Friday, May 9, 2008

Choosing your Wedding Bouquet

Dont know a Rose from a Rhododendron?



Every bride needs a bouquet fact. Not every bride is interested in flowers, their delicate formation, what part of the world they originate, just how much is this going to cost me?

Irrespective of your interest or lack of in your bouquet, it has to be colour co-ordinated with the bridal party. Every bridesmaid will need a bouquet, obviously smaller than the brides, bouquet or hand held posies for the flowers girls, button holes for the Dads, Grooms, Best Men and Pageboy. Stick to the following guidelines and (hopefully!) you wont go too far wrong.

What time of the year are you getting married?

This will determine what selection of flowers will be available to you If you want a specific flower that may be out of season, a reputable florist will be able to order it in for you but be ready to pay the price.

Do you have a favourite flower?

If so, incorporate it in your bouquet as the main flower with possibly only some greenery or babys breath added to pad out the bouquet.

What height are you?

You may ask what bearing this has on your bouquet!! If you are small in stature you do not want a large (wide) bouquet as it will only dwarf you. Select instead a long and narrow bouquet which will give you height. On the flip side, if you are a tall bride, you can opt for a larger bouquet but remember these bouquets can be heavy to hold.

If you see a bouquet that you like in either a magazine or on a website, keep a copy and bring it to your florist to give them an idea as what style you have in mind. It will make it easier on you both in the long run.

If you are decorating the venue of the wedding ceremony, remember less is more. An elaborate stand or two at the top is sufficient. If you wish to bring these floral arrangements to the reception, please give sufficient thought as to how (realistically) portable they are. Only give this job to someone you trust (speaking from experience here!)


Ensure that you get a quote in writing from your florist breaking down the costs so there wont be any hidden or surprise charges.


Flowers really do enhance a venue albeit church, reception room, wherever, so do put some thought into it.

Ideally, try and see your venue set up for another wedding. Take note of what they have done with the room and specifically where they placed the floral arrangements. If nothing else, it may give you some ideas of your own.


Colette O'Loughlin, Editor of Simply Weddings - Ireland's Premier Weddings Website. Truly taking the stress out of saying "I Do"


 

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Wedding Bouquets for Life

One of the most beautiful of the bride's adornments at a wedding is the bouquet. Normally constructed of fresh flowers, the wedding bouquet would last for a week or two, and then have to be dried or tossed. Today that is not the case; today's modern bride has options that are more permanent.

There are various bridal books, magazines and shops to help you choose the perfect style and color. The arrangement you select should be a reflection of your personality and/or the color scheme of your wedding.

A growing popularity in wedding flowers is silk flowers. Silk flowers are non-allergenic, will never wilt and can be kept as a remembrance of your special day for years to come. Another advantage over silk flowers is their cost and durability.

Another option for the wedding bouquets is stunning handmade porcelain flowers. Porcelain and silk flowers are available in traditional styles. With a seemingly unlimited array of colors, these amazing creations last a lifetime. Many come with a display stand included in the purchase price, so your wedding bouquet now has become an exquisite family heirloom.

As you plan your special day, consider the option of a porcelain handmade bouquet. The cost is a bit higher, yet the memories of your ceremony will be with you forever. In addition, your wedding bouquet will be with you as well, a permanent reminder of your love for each other.


David Chandler
For more information, visit these sites:
http://www.WeddingFlowersInfo.com
http://www.WeddingPlanningInfoCenter.com
http://www.WeddingReceptionInfo.com

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Friday, April 11, 2008

Nokia 7370 With A Floral Feel

Nokia 7370 is a mobile phone with a feminine look. The floral pattern on the etched metallic surface of the mobile phone gives a sensational feeling to the mobile phone. Apart from the eye catching looks, it also has tons of features that a great mobile phone should have.

It is a swivel mobile phone that has screen display prowess of 262,144 colours in its 2" display screen. One can rotate the phone to 180 degrees and has an ergonomic keyboard. Nokia 7370 is a tri-band mobile phone meaning, you can talk with your near and dear ones or co-workers even if, you are abroad. Yes, but it should be supported by your mobile network provider.

With net weight of 104 grams and dimensions of 88?43?23 mm this mobile phone is a lightweight yet powerful mobile phone. Its feature of video ringing tones is quite different from other mobile phones. The videos, images can be viewed in 262K QVGA 240?320 pixels display. Nokia 7370 also has an in-built camera of 1.3 mega pixel with 8x zoom facility. Image files of JPEG, GIF, EXIF, WBMP, BMP, MBM and PNG can be viewed with this mobile phone. Video streaming and playing of MPEG and H.263 format video files can also be done with the help of this mobile phone.

Though the outer caging of this mobile phone makes Nokia 7370 look more of a feminine phone, the features it comes bundled with make it more of masculine. This mobile phone is primarily targeted for female mobile phone buyers by Nokia. The inclusion of fashion pouch, fashion strap in addition to handset of Nokia 7370, battery, charger, headset, and user guide in the sales package is a proof of the fact that Nokia is targeting women mobile users.

The breathtaking 3D stereo speakers or FM stereo or the dedicated key for digital zoom all these features sends out a vibrant feeling in you. Nokia 7370?s audio player can play MP3, AAC, M4A, AMR or MIDI audio files. This mobile phone has 10 MB of built-in memory to store various contacts and other essential features.

If a user wishes to play mobile games of Java? technology she can do with the help of this mobile phone. Nokia 7370 also supports internet browsing with the help of xHTML/HTML browser. This mobile phone also has email support of SMTP, POP3, APOP and IMAP4 protocols. A user of Nokia 7370 also can send out, receive or edit MMS. One also can synchronise the contacts of the mobile phone with the use of PC suite.

