Floral Friday: Lessons from Christian Dior

Christian Dior once said, “A woman's perfume tells more about her than her handwriting.” True? Maybe.

Like many people, one sniff of a particular scent (burning leaves, gingerbread, rain on asphalt, Gain laundry detergent) can conjure up a number of lovely memories for me. I imagine the same can be said about one's perfume - it can remind you of something wonderful when you wear it, and it can be something other people remember you by as time goes by.

This Friday, we've rounded up four of our favorite classic and quirky floral perfumes.

A Room With a View. This scent hails from a quirky Brooklyn-based innovative perfume shop, CB I Hate Perfume. Most of the shop's scents tell a unique story and this one is no exception - it is inspired by a favorite passage from the E M Forster novel, A Room With a View, where the two main characters kiss for the first time. "This perfume captures the scent of the hills above Florence - the vineyards, the wild grass, the finocchio, the hot dusty Florentine earth.  And of course a torrent of Violets..." Sounds like a dream, no?

Daisy by Marc Jacobs. This perfume is a classic, and it's easy to see why. It's fresh, feminine, and captures the vintage flavor of Marc Jacob's edgy designs. Notes include Strawberry, Violet Leaves, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Gardenia, Violet Petals, Jasmine Petals, Musk, Vanilla, White Woods. "Always elegant, always enchanting - but not too serious - Daisy is a sparkling floral bouquet, spirited and fresh, wrapped in comfort and warmth." A fun and light day-to-day scent.

Flowerbomb, by Viktor and Rolf. This perfume exudes sensuality and femininity. Perfect for first dates, romantic dinners and honeymoons abroad. Notes include Sambac Jasmine, Centifolia Rose, Cattleya Orchid, Ballerina Freesia, Patchouli. "Magically evocative notes immediately awaken your deepest senses, giving you the impression of living life in your own secret garden, away from reality." Go big or go home, right?

Maine, by MCMC Fragrances. Don't worry, it does not smell like lobster. In fact,  it's makers say it is inspired "...by a day spent on the island of North Haven off the coast of Maine, falling in love." Notes include: Bulgarian rose absolute, local clary sage, wild Somalian myrhh and French seaweed. Certainly on my wish list right now, because this simply smells like summer to me. Perfection.






What are you wearing this summer? Will you pick out a special scent for the big day or do you have a classic you've kept on the bedside for years?

Wedding Snapshot: Jack and Ali

This was an absolutely a lovely late-Spring wedding in San Francisco. The couple started the day at the stunning Argonaut Hotel, tied the knot at the Chapel at Fort Mason and ended with a boat ride to Tiburon for the reception at Corinthian Yacht Club.

Jack and Ali enjoyed a fog-free, blue sky, love-filled day in San Francisco. To match her soft mint, white and yellow color palette, we created her bouquets and arrangements using white china mum, white hydrangea, peach/yellow ranunculus, peony and tulip.

All image credit goes to Lyndsay Undseth Photography:

Wishing you both a hundred honeymoons, congratulations Jack and Ali!

Floral Friday: Mod Squad

This past weekend I was back East visiting family. My parents happen to live in the house my Grandmother grew up in, and have kept much of the vintage accents as they were in the '50s and '60s (so cool, right?).

My Greatgrandmother was one hip lady, and she frequently changed upholstery and wallpaper to match the trends of the day (as evidenced by the lovely avocado and marigold wallpaper and carpeting we discovered on renovating).

Vintage florals were another favorite, and her funky tea towels and kitchen appliance covers are absolutely the inspiration for todays Mod Squad Floral Friday.

Maybe too whacky a print for formal wedding ceremonies but so fun for a bridal shower or groovy vegas elopement!

Just add dirty martinis, kid gloves and a convertible VW bug! So rad.

(Pictures are, clockwise from left, fun mod couple, darling shoes in an LA hotel, the perfect getaway bag, whimsy wrapping paper, fruity cocktails).

Red Alert

Generally when I see red in a wedding palette it's in late Fall and Winter - mixed with deep green holly or rust colored Autumn leaves. But recently I've started to love red as a summer wedding color. It's the perfect accent for a nautical theme or elegant country scheme. For summer, I favor pink reds - watermelon and cherry hues.

See below to see how this pop of color can be the perfect primary or secondary hue to your summer nuptials.

(Pictures are, clockwise from left, adorable wedding photo, wedding party bowling!, iced tea canister, grapefruit and strawberry greyhound popsicles, fun drink display, red table textiles)

Floral Friday: Royal Roses and Cream Teas

Last week I went to London to find my parents an apartment, ride double decker busses and enjoy as many cream teas as possible. A snapshot of my wanders below:

I was stunned and oh-so-excited when I discovered one of my favorite textile and fashion designers, Cath Kidston, had an honest to goodness store. Where have I been?
I'm actually quite picky about floral textiles because they can cross the line from fun to "grandma's handbag" pretty quick. It's a bit of a shock to myself that I'm so attracted to her creations and designs. She famously described her work as giving people a "Marmite reaction", stating "People either love it and want a little bit of it very much, or want to stab us."
I wanted a little bit of it, very much indeed.
Below are some of my favorite pieces which can be ordered from the states online.

