Bright on Black

I am so excited to be doing not one or two, but three weddings in 2015. The newest one I've booked is a late summer affair for a young couple who are using an elegant red, white and black color scheme. For an evening affair, red roses are stunning and come in several varied shades from classic fire engine red to deep marsala wine (Pantone's Color of the Year 2015). I love the way a bright color pops on a black bridesmaid dress, and the nice thing with black maids dresses is that they can each choose what they like, it's less expensive, can be worn over and over again, and it will look great in pictures. Check out this picture from an event I did in 2010 at the Grant-Humphreys Mansion in Denver (Sarah and Scott). These flame calla lilies were simple and elegant, in line with the fall colors used throughout the wedding.

 

The Language of Flowers

Just had to share this amazing book. It was recommended to me by my bestie Eliza and it is as she said, practically written for me. Flowers, San Francisco, a novel...well that's enough anyway and it is so addictively fast and fun to read. Five stars!!

The Lafayette Life

I thought I should post an update after my last post (though no one reads my blog anyway!). I am not going to try and start a floral shop this year. I have a lot on my plate with my day job, which is going well, and I am also hoping to have a 2nd baby sometime soon. So I need to keep my benefits and security for a while. That being said! I do have 2 weddings on my plate for 2015, joyous, lovely brides both, one in May and one in October. I am looking forward to starting slow by putting all my floral love and energy into these for now and we will see what happens later. Until then, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Enjoy the fruits of your labor, be grateful and I hope you blossom!

Here comes 2015 - Is this my year?

I'm up very late, can't sleep because I've been thinking about whether I may return to the floral business more full time in the near future...I have had so much creative inspiration lately but with a full time job and child it has been hard to nurture my passion. I am so in love with my hometown of Lafayette, CO and had a great experience today helping my husband sell his glass art at a local craft show. It makes me want to open a shop in Old Town and run head on into what I love to do. The only problem is, there is a large local florist here with a long history right on "Main Street" (Public Road) and I don't want to compete or bother them, however I have a very different aesthetic and business model (they sell gifts and plants as well, do mainly FTD type arrangements from what I can tell). If anyone has comments or thoughts on this I would love to hear! Thank you.

Flower Moment

I love taking a lunch break and making myself a little desk arrangement from leftover flowers. Its important to sneak moments of fun and joy into your day, every day!

BEEHIVE Boulder Opens Tonight!

I just got back from freshening up the Beehive, our newest Boulder restaurant, with some mint on the table bud vases and scabiosa (pictured) and mint jars for the bar. What a fabulous new place to savor small plates and wine for happy hour (starts at 3pm) or a farm-fresh delicious dinner. Say hi to the GM Shannon if you stop by too!

BEEHIVE
on 10th off of Pearl Street in Boulder (next to Sushi Tora)
http://www.beehivegoodness.com/

Denver Botanic Gardens

I have no idea why it took me so long to get myself down to the Denver Botanic Gardens. I've only driven by it a zillion times, and it's always something I like to do when traveling. But somehow, it slipped my mind. Well, that era is over! I am getting a membership for my family because it is literally a vast haven where I can go and know that my soul will be soothed, even with cranky toddler and grumpy husband in tow (by the end, they were soothed too). It was particularly beautiful on the misty, cool morning we had yesterday, walking and looking, talking and being silent, noticing, wondering, smelling, marvelling, exploring, running, sitting, snacking, listening and relaxing. Did I mention the children's garden with the rickety bridge that my son ran over giggling with glee about 54 times?

From this adventure I wanted to point out a particularly fun new find for the garden; a sedum-like plant (hardy for Colorado) with the best name I've ever come across...the Moon Carrot (pictured). Also of note were the amazing bamboo sculptures and misty lily pond. Have a visit soon, you will not be dissapointed!

The Spiritual Post

I like to practice gratefulness, and some of the things that make me feel in the moment and so thankful for life in it's simple wonder, are flowers! Just a few of my favorite anemones on the bathroom counter start my day with a smile. 

When I started my journey as a floral designer, I read the intro to Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth, where he wrote about monks silently contemplating a flower and that being the meaning of life. This is partly where I got the title "life is beauty-full" and it informed my delight that working with creation's most beautiful objects is a privilege beyond words. What are some of the things that bring you moments of joy in your daily life? If you are seeking pleasure and mindfulness, consider buying yourself a bunch of your favorite blooms today. Be well and peaceful. Thank you for reading my blog!

