Blog
Apr 12
We were absolutely delighted to do flowers for a party at the Space Gallery this week for A Vote & A Vow and Colorado Gay Weddings. CGW had presented a class with renown gay wedding planner Bernadette Coveney-Smith earlier in the day, and evening meant it was time to party! Great food and spirits abounded (both literally and figuratively) and the entertainment was divine! For fabulous pic from the pros, check this out.
Bare Root Flora was honored to have been asked to do flowers for the event. We're firm believers in equal marriage rights and we were thrilled to show our support for a cause we believe in so wholeheartedly! And of course we're suckers for a good gallery party! We get a lot of calls for vintage affairs and we LOVE them, but there's something really fun about a contemporary and sophisticated urban to-do that we just can't get enough of...
Mar 12
These little beauties are popping up all over the place--not just in the ground, but in the design world and the blogosphere too! Hellebores--one of the sweetest spring flowers. They often dip their heads as if they were a bit shy--maybe it's been all the attention they're getting lately...
Mar 12
Happy Spring all! What a joy to see this fleeting season show us her lovely face again!
I was lucky enough to enjoy a taste of springtime in New York last week, where all the crocus, daffodils, hellebores, and branches are exploding back to life! I headed to the Big Apple to represent Bare Root Flora at the Chapel Designers workshop in the heart of the flower district in Chelsea. It was an absolutely fabulous five days of inspiration, education, admiration and validation and I cannot be happier to have been a part of the experience! Without doing a detailed recap (for those see here and here among many others), I'll touch on a few highlights!
New York is such a city of dreams, and it was so great to connect with a few of the giants in our industry who've made their own dreams come true. I was most blown away by how very real Matthew Robbins, Tara Guerard, David Beahm, and Ariella Chezar all were. These people are absolute rock stars in our industry and yet they were incredibly generous with their time, talent, honesty and humor, and it was truly an honor to get to know them all. I walked away with so much inspiration and skyrocketing passion for what it is we do.
The flower markets of Chelsea were a source of both ecstasy and agony for me (surely you know by now I'm a bit of a drama queen, right? In a good way, of course!). The flowers available each and every day at these little bits of heaven on earth (G. Page, Dutch Flower Line, and Harvest Wholesale among others) were like something out of a flower dream. Of course I left the markets each day with a bit of a stomachache knowing that what was 3 blocks around the corner in New York was a world away from our studios at Bare Root Flora! (Not to say we aren't incredibly blessed with our local brokers--we are! But New York and California are simply unreal when it comes to amazing product.)
Being a very longtime fan of all things Martha, our tour of the corporate offices of Martha Stewart Omnimedia was a total dream. What I noticed most is that the offices reflect every ounce of natural beauty and creativity that you see on the pages of all Martha's magazines and books and on her TV shows. The place just radiates. And the prop room where they house all the items for their photo shoots and spreads--to die for. I'm still hoping my dream of one day being an editor at Weddings might come true!
The ultimate highlight for me however was the relationships I made on the trip. So many talented, creative, FUN designers to get to know and learn from. I walked away with some incredible insights, inspirations and friendships, and that is absolutely priceless. I can't wait until next year! Diana and I are both going to go, and it should be another trip of a lifetime! Thanks again to Holly Heider Chapple for organizing such a fabulous experience for us!
Robyn
Mar 12
Spring in Colorado sometimes feels long in coming--we've been craving the longer days and warm, bright sunshine for months now it seems! But it really and truly is coming and it's heralded by some of our favorite blooms at their peak right at this moment, including ranunculus and sweet pea. This lovely piece also featured some gorgeous local dahlia, some unbelievably delicious scented geranium leaves, ornamental kale, and for fun, some apples, a bird's nest, and little pussy willow. A tiny bit of sprouting quince branch finished it off. Sometimes when you feel like you'll just burst if you have to take another day of Winter--something like this comes your way and lets you know that Spring is just around the corner! Even if she won't let you put away your snow boots just yet...
Mar 12
Here's a sneak peek of our photo shoot last Tuesday with these amazing vendors! We are absolutely dying to see more!
Gorgeous concept & styling by A Vintage Affair Rentals
Stunning photography by Lola Elise
Amazing event location in Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield
Luscious Makeup and Hair by Natosha Cooke Makeup Artistry and Hair Design by Brandice
Not to mention our beautiful (and fun!) models Katya Dmitrenco and Leeza Weston!
Top Dress: Diana by Vera Wang from Anna-Be
To die for macarons & pastries by Tea-Cup Fine Goods and Baked Confections
Perfect painted cake by Kelley Kakes
Incredibly artful calligraphy by Pretty Writing
Watercolor work-of-art stationary by Sweet Azalea Boutique
Perfect peach headpiece by Grace Dunbar
Adorable jam favors from Gerson Curse
Yummy letterpress coasters by Full Circle Press
Sweet paper flowers by Ppaperfflower
Always elegant place setting rentals from All Well Rents
Feb 12
I was thrilled beyond belief the other day to walk into the flower house and find a bunch of one of my all-time favorites sitting in a vase on the counter. They absolutely wouldn't let me leave without them! These, friends, are some of the stunners of the flower world--clematis. This delicious vine is gorgeous in every way, from its beautiful, sculptural buds to its lush foliage and finally to its incredibly delicious blooms, which come in shades of white, pale lavender, dark purple, and this unbelievable magenta, among others. They're absolutely to die for in bouquets and centerpieces, and while these beauties cost a pretty penny, they're worth every cent! We're planning to see a lot more of them this summer!