• To create a lot of drama and variety, place a topiary at one end of the table leading to a cluster of small potted plants, then two smaller topiaries with candles leading to a tray of votive candles and flower petals, and so on…
• Ask your florist to use vegetables or fruits as accents in your floral arrangement.
• Garnish your serving trays with flowers and greens.
• Scatter colorful fall leaves, flowers and votive candles along the center of your dining table.
• Float flowers in crystal wine glasses.
• Place a single long-stem rose on each plate to welcome your guests to the table.
• Decorate small desserts with flowers or make an ice ring with flowers to chill champagne or wine.
• Ask your florist to design the arrangements for your buffet table on several different levels to keep the eye flowing all along the table.
• Place a garland of fruit, flowers and fall foliage over your front door.

The link to this article can be found at http://www.aboutflowers.com/flower-holidays-occasions-a-parties/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-decorating.html

Goes back to

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1. Celebrate together. Celebrate your relationship with simple romantic gestures every day! Make breakfast in bed, leave love notes on the bathroom sink, take a walk after dinner. Use your creativity – the possibilities are endless.
2. Say “I love you.” Don’t be stingy with your love. Make a commitment to express your feelings in some way every day. Perhaps it’s a special squeeze before you get out of bed, or a phone call in the middle of the day, just because. Pick up your sweetheart’s favorite dessert on your way home from work.
3. Go on a date. Savor your good fortune in finding one another by going on a date one night a week just to be alone together.
4. Use flower power. Incorporate the universal symbol for romance – flowers – into your love life. Set a romantic dinner table, surprise her with a bouquet at work, and commemorate important dates. Visit www.aboutflowers.com for more creative ideas and advice.
5. Build your castle together. Make a fun time out of working around the house and yard together. Play your favorite music, and sip your favorite beverages.

Top Floral Designer Offers Quick, Simple “How-To’s”
on Fashioning Flowers for Positive Moods in the Morning

 Recent research confirms that flowers might be the perfect pick-me-up for millions of Americans who do not consider themselves “morning people.” Participants of a behavioral study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that they feel least positive in the early hours but reported being happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the morning.

“The morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods – happiness, friendliness and warmth, for example – manifesting much later in the day,” says lead researcher Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. “Interestingly, when we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routines, people perked up.”

Dr. Etcoff is referencing the fact that participants in the study responded to the flowers, which had been placed in rooms they frequented in the morning. Overall, the participants reported they liked to look at the blooms first thing in the morning, particularly in the kitchen. The final study results demonstrate that flowers impact people emotionally at home, causing them to feel less anxious and more compassionate. They even reported a boost of energy that lasted through their day.

“What I find interesting is that by starting the day in a more positive mood, you are likely to transfer those happier feelings to others – it’s what is called mood contagion,” says Etcoff. “And, the kitchen is the place where families tend to gather in the morning – imagine how big a difference a better morning mood can make.”

New York City floral and garden designer Rebecca Cole, host of Discovery Channel’s Surprise by Design, is not surprised by these findings. “I grew up with a kitchen often decorated with flowers,” says Cole. “My family knew instinctively that flowers brought joy to the people who came in contact with them – and now there is scientific proof.”

Cole shares her floral design experience with others, showing them how to use flowers to capture emotion and encourage community in their kitchens.

“There are so many places for flowers in the kitchen – the room where we spend most of our waking time,” says Cole. “From the breakfast nook to the table to the countertop, flowers just belong. It’s even the most convenient room to change the water!”

Cole suggests the following tips for experimenting with color to trying new, dramatic styles to the creative use of containers.