BEEHIVE: New Boulder Restaurant

On behalf of a good friend I wanted to get the word out about a new and wonderful restaurant opening on Pearl Street (and 10th, next to Sushi Tora), called BEEHIVE. It is a farm/local/fresh concept by the same chef owners as the old Beehive in Denver from years past. My good girlfriend Shannon is the General Manager and will be happy to make you feel at home there. They are set to open next week July 3rd for dinner only but I will send more info as it comes. I am hoping to do their flowers now or ongoing! I will post pictures if and when that happens....


www.beehivegoodness.com

 Enjoy!

Here comes the sun....

It's almost officially summer here in Colorado but if you live here, you know it feels like it's already been around a couple of months. I have enjoyed June so much due to the abundance of PEONIES and lush green that is quickly starting to fade due to recent high temps, winds and dry weather. This year is the first year my own flower garden has started to take off and though I don't do much cutting, I love sitting on my back porch and seeing the multicolored beauty of nature, born of the efforts of creation and my own two hands. I love the feeling of my dirty hands and sweaty brow...washing away in a soapy shower and then looking at what I have done! I am as much in love with garden flowers as I am with cut floral design and perhaps I can mix the two someday. For now I am feeling energetic and optimistic about the coming months of sunshine, and hoping to get my business back on the radar a little bit. I took last year off since I had a new baby but things are starting to get normalish again and I'd love to do a wedding or two come fall. More posts to come. Until then, enjoy the outdoor scenery!

FALL in love

Autumn is my favorite season and so rich with natural beauty. In our state, it is a great time to get married due to the dramatic green to golden aspens and crisp, sunny weather, perfect for the outdoor ceremony and "Colorado" look. Accordingly, many brides choose to use the deep fall colors and rustic botanicals in their wedding decor. I am a big fan of this choice because there is so much to choose from - bright yellow or chocolate sunflowers, shades of orange, twigs and branches, gourds and gold, aspen leaves, bark, or the luxury of aubergine and burgundy hues.
One of the best fall florals is the flame calla lily (pictured) - simple, clean, modern, and multi-tonal, it can be mixed in with other flowers or used alone for an elegant statement.

Now is the time to book fall wedding vendors if you haven't already. Call junebug at 720.352.9459 anytime for a free floral consultation so we can get your date on the books and plan the perfect fall affair for your special day!

The June Rose

'Tis June, the month of my birthday, summer's start, and bridal bliss (and an inspiration for my business name!). It is the most popular month in America for a wedding, and rightly so. The natural world here is in full bloom and love is in the air...
A rose is June's flower and one of my favorites for weddings and otherwise. Roses come in many beautiful colors and varieties, and many of them have a wonderful feminine scent. As a florist one of the best things about roses is that they are reliable. Grown in mass quantity and always available as they are grown 'round the world, you can use them in many ways and in many multiples, without worry about finding the color you want or having them in season. They also last a good several days and open as they go. They create a lovely base, accent or background as well as a stunning central focus. They are a classic.
I, in fact, used roses at my own wedding, before I was in the floral business. I had a small, simple wedding and, strangely enough, did not want flowers to be the star of the show. I started with a detailed dress that needed neutral colors and simple florals...so I chose the rose. I used Vendela, a rich cream color with a touch of pink hue, that opens big and luscious, for my own bouquet and hair (though roses actually aren't the best for hair as they wilt out of water quite fast). For my maids we had Peekaboo, a warm medium pink rose. Thinking back, it's hilarious that as a wedding florist I used what is probably the most common wedding floral theme - pink and white roses. But I am a believer that what is popular is not necessarily bad. Where would we all be without some of the most popular music or movies, that are indeed classics! Some of my best work has been in roses. And the Vendela rose is still and always a breathtaking choice for brides- June or not.

Go Green

One of my favorite looks for spring is green on green. You can add a variety of flowers together for a beautiful, modern and fresh look that can go with many themes from low key and natural to high end glamour. Pictured here is a rustic container full of parrot tulips, hydrangea, ranunculus, and bells of ireland. Other great greens are jade roses, vibernum, hypericum berry, orchids and various leaves.

Wedding Season Flew By!

