Happy Lunar New Year! It's the year of the rooster.
Each dish represents a well wish. Noodles for a long life. Dumplings for wealth because they look like gold ingots. Steamed fish for abundance because in Chinese, the word "fish" sounds like "abundance".
While it's all just symbolic, I do love each of these dishes in the photo so here's to a year of many more dumplings and noodles!
I attended a fun workshop taught by my talented friend and florist Jenn from Wild North Flowers where we learned about different types of flowers and techniques behind putting together an arrangement. The flowers are sourced locally from Ontario growers so each stem stays fresh longer and the colours are much brighter and more vibrant. I've seen how these flowers still look great after a week or more.
There are a few types of workshops and each will have access to a collection of seasonal flowers and greens. They're great for groups (friends, family, coworkers), events (birthdays, bridal showers, parties) or for personal interest. No experience needed :)
You'll learn the fundamentals, thought process, tools, techniques and tips on how to care for the flowers. At the end, you get to take your creation home or have it delivered the next day at no extra charge (whether it's to your home, office or someone special).
I've never put together flowers that weren't from a grocery store before so I had no idea where to start but Jenn walked the class through the steps and slowly we saw our work come together. There is so much more to it than sticking flowers in a vase. You have to prepare the vase first (who knew?) and consider things like the types of flowers you want to use, the colours, the importance of greens (aka everything that's not a flower), the height of each stem, etc.
One very important tip: Change the water every day!
So check out the upcoming workshops. Winter around here is dreary and drab so flowers really do liven up your place. Now without further adieu, I'd like to present my arrangement:
You'll see that I chose the biggest flowers and some are still blooming. I'll have to show an update in a couple of days to see what it looks like fully grown.
I love working with people who are humble, down to earth and carry a collaborative spirit and Gigi embodies all of that. A few weeks ago, she was in town so I had the opportunity to work with her.
Gigi is a lifestyle blogger of It's a Sparkly Life who shares practical tips on anything from hosting a dinner party, fashion tips, dining to travel. Her bright sense of style and clean, minimal aesthetic naturally works well with mine.
For our shoot, she showed how to pair a warm, chunky knit sweater with a skirt. To see more of her fun style ideas, check out her Instagram.
Adriana of Adventures In Icing makes cute cookies for any occasion. They're delicious and consistent, which is what sets them apart and they make great gifts and party treats.
I got to watch the entire process while taking a few photos along the way. The best part was the smell of freshly baked cookies filling the room :)
The cutest mittens and snowflakes.
Home can be a great option to have your family photos taken because it’s a comfortable and familiar environment.