So what do you think? Love it? Or is it hurting your eyes?

(Pictures are, clockwise from left, London Scene Cotton Duck, Hampton Rose Pumps, Provence Rose Apron, Folk Ditsy Swimsuit, Royal Rose Overnight Bag)

Floral Find Friday

We're starting a new, weekly post here at A. Hana. Wherever we end up on the internet we always seem to stumble upon the sweetest floral finds. Instead of bookmarking them all for ourselves, we thought we'd gather them all up and share them at the end of each week.

Without further ado, this weeks Floral Finds are from BHLDN (which, by the way, is pronounced "beholden", finally figured this out this week...). A darling banner, lovely cards and a bold, elegant table cloth which would be perfect to add a bit of sophistication to any summer cookout.

We hope you have a fog-free, sun-filled, San Francisco weekend. Happy Friday!

(Pictures are tablecloth, cards, banner)

Here comes the bride...all dressed in...

Recently I've been seeing a number of brides foregoing the traditional white dress in favor of more colorful (and sometimes dramatic!) choices. Check out these brave modern brides:

I adore this dress. I think it's perfect for a black and white wedding and I love that the darker look is softened with the outdoor scenery.

This Aussie bride opted for an amazing beaded pink gown with the most stunning low back. I adore the tattoos against the feminine dress choice and also, that scenery isn't bad either.

I adore the color mint and am really enjoying that it's been so popular this season. Mint looks amazing on almost everyone (look at this cute bride!) and can be paired with light peaches to deep plums. Beautiful.

This lovely bride certainly found her "something blue." The flirty structured dress was the perfect choice for an adorable and oh-so-romantic London elopement.

What do you think? Would you ever not wear white on your wedding?

(Images via oncewed, oncewed, featherlove, stylemepretty, dominiquebader)

Blooming Bridesmaids

Lately I've been seeing some deviations from the traditional solid color bridesmaids dresses. I especially like the idea of mismatched or bold floral dresses! Such a refreshing change from a more formal look, and if done right, your crew won't end up looking like the cast of Little House on the Prairie.

Some of my favorite floral dresses at the moment:

• Vox Populi Dress from BHLDN
• Rose & Gold Slip Dress from Anthropologie
• Bellis Dress from Whitney Deal
• Tillie Tunisia Print Dress from Shoshanna

What about other seasons? How about plaid for winter? Stripes for a summer beach wedding?.....What are some other good ideas you've seen?

(Images from style me pretty, side by side, the natural wedding company, fhiky, capitol romance, glitter and pearls)

Tea Time: Orange and Cinnamon

We are starting a new series, it's called Tea Time - this will be a monthly post on the A. Hana Design Blog. We are mixing up some hobbies we love the most (flower arranging and eating of course!) to share our style in a more personal way. We hope you enjoy!
Today's post is all about embracing Spring - it features a traditional Moroccan tea and a simple and elegant orange dessert to introduce some of the season's freshest flowers.
Ingredients are for two...
Moroccan Tea:
1 fresh orange juice (squeezed)
1 tsp green tea
2 cups of boiling water
4/1 cup fresh mints
2 to 3 Tbs sugar

To make the tea, begin by boiling 2 cups of water. In a separate tea pot, pour in the green tea, juice from one orange, mint and sugar in the tea pot. Add boiled hot water in the tea pot and let steep.

Slice Orange Dessert (adapted from here):
1 or 2 navel oranges
1 teaspoon orange flower water
Granulated sugar (or powdered sugar)
Ground cinnamon

Peel the oranges and removed the pith. Slice the oranges into rings, about 1/4 inch thick.
Arrange the orange slices on a plate – make a pattern if you like – and drizzle with the orange flower water. Generously sprinkle the slices with sugar and cinnamon, and serve immediately.

Flowers:
White sweet pea
White freesia
Orange ranunculus

This loose arrangement features white and a delicious orange sherbert color. I placed in a vintage inspired mint pitcher for a more relaxed look.

 

Enjoy!

Put Down That 10lb Binder....3 Wedding Planning Apps to Save Your Sanity

Your wedding day is likely going to be both the happiest, and most hectic, day of your life. Colors, inspiration boards, budgets, seating charts, vendors, travel, dress fittings, finding a band that doesn’t look like Flock of Seagulls…..I’m exhausted just writing about it.

There a number of weapons brides have used in the past to keep things running smoothly – color coded notebooks, excel spreadsheets, calling and leaving themselves voicemails (you've done it....) – but for the tech savvy bride of 2012, keeping it all in one spot app, will be a life saver.

