"Pink Saturday" ~ Where Art Thou Spring? ~

So tired of this....PINK or not it is still SNOW........I'm ready for this......



Ah...... SPRING......Show me your warmth & beauty once again!

Thank you to those who stop by.....Sorry I didn't get this posted soon enough to be on the list!!...

Thank you Beverly for hosting....visit her at; How Sweet the Sound....There you will find a list of ladies who are in the PINK!

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY!

"Mystery Client"... ~ Container Selection ~

HELP ME!!!
I need your help.....I'm in the container selection process for the main arrangement that my "Mystery Client" has asked for& nothing I am choosing seems to be quite right.

Let me give you a bit of information so that you can make an educated selection. The "Mystery Client" would like to have a rather large piece that can be used on a breakfast bar in the kitchen area & on a coffee table in an adjacent room. I've been given measurements of no taller than 3' & no wider than 2 to 2 1/2'. The arrangement must be able to be viewed from all sides since it may be displayed in a couple of different places.

The "Mystery Client" likes nature & natural looks when it comes to flowers, & French Provencal color palettes. I can incorporate fruit along with the greenery & flowers. The flowers must be natural .....meaning they would be found in the color I would choose, naturally in nature. I can add berries, vining elements, twigs, & maybe even some feathers.

So...With all that being said....I am asking you to post in the comment section what your favorite container is .....or should I keep looking?



This is a small collection that only a couple seemed appropriate or the right size.




1.Top left is a soft shade of weathered sage green embossed tin. Thumbs down :(
2. The top right is an urn style with a weathered look & amber resin embellishment. Not big enough..Thumbs Down :(
3. Bottom left is leaves of pressed metal with a bronze / copper finish. It also has a powdery look to accent the grooves in the leaves. On the fence with this one.....Thumbs Sideways :/
4. The bottom right is a traditional urn with acanthus leaves. Likes this but not for this project.... for something else maybe?.....Thumbs Sideways again :/


This container is made from resin in the form of a tree trunk...knot holes & all! Can't get more "Natural" than that, Right?? Apparently you can...LOL......Thumbs Down :(

Well anyway....I would appreciate your input...as for my "Mystery Client"....they think maybe I should keep looking. What is making me VERY nervous is the fact that they have given me a deadline of BEFORE Valentine's Day!!

For now I am still in search of the PERFECT container......I might have more selections to post for you tomorrow...fingers crossed XX!!

I still feel like this would all go much smoother for all of us, if they would just consent to letting me visit their home....my bags are semi-packed & I am waiting for the phone to ring....and give me the THUMBS UP!!

Can you say.....DOG WITH A BONE!!! ....LOL LOL

"Rose Wednesday" ~ Yellow Rose of Friendship ~

Jan & Tom at Rose Haven are hosting another Rose Wednesday. If you love roses, I encourage you to visit their blog to see a complete list of participants showing off their love of Roses.

With the upcoming Valentine's Day Holiday, I thought I'd share with you some different ideas for roses that are available to give other than red.



This rose is called Skyline. It is a wonderful shade of bright yellow with unusual shaped petals. It reminds me of another style of heirloom rose. If you are looking for a rose to give to a friend, Skyline Yellow is a great choice. It is a fairly long lasting vase rose, with not too many thorns & a nice petal count. Although it is very pretty to look at, unfortunately there is not much fragrance associated with it.



Yellow roses are traditionally given as a sign of friendship. It is the perfect choice to send to someone as a symbol of friendship & platonic love without the romance conveyed with some of the other rose colors. It is also a wonderful choice to send to brighten someones day or send them your appreciation.

Enjoy your Rose Wednesday!

"Blue Monday" ~ Jewelry Designs ~

Today is another Blue Monday......A big thank you to Smiling Sally for her kind hospitality she shows each Blue Monday. Visit her blog to see the Blue Ladies of this Monday.

Today I am showing you another one of my creative outlets, designing jewelry. This is something that I do in the evenings at home. I also have beads & beading tables in my flower shop, that my customers can sit at & designs their own jewelry. They are welcome to use our tools & only pay for the materials that they use.




