2016 Holiday Floral Design Workshops with René van Rems

Califlora 2016 featuring Hitomi Gilliam AIFD

SW AIFD Hands-on Wedding Workshop

Florabundance Inspirational Design Days 2017

  We are excited to announce that the FIFTH ANNUAL Florabundance Inspirational Design Days is now open for registration!
The event will take place in Santa Barbara, California on January 9, 10, & 11, 2017. And, we are absolutely thrilled to be returning to the magical Lotusland Gardens!!
This conference will provide workshops focusing on inspirational designing, the industry’s latest trends, social media expertise, the business end of floral, and more. Plus, an incredible bounty of exquisite flowers to design with at your fingertips!
The three day event will feature the following Designers and Presenters: Ariella Chezar, Hitomi Gilliam AIFD PFCI, Amy Osaba, Francoise Weeks, Holly Chapple, Alicia Schwede, David & Leanne Kesler AIFD PFCI, and Emily Carter.
Come let the beauty of the American Riviera inspire your work to reach new heights!
Included:
– Lotusland Tour and 3-Day Access to the property
– All cut flowers used during the event and design sessions
– 4 Unique Design Sessions (including all necessary materials)
– Professional photos of your curated designs
– Daily lunch and a wonderful closing dinner
Registration is now open for 2017!
Register for Design Days 2017 in our online store by clicking here.
If you need further information or have any questions please contact your floral consultant.
Hotel Reservations:
A block of rooms will be reserved for the event from January 9th through the 11th at Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort in Santa Barbara. The special room rate will be available October or until the group block is sold-out, whichever comes first.
You can now book your hotel room and receive our group rate. Just click here and you will be taken to the resort’s reservation page. If you have any specific Reservation requests or challenges please contact Ruthie Swanson who is Fess Parker’s on-site Reservations Group Coordinator. Her e-mail address is Ruthie.Swanson@hilton.com and her direct line is 805-884-8587.

2016 AIFD National Symposium in Anaheim, CA

These are a few of the amazing designs seen in and around the Anaheim Marriott Hotel where the annual AIFD Symposium was held this year.  I was not able to attend the design shows because I was "in hiding" for a day and a half as a surprise guest for René van Rems who received the Award of Design Influence.  Some of the finished designs that I did get to see were in a separate room but not labeled so I don't know what program they were from and who the designers were.

Lobby designs

Orchid plants were plentiful all around the hotel.

A skirt made of fasciated branches and hanging amaranthus.

Bustier made of carnation petals.

Hundreds of tiny safety pins made up this intriguing necklace.

Colorful, fun bouquet.

One of the centerpieces by Micheal Quesada AIFD incorporating tropicals from Green Point Nursery.

The reason I attended the Awards Dinner!  René van Rems was awarded the 2016 Award of Design Influence.

Closeup of the award.

 

 

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS René!  You are most deserving of this award and have been an inspiration to me and so many others.

René van Rems' Retail Floristry Makeover in Vegas

AIFD contest

Are you going to the AIFD Symposium this year?  Here is a chance to win registration for 2017!

King Kamehameha Day Lei Draping Ceremony

Today starts the festivities for the 100th celebration of King Kamehameha Day in Hawaii.  It begins with draping of lei over the arms of the King Kamehameha statue in Honolulu, HI.  I jumped off the bus and took these photos.

The long arm of the fire truck is used to place the lei over the statue's arms.

The yellow lei is plumeria.

The guys on the bottom collect the lei from the various organizations who are donating and hand it over to the firemen who place the lei over the statue's arms.

Various halau line up to donate lei or other floral gifts.

This halau is carrying their lei to drape.

This group is carrying floral gifts to place at the foot of the statue.

Floral Design Elements: Flower Crowns with Jerome Raska

Lights!

Great lighting ideas seen during my travels.

Hotel ceiling has fringe.

Birch, burlap and crystals.

Wholesale house.

LAX terminal bar.

A "fun" chandelier hangs over the sweetheart table.

Ariella Chezar Workshop on Maui Feb. 23 - 25, 2016

I have been a fan of Ariella Chezar's work for quite sometime.  I think she was living in California at the time that I "discovered" her beautiful creations and attending one of her workshops has been on my bucket list for some time.  So I am very pleased to share photos of my recent experience on Maui.

Day one begins under the giant mango tree with white crown flower leis.  Some of the ladies began telling their floral stories.

More ladies.

After our introductions, we walked to our work space.  This incredible site is where we got to do our designing for three days!

The Haiku Mill is a an old sugar mill which has been restored to incredible beauty.  It's hard to take a bad photograph here.

Some of the gorgeous flowers and foliages that we used for our workshop.

Our first project was a "small" arrangement in a footed container.

Ariella demonstrating her technique.

We broke for lunch which was a feast for the eyes too.

Super healthy!

Day 2 began with a demonstration of a "medium" size arrangement in a cut glass compote.

Ariella's finished arrangement.

Sachi's finished arrangement.

After lunch we began work on wedding bouquets.  These are Ariella's choices for her "pink" bouquet.  We had a choice of pink or yellow flowers to work with.

Ariella beginning her demo on a hand-tied bouquet.

The class working on their pink bouquets...

...and yellow bouquets.

The amazing Jose Villa shooting our bouquets with professional models in beautiful gowns.

Day three and final day began with a demo on designing in a large urn.

My finished urn.

After we finished our urns, we began  to prepare for the final night dinner.  Ariella explained her inspiration for the entire final night "look."

Her inspiration came from this gorgeous wallpaper.  Photo by Ariella.

Jason Murakawa of Small Masterpiece set the most beautiful tables for us.

Our chairs had name cards with the wallpaper design and were decorated with Lantern Ilima and fern.

Our final night group shot.  It was a pleasure to have experienced this magical time with these ladies.