I lugged the family along for a long weekend in Aptos to tour some of our local growers in Monterey Bay, including Kitayama Bros. We camped at our favorite coastal beach, Manresa, and I spent my entire Saturday going from tour to tour with my mouth wide open at the greenhouses. While I would have loved to take it all home, Look at my orchid souvenirs amongst our gear and boogie boards. Thanks to all the growers for opening their homes to us.
This is the third year that I have collaborated on the flowers with the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael for their annual fundraiser. This year's theme was Marin Alfresco, which brought many of Marin's top restaurants and bakeries together to offer guests AMAZING gourmet cuisine in an outside sparkly lit space.
Inspired by the design of the invitations including artwork of the tree of life, I combined manzanita branches with a mass of colored blooms including dahlias, peonies and hydrangeas to recreate this imagery in the outside spaces.
This is a must go to event for next year. It was a party (amazing band too) and all for a great cause and community.
And a huge thank you to the JCC for asking me to be part of their preferred vendors list for future events!
http://www.marinjcc.org/aboutus/marin-alfresco/
We lost our beloved Tia this month, a woman who has always been there for me and my family, and always with the right doses of affection, advice, tea and biscuits, and gentle wit. Our "aunty" was the woman who my eldest said "was the grandmother she'd never met." While we are all wondering how to take the next steps with her daughter in planning her memorial, I recall her telling me on our last visit to "make it a celebration."
I was honored that her daughter asked me to do her flowers. As I shopped the mart for the perfect flowers, I picked up all the spring color I could find: larkspur, lilies, stock, roses and the last of the spring lilac. Some months back I had come across a gorgeous European gold and ivory tureen at a tag sale. Who knew then that would come to be the perfect vessel for her flowers. I've always had the widest eyes at Tia's many collections, especially her china patterns, so no doubt her flowers would need to be arranged in fine china.
The celebration took place in our family church and Tia's service was THE occasion. As friends gathered to share their moments and memories, women pinned her favorite gardenia on their dresses in homage. The service was a celebration with so many heartfelt readings, eulogies, tears, smiles and songs including a rendition of her favorite "You Are My Sunshine" by my girls. And how fitting that the priest mentioned Tia's life was emblematic of the famous saying by Mother Teresa "do small things with great love." And the flowers--underneath her photograph and urn stood a four-foot long vase that I filled with tall spring blooms, inspired by a time when we visited Filoli Gardens together and she stood in awe of the beauty and nature around her. And in the fine china, I filled it as tight as possible with a classical mix of blooms ever wanting her to somehow see and enjoy her flowers. Although, even if I had a field of flowers to give her, it wouldn't be enough.
I was awoken this Mother's Day with a call at 7:00 am that a beloved family friend was no longer with us. Joyce, was like a mother to me and to so many. As the shock overwhelmed me, I flooded with memories of her and how she took care of so many daughters. How fitting it is that she would leave us on her day.
Today, I am starting a new tradition by making a spring posie in her honor.
My favorite time of the year brings my favorite annual show of the year--Bouquets to Art at the DeYoung Museum. If you have never been, please make the trip. Local designers create floral arrangements inspired by one of the museums collections. Here is one of my favs.