This necklace was designed with the lampwork glass flip flop as the pendant focal point. Lampwork glass is one of my favorite things to incorporate in my designs because no two are ever alike. They are like wearing a little piece of art.



This is a custom design that was made for Carrie of Cookie Girl Creations. She had a necklace that she wanted a pair of earrings & a bracelet to coordinate with. I created these by using an emailed photo of her necklace. The bracelet has some vintage glass beads as well as lampworked glass beads. The links & chain are all sterling silver.




This necklace, bracelet & earring set are one of a kind pieces that were created for my dearest friend (& Sis), our very own Muse. I made them for her as part of her birthday gift this past year. Amazingly, when she open the box, I was told she was wearing the perfect shade of blue top to wear them with. And I believe she proceed to wear them out to the farm....best dressed farmer Muse for sure! LOL xo
What happened after that......shall remain a secret! ;) LOL LOL

Ok, let's just say I've learned that when making custom or one of a kind pieces, make sure you have extra beads & components to make spare pieces (ie: earrings etc)......that's all I'm saying!!!!

They were designed using sterling silver beads, rhodium tiles, & shades of blue gemstones (not sure of name) . I lost the tag off the gemstone strand that stated what they were, sorry.

If anyone would like custom pieces designed for yourself or someone you love, you may contact me via email or call White Iris Designs.

"Pink Saturday" ~ Mystery Client Style! ~

Our hostess for this day of complete Pinkness is Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. If you would like to "get your pink on" or see who's showing off their pink...visit her blog for a complete list of participating bloggers partnering in the "PINK" today!

As some of you know I posted on Thursday that I have been commissioned by a "Mystery Celeb Client", but I am not at liberty to reveal who it is. (If you missed it, you can read all about it by clicking "Mystery Celeb Client" It will completely explain this PINK BLOG POST!!

Here are some of my plans for the gratuitousness of my "Mystery Client":


Here you see some of my Pink Cash for a job well done!!




Which I will use for an extended stay on a secluded exotic PINK SANDY BEACH!



Where I will lay in my hammock & enjoy breathtaking PINK SUNSETS reflecting in the ocean.



Of course there will be an endless supply of PINK COSMOS delivered to me, at my will, by my extremely gorgeous Cabana Boy!



Along with the PINK COSMOS, I shall have the freshest PINK SHRIMP COCKTAILS on the island, anytime I choose!



At the end of each glorious day, a PINK BUBBLE BATH will await me!
Aahhhhh........sa weet!



After a relaxing soak in the PINK BUBBLES, I will then sink into the comfy feather bed covered by luxurious TIFFANY PINK BED LINENS & have sweet dreams of another day in the PINK!!.............. ZZZzzzzzzz



Aahhh....thank you "MYSTERY CELEB CLIENT"

If you have not taken a guess on who this "Mystery Client" is, please click the link to the post & let me know who you think it is. Of course I cannot tell you if you are right, but it is such fun to read your guesses!

Happy Pink Saturday to all!!

~Celebrity Client Mystery~

It's Happened & I'm Beside Myself!!
"Celebrity Client" Commissions White Iris Designs!!




Ok here's the deal...I get this email from this "Well Known" person, telling me that they have visited my blog & really like the floral designs that they saw there. They told me that they recently made some renovations & were in need of some custom designed floral arrangements to compliment the new decor. (I know so cool!!)

MUMS the Word!!!

So.....after hearing what they are looking for, I agree to take on the project. But wait there are extenuating circumstances.....I knew there had to be a catch..too good to be true is what I was thinking.
Now I'm told here is a list of

"RULES"

1. I cannot reveal to anyone who said "HUGE CELEB" is!



2. This is to all be done via email, through photos, & phone conversations. No in home visits...WHAT?? A Celeb & no home visits........are you kidding me?



3. I was given a list of specific likes & dislikes ....restrictions....does & don'ts a mile long!



4. And this all has to be finished by Valentine's Day!! NO PRESSURE, Right?!!

5. The designs all have to be shipped to their home! (Again still no in person meeting...bummer!)

Is it a Hollywood Star?


