Fall Fashion Florals

  I was 15 years old when I began my love affair with fashion magazines. 

Since then, I have looked forward to the September issue, stuffed full of beautiful photos,  

especially Vogue (832 pages this year!) and Harper's Bazaar.

One trend that really stood out for spring was florals.

The ones that grab me are the darker, moodier ones. 

Much more sophisticated. 

I've never been attracted to pastel, cutesy florals. 

Floral hair accessories at Rodarte...

Marc Jacob's line of Daisy perfume

Ted Baker's gorgeous floral pump. 

Must. Have. Them.

Lady-like rosy dresses at Dolce and Gabbana...

Laurance Dacade floral shoe.

 So perfect with this season's 70's inspired vibe...

Valentino, Marni, and Fendi all offered a version of floral purses...

Alice & Olivia's fab floral duster coat...

I wish I was tall enough to pull this off!

An out-of-this-world floral skirt at Temperley..

It's not every bride that will want a crop-top wedding dress.
But I do love Mira Zwillinger's embroidered florals.

Bloomers Floral Design

Burlington, North Carolina, USA

910-655-2337

www.BloomersBouquets.com

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com

Beauty Products from Your Garden

Let's face it, (pun intended!): 

cosmetics and skin potions can take a bite out of your budget!

What's a gal to do?

That's easy, head to the garden! 

You probably already have many of the items you need in your pantry.

Others you can find right in your backyard.

One of my favorite scrubs is made with Lemons, Rosemary and Salt. 

Combine 1/2 cup sea salt, 1/8 cup extra light olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary which you've chopped and crushed. 

Rub it on your rough bits, then rinse off. 

Fragrant and refreshing!

Roses are high in Vitamin C, and made a great hydrator and toner.

 Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. 

Remove from heat, and add any type of rose petals you may have. 

Cover the bowl and let steep for 30 minutes. 

When cool, transfer to a spray bottle, and spritz!

Cucumbers are another great skin toner. 

Grate a cucumber over a colander set over a bowl. 

Collect the juice, then add an equal amount of witch hazel. 

Mix well, and splash onto skin or use a cotton ball.

This will keep for 10 days in the fridge. 

I am not a fan of Marigolds as a garden flower, but I appreciate their benefits.

 Rich in Vitamin A, marigolds have a plumping effect on the skin. 

Remove the petals from one flower. Mix with 1 tablespoon whole milk (not fat free) and 

1 tablespoon honey until combined. Use as a mask and leave on for 20 minutes. 

When was the last time you took time out for a bubble bath? 

Grab a handful of Lavender and let steep in boiled water. 

When cool, add 1 1/2 cup baby shampoo. 

Run a bath, relax and enjoy!

Puffy eyes? Dig up a couple of potatoes, grate them finely, then apply as a paste. 

Let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse with cool water. 

What do a bounty of tomatoes and summer-irritated skin have in common? 

Tomatoes are rich in Lycopene, Vitamin A, which is great for reducing inflammation.

 Slice a juicy one, apply to your face, and let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse off. 

While you won't find this in your garden, I've got to include Coconut Oil, 

which is the Wonder Product of all time. 

Use it in place of moisturizer. 

Remove eye makeup with it. 

Mix it with your favorite essential oil and salt for a great scrub. 

The uses are endless!

Debra Graham

Bloomers Floral Design

Burlington, North Carolina

910-655-2337

www.BloomersBouquets.com

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com

Hot Trend: Floral Crowns

Have you noticed it yet?

 

Everyone, and I mean, everyone, is wearing a floral crown!

But wait you say, this ain't 1969 and I'm no hippie!

I get that. 

Sure, the cool people at Coachella are always wearing them...

But look around. 

Gals are wearing them for everyday fun.

Brides are all about the floral crown right now.

Makes sense: the crown is a symbol of love, celebration and fertility!

Oh, hey, isn't that The Duchess of Cambridge wearing one?

Queen Victoria made it work for her before she turned to wearing all-black.

Kiera Knightly, red carpet royalty, makes it work for her.

Supermodel Kate Moss' entire wedding party wore them.

Little girls love nothing better.

Cute cute cute.