You can order and buy Nokia 7370 from a local store or an online store. The online stores have various kinds of offers and discounts whereas local stores do not have such discounts. These offers enable a buyer to order and buy it at a lower price than what is available at the market. However, one should always do some research before buying it from an online store. While online buying of Nokia 7370 is easy and time saving it can cost you at a later stage if you have bought the product from a fake seller.

Gregory Gibson is associated with Mobile Phone Shop UK. He holds a bachelor's degree in electronics and communication from IIT,Kharagpur. To know more about Nokia 7370, Sony Ericsson, Nokia mobile, Sony Ericsson Cybershot, Buy Nokia 7370, Mobile Phone insurance please visit http://www.mobilephoneshopuk.net

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Monday, March 10, 2008

How Good are FTD Florists and Flower Shops

FTD has florists and flower shops in nearly all states of the USA. You can order from anywhere in the US and most of the time there is no shipping cost involved. They are one of the most popular and the largest online florist shops. They can help you out with all your needs; whether it?s an emergency funeral procession you have to attend or arrange a get-together at your place on a birthday or wedding treat, you are going to find FTD most useful and helpful.

Customer satisfaction is what FTD wants to achieve and they have pretty much succeeded in achieving that as well. You will see yourself once you have bought a flower arrangement or any other gift item from their store. They will be ready to get any kind f feedback from their customers, good or bad, because they continue to strive for the best quality in flower business. The best thing about FTD is that if you are not satisfied with the order you can have it replaced right away. What you have to do is just send them the original bouquet along with the receipt and they will reply with a replacement order in a few days to come.

You can also tell the recipient of flowers that if he/she does not like the look of the arrangements or is not satisfied with the freshness or fragrance, they can give their feedback online. FTD will try to keep your suggestions in mind the next time you will order something from their store. There is no restriction that the flowers have to be delivered to a house; they can be delivered anywhere, whether it?s an office, hospital, university or restaurant. You just have to give the address and you can also talk personally to one of their sales person to give him/her directions and other details about the place you want to have the flowers delivered to.

Occasionally when you go searching the net for a special flower arrangement that is rarely available at your local floral store, you can find it at FTD. They always keep on adding specials to their list of flowers and offer it to their customers. Plus these flowers if found on other sites maybe too expensive to buy. But at FTD you will get a favorite special flower arrangements at just about the price you were expecting to spend. Keep in mind that all prices vary greatly depending on the location you need it to be delivered to and how soon you want it delivered. So keep checking back if you could not find the flower arrangement of your choice at one time.

George Wood is a successful webmaster of many popular sites including fresh flowers and flower site. If you want to read more about flowers, click over to George types of flowers site

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

What to Look for when Choosing an Online Florist

Choosing an online Florist - what to look out for to ensure you get the flowers you want, when you want.

Ordering flowers is a fickle business and it's easy to part with your cash expecting a beautiful bouquet only to be disappointed by the reality. Here at Flowers 4 Online International we pride ourselves on the quality and value of Online Flower Delivery and have created this checklist to help ensure you can choose a reputable Florist.

How long have they been in business? Do they have experience in the type of event you have in mind? Can they work in your price range? Our experience includes a range of events; we can quickly "size up" what you have in mind.

Are the pictures you see on the site, pictures of Flower Arrangements they have created themselves? Is there a wide price range of Flowers, and do you have the option of sizes of bouquet ranges?

What guarantees do they offer for delivery? Can they offer same day and next day flower delivery? What about international orders, can they also deliver these at short notice? Do they have a large number of international florists they work with to deliver anywhere at short notice? Is pricing totally transparent? Can you see the prices you pay including delivery charges before you pay?

Flowers4 has enabled thousands of customers to send flowers online for over five years through its own Flower Shops, affiliates and website. It is a name you can trust for quality Flowers at good prices with an excellent reputation for timely delivery.

Clinton Porter is a search engine optimisation consultant with Nvisage (http://www.nvisage.co.uk/whatwedo/search_engine_optimisation.asp) for Flowers4 Online flower shops and florists (http://www.flowers4.co.uk/) specialists in Wedding and bridal flowers, Funeral and sympathy flowers. Order and send fresh flowers online for same day and next day delivery.

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

Online UK Florist Saves the Day

Here it is Thursday afternoon, and Evelyn sees no break in her hectic schedule for the weekend. She has a presentation due on Monday morning and a meeting on Saturday most of the day with her team. The bad part is, her favorite aunts birthday is on Saturday and she is turning 65 years old and this is one birthday that Evelyn did not want to miss.

She thought maybe she could rush through the meeting but there is no way she could make it in time from London, UK to Birmingham, UK to attend the festivities that the family has planned. The worst part of it all is that now it is too late for her to even go out shopping for a unique gift and have it arrive on time.

Before leaving work, she talks with some of her friends and they suggest sending flowers, but all the florist are now closed it is 7pm at night, and she has a meeting with an associate at 8am when the florist opens. She goes home, feeling defeated, not knowing what to do, she gets on her computer and just types in overnight flower delivery from London, UK to Birmingham, UK and her dismay quickly turns into triumph.

She clicks on a link for a florist and learns that the flowers can be ordered online from London, UK and sent to her aunt in Birmingham, UK and will arrive early Saturday morning, even before anyone else in the family arrives.

She begins to look at all the different options that the online florist has to offer. Her only problem now is choosing from the several wonderful arraignments, types of flowers and plants, and even some other surprises such as balloons or chocolates.

With all the options that Evelyn has available such as the variety of flowers such as curcumas, freesias, gerberas, lilies, tropical flowers and plants; the style such as contemporary, elegant, or simple and even by color such as blue, orange, white and red, she could make a decision that would be sure to please her aunt. She could choose her aunts favorite flower, or color or even order an elegant arraignment. She decided first to click on Birthdays to see what they suggested.

