September in Santa Barbara! A gorgeous (and very tall) couple, white tablescapes of florals at the country club after an intimate beach side ceremony... perfection!

Photos by the talented Kristen Grinnell Photography

 Adamson House in late July... a gorgeous bride and handsome groom, all their friends and family gathered beach side.

A ceremony under an oak tree and reception decor of bright curly edged roses, succulents, gardenias in stone containers.

They danced the night away under the twinkly lights with the moonlit ocean waving in the background...

incredible photos by Laurie Bailey Photography

http://www.lauriebailey.com/

 We were invited to participate in one of the best flower and design showcases in the city again this year!

Robinson Garden~ Under the Tuscan Sun~ Garden Tour and Gala

It was a beautiful, temperate day awash with giant hats, designer dresses and excellent company.

Imagine you were staying in the guest room on a little Olive Farm in Tuscany...

Now everything you would see outside from your window is INSIDE:

the window boxes, the olive trees, even the wishing fountain for Buona Fortuna!

We gave everyone a coin to make their wish in the fountain in the guest bathtub... so we should have World Peace by now and many happily engaged singles finding love!

Our Italian Ingredients included:

olive branches, garden roses, peonies, rosemary, basil, oregano, lavender, lilac, and burlap.

We had the great pleasure of participating in the Simunye Trust Preview Party at 

The Wellness Living Store last Thursday.

We assisted the fabulous Isobel Estorick in creating a one of a kind 

landscape for elegant African adornments of all kinds!

The life size hand beaded animals are spectacular! 

And they are for sale! All net proceeds will benefit 

The Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, 

the ONLY pediatric hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa.

So very important.

What a great event! (And I left with a gorgeous handwoven basket as my Mother's Day present, thanks honey!)

The magical, handcrafted treasures are on display and for sale thru May 26th. Go, see, buy! 

(And check out the Wellness Store while you are there~  (with a very handsome, present, knowledgeable herbalist ready to answer any questions and solve your ailments) bookstore, classes and all things...well... Well!

http://wellnesslivingstore.com

For more info about Simunye Trust, visit here:

http://www.simunyetrust.org/

 They say a good man is hard to find...

well, not if you want a caramel maker that is as sweet as his confections. A Bon-Bon Man, if you will?

Meet Le Bon Garcon:

, a true talent, and when you combine that with his classical French training, imagination and the best of the best ingredients~ you get something infused with goodness both in fact and feel.

His small boxes make excellent party favors, and you will hear from your guest for weeks after as they exclaim their delight in your gift.

His salted caramel are made with Plugra butter and Fleur de Sel and whatever magic that is in the maker.

Remember 'Like Water for Chocolate'? It's like that. (But more "Like Salt for Caramel") The combination of ingredients are exceptional, the method meticulous, but it is the man behind the morsel that makes them fabulous.

You can purchase these individually wrapped, handmade caramels in small bags of Assorted including passion fruit, macadamia nut and salted, or just the salted caramels (my fav, although it is hard to choose, maybe just one more taste of each...) They are here in the shop and flying out the door fast! We usually have samples available, but you best come on in an try one before they disappear. 

http://www.lebongarcon.com/pages/about-le-bon-garcon

ENJOY!

 We had the great pleasure to participate in a wedding at Beverly Hill's charming Greystone Mansion.

We created a romantic tablescape with vintage and new silver containers and glass filled with creams and pale pinks.

Garden roses, anemones, lilac, camellia, French tulips, heather, vibernum, all in little handtied arrangements.

We rented out our vintage record player and tin tables to complete the look of a classic living room outdoors, Great Gatsby style.

A gorgeous day of beauty and a true celebration of love.

The photos are courtesy of one of the most delightful, organized and incredibly talented photographers we have had the opportunity to work with: http://cheninboutwell.com/

Somewhere over the last few years some people have stopped liking roses.

They have become too 'common', not exotic enough. The poor rose. Artificially scented and regulated to Grandma's back bathroom.

Roses have been the symbol of love for eons, ridiculously important participants in history, art, myth, culture.

And yet, somehow in the 1970's they became mass produced and the scent was eventually bred out of the common grocery store variety. 