Yesterday was my last wedding of the season, a beautiful chic affair at the Grant-Humphreys Mansion in Denver. Congratulations to Sarah and Scott!
We did very dramatic centerpieces - a round, lush arrangement of white hydrangea and bright fall colored lilies, roses, orchids and callas with greenery, and trailing white orchids, atop a tall glass cylinder with submerged curly willow and a base of 5 white candles in cylinders of different heights. It turned out quite well. The maids held a simple clutch of 3 flame callas which popped on their black dresses and the gorgeous bride held a round nosegay of black magic roses and a few burgundy callas with accents of bluplurum and black scabiosa. The men wore simple orange or white orchid boutonnieres.
I look forward to doing more floral events next year after the arrival of my son (due 12/29/10). For now my focus shifts to that big event!
Thank you to everyone who helped me and supported my first year in business, including all my brides and clients (I will write more on the other weddings in upcoming posts), my helpful husband, my floral fairies Emily and Shanti, my friend Veronica who got the word out, my dear Darcy who assisted on the first wedding this year, and all my friends and family who cheered me on.

Stella and Dot Bridal Boutique

One of our favorite jewelry companies, Stella and Dot, is launching a collection of Bridal pieces! Founder and CEO of Stella and Dot Jessica Herrin has a background in the wedding industry as the co-founder of the Wedding Channel, a leading wedding website. The bridal pieces are not only beautiful, but affordable as well! Here are some of our favorite pieces from the new Bridal Boutique:

The Heirloom Deco Bracelet looks like a a piece you could have picked up at a vintage jewelry store. The unique design is perfect for any bride!


Are you a Pearl kind of girl? The Sophia Pearl Bib Necklace is a statement piece that is effortlessly chic.


Weddings are all about expressing your personal style. With lariat necklaces you can do just that! The Josephine Pearl Lariat necklace can be worn any number of ways and would look great with a wedding gown or white tee.

If love these pieces and would like to place an order or if you're interested in hosting a trunk show for free jewelry please contact stylist Veronica Lasater.
303.253.2246

Mention Junebug Floral for $10 off ANY order!

Free Bridal Show, Sun. March 28

FYI to local brides:

Please join us for a Free Bridal Show
Lionsgate Event Center
Sunday, March 28th
11-2 pm
Dove House & Gatehouse
1055 South 112th Street (Hwy 287), Lafayette
303-665-6525
Visit our website at www.lionsgatecenter.com for a list of participating vendors and directions to our facilities.

Bienvenidos a Miami

Mike and I had a wonderful time in South Beach. The weather was a bit chilly for them but still glorious to us Coloradoans. Sunny and a bit breezy with plenty of people-watching, beach, patio chill time. Our only site seeing trip was the Botanical Gardens of course and we saw some incredible tropical beauty. Why, oh why, do I live in a high arid state again? It is lovely but come on, these trips are killing me, seeing all the things everyone else can grow- without effort! Miami was full of succulents, hibiscus (a favorite), bouganvillea, ti leaves, begonias, baobab trees, palm trees...
And we are both huge fans of wearing light clothing and living in flip flops, taking siestas, and excellent coffee, so needless to say Miami was a hit. Hope we can go back. The demographic diversity alone was enough to shock a Boulderite's system into reality for a while, in a good way.
The picture is a plant wall on the little stage at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, great idea for backyard or wedding setting!

Seattle Beauty

I was in Seattle last week and it was spring there! Funny how so many things we buy at the flower market are growing freely all over the place, like my favorite Hellebore flowers, camellias of all colors, forsythia, quince, cherry blossom, euphorbia....amazing! Off to Miami for more inspiration and relaxation tonight.

introducing...

please welcome to the world of weddings, events, and floral design:
junebug florals for festivities 720.352.9459 junebugfloral@gmail.com

I am so excited to unveil my new business. I have been inspired through my work in the floral design universe that weddings are not only some of the most beauty-full moments for all involved, but offer a lot of creative fun and exploration as a floral artist. therefore, as I plant myself back into a day job as an employee benefits broker, I want to keep my creative juices flowing by providing floral services for weddings and events in the denver/boulder area. I feel that my designs are beautifully vibrant, full of happy energy, care and meaning, and for a budget-friendly pricetag will add color, gorgeousness and joy to your wedding or event! I will use this blog to post as much as I can about my inspiration, pictures, ideas and information relevant to those interested in my work.

flowers explain the meaning of life; life is beauty-full.