Under birthdays, she had a wonderful choice of a Gerbera bouquet, yellow roses in a stunning vase, and even a desert rose in its own vase. She knew that any of these unique and wonderful flower arraignments would put a smile on her aunts face. All the flowers were in her budget and she ordered her flowers online and went to sleep with peace of mind. The online florist saved her from her dilemma, her aunt was overjoyed with the flowers and her meeting was a success.


You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge, as long as the bylines and links in the body of the article and the bylines are included


Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer. She spent a summer in UK in 1998. She enjoyed the online shopping experience with flower shop in Edinburgh http://www.serenataflowers.com/sendflowers/Edinburgh.htmfor http://www.serenataflowers.com/sendflowers/Birmingham.htmBirmingham flower delivery.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2008

6 Tips For Making Your Own Wedding Flower Bouquet

The key to making your own wedding flower bouquet are the three P. First you have to Plan. Then you must Prepare. Finally, Practice makes Perfect. Use these following tips in order for you to make your wedding flower bouquet arrangement a memorable experience.

1. Get tons of ideas. Flip through magazines and books. Drop by floral shops. Take pictures of the floral arrangements you see whenever you are out in public.

2. One of the best places where you can get inspiration are 5-star hotels. If you're free on a Saturday, that's the best day you can go because there are weddings set up and are about to take place there.

3. The more ideas that you have in your head, the more inspirations you have which you can incorporate into your own wedding.

4. Now that you have tons of idea in your head, go through it by not being clattered. Put all of it in place and in a single perspective. Jot it down on a notebook because it is such a waste if you lose an idea just because you are not organized. Put the flower pictures in an envelope. When you're ready to decide which arrangement you prefer, then throw the photos you won't need anymore.

5. Decide on a color. Different flowers can provide you with the colors you prefer. From roses to carnations, orchids to iris, their colors can complement the motif you are in your head. It all depends on the flowers that you choose and can afford.

6. Get help. Flowers are perishable, therefore they must be prepared, arranged and fixed when the wedding is a minute away. If you have tons of flowers, you will also be needing a lot of help.

Gather the materials you need in one box so it is easy for you to access. Make sure that you have sets of supplies which can make you and your helpers work faster and smoothly. Get clippers, floral tape, floral moss, rose strippers and ribbons. Soon enough, you are good to go.

To learn more ideas for wedding flower arrangements, visit http://www.weddingflowerarrangements101.com

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Monday, February 4, 2008

Building a Custom Swarovski Crystal Wedding Bouquet

I have made Swarovski Crystal Wedding Bouquets for many Brides and I always find that they are amazed when they realize what we can come up with once we decide to "step out of the box" and use the medium to its fullest potential.

There are many ways to accomplish something unique and stylish without getting too far away from tradition, or if completely "off the beaten path" is your preference, crystal bouquets are by far, the way to go.

Swarovski Crystal Bouquets are made from crystals that are mounted on stainless steel stems which brings the advantage of any shape or size to your bouquet that you can imagine. The benefits of Swarovski Crystals is that they are incredibly bright and can light up rooms with rainbows in the sunlight or twinkle brilliantly in candlelight, in any light they are breathtaking. Swarovski Crystals come in about 300 different colors so you can coordinate your bouquet with your décor or just your dress.

Let's start with shapes and sizes… The most elaborate bouquet that I have ever built went from just under the Bride’s princess bodice and stopped just above her knees. It had 600 crystals in it and 60 white, silk roses. It was spectacular. She chose to have it cascade at the bottom just as you may have a traditional wedding bouquet of roses and ivy. You can also have them fashioned in the shape of a round bouquet as you would a hand-tied bunch of daisies or peonies. You may also wish to have them made so that it lays across your arm like a collection of wild flowers. The choice is yours and the sky is the limit.

Next, let's talk about creating your perfect bouquet by using variations in color… I have made bouquets for brides with a very wide array of hues. I really enjoy when I get a chance to brainstorm with my clients. We touch on her dress to make sure that the style and the accents will work well with our creation. We talk about the décor for the big day, bridesmaids dresses, jewelry, even favorite colors to come up with the something that will appeal to her every desire.

Some of my favorite creations have been a bouquet that had clear crystals that cascaded around ruby red crystals that I made into the shape of a heart in the middle of the bouquet. This was for a wedding on Valentine’s Day, she wore a white dress that had a wide, red sash around her waste and her entire décor was hearts and arrows. Another Bride wanted me to make all of her bouquets for the party. Each of them had 5 different shades of blue, from baby blue to navy. This looked spectacular next to their Tiffany Blue dresses. And last but not least, I made a bouquet with 300 crystals in it, all of the crystals were the same color, but she chose to get larger sizes that were several different shapes to create interest. There were, round, bicone and cubed crystals, each of them caught the light differently and really made quite a statement on her wedding day.

I do hope that this helps you to open your mind to all of the different possibilities that are at hand with Swarovski Crystal Bouquets. Whether it is the uniqueness of carrying crystals, the shape, the colors or even the ribbons, I’m sure that it will add something to your wedding day that your family and friends will remember for years to come.

Penny Olson is the owner and designer for Brilliant Wedding Jewelry
Make your day sparkle with Crystal Wedding Bouquets. Browse our collection of wedding articles.

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Thursday, January 31, 2008

How to Make a Hand Tied Wedding Bouquet

This type of bouquet is made by holding the flower and foliage stems in one hand and adding the other stems around in a spiral fashion, criss crossing the stems at the one point,and binding them in position with string A ribbon bow with long tails completes the bouquet.

