Our Best Posts of 2018
After nine years of writing this little blog of ours, we’re sad to say that we’re closing The Buzz down so that we can focus our attention on our growing Instagram following. We’ve seen amazing growth and are excited to add more beauty and content there. If you’re not following us already, please click this link. From our family to yours, have a Happy 2019!
Preen Spring 2017
Spring is mere weeks away and we’re looking forward to shedding our winter clothes and our winter skin! It’s no secret that blooms are good for your mood, but they’re also good for your face and while we won’t go as far as sticking flowers to our forehead, we will shake up our beauty routine with these botanically based potions.
Herbivore Face Mist
Hibiscus flowers contain alpha hydroxy acids that gently exfoliate and give the skin a youthful glow so use this hydrating face mist after you cleanse and before you moisturize.
Clarins Day Cream
For those of you of a certain age who need a little plumping and firming, why not turn to the flower power of kangaroo paw in this day cream that has the added benefit of smoothing out fine lines.
Dior Cleanser
We knew that echinacea flowers help cure colds but didn’t realize that they also contain anti-oxidants that protect the skin from inflammation. Dior’s micellar water removes makeup with one swipe while delivering the soothing benefits of this versatile bloom.
Kiehl’s Gel Masque
Known for its ability to protect even the most sensitive skin from dryness, calendula is mixed with aloe vera in this gel masque which will instantly refresh winter-stressed skin and give your complexion that fresh spring glow.
Aesop Body Scrub
And finally, what better way to scrub away the winter than with a body scrub with the invigorating power of geranium leaves – this botanical beauty not only helps purify and calm the skin, its scent may just cure the winter blues. What’s your spring beauty routine? We’d love to hear!
Home Sweet Home
On a windy, gray day last fall, we headed to a gorgeous waterfront home in Rowayton to shoot lifestyle images of our new Spring 2018 collections. Needless to say, the home was fabulous, not to mention the views… and absolutely perfect to showcase our Urban Oasis designs.
A Star Is Born
Our friend and super talented photographer, Jane Beiles, showed up camera in hand and we spent the next four hours shooting away. Many hands made light work and with the help of another friend, we were able to fluff and photograph over 20 different designs in different rooms of the house.
BLOOMS Breath of Spring
We’ve just added the Urban Oasis collection to our website and it’s already proven to be a best seller! Inspired by all the greenery we’re seeing in floral design, this collection is as fresh as it is unexpected. We’ve paired anthurium leaves with vintage bottles, succulents with white clay bowls and boxwood topiaries with hand-thrown terra cotta pots.
Fresh Start
And since we always want a realistic touch, we’ve even added some bugs to our gift selection! These are made by a Charleston designer and are far from icky.
Goldbug Stayin’ Alive Pendant Necklace
Best of all, we captured all the fun we had in a video so you, too, can see what went into the shoot… Click here to see our “Behind The Scenes” video and here to shop the new collection!
Nature’s Twins
Have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.
Le Kiosque
A stop at Ponce City Market has become a must for us when we’re in Atlanta and this time we ventured beyond the food hall to discover Le Jardin Francais, a grab-and-go kiosque featuring beautiful blooms and terrific textures. Marie-Laure, founder and owner of Le Jardin Francais, combines the classic French style that her shop on Howell Mill Road is known for with the rustic industrial style of the market to create a space that is both enchanting and functional.
Hellebores and Tulips
Orchids, Roses and Hydrangeas
As full-fledged flower lovers, we couldn’t resist buying a little posy to keep us company while in Atlanta, though choosing one over another was difficult. Seasonal anemones, tulips, hyacinths and hellebores spilled out of interesting metal and glass vases as if they had been hand picked in the garden that very morning (which was unlikely given that it was 34 degrees that day!)
Tulips and Calla Lilies
Peonies, Roses and Berries
The company’s philosophy is to respect the cycles of nature and be inspired by the rhythms of the seasons. And according to Marie-Laure, “The objective is not to take the most perfect flower grown in the green house and arrange it with another perfect flower or foliage, but to recognize the most beautiful specimens of what is provided naturally, and to create something beautiful.”
Roses, Orchids and Viburnum
We completely agree, even if we do work with faux fleurs.
Be So Brave Bouquet
People say pictures are worth a thousand words so we finally decided to book our favorite photographer, Jane Beiles, to shoot lifestyle images of our Fall 2017 collection. The house we scouted belongs to the wonderful artist and founder of Jack and Lulu, Julie Bowers Murphy, who was kind enough to let us take it over for a day.
The Highlands Bouquet
Before the shoot we had spent some time in the house deciding which spaces would work for our new designs. Since the collection was called Alpine Attitude (where rustic earthy elements mix with modern flair) we wanted to incorporate Julie’s whimsical, yet contemporary, taste as much as possible. Thank goodness she had so many decorative items to play with and her paintings made a wonderful backdrop!