Here's what I think: Don't buy those! (Don't buy cheap grocery store flowers anyway. The quality just isn't as good, so they won't last nearly as long, and you'll have to buy more, thus canceling out the cheap price incentive you bought them for in the first place.)

and

Roses are AMAZING.

I wish you could smell the varieties of specialty and garden roses we stock everyday. There is nothing like the lemony scent of Juliet roses, or the sweet scent of Dark Milva. From tart and tangy to soft and sweet~ The Rose is still an enchantress.

And the metaphor holds strong. We should not take for granted the roses, the daisies, the geraniums, the freeway side flowers. They are all around us. In our busy, hectic, jam packed lives it's important that we take a moment, now and then, to peel our eyes from our kindle, ipad, or text convo to look out the window. Take a deep breath. Enjoy the simple, real, fluid details of our surroundings. To go for a walk, visit a park, meet a friend for a chat~ face to face, al fresco. 

(Of course, I have the job perk of being able to do this daily... and I still have to remind myself sometimes.)

Life is sumptuous, tantalizing, deep, sparkly, fragrant and free!

Let's take a moment to not only stop and smell the roses, but to really appreciate them as well. Shall we?

Imagine a young, smart, fun couple with friends and family from the East Coast and West Coast coming together to celebrate their marriage! They have a vision of a beachside wedding, elegant but whimsical, thoughtful, but lighthearted, a PARTY!

Easily one of my favorite couples to work with: these two were on the same page, so respectful of each other, and everyone who participated in their wedding. Truly amazing people... and they found each other! 

They reinforced my belief in True Love. They made my job fun, and quite frankly... that doesn't always happen...

They chose black and white Pucci style silk covering for their tables, arranged in a huge square with dancing in the middle and cocktail lounges on either side. They wanted lots of color! But with the bold table linens we encouraged them to go with four color blocked tables broken up by black lacquer trays.The result was stunning: an all blue head table, as well as an all pink, all orange and all green table. Colorful, fun, whimsical... one of a kind!

Enjoy some visual inspiration!

 bridal bouquet with the four colors wedding white

bridesmaid bouquets: orange and pink

 bridesmaid bouquet: green

   flower girl headpieces and girl mini bouquets

 groomsman boutonniere and blue bouquet

   blue table central piece, tray of goodness

   orange table central piece+pink table

 main table

Dear You,

The Holidays are here again... and again I am surprised and delighted by the generosity and beauty of spirit revealed at this time of year.

My wish is that it is continued with persistence and consistence throughout the year!

We have so many in need, our Armed Forces away from their families, a country in a financial crisis.

And yet~we have so much! Anytime I start to feel frustrated or afraid I remind myself what I am grateful for, and that list is LONG!

Our little shop is still going, thanks to YOU, a lot of work, early mornings, and personal sacrifice.

And I am so proud of my little shop, for the opportunity to have a creative vision work in a practical way.

Now specifically:

I am so grateful to all the Friends of the Robinson Garden who have been so supportive and inspiring! 

• Shop Andrew's Cheese Shop

I certainly can't go without big love to my Robin!!!

HOME Social Construct Events

Many thanks to my friend and co-worker Robin Smith. She has made the last season of running the flower shop so much easier and waaaaay more fun. If you want the best holiday party ever? You wanna see Robin. She is spectacularly creative, chic, and surprisingly affordable. Do it! You'll thank ME later.

I love the ladies at Chivas Skin Care! I owe them my gorgeous, hydrated, happy skin! I started using the facial creme last year, and it is amazing!!!! And I have tried everything from super expensive creams a la mer, to drugstore cheapies. This is the best stuff, and from happy goats in SoCal! The lip balm is also an absolute necessity. We carry their products in the store, but check them out online anyway...

  

• home Chivas Skin Care

Really I could go on and on and on... that's how lucky/blessed/grateful I am!

If you are looking for a way to give back this year, check out one of my favorite oranizations: Hope Equity.

They are truly amazing. You can make your gift personal and lasting.

•  Give  to Hope Equity: the gift that grows

Many wishes to you for a happy, happy holiday and the best new year yet!!!!

love, 

Emily