Choose suitable materials - you will need flowers with fairly long stems such as roses, irises, carnations, alstroemeria, freesias, Singapore orchids and lisianthus. Suitable foliage is camellia leaves, eucalyptus gum, box, ivy, nandina and leather fern. A mixed bouquet looks best using three to four varieties of flowers plus foliage.

Cut the ends of the stems on a slant and give flowers a long drink. Remove thorns and strip off the lower foliage from the bottom half of the stems. Lay the flowers out on the table. Start off with the largest flower to form the centre. Hold the stem between the thumb and first finger on the left hand about 15-20cm (6-8")from the base of the flower head. With the right hand add about 4- 6 clusters of foliage evenly around just below the flower heads to help fill in, criss crossing the stems on an angle and turning the bouquet around as you work. Secure the stems in position by placing the end of a piece of string and winding it around a couple of times. Do not cut the string.

Holding the bouquet in the same way as before with the thumb facing towards you place 5-6 of the same type of flowers evenly around turning the bouquet around clockwise. Secure all the stems in place with a couple of twists of string in the same place as before. Continue adding flowers for the next round extending these flowers out slightly further. Keep the bouquet a gentle rounded shape across the top like an upside down saucer, criss cross all the stems and give the bouquet a quarter turn clockwise after adding a few stems. Secure stems in position with string in the same place as before when necessary.

Continue adding flowers and foliage stems turning the bouquet around clockwise until the bouquet is the desired size. I have added wired camellia leaves around the edges, but you could use pieces of foliage having the tips extend out about 5-7.5cm(2-3")past the edges of the flowers. Secure all the stems together with string winding it firmly around several times in the same place as before, cut the string and tuck the end in.

Cut the ends off the flower and foliage stems so they are about 6-8"(15-20cm)long and all the same level. Spray lightly with water. Finish off the bouquet by tying a piece of wide ribbon around the bouquet to cover the string and tie the ribbon in a shoe lace bow with long tails.
Floral art School of Australia and International Floral Design School Floral Design home study courses
http://www.floral-art-school.com.au

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Bouquet Tulips - Lucky New Garden Trend?

Did you know that your garden may have the luck of the Dutch with bouquet tulips? Just what does that mean? Good things come in fours. Think of a four leaf clover. Do you know how lucky you are to find a four-leaf clover? Why you would have to have the luck of the Irish!

According to Wikipedia, there are 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leaf one. If you have to examine 10,000 clovers to find a four-leaf clover, that would take you quite a long time. When - and if - you did find that four-leaf clover, you would be fortunate indeed. Like finding a pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow.

So what does this have to do with the luck of the Dutch? When something is uncommon or rare, it is considered good favor, almost like winning the lottery. Most of today's tulip bulbs are imported directly from growers in the Netherlands by distributors.

A modern garden trend is planting multiple-blossom bouquet tulips. Some of these varieties have four flowers on one tulip plant. How lucky are you when you find one? Discovering two blossom and three blossom tulips is a surprise in the garden, as well. You would have to look in a lot of tulip gardens before you ever saw one. But they do exist.

Just so you know, a common tulip plant yields one flower per bulb. You plant one bulb which forms one tulip plant, grows into one bud and blossoms into one tulip flower. That is the way it has been for hundreds of years. In hundreds of thousands of gardens around the world. When you spot any of these beauties growing in the wild, you have just found a "bouquet on a stem" that is the envy of any tulip arrangement you place into a vase.

Today, with modern science of hybrids, you can buy and plant bouquet tulip bulbs that grow two, three, four, five and even six shoots for every tulip plant. Each shoot yields a colorful tulip blossom. The more blossoms one tulip plant has, the smaller each blossom is. Bouquet tulips come in orange, red and yellow varieties.

Bouquet tulips make excellent tulip arrangements of cut flowers. Make sure to cut the main stem with a sharp knife at an angle. Don't use scissors to cut the stem. Using scissors will pinch the stem and the tulip flowers will not be able to draw water to keep them alive. When you cut the tulip plant stem at an angle, you are allowing the plant to drink more water. It's like using a larger straw in a soft drink.

Put two or three stems in a vase and you have a beautiful bouquet of tulips greeting you in your house. For example, if you had three tulip plants of four blossoms each, you could make a cutting of all three tulip stalks that you put into one vase. That would be a dozen compact tulip flowers in one arrangement. Cut tulips in a vase can last between four and seven days. When your neighbors, friends, or family visit, just think of how amazed people will be to see these unique and unusual gorgeous bouquet tulips on your table.

Dave Pipitone is a lucky tulip gardener. He found a four-blossom orange bouquet tulip. For see pictures and learn more information on four blossom bouquet tulips, visit http://www.bouquet-tulips.com

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Monday, January 28, 2008

An Exquisite Bouquet for a Beautiful Bride!

A beautiful bouquet enhances the elegance of the bride!

The aroma from the flowers enriches the surrounding!

Before ordering the bridal bouquet:

  • Care should be taken so that the bouquet does not cover the bride. The ideal height should not exceed 15cms.
  • Care should be taken that the wire with which the flowers are tied should not be visible and at the same time does not hurt the bride.
  • The pollen of the flowers used should not blot the bride's dress.
  • A species of Chrysanthemum like Tagetes should not be used as green material because of its smelly odour.

    Round Bouquet:

    This type of bouquet perfectly fits a short youthful wedding dress. It should not be used for stocky brides, as it will accentuate her broad frame. This bouquet can be made from one single type of flower or many but it has to be in harmony with all colours and forms. The biggest flower needs to be placed in the centre. The following flowers like freesia, hyacinth, daisy and mini rose can be used for this bouquet.

    Flowing Bouquet:

    Any bride irrespective of age can use this tear shaped bouquet. These types of bouquets are recommended for the low or pregnant brides. The biggest flower needs to be at the top and flowers with a long stem like roses and orchids will give a flowing effect.