Since you're already a busy bride-to-be, we’ve done the leg work for you and tested a dozen wedding apps. Here are our top choices to help your day go off without a hitch:

Mindy Weiss

Why we like it: This app features the basic to-do list functionality, but throws in easy access to trends and inspiration from one of wedding planning's biggest names. Our favorite feature? Being able to link photos of your gifts to guests.  Genius.

Why it might not be for you: Style differences may be a problem, the designers discussed may be a bit limiting for brides looking beyond Tinsletown for inspiration.

Rating: 3/5




Bride Guide:

Why we like it: We love the cute user interface of this app. But, it’s not just nice to look at, it’s easy to use! The app includes a countdown to your wedding date (with suggested milestones), pre-populated to-do list items, vendor information (with suggested questions to ask), links to photos, guest lists and your budget.

Also, it’s free.

Why it might not be for you: The app isn't rich in terms of multimedia content. She's pretty basic.

Rating: 4/5

iWedding Deluxe:

Why we like it: This app has it all - budget, venue information, contact information and to-dos...all included alongside tons of extras like tools for finding nearby vendors, links to wedding favors, photo storage for items that inspire you, guest list details, and even a function that lets you record entrée selections. There’s also a countdown timeline that provides advice on things you should get accomplished as you lead up to the big day.

Why it might not be for you: We don't know, this is the mother of all planning apps.

Rating: 5/5


Have one you love that's not on the list? Let us know and we'll check it out!

Now, step away from the Sharpies...

Wedding Snapshot: Lynne and Chris

This wedding snaphot features Lynne and Chris, who exchanged vows in August 2011 at the Vine Hill House.
A gorgeous, warm, lazy summer day met these two love birds. This wedding had lots of fun details including Peach Cardamom Jam favors (umm...yum), fun polka dot straws and an elegant but laid back outdoor reception.

The flowers for the couple featured Dahlia, Roses, Garden Roses, Sneezewort, Hydrangea, Mint, Eucalyptus, Passion Vines and Fig Tree. Perfect for their Napa surroundings.

All image credit goes to Sabine Scherer Photography:

We're so glad we could be a part of tihs special day, congratulations Lynne and Chris!

Wedding Snapshot: Angela and Praphant

We spent Valentine's Day with a lovely couple, Angela and Praphant, as they said their "I Dos" in an intimate ceremony. We love the idea of a quiet, elegant ceremony, so we made the flowers for their day simple - just a boutonniere and a bouquet.

We wanted to make these flowers look like they were just gathered from a garden, so we used seasonal picks: Ranunculus, Sweet Pea, Anemone, Jasmine, Geranium Leaves, Inky Viburnum Berry. Blue berries were added to the bouquet and matched perfectly with Angela's navy mini skirt with (love) red shoes.

Congratulations Angela and Praphant, best wishes for many years to come!

Valentine's Day: Things We Saw and Loved

We hope everyone is enjoying a their cherry heart lollipops and cheesy cartoon cards. Here are some other great Valentine's finds we stumbled upon this week:

(i like big books print / chalkboard heart labels / mast brothers chocolate / hello, love stationary / rose candle / love poems from pablo neruda / heart ring)

We hope you all enjoy your evenings out (or in!). Have a Happy Valentine's Day...

Crafting the Perfect Valentine's Bouquet

The arrival of Valentine's Day also brings pressure to find the perfect sweet gesture for a significant other. Gorgeous blooms are always a hit, but they can also be bland. This year, why not assemble a fun an unexpected bouquet by yourself! Follow Asako's easy DIY advice and add a super sweet touch to a Valentine's classic:

For this bouquet, we used: Cherry Blossom, Hyacinth, Tulip, Parrot Tulip, Ranunculus, Hellebore and Jasmine

1. As soon as you bring flowers home, take off all the excess foliage. Cut the stems at an angle and put them in a container while you work.

2. Cut the flowers at an angle to the length you like. Use clippers to cut the thick stems. In order to help with water in take, shave the stems. If the branches are very think, split and crosscut at the bottom. You could also hammer the stems. 

3. Place your branches in the balance you would like.

4. Take the largest variety of your flower first, and arrange one single stem at a time. Two, three or more different types of flowers placed in random intervals create a pleasing shape and a balance of color.

5. Bella! But we're not done yet. Finally, add your Jasmine. These vines will soften the arrangement.

Gorgeous, and oh so much better than a dozen roses. We've paired ours with delicious macarons instead of the usual chocolate.

Where can I find great flowers: We love Trader Joe's or Whole Foods

Do you have to have a vase? No! This time Asako used a small vintage vase that she picked from her home. The vase is about same size as drinking glass, so you could make this arrangements in glasses or jars. 

Why we love it: We love it's natural style. The colors - soft and sweet picks with an accent of purple - are very elegant.

Those Macarons look pretty fabulous...: They are! We love Chantal Guillon Macarons. Divine.

Happy arranging!