While nursery work and office/guest room final touches continue (and I will most likely write a bit about that later this week), I'm actually not writing about either of them today. 

I don't know about where you live, but here in the Northeast, it's been ceaselessly and mercilessly cold these past few months.  Like, Quit Your Job and Hibernate Til Spring cold.  And, at the present moment, all I can think about is jetting off to somewhere tropical and warm.  The lack of money and giant, third trimester belly, however, make that a little less than likely.  Boo.

Instead of pulling the covers over my head and giving Old Man Winter the one finger salute, I decided to bring a little spring and summer reminder into my home with a tropical sunset-inspired arrangement. (I'm a big believer in treating yourself to flowers every now and then, and I haven't done it in a while.)

I bundled up in every layer I have available (when you're already the approximate size and shape of a beach ball, adding a few more coats really doesn't make a difference. You just kind of turn into a Zorb.), and headed to Produce Junction - my new favorite place for finding amazingly priced flowers and plants (I highly recommend doing a little research to find regular farmers markets in your area).

After perusing their pretty posies, I finally decided on 1 dozen snapdragons in fuschia and canary yellow; 1 dozen snapdragons in orchid purple; and 1 dozen roses in a super-saturated coral shade.  I also grabbed some Phoenix Palm ('cause nothing says "beach" quite like a palm) and a bit of tree fern for some fluffy green texture.  All told, I spent $13.  (Whaaaaaat?! That's crazy talk.)



Once home, I set to work snipping the ends on the diagonal, stripping the leaves and pulling off any blooms that would rest below water level.

Leaves and blooms that hit below the water line can cause bacteria build up and kill your pretty arrangement faster!

To make the most of my tall snapdragons and large bloom roses, I selected a wide mouth pedestal vase that would make the most of their size and create a major presence.  For stability and extra color, I mixed several batches of vase gems and sea glass (color just makes me happy!)


I began the actual arrangement using the palms as a border and creating a vertical, one sided shape (which basically just means that this particular piece is being created to be viewed from one angle.  In this case it will be displayed on my buffet).

I then began adding longer sections of snapdragons, creating symmetry with length and color.  By working from the outer edges of the arrangement in, I also begin creating a support structure for the flowers in the center.


Once I had the skeleton in place, I began adding the roses (also known as Face Flowers or Focus Flowers), starting at the front of the vase and low point of the arrangement, and working my way up.


Using additional blooms as well as greenery, I filled in the rest of the spaces, making sure to add a variety of heights and colors.  Once I was pleased with the overall shape and fullness of the arrangement, I moved it to its display spot and made the final adjustments there (trust me, it's so annoying to have it JUST the way you want it and then have it all shift around when you move it!).
Voila!


As I happened to have some flowers left over, I threw together a smaller arrangement in a low square glass vase for the dining room table.  Two coordinating arrangements for $13? I feel warmer already. 


As I said, I'll most likely be posting about one of my other projects in the next couple of days, but this little dose of summer has certainly brightened my week so far!!  Go treat yourself to some gorgeous!


**One quick final note: The reason I decided to use these flowers in particular is because, according to the ASPCA's website, they're all non-toxic to cats.  As I have a little furry ninja who enjoys getting his 5-A-Day through all things off-limits, I try to be careful of what I bring into the house.  While I still do my best to discourage him, I'm not foolish enough to think that when I'm not around he heeds my instructions (he is a cat, after all).  
 If you have pets, I highly recommend looking into non-toxic flowers and plants to be on the safe side.  No pretty decor is worth their health!