above, my customers each provided specific details, colors, and flower requests to make their mom's flowers ideal especially for her! She deserves it !!

It's 5:00 somewhere.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! A great day calls for a great arrangement. For this fiesta, we got creative with container use. Unique displays like this one are great for any party or happy hour.

Margaritaville could use some daisies among all those limes!

The way of the world is meeting people through people

For my social networking readers: if you'd like to take a look at some more of the work I've done, and you're a member of Facebook, log in and search for 'Make You Smile Flowers.' There, I have a number of albums uploaded with pictures by events I've had the pleasure of arranging for. The page will introduce you to some of my friends, family, and favorite arrangements. I upload frequently, so check back often to see my latest work....


Displayed here is one of my closest friends - and most supportive customers! - on her stunning wedding day!

Take time to smell the tulips

I'd like to offer a 'Smile Tip' to my readers... just a little something that has brought me joy that I want to pass on. Today's tip: bringing flowers to your workplace. Whether you work in a cubicle, a classroom, or a clinic, flowers are a guaranteed co-worker pleaser. Who doesn't want to spend their day alongside happy folks? Personally, when I stage my workspace with a fresh arrangement, I find myself taking many more deep breaths throughout the day and staying much more peaceful. I take a moment to appreciate their charm, and the calm and beauty of that moment makes me smile. Flowers keep me present, which is just one of the many reasons I so adore them.

So next time you pick up a bright, seasonal bouquet or get a special floral delivery at home, do yourself a favor and bring it along for your day. You'll get hours of more enjoyment out of them then if you'd left them home, and you will send a swirl of smiles throughout your office!

Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words...

...and flowers, of course.
Out of all the arrangements I create, birthday flowers are some of my favorites to design. I love picking out a specific detail my friend / relative / co-worker / customer fancies and centering a floral creation around it. The detail can be anything from a favourite color or flower to a unique container that reminds me of them. I also adore accessories, particularly ribbons; anything to make the arrangement that much more 'them.' The 26th birthday arrangement displayed here is an array of 26 roses tied with a grosgrain ribbon in my recipient's choice color - navy.

Here's to birthdays and the flowers that arrive with them!
Cheers, friends : )

He is risen!

Fill your Easter baskets with more than just chocolate and painted eggs. Shown here is a basket arranged with white tulips and bright purple irises to be displayed at an Easter Sunday brunch. Tulips are a perfect selection for a Spring arrangement, either alone or with other flowers. Notice the strong, green leaves were left on the tulips to add contrast to the white and purple. What better way to rejoice in our Lord's life and resurrection!

And Springtime is one of the best times of year for flowers! A wide variety of flowers are available in a fabulous assortment of colors that cannot be easily obtained other times during the year. Make sure you get your tulip and daffodil fix while you can!

Pretty in pink

These flowers were crafted for the 1st birthday party of Miss Madilyn Clare, proving flowers are the most appropriate gift for a lady of any age! Madilyn's mommy, and one of my dearest of friends, has done an exceptional job of dressing her in the pinkest of wardrobes. So why shouldn't her flowers reflect the same girly persona? The "baby" arrangements were placed around the house so guests were surrounded by dollops of green and pink wherever they were.

A very happy birthday to Madilyn! And best wishes for a pink year!

Mira a las rosas!

My love for flowers is not contained to the spectrum of arranging. Anytime I'm in the presence of beautiful flowers, particularly roses which are my favorite, I have to stop and take in their beauty, scent, and typically, a few photos of them. These roses were given to us at our hotel in Mexico, and Mom and I put together this simple, elegant display and commenced a mini-photo shoot on the balcony of our room.

Piacere! Pleased to meet you...

Hello! My name is Jessica, and I am a budding flower arranger in suburban Philadelphia! I began designing arrangements in a college course, and my passion for the art has continued on. I love creating arrangements specifically intended for an individual or an event and strive to consistently deliver personalized work. When I'm crafting an arrangement, my inspiration is the thought of the look on the person's face when they receive the flowers or see them for the first time. My customer's happiness is my end goal. And their smiles keep me on my toes, experimenting with new flower combinations, container uses, and sources of influence. I've done a few weddings, bridal showers, and parties and numerous hand-tied bouquets and classic vase arrangements. I look forward to sharing my work with you, and would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! Of course, please visit any time, and I'll do my best to share posts and flowers that will make you smile!