Maybe say.........new Hollywood stars like ...... Brangelina or Tomkat....
or maybe it is classic Hollywood stars like.... Sean Connery or Meryl Streep?


Just who is this "CELEB"? You may post your guesses in the comment boxes....of course I am not at liberty to tell you if you are right...so.... I'm thinking for now it will be fun to see who you all think it could be.
I am hoping that at some point I will be able to reveal their identity. How hard is this going to be? I have a huge project with a "Celeb" client & I cannot tell a sole......
it is going to be VERY hard!!


Who is the Mystery Celebrity Client??

Maybe a BIG ROCK STAR??

You know like Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, LOL
or maybe it is Bon Jovi, or Elvis....yes Graceland could definitely use some new decor!!
Hmm..... who do you think I could "Rock Their World" ........with flowers?

Mmm maybe a Sports Star???

Could it be Michael Phelps, Payton Manning,
or maybe the Williams Sisters...... Venus or Sarena??
Will I be able to hit a home run or score a touchdown with my client??


Or MAYBE...just MAYBE....
it is not that kind of star at all....

Do you think you know who it is?

I will continue to post the progress of this project as new situations arise. I will follow it from start to finish & take you along for the ride! Check back every Thursday to see updates. Any advise, words of wisdom, & encouragement are extremely welcomed.

WISH ME LUCK!!

"Rose Wednesday" ~ Freedom Red ~

Ahh Hump Day can only mean one thing...It's Rose Wednesday!! If you love all things rosy, you should visit Jan & Tom's Rose Haven to see how you can be a participant. Or if you would like to visit other blogs who have stopped to smell the roses on Wednesdays, there is a complete list of those who are participating there too.




Today I am introducing you to my favorite standard true red rose, "Freedom." This is the red rose that I have a standing order for every week. It is the perfect true red rose. Freedom has long straight sturdy stems, a high petal count, pretty dark green foliage, & is a long lasting vase rose. The only thing it is lacking is a wonderful fragrance to enhance it's beauty.




Here is is shown in a small massed style arrangement with cedar, white pine tips, & Carolina Sapphire. A very soft red aluminum wire was wrapped around the vase to bring a bit of interest to the otherwise plain frosted cylinder vase. It also brings just a bit of red coloring downward out of the arrangement. To add a bit of sparkle some fine iridescent glitter was sprinkled on top of the entire bouquet.

With the stems cut short, this arrangement will probably have a vase life of at least 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. Just be sure to change out your water, add new floral preservative, & put a fresh cut on the stems. I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but when you cut the stems of roses (or all flowers for that matter)you should ALWAYS cut the stem on an angle. This will allow for a surface of the stem to be exposed for the water to be absorbed up the stem. If you cut the flower stem flat, it will sit on the bottom of the vase & the stem cannot absorb the water. Therefore it cannot take the water to the head of the flower & it will wilt. Or get what we call "Bent Neck Syndrome."



This arrangement is another one that was made to sit on the counter at a chiropractors office. It is in a rectangular glass container with the bottom layered with red gemmies, mini pine cones, & artificial snow. The left side of the container has another small liner inside to hold the floral foam. The arrangement is Freedom Roses, Red berries, cedar, white pine & curly willow.



On the right side of the container I created a nest for a cardinal out of Spanish moss & nestled the cardinal inside. Another cardinal perched on the branch of the curly willow. A ribbon was tied around the line of the glass where the top of the gems, pine cones etc. end, to hide the line. A couple of artificial berries were glued in the middle of the bow.

Again as long as the floral foam is kept hydrated, this arrangement should last 1 1/2 to 2 weeks.

I love to design with roses in unique ways instead of the typical dozen arranged in a vase with Baby breath....Boring!! (this is just this flower lady's opinion) LOL...LOL

Let me know what you think! I love your comments!

"Tablescape Tuesday" ~ Another Quick Table ~

Tablescape Tuesday is hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch, to see how to join in the fun or for a list of participating bloggers, visit Susan's blog.