• Cut flower stems short and place flowers in interesting or everyday kitchen containers such as tea tins, jelly jars, salt and peppershakers or even pretty wine glasses. Pick something to match your personal style.
• To make a big “wow” statement, choose lots of one type of flower. Take off the leaves below the waterline and place them in a big jug, teapot, coffee tin or water pitcher for a burst of cheer. Select surprising color combinations to make a bold statement.
• For example, try red and purple stems in grouped vases. Or, use monochromatic flowers, from one color family, to create a simple, pleasing effect.
• Choose citrus-colored flowers for a sunny feeling. Place a bud vase holding a few stems of yellow and orange blooms inside a bowl filled with oranges. Or, place a narrow vase of flowers inside a wider, but equally tall, vase. Fill the larger vase with lemons or limes to surround the smaller vase for a fresh look.
• Play off of accent colors in your kitchen to bring a splash of color with flowers. Look around and match flowers to decorative wall plates, placemats or curtains to pull out key accent colors.
• Line three bud vases or decorative bottles, low or tall, along the middle of your kitchen table or along your sink for a fun, dramatic effect. It’s also a great conversation starter when guests drop by.
• Inspire neatness. Place flowers where kitchen clutter typically congregates to prevent future messes from settling there.
• What could be simpler than bringing home a few blooms to brighten your kitchen table and your mood?” says Cole. “Experiment, design and smile.”

The Home Ecology of Flowers Research Methodology (2006)

Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and her research team investigated the effects of flowers in the home environment on well being. Fifty-four people, ages 25-60, were studied using a series of self-report measures allowing the research team to know where the person was, with whom and what they were doing when they experienced an emotion, both when flowers were and were not present. Half of the participants received a “control” home d�cor item, other than flowers, to ensure study validity. After living with either flowers or the control intervention for approximately one week, participants rated their feelings during specific periods of the day, recording emotions during each episode. The research team also took photographs before and after flowers were delivered to determine any changes in use or appearance of the room.

About Dr. Nancy Etcoff

Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., is a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard University Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative and a practicing psychologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry where she is the Director of the Program in Aesthetics and Well Being. At Harvard, she currently teaches a course entitled “The Science of Happiness.”

About Rebecca Cole

Rebecca began her design business 12 years ago and is the author of three books, Potted Gardens, which won the Quill and Trowel Award, Paradise Found: Gardening in Unlikely Spaces and Flower Power. According to Oprah, Rebecca Cole is “one of the country’s top designers.” E! says she’s “a designer with boundless energy and limitless imagination,” and the New York Post coined her “Garden Goddess.” Rebecca has hosted Discovery Channel’s Surprise by Design since its inception in 2002. She contributed to the Today show for six years running, and has appeared on scores of television and radio shows including, Oprah, The View, CNN and BBC World News. Her career, business and home have been profiled in over 300 national and international publications as diverse as Architectural Digest, Forbes, Budget Living, Martha Stewart Living, Us Magazine, Hanajikan Japan, Metropolitan Home, Woman’s Day, Travel and Leisure, Air France, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, The New Yorker and Greek Maison.

 

Mind and matter are interconnected, according to personal fulfillment expert and best-selling author Jayme Barrett, as she points to university research studies linking flowers with happiness, creativity, compassion and tranquility. Barrett’s interiors expertise coupled with the floral investigations demonstrate that flowers hold an intrinsic, natural energy that, when used throughout the home, can create positive shifts in emotions, and lead to truly inspired living.

“People and flowers both have a life force that needs oxygen to thrive, and light and water to live. And, when we are surrounded by nature, our emotions are calmed and harmonized,” says Barrett, who has applied the principles of Zen and feng shui to floral design. Her philosophy is that we can cultivate idyllic atmospheres by purposefully integrating flowers throughout our living space.

In fact, research from America’s leading universities has cemented the connection that flowers have both scientific and emotional powers. As early as 2000, Rutgers University found that flowers create instant delight and happiness, and increase enjoyment and life satisfaction. Most recently, a Harvard University study introduced small bouquets of flowers into people’s morning routines and discovered that respondents immediately perked up, much like they would with a morning vitamin.

“We need and deserve simple ways of creating homes where we feel happy and harmonious by disconnecting from the hectic pace of the world outside,” says Barrett. “Flowers are a wonderful way to ease the stress of everyday life and refocus our emotions more constructively.”

So that anyone can introduce a range of positive floral energies in the home, Barrett shares a simple, do-it-yourself guide to creating Vitamin F arrangements. Her seven soul-stimulating energies include gratitude, wellness, inspiration and motivation, love and romance, new beginnings, serenity, and prosperity. Her floral formula factors in color combination, shape and significance, vase style, placement in the home and flower variety.

Gratitude: Reminds us to be grateful for the little blessings in life

Key Colors: A low, clustered arrangement in all shades of pink symbolizes opening the heart and making others more receptive to you.