    Irregular Bouquet:

    This is a combination of all types presented earlier that specially brings out your imagination and common sense.

    Steps to make your own bridal bouquet:

     

    • The flowers of favourite choice of the bride to be used.

    • Place the flowers in water. The damp bouquet holder needs to be dry on the out side.

    • Place the flowers from the top of the holder.

    • The stem of each flower should be wired through the foam of the holder.

    • For a cascade effect insert ivy or fern and wire them to the plastic part of the holder. Wool, silk or gunny materials to be used for a modern bouquet.

    • Cover the holder with aspidistra's leaves.

    • A 2 inch wide silk or satin ribbon, pearl spray, flowing wired pearls can be used.

    Visit UK Online Florist Shops to buy beautiful flower bouquet and you can send fresh flowers online for your loved ones and you will be rewarded by cashback when you shop through cashback Online shopping websites.

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    Thursday, January 24, 2008

    How To Make A Candy Topiary Bouquet

    Candy bouquets make great centerpieces or gifts for just about any occasion. Here are some instructions for creating your own candy topiary bouquet in either a flower pot or mug.

    1. Either buy/find a flowerpot or mug to match your theme. For instance, for Mother's Day, you might want to use a flowerpot or mug with a Spring floral theme.

    2. If you are using a mug, you will want to buy a piece of floral foam (to cut to size and put inside the mug base), a dowel rod (to stick in the base and form the topiary) and a Styrofoam ball (to stick at the end of the dowel rod and form the upper end of the topiary). If you are using a flower pot, you can buy the supplies described for the mug or you can buy one of the pre-made topiary forms that set directly in the flowerpot. I've seen these forms with a Styrofoam pot-shaped base and Styrofoam ball top at Michael's and Joanne Fabrics. If you go with the pre-made form, you can hot glue it directly into the flower pot.

    3. Once you have your form in either your mug or pot, you should hot glue Spanish moss or other decorative items such as shells, dried flowers, etc to the to the top of the base foam to basically hide the foam that makes up the base.

    4. Buy some floral pins and hard candies. I recommend getting hard candies that color-coordinate with your theme such as fruit bon-bons in pastel wrappers for Mother's Day or Easter and red/white hard peppermint candies for Christmas. Take a metal floral pin and stick it through the end of the candy wrapper (just outside the twisted end) and then stick the floral pin with the attached candy on to the round Styrofoam topiary ball. Keep repeating this process until the entire ball is covered with hard candies and you can't see any Styrofoam peeking through.

    5. To dress up the candy bouquet, you can floral pin ribbons or small silk flowers between some of the hard candies. Also, tie pieces of ribbon around the dowel right below the Styrofoam ball. It looks great if you leave the ribbon tails long enough to hang down and disguise the wood dowel. I recommend either using curling ribbon or 1/2" wide organza ribbon for this task.

    You've successfully completed your candy topiary bouquet!

    Be sure to visit our Chocolate and Candy Gifts page to get more great candy bouquet and candy gift-giving ideas. We have edible candy bases and other unique candy gift ideas for birthdays, get well, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and more. Make your next candy bouquet gift memorable by buying it online at Cookie Gift Baskets.com

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    Wednesday, January 23, 2008

    A Bouquet of Hawaiian Flower Tattoo Pictures

    Many people like to have flower designs applied as tattoos to their body and a Hawaiian flower tattoo picture is one of the most popular images for this as it’s a very beautiful flower. Because of the intense colors that are present in many flowers the tattoo artist sometimes needs to go over a design for a flower a few times with different colors of ink that can accentuate the colors in any flower tattoo.

    Some people have small tattoos of flowers on their ankle or wrist for example while others may have a flower that covers half their body. Some cultures value flowers mush more than others and this is one of the reason why some cultural groups prefer to have flower tattoos on their bodies more than others. In many cultures for example, the flower isn’t viewed as a fragile symbol of beauty as it often is in North American culture. In some cultures the flower is associated with strength and power and this is why some men have flowers as tattoos and don’t think anything is feminine or fragile about it.

    Many women, when they can’t decide on what they might like for a tattoo, choose flowers more often than not simply because they know that they will like the design for many years to come. There are many styles and types of flower designs in tattoo shop catalogs that the customer can choose from. These designs can also be highly modified to make them even more unique for the customer.

    Many Hawaiian people have flower tattoos due to the flower’s integral attachment to their past. Many of their tales have flowers as part of the story and that’s also why the lei – or rings of flowers - are associated with their state. Flower tattoos can be in any of a thousand colors and some will look better than others on different people.

    Many women when they choose a flower motif as their tattoo image will choose the red rose simply because it’s associated with romance and true love. Others will choose the daisy or sunflower because it’s associated with vibrancy and life. The main thing to remember is that if you want a flower tattoo you should make sure that whatever design you decide upon is what you really want. Doing research on web sites devoted to tattooing or to flowers and flower designs can help you decide on which design might be right for you. The nice thing about having a flower tattoo is that if you want another style of flower someday you can simply have the tattoo artist ink one in next to the other one. Pretty soon you may have a whole bouquet of flowers on your body, which isn’t a bad thing at all.

    Kip Goldhammer owns and operates http://www.tattoosdesignsreviews.com Hawaiian Flower Tattoo Picture

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    Friday, January 18, 2008

    How To Make A Seashell Bridal Bouquet

    Would you like to make a seashell bridal bouquet for yourself or for the bride? Follow these simple instructions.