Today's table is the quick & simple table that was set on Sunday for my son, Evan's birthday breakfast.

Since I had returned the dinning room table back to normal size after Christmas, it reduced the seating from 12 to 6. By doing this, not much room is allowed for centerpiece displays & food. Since it was for a 23 year old guy's birthday, I kept it simple, for him, but still pretty, for me!



A simple centerpiece using an artificial wreath of winter greenery accented with sugared fruit, pine cones, & grapevine branches was added to the center of the table. I used a couple of candlesticks & pale green pillar candles in the center of the wreath.



The table was double layered with a butter cream damask tablecloth on the bottom & a cream & brown vintage lace tablecloth laid over the top. The lace cloth was used like a wide table runner allowing much of the butter cream cloth to show.



Each place setting was a combination of my everyday sage green dishes & my Gardenia pattern china on top. A berry bowl was set on top of a bread plate & I added my green crystal stemware. A cream cloth napkin was simple knotted & laid on top of the plates.



This is Evan with his girlfriend of 7 years, Val.
Have a blessed Tuesday!

"Blue Monday" ~ Happy Birthday Evan! Plus... Bonus Recipe for Fried Baked Potatoes ~

Today's Blue Monday post is in honor of my oldest son, Evan's, birthday. It's hard for me to believe that 23 years ago I was about to begin a job that I was completely not qualified for........ Motherhood.

From the moment that we were told we were expecting, emotions ranged from giddiness, excitement, joy, fear & sometimes complete terror. This was going to be a job in which there is no training, no care manuals are included, there are certainly no do overs offered & you cannot just simply "Change your mind" midway through. No, this was going to require instinct, help from family, trial & error & lots of prayers. It also requires forgiveness, patience, laughter, tears & lots of unconditional love.

After 23 years of self taught parenting skills under our belts, I can look at my son & say with certainty that we did pretty well. He has become one of the most tender hearted, kind, loving, & funny young men I know. I am so proud of the man he is & cannot wait to see where his life takes him.

If he reads this he will be completely embarrassed, but that is what mothers are for & he would expect nothing less from me. Thanks for indulging this proud mother!!

Now for my Blue Monday offering:



This is a piece of tile that his Great Grandmother had painted for him when he was born. It has his name, date of birth, weight & time of birth painted on it. The time of birth is painted on the clock on the wall.



Here is a baby cup that a friend his Grandmother's painted for him when he was born.
The back has the date of birth & his weight on it.



This is the front of that cup with his name, a cute bear & blue flowers.

Here is your BONUS Fried Baked Potatoes Recipe:

We had both boys & their girlfriends over for breakfast for Evan's birthday, Sunday. I made him his favorite breakfast of Biscuits & Gravy & Fried Baked Potatoes. I am posting the pictures of the potatoes because a couple of weeks ago, on a Tablescape Tuesday post I mentioned that we were having them as part of our dinner. I had quite a few people ask me about them, so I thought I'd tell you how we make them.



First off, when I bake potatoes, I always make lots of extras. You can keep them refrigerated for a few days wrapped in the foil. They have to be cold when you dice them or they will not hold their shape.



After you dice them up into bite sized pieces, saute them in a skillet with some olive oil & a little bit of butter. I like to add diced onions & bits of bacon. Salt & pepper to taste. Fry them to your desired crispness.



In our opinion, they are the best fried potatoes & since they are already cooked, you do not have to use so much oil therefore less mess & faster cooking time. We like to serve them with ranch dressing or sour cream with garlic & cilantro. We have even grated fresh Parmesan cheese over them. For Evan's birthday, we served them with sausage gravy. Sometimes we even add left over meat to the skillet & make what my husband calls a "Skillet Meal" Quick & easy twist to eating up those leftovers.

Give them a try I think you will agree they are the easiest & the best fried potatoes you've ever eaten!

To see many more Blue Monday posts visit Smiling Sally for the complete list of participating Blue Monday bloggers.