Vase Style: A glass container of any size is fitting, as its transparency exhibits openness.

In the Home: To start and end the day counting your blessings, place this depiction of gratitude on a nightstand, dresser or in the kitchen.

Suggested Flower Options: Ranunculus, alstroemeria, tulips, spray roses

Wellness: Evokes balanced feelings of mind, body and spirit

Key Color: Yellow is the primary color for this emotional energy, as it represents the sun, life force and health. Supplement a big burst of blooms with greens, which induce nature’s healing energy, and white, which reflects serenity.

Vase Style: Choose an oval or round, terra-cotta, wood or bamboo container to replicate the Earth’s element, providing grounding and balance.

In the Home: Locate this energy in the living room or family room to enhance the space of relaxation, meditation and family connection.

Suggested Flower Options: Gerbera, carnations, solidago, hydrangea (white or green), callas, pompons, chrysanthemums

Inspiration and Motivation: Infuses the soul with rejuvenating energy

Key Color: Red epitomizes motivation, fame, courage and power. Design an up-shooting spray that also includes sensuous, rich orange and fuchsia, which suggest enthusiasm and exuberance.

Vase Style: A tall mirrored or shiny metal container of any kind will stoke inspiration. Mirrors boost positive energies and bring good luck, which will circulate through all endeavors.

In the Home: The home office is an ideal place to inject motivational energy — or the power of now. Anyone will feel encouraged to reach for the stars and live life to the fullest.
Suggested Flower Options: Roses, callas, Asiatic lilies, snapdragons, hypericum

Love and Romance: Sparks intimate connections and blossoming love

Key Color: A tight bunch of flowers flush with burgundy and red embodies feelings of passion and romance. Incorporating lush pinks and peaches will help invite love and inspire kindness.

Vase Style: A circular vase is the perfect shape for never-ending love.

In the Home: Spark feelings of adoration during a meal in the kitchen or dining room. As you nourish your body, you will be dually energized by love and encouraged to show your affection throughout the day and night. Flowers are a great addition to the bedroom too.

Suggested Flower Options: Stock, roses, alstroemeria

New Beginnings: Welcomes change with open arms and mind

Key Color: Stimulate joy, enthusiasm and excitement with a simple arrangement featuring the color orange. Complement it with white — the color of purity and freshness — and green, characterizing new opportunity and growth.

Vase Style: A square, ceramic vase brings an earthy energy, proclaiming that while the sky’s the limit, it’s good to keep your feet firmly rooted on the ground.

In the Home: Put the spirit of new horizons on display on a mantle or coffee table, where it will instill faith, creativity and endless possibility.

Suggested Flower Options: Gerbera, carnations, Asiatic lilies, spray roses, alstroemeria

Serenity: Allows our minds to unwind and release tension, bringing a sense of calm to our lives

Key Color: Loosely arranged hues of blue, violet and lavender evoke serenity and will help clear the mind of stress. Blue represents the ocean and sky, while shades of purple invoke spiritual energy.

Vase Style: A cobalt blue glass vase represents inner wisdom and will help add balance. The blue is yin (soft, curving, cyclical) and the glass is yang (straight, shiny, linear) for a perfect equilibrium.

In the Home: Setting this in the entryway will set the tone for tranquility as you step inside your home from the chaotic world outside.

Suggested Flower Options: Hydrangea, delphinium, lisianthus, stock

Prosperity: Stimulates action and indicates success and richness

Key Color: Let red or deep purple dominate this abundant arrangement, intimating accomplishment and wealth. Accent with shades of gold, the preeminent color for good health and fortune.

Vase Style: Select a metallic, perhaps golden container, representing a pot of gold.

In the Home: Give your home a boost by placing this inspirational bouquet where you welcome guests or potential buyers.

Suggested Flower Options: Lilies, roses, lisianthus, snapdragons

“We all strive to surround ourselves with positive energy, and nature is a powerful and proven tonic,” says Barrett. “Anyone can let Vitamin F fortify their home, whether it’s a refuge, haven, retreat or sanctuary.”

http://www.southparkflorist.com

Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin F:
Nature’s Remedy for Emotional Energy

Personal Fulfillment Expert Reveals
Flowers Fuel the Soul and Create Inspiring Spaces