    Materials Needed:
    Wood Dowel cut to the desired length
    Foam ball 3" to 4" in diameter
    White seashells (bubble shells, caycay shells, nassa shells or any other shells you desire
    Hot glue (high temperature)
    Hot glue gun
    BOND 527 Multi-Purpose Cement Glue
    Pearls or Swarovski Crystals for accent
    Satin ribbon
    Organza ribbon

    Cut your dowel to the desired length and insert it into the center of the foam ball. The dowel can easily be pushed into the foam. Remove dowel, fill hole with hot glue and re-insert dowel into the foam ball. Let dry.

    Apply seashells with hot glue as pictured or create your own design. Photos can be found by refering to Resource Box.

    Once you have all the shells attached, apply the pearl or swarovski crystals for accent throughout the shells. This helps to hide any foam that is showing through. Use the BOND 527 Multi-Purpose Cement Glue for the accents.

    Let the bouquet sit overnight.

    Wrap the satin ribbon around the dowel to the top of the boquet and then tie on your organza ribbon.

    This is a time-consuming project but the results are well worth the effort.

    Article by Sandra Canfield, owner of SMC Connection. Bouquet Photos

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    Friday, January 11, 2008

    How To Make A Bridal Bouquet?

    It’s good for you, as a bride to be, to know some things that will help you choosing the right flowers, form or aspect of your bridal bouquet. Thus you can tell the florist what your expectations are respecting the bouquet or you will actually make your bridal bouquet by yourself. making-bouquet.jpg

    There are some advices for you to make a bridal bouquet:

    * The bridal bouquet has to be easy to hold

    * The bouquet’s height does not have more than 10-15 centimeters, so it will not cover the bride.

    * The bouquet has to follow the lines of the bride’s body and not to exceed it.

    * Not to be seen the wire with whom you tied the flowers into the bouquet and take care that the wire’s ends will not hurt the bride’s hands (that’s for the wires are flexed and filled it through the stems).

    * The stems not to have awn.

    * The bouquet has not to blot the bride dress (for example, the lily’s pollen).

    * The bridal bouquet has to hold out and to be fresh for the entire wedding day.

    * The green material has not to smell badly and that for you will not use the Tagetes (a species of Chrysanthemum ).

    There are many types of bridal bouquet appropriate to each need or fitting special bride: the round, flowing, irregular bouquets.

    The round bouquet is made from one single type of flower or many types, but it has to be harmonious by colors and forms. respecting the different forms of flowers, the biggest has to be the central one. This bridal bouquet fits a short youthful wedding dress and it’s not appropriate to a stocky bride, because this form emphasizes the imperfections of the bride. The small bouquet can be made by flowers like freesia, hyacinth, daisy, mini rose.

    The folowing bouquet seams like a tear. Above you’ll put the noble, ponderous and the biggest or full-blown flowers and flowing effect comes from the flowers with a long stem (like the roses) and those with a tenuous and flexible stem. Those flowers are tied with wires and could be the punks, the fragile flowers like the orchids. This bridal bouquet is appropriate to each bride whatever the age is and we recommend it to the low or the pregnant brides.

    The irregular bridal bouquet is made by the prevailing character flowers. It’s a modern type which puts to the proof your imagination, your common sense. This is a combination of all types presented before. It’s important the asymmetry and you can use every ornamental elements or materials.

    For a bridal bouquet, you can use every flower you want, even the sunflower or immortal and field flowers, just to be in the same air and atmosphere of the wedding.

    The bridal bouquet has to be very resistant, because the bride is carrying it all over and also there is the practice of throwing the bouquet. Therefore there are some special techniques of clenching the flowers. They could be knotted, wired or stick.

    The most popular technique of making a bridal bouquet is that in which the florist uses a purchased bouquet holder. Bouquet holders are usually made of white plastic, are cone-shaped and have an attached handle. They come with floral foam already inserted into the cone.

    There are a few steps for you to make your own bridal bouquet:

    1. Choose the flowers that you will use (we recommend that the flowers from the bridal bouquet were bride’s favorites and will complement both the wedding colors and any other floral arrangements planned).

    2. Keep the flowers into water and, while are you using them, maintain the flower up, thus the hydration process will deploy.

    3. Place the bouquet holder upside down on the surface of a large bowl of water. Hold on to the handle and let the holder gradually sink to the bottom of the bowl. This will saturate the foam. Remove the bouquet holder from the water and dry the exterior.

    4. Begin the placement of the flowers from the top of the holder. The flower’s stem could be as short as you need. Therefore you have to determine how much of the stem you’d like to have above the foam, and then cut the stem at a very sharp angle 1 1/2 to 2 inches below that point. If you want to rearrange an inserted flower, remove the flower, cut the stem once more and reinsert it in a different spot in the foam.

    5. Wire every stem before sticking in the foam of the holder. The wire will pass through the foam and it has to be bended and knotted by the holder, for the best resistance. 6. To create a cascade effect, you have to insert various lengths of greenery such as ivy or fern at the bottom of the bouquet holder or let the stems of the flowers to be long and wire them by the plastic part of the holder. For a modern bouquet you can use an wool or silk material, even pieces of gunny.

    7. You need to cover the holder with aspidistra’s leafs or cut stems or you can cover it with a purchased silk or tul material. A special bridal bouquet, a modern one, could be decorated by a wool material, especially if the flowers were field‘s ones or the wedding took place into a rustic space or outside.

    Use a 2-inch-wide silk or satin ribbon in a color that complements the wedding colors. If the bride prefer, use some artifices: use a combination of different or complementary ribbon’s colors. Add a pearl spray or two as well. You can also use one or two flowing wired pearls or one warm colored butterfly.

    Aura Surcel is a Romanian floral designer with many ideas of natural decorations, freelance writer of nature, flowers and plants, traditional treatments and of the flower shop business. She also loves nature, flowers and to make floral arrangements.

