Mardi Gras Recap - Part 1: Personal Flowers

Our Facebook followers have asked us to post pictures from Mardi Gras and we've listened. The shop has been very busy this spring. We rolled immediately from Valentine's Day into Mardi Gras preparations.

Our Mardi Gras window was decorated in green, purple and gold. Our oversize face cards represent the Kings and Queens of the carnival season.

Thibodeaux's provides custom floral services for our local krewes. We design personal flowers and presentation bouquets for some, and elaborate stage displays and lavish tablescapes for others.

Here are some of our favorites design from Mardi Gras 2011 -

Many of these bouquets are steeped in tradition. The Queen, maids, ladies-in-waiting, and princesses carry flowers similar to what their mothers and aunts carried 50 years ago.

A babies breath head wreath for the little princesses.

A giant white hydrangea bouquet with a collar of feminine silver plaid ribbon wrapped in white satin ribbon.

Our violet inspired bouquet of gorgeous purple stock flower accented with silver loops and galax leaves.

This bouquet of white alstromeria earned our 2011 VIP award, because it held up exceptionally well! A similar design would be perfect for a bridesmaid's or prom bouquet.

This handtied bouquet of purple iris has great texture and such a rich color.

Maids hold a touch of luxury with this white Catalya orchid bouquet, plus it smells absolutely DIVINE!

Our green cymbidium tear drop bouquet as a refreshing alternative to the round bouquet. With wired flowers and fluffy mess ribbon, this bouquet is comfortably light for its size. The tear drop shape is very popular in Europe and is well represented in our German and Dutch design books. I call it "cascade light."

Many krewes recognize the wives of committee members and the Court with the special gift of an orchid corsage delivered to their home the day of the Ball.

The men are beautifully outfitted as well with mini gardenia corsages such as these. Gardenia are lovely flowers, but extremely fragile. The are only "good" for a few hours, yet many people love and respect it's fleeting beauty.

This purple and yellow freesia boutonniere was my favorite of the season. It puts me in a good mood just looking at it ~ I can only imagine how much fun the ball would have been!

Last but not least, thin silver ribbon and silver metallic wire dress up this traditional rose boutonniere. Love it!

Decking the halls, trees, mirrors, mantles, etc...

This week we were fortunate to work with one of our favorite clients and decorate her home in the French Quarter for the holidays. Mrs. Hegenberger is a florist's