Designers send them down fashion runways.

Even the dog gets in on the fun!

 (well, he probably had some help...)

Some are beautifully elaborate.

Some are sweet and simple.

Even Lady Gaga is a fan.

(taking it to the extreme as always)

If you're the crafty type, you can try your hand at making your own.

If not, any good florist would be happy to design one just for you!

Bloomers Floral Design

Burlington, North Carolina

910-655-2337

www.BloomersBouquets.com

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com

Finding your true wedding colors

Right. You've got the ring on your finger, and the wedding planning is underway. 

This is exciting! Selecting the color scheme for your Big Day is a Big Deal...

everything you do will be based around this decision.

No need to panic. If you don't know where to start, go into your closet. 

Yes, your closet! It's filled with the colors you love best, so why not start there?

Are you a Denim-all-the-time kind of gal? 

No need to do without your favorite on your Big Day.

 Just keep it classy, and try incorporating denim in small ways, 

such as a beautiful shoe, or a pretty accent on your dress. 

Closet full of tailored suits in classic colors? 

Try lovely jewel tones of ruby, garnet, sapphire, emerald.

They have a clean, elegant look and pair beautifully with so many other colors-

check out the rainbow of shoes, above!

Don't forget the guys! They can wear the jewels, too.

Seeing lots of pastels?

 Then that's probably what suits you best and where you'll be most comfortable.

Choose soft pink, buff, lavender, and pink in beautifully flowing fabrics.

Take that color theme through to your tables, too, 

with a muted palette and pretty linens. 

Are you an All-Black-And-White gal?

This has been a popular trend in weddings for a few years now, 

and is the height of elegance, with designers going all the way

 and incorporating black right into the dress-how chic!

Bloomers Floral Design

Burlington, North Carolina

910-655-2337

www.BloomersBouquets.com

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com

Formal vs. Casual-Your Thoughts?

Everyone has their own favorite style of gardening. 

Some like everything neat and tidy, 

with rows of flowers marching up and down the landscape like little soldiers.

Others (like me) love the blowsy, anything-goes style 

of the classic English cottage garden.

 If something self-seeds somewhere, well, it was meant to be, wasn't it?

(photo: Google Images) 

On a recent trip to Europe, I was lucky to be able to visit several gardens,

 each as individual as the country it was in.

Take a tour with me!

On the Costa Brava of Spain, 

I visited the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, 

high on a cliff overlooking the Meditteranean ocean. 

Here, a wild combination of succulents and cacti co-existed peacefully 

with long rows of colorful blooms.

At the stunning Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Cap Ferrat, France,

 the themed gardens had me furiously scribbling notes, not wanting to forget anything I saw...

I plan  to copy everything for my own small garden here in North Carolina. 

(Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?)

I luuuurve a walled-in garden-it's contained chaos!

In Monaco, the profusion of blooms at the Princess Grace Rose Garden 

had me sniffing everything in sight. 

While this type of structured garden isn't my favorite, 

there is no denying the appeal of thousands of roses in bloom at the same time.

Croatia is beginning to come out of the fog of war, 

and ornate gardens were not to be found. 

Yet look over a fence or stone wall, and there would inevitably be a small garden,

 messy and mixed with  bits of everyday life...but flowers there were!

Wisteria, lilacs, spray roses, geranium...

Not to mention the sweet scent of  blooming orange and lemon trees!

In the northern Italian town of Tirano, I accidentally came upon the Palazzo Salis, 

built in the 1600's and filled with incredible frescoes. 

I was in love with their lovely walled-in garden. 

The lilacs and roses were in bloom, 

and the bright ochre color of the walls made an 

eye-popping backdrop to the manicured boxwood beds.

Geranium-filled windowboxes accenting ornate antique  ironwork...

what's not to love?

In Nice, France where space is a premium, windowboxes  and pots were the thing.

 Spilling out their contents for all to see, 

they added a wonderful punch of color to every town square. 

So tell me, what is your gardening style?

Bloomers Floral Design

Burlington, North Carolina USA

910-655-2337

www.bloomersbouquets.com

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com

All photos belong to me, Debra Graham, unless credited otherwise.