    For more information, visit http://www.flowersgrowing.com

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    Friday, January 4, 2008

    Choosing a Bridal Bouquet

    As you plan for your wedding, you’re faced with the question of which type of bridal bouquet is right for you? Before you determine that, you have to first answer a few questions.

    • What kind of atmosphere do you want for your wedding? Will it be formal, casual, elegant or something in between?

    • Where are you getting married? Is this a casual outdoor wedding, an elegant candlelit evening wedding in a cathedral, a simple country church wedding, or a fancy country club event?

    • What is your body type? Are you short and petite? Full-figured?

    • What season are you getting married in?

    • What is your color scheme?

    • Are there certain flowers that you simply “must have” in your wedding bouquet?

    Another important thing to consider is the style of wedding gown you will be wearing.

    • Romantic or fairytale gowns

    With lots of lace, tulle and layers of luxurious fabric, this type of gown lends itself to the traditional cascading bridal bouquet. Keep in mind, however, that the cascading wedding bouquet does not necessary flatter a petite bride. If you’re petite, you don’t want to get lost behind a large wedding bouquet. If your gown has a lot of detail to it, be careful not to order a bridal bouquet that actually competes with the gown, rather than complementing it.

    • Simple and elegant gown

    Think Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn and you’ll have visions of a less fussy gown, designed to show off the beauty of the bride. These gowns are often strapless and have structured lines. Your flowers should be simple and elegant as well, as in a hand-tied bouquet of white calla lilies, a symbol of magnificence. A showy bouquet wouldn’t be your best choice with this type of gown, but a classic clutch bridal bouquet might be the answer. Pastel pink roses would be ideal in a clutch wedding bouquet, the perfect symbol of happiness, gentility and grace.

    • Vintage gowns

    This is a huge category that includes Bohemian gypsy-style dresses, medieval princess frocks, and Charleston swing era gowns. Match wedding bouquets with the style of dress that you choose. Some bridal bouquets simply would not work with some of the vintage dresses. Of course, these dresses are updated to reflect the styles of the early 21st century.

    Make sure that you let your florist or online wedding consultant know exactly what type of gown you have chosen. It would be best for them to see a picture of the gown, preferably with you in it! If you’re unsure of how to pick the style of bridal bouquet that’s best for you, given all of the choices that you’ve already made, rely on the advice from the experts.

    And remember, you’re not restricted to fresh flowers for your wedding. Silk wedding flower packages are available at great prices from many online merchants. They can help you decide if the cascading bridal bouquet, the hand-tied wedding bouquet, or another style is best for you considering the location, the season, the atmosphere, your figure, etc. Silk wedding flowers are a wise choice for budget-minded brides, as well as for extravagant brides who only want the best!

    Bonnie Goodwin Ray has more than sixteen years experience in the wedding industry. She is the author of Wedding Planning Made Easier and has become a leading expert in silk wedding bouquets design.

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    Thursday, January 3, 2008

    Buy Flower Bouquet

    Flowers are some of the best gifts that you can give a friend or loved one for a birthday, anniversary, and get well wish or just because you want them to know that you are thinking of them. Some people may not know what to look for when they want to buy a flower bouquet. Here are some things to keep in mind whenever you decide to surprise someone with your thoughtfulness.

    Make sure that you buy a flower bouquet that matches the occasion. For example, you do not want to send a bouquet that comes with balloons that say “It’s a boy!” for mothers day. You just mixed up a baby bouquet with a national holiday. Sometimes people will say that it doesn’t matter; it’s the thought that counts. This may be true, but wouldn’t make more sense to not only think about the person but also take time to pick a great gift for them?

    You should also keep price in mind whenever you decide you want to buy flower bouquets online or in person. Flower bouquets can range in price from $30-$100+ and can be a simple bouquet or an extravagant spectacle. It all really depends on how much you feel you want to spend on the person. Once again, to them price wont matter, just the thought.

    Something else that is less considered by people when buying a flower bouquet is making sure that what you buy for someone won’t be harmful. For example, if you are sending flowers to someone who is in the hospital and they have certain allergies, then make sure that the flowers you send are not going to aggravate them. Also, if you send flowers to a child for any reason, make sure that the bouquet does not have small pieces that they could possibly choke on.

    The best way of buying a flower bouquet is online, where you can do it during work or at midnight before you go to bed. This is also good if the person you are sending flowers to do not live in the same city or state as you. Most online flower boutiques also have next day delivery for a quick response. As you can plainly see, buying a flower boutique can be a fun and easy thing that anyone can do. All it takes is a few clicks of the mouse and you can tell someone that they are special to you.

    If you would like more information on how to buy a flower bouquet, check out http://www.squidoo.com/buyflowerbouquet/

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    Sunday, December 30, 2007

    Memorabilia Bouquet

    Have you ever had a really good friend that was about to leave on a trip somewhere?

    And thought to yourself how do I say goodbye without saying goodbye?

    Have you ever lost a loved one? Would you like to have something really special to remember them by?

    Well why not try making a memorabilia bouquet?

    A memorabilia bouquet is like a normal bouquet, but it has photographs throughout it.

    They really make excellent gifts... just imagine being at the airport to see off you friend, and you hand them a memorabilia bouquet, containing pictures of you together. They will love you forever!

    What a perfect way for them to be able to see you everyday, and remember all the fun you have had over the years.

    But they don't just have to be a gift for people travelling... a memorabilia bouquet can also be given in memory of someone special that has passed on.

    They are easy to make- just get small photo frames in the shape of flowers or hearts, and place the photographs in them and then add them to a normal posy bouquet.

    It's similar to scrapbooking, but instead of having the photographs in an ordinary book- instead you have them in a stunning and dramatic bouquet!