"Pink Saturday" ~ Painted Pink Perfection! ~

Wishing you all a very Happy Pink Saturday! Last week I nearly forgot my post as I was in such a rush from preparing for the Bridal Show & I promised that I would try to show something a bit more interesting this week. So....here it is...my favorite part of my green & pink kitchen. Someday soon, once the sun shows it's face again, & my kitchen has better light I will show the rest of the kitchen. But for now here is a peek.

If you love pink, and would like to see more pink beauties, visit How Sweet the Sound. Thanks to Beverly for being such a gracious hostess!



First a bit of back history about this piece.
My in laws have a vacation home in Cherokee Village, AK & we go there almost every spring over spring break. On a visit, approximately 4 or 5 years ago, I found this treasure in an antique shop that I love to browse when I'm there. But I had no way to get it back home since I had 4 teenage boys (my 2 & 2 nephews) & only a car. So I reluctantly left it all the while wishing I could take it back with me. I went back again, this time with my Mother in Law, still trying to find a way to get it home. Sadly I left for home without my new found treasure.

After returning home, I received a phone call from my Mother in Law & she wanted to know if I truly loved this cupboard, because if I did, they were going to get it for me as a gift & bring it home later in the spring when they returned to Indiana. I was so excited... I thanked her, said YES!!......& impatiently waited for them to return home.



I wish I had photos of this as it looked when I got it. It was the darkest walnut stained mess I'd ever seen. This would have made a great trash to treasure! I knew it would be perfect in my kitchen & would replace an old bakers rack that just didn't seem to fit anymore since the kitchen had changed dramatically. But as it was it just didn't work. It was way too dark of wood & didn't show off my collection of hand painted vintage plates & bowls.

So....much to my Mother in Law & several others chagrin I painted it cream laid a crackle medium over it & painted it pink...& VIOLA....there you have it....Painted Pink PERFECTION!!!



Now it looks great in my kitchen & the china looks beautiful off of the brighter pink background.

I know there are going to be a few of you out there who are thinking just as my Mother in Law did......WHAT??...is she NUTS???... LOL
But that is fine..I'm ok with that......maybe I am nuts...but I love it!

~Jewlery Designs~

Yesterday I was completely absorbed in removing the last of the Christmas decor from the flower shop & in the process finding myself kinda sad. Once I removed all the Christmas, it left the shop looking bare & sort of cold & stark. So now I am longing for the spring. Warmer weather, brighter colors & fun designs.

Today I will start designing spring themed silk flower arrangements & wreaths to replenish the shops showroom. Maybe that will lift my spirits.

So now you ask, why then are you posting photos of jewelry? Well that is because I do not have any new florals to show you & even though these jewelry designs were finished in the fall they are new to you.

When the holidays rolled around I found that I didn't have time to design much jewelry besides the pieces I gave away for Christmas gifts. I am sorry to say that I went down to the wire on getting those finished as always. (yep, that's me procrastination, NO, I'm not proud just stating the facts!!) So, I was in such a rush to get them in the mail, that I completely forgot to photograph them till they were already in transit!

So instead of having a stagnate blog, I thought I'd share a couple of pieces from the end of the summer & fall of '08 that I have not posted before.



This piece reminds me of hard candies. It is designed using various types of glass beads (some vintage) & sterling silver.



I believe this is made from what is called Apple Green Turquoise chips,sterling silver beads & the focal bead in the center strand is a lampwork glass bead.



The matching necklace is designed using the same apple green chip beads as the bracelet, with the pendant being a Tagua nut bead & a gemstone bead dangle accented with sterling silver.


I am currently working on some pieces using fused glass tiles, that I am designing. They are very unique with each glass tile being a bit different. When they are finished I will post the finished pieces. Maybe even a blog about the process of making the glass tiles & the whole process start to finish.

But for today, it is THINK SPRING all the way for me...it is suppose to only be 1 degree here, today with a low tonight of -12! I am not a fan of this weather AT ALL, so this is my only escape unless someone offers me plane tickets & complimentary accommodations in a beach house in the Gulf of Mexico!! Seriously I would be outta here, beading materials in hand, in a flash!!!
Have a wonderful Thursday!!