In Full Bloom Bouquet
Miramonti Bouquet
Needless to say, Jane is a total pro and knew exactly how to make our flowers come alive. Not to mention Pretzel, Julie’s adorable pup, who decided he wanted to be part of the action.
Little Nell Bouquet
Chalet Chic Bouquet
We love how the pictures turned out and we hope you do, too… Here’s to a happy fall season full of beauty and of course, flowers!
@floretflower
And thus the soul – if fortune cast
Its love to live in scenes less bright, –
Should bloom amidst the adverse blast: –
Nor suffer sorrow’s clouds to blight
Its outward beauty – inward light.
@santacruzdahlias
@junesblooms
@teensaflowers
Thus should she live and flourish still,
Though misery’s frost might strive to kill
The germ of hope within her quite: –
Thus should she hold each beauty fast,
And bud and blossom to the last.
@francespalmer
We’re delighting in dahlias and are reminded of this Victorian poem praising this bloom’s ability to withstand all kinds of weather.
@mccormickcharlie
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by the recent hurricanes… Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
click on photos for source
The Flower Bandit
Fabulous floral designer Lewis Miller (a.k.a.the flower bandit) strikes when you least expect it and in the most unusual places… Washington Square, the East Village, and Central Park have all been recipients of Miller’s flower bombs. And most recently, he and his merry band of florists added a bright purple Mohawk to Botero’s famous cat sculpture outside the Crosby Street Hotel in honor of the Met Ball.
Crosby Street Hotel
Washington Square
Alice in Wonderland in Central Park
Whether in the shape of a gorgeous garland draped over a statue, a floral explosion coming out of a trash can or even a Thanksgiving cornucopia nestled between the Whitney and the Highline, Miller’s random acts of botanical beauty are bringing joy to New Yorkers and tourists alike. And who doesn’t love flowers by the dozens?!
Village East Cinema
Bowery and East Houston
We’ll be spending some time in the city next week and we’ll be sure to be on the lookout for one of LMD’s Flower Flashes. Stay tuned…
Small Green Leaf Urn with Leucadendron
When it comes to fresh flowers, Emily Thompson is one of our favorite designers. Her use of unconventional materials like real butterflies, wild smilax, fruits and berries, make her classical arrangements more organic in style. Each of her designs is like a work of art so it’s no surprise she often collaborates with sculptor and painter Mark Gagnon.
Geometric Vase with Datura and Greenbriar
Thorn Vase with Okra and Chestnuts
If you visited the 7th floor at Bergdorf Goodman this fall, perhaps you came upon a new collection which looked more like something from Alice in Wonderland than The Secret Garden. Among the crystal and and china were bouquets of dried flowers and plants painted vibrant shades of purple, yellow, orange and green spilling out of paper mache vases and urns.
Blue Small Vase with Chestnuts
Palm Urn with Chestnuts and Greenbriar
This collection, as Emily writes in her “journal”, play[ed] the line of naturalism and artifice for greatest effect, to draw the eye to the wonders of the natural world, and to do it with great material integrity and panache.”
Burst Vase with Thistle
We love how these artists mixed materials to fool the eye and created designs that are both artificial and natural at the same time.
Pretty Petals
During our recent trip out to San Diego we couldn’t help but fall in love with the bougainvillea which lined the streets and spilled over walls. This ornamental flower native of South America grows absolutely everywhere and there are even cultivars called San Diego Red (with deep red blooms set against dark green foliage) and La Jolla (a shrub-like plant with pinkish red blossoms.)
Bougainvillea Art Print
Bougainvillea are drought resistant which is a good thing since it doesn’t rain much in Southern California and they bloom almost all year long if grown in full sun. That’s why they’re so often used to bring a pop of festive color to landscapes and container gardens.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Leo Carrillo Ranch
Sadly, bougainvillea doesn’t grow well in our neck of the woods so we’ll just have to visit one of our boys in college to get our fill (much to his displeasure!)
Bougainvillea Bouquet
Bougainvillea Wedding Cake
Tell us… Do you find bougainvillea beautiful?
petals / print / mission / ranch / bouquet / cake
Pantone Colors of the Year
As we head into a season of celebrations (birthdays! graduations! weddings!), we thought you might like to meet Emily Pinon, founder and CEO of Bastille flowers & events, and perhaps be inspired by her bespoke, one-of-a-kind floral creations. We came across Emily’s Instagram page and of course, spent the next several hours minutes admiring her work. Whether it’s a corporate event where she hung hundreds of white calla lilies from the ceiling or a more intimate affair celebrating Pantone’s colors of the year (Rose Quartz and Serenity if you haven’t heard), Emily translates her clients desires into memories that last a lifetime.
Spring Wedding
Bridal Bouquet
DIFFA Table
Purple Bridal Bouquet
Wedding Table
Speaking of memories that last a lifetime, we’re taking a little break from blogging so that we can attend some races (both on the water and at the track), plan some spring sports banquets and graduation parties and focus on our high school seniors who will, all too soon, be off to college… See you soon!