Decorated Pumpkins

When I used to work as a floral designer for a company in Dallas several years ago, every year they would make gorgeous dried floral pumpkin arrangements to sell to their high-end clientele. The price of one these pumpkins could cost you a pretty penny too...and in my opinion, they were waaaay overpriced. My solution? Make my own!! All you need are a few materials and some know-how and you're golden. :) 


Here's my debut pumpkin I made about 5 years ago:

Not too shabby for my first try. ;) And here's how you can make your own!!....


Materials you'll need:


*Pumpkin
*Green dried moss (can get it at Hobby Lobby or other craft stores)
*Dried grasses or wheat, seed pods, flowers, twigs, acorns, lavender, etc. Whatever suits your fancy (from dried floral section of craft store or from your own yard! :))
*Hot glue gun
*Hot glue sticks (probably about 5-10, depending on how much of a glue monster you are)


First you'll want to start with a good, fat pumpkin. This time around instead of using a traditional orange pumpkin I used a "Cinderella" pumpkin because I like it's shorter, squat-ier, fat shape. 

I started by hot gluing the green moss on top to create a "cap" of sorts. This will help all your dried floral to adhere nicely. :)


Next, starting with a section at a time, add your dried floral and other nature finds. Every pumpkin will end up looking different depending on what materials you use, just be creative and let your imagination guide you!  Here's what mine ended up looking like:

In this arrangement I used: dried wheat, dried eucalyptus,
3 brown seed pods, dried green hydrangea, dried lavender,
fall leaves, faux yellow floral, twigs from my yard, some
greenery from my yard, and dried roses. 

I gave this one to my Momma for her birthday (Happy Birthday again, Mom!!). I'm thinking...since I loved making it so much.....I might just make one for myself too!!

If you end up making one let me know how it turns out!!

Happy Fall Decorating,

Gail

Gypsophilia: a second look

I guess you could say I'm a bit of a flower snob. As a floral designer who gets to work with so many different varieties of flowers, I tend to turn my nose up to your average "grocery store" bouquet. We're talkin' carnations, daisies, and Baby's Breath, to name a few. It's not that I don't think they're pretty...cause they are...they just wouldn't be what I would choose first. I guess you could say they're inferior in the flower world. Poor little fellows. Now....if I were to receive such inferior flowers from my husband....haha....that'd be a different story. Any flowers from my husband are gems in my opinion....although he is getting a pretty good idea of what I absolutely love.

What I have been struck with lately though, is that when said grocery store flowers are arranged alone in mass, they really do make quite the bold statement. Take gypsophilia (Baby's Breath) for instance:

Source

Absolutely stunning. Tucked here and there in a bouquet and they're only so so, but massed together...WOW. I get to design a table for a baby shower in a month for a friend of mine....and I'm thinkin', gypsophilia may just make a name for itself once again. ;)

Have a beautiful day,

Gail

{Gail Gaffin Designs} and a Party

Now that Cole is nearly 4 months old and I'm starting to feel like I've got a handle on things routine-wise, I'm starting to think of getting back in the swing of things for Gail Gaffin Designs. I love flowers and design, and with the weather getting warmer lately, I've got Spring and Summer events on the brain.

This past weekend I went to a fun dinner/cocktail party for a friend of mine. I decided to make something special for the party and this is what I came up with....

{White calla lilies, mauve snapdragons, cherry-colored

roses, pale pink asiatic lilies and ivory gerbera daisies

accented with seeded eucalyptus and curly willow}

It was fun to put together and made me really miss designing! There's just something about being around beauty that totally lifts my mood and gives me perspective. I see God in flowers and nature, so naturally being around them brings me closer to Him. It's awesome. ;)

Here's a few pics from the party as well. Any excuse to get dressed up for an evening is good enough for me!

{Good Friends}

{Delicious raspberry-spinach-almond salad}

{Fun tissue and newspaper pom poms}

Me & the Birthday Girl, Kristen

Have a beautiful Monday,

Gail

Flowers for a Happy Day

I had the privilege of doing flowers for a beautiful wedding this

past weekend for a client of mine...

The Bride's bouquet was designed using

calla lilies, gerbera daisies, roses, spray roses

& hypericum berries in cheerful citrus colors.

Small Maid's bouquets using one variety of flower

made a stunning presentation wrapped in

coordinating ribbon.

My company, Gail Gaffin Designs, is still in the "bud" stage....but I look forward to seeing it "blossom"! (How's that for a floral analogy?)

And whether I'm doing a wedding...or simply designing for my home...

....no job is work when you're doing something you love.

XOXO,

Gail

P.S. What job do you have or had that was more like play than work?