    Depending on the purpose of the memorabilia bouquet, you could add over items as well. For example, if you are making a bouquet to celebrate someone who has just become a parent (or a grandparent), you might add some chocolates and candies as well. Not only will they have something to look at, but they'll also have something tasty to eat as well!

    Memorabilia bouquets make particularly great anniversary presents.

    Just imagine... you show up at your parents wedding anniversary, and instead of the same old boring presents everyone else is giving them, you hand them a memorabilia bouquet, containing memories from their marriage!

    The possibilities are endless- from birthdays, to weddings, to fancy dress parties, a memorabilia bouquet will always catch the eye, and impress!

    They are easy and fun to make, and are always appreciated. Why not try making one today?

    Peta Fletcher has been making bouquets for over 14 years. Her website has lots of free information on bouquets, including how to make a wedding bouquet, and general articles on wedding bouquets

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    Wednesday, December 26, 2007

    Wedding Flowers - The Cost of the Florist May Not be Too Rosy

    According to Conde Nast Bridal Infobank, wedding flowers cost, on average, $1,100. Is this cost not sounding too rosy? Try these money saving tips when selecting your wedding flowers:

    • Some brides purchase two identical bouquets – one to toss and one to preserve as a keepsake. Unless you plan on preserving the bouquet, purchase one. Or, consider purchasing one, removing one flower from it to toss then preserving the rest of it.
       
    • Be sure to choose flowers that are in season and grown locally. It will be cheaper if the flowers are easily available to the florist (and find a flower wholesaler!).
       
    • An even less expensive option is silk flowers which could be used for centerpieces, decorations or large altar arrangements. Some florists and garden centers even rent plants.
       
    • Decorate with greenery. Use greenery such as trees and garlands of ivy to fill large areas. It can give a dramatic impact for relatively little more money. Small trees can usually be rented.
       
    • Have a garden wedding. Consider having the ceremony and/or the reception in a beautiful garden, surrounded by natural flowers.
       
    • Share floral costs with another bride. Find out if there will be another wedding at your church or synagogue on the same day. Possibly you can arrange to share the cost of floral decorations.
       
    • Don't plan your wedding to be held near a holiday. Flower prices escalate dramatically around Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Planning your wedding around Christmas, on the other hand, might save you some money because many receptions will already be decorated for the holiday season.
       
    • Consider a smaller bridal party. Smaller wedding parties require fewer bouquets. Or, make smaller bouquets.
       
    • Balloons can be an inexpensive way of adding color to a reception site.
       
    • Ask your florist ahead of time how the wedding flowers can be used for both ceremony and reception sites. This way, they're not just used for one hour.
       
    • Ask your florist if he/she would be willing to transport the wedding flowers from the reception site to the ceremony. If they are not willing to include this in the price, ask a friend to transport them and place them appropriately at the reception site.
       
    • Don't over-decorate. Put your most expensive floral arrangements where you want to make the biggest impression or where they will be seen the most.
       
    • Do it yourself! There are many online resources for learning how to make topiary centerpieces.

    Use these tips to save money on your wedding flowers. Perhaps you could allocate savings towards another lifelong memory – your honeymoon!
     

    Hilary Basile is a writer for http://www.myguidesusa.com. At MyGuidesUSA.com, you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life’s major events. Whether you’re planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you’ll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com. Find wedding planning tips and resources at http://www.myguidesusa.com/weddings

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    Friday, December 21, 2007

    Get Your Fresh Cut Flowers From Your Local Florist

    Many people by the fresh cut flowers at florists, but there others that cut them from their own garden. Flowers come in many shapes and colors, this way you have many choices to choose from to make the arrangement you want. Once the flower is cut the life expectancy is not very long, you can use tricks like aspirin in the water to keep them living as long as possible. A cut flower is one that has been cut at the stem and placed in a vase of water. Cut flowers are grown from both annual and perennial plants. Do not place your fresh cut flowers in front of heaters, electrical devices such as TVs or computers. Cut flowers will stay fresher and look vibrant if you keep them out of drafts and direct sunlight.

    Dropping a penny in a vase will increase the lifespan of flowers. Cut flowers in a vase are the perfect decoration for your home; they bring a waft of fresh air in the room and make people happier. Bacteria are the main cause of deterioration of flowers. Make sure that your water and vase are clean before use. Adding the proper plant food to your arrangement will keep your bouquet healthy. If you add warm water to your bouquet the flowers will open faster.

    An air bubble in the stem would prevent the flower from getting water and nutrients. Also make sure that only the flowers stem is under water. Always replace your water after 2-3 days. When you place the flowers in water and the leaves are submerged in the water, bacteria might form on the leaves that are under the water so cut them off. You want to cut them at an angle to give them more surface area to absorb nutrients through. Cutting them under water is important because it prevents air from getting into the veins in the stem of your flower.

    Certain flowers need special care. Flowers last longer when you trim the stem on an angle; this allows the water to flow up thru the stem. Flowers that have a woody stems will last longer if you crush the stem and split it to all the water to flow easily thru the stem. If you are making an arrangement and you do not want the stems to show, place them in a criss cross pattern so the end of the stems are in the middle. Placing flowers that are fresh around the house will help perspective buyers look at your home as well kept. A few extra stems will allow you to add special touches.

    The colors of tulips typically follow the color trends that are generally popular. Decide what kinds of flower go with the kind of party you're going to throw. Roses are one of the romantic flowers, tulips are known as elegant flowers, sunflowers and daisies are known as free and whimsical while carnations are especially known as being the casual flower. One of the more popular flowers are tulips, they are easy to grow and they don't need much care, and when you cut them and put them in water they look great, this is what makes them so popular.

    David Marc Fishman is the owner of Tipsquad. Ask an expert about fitness. Get discounts on make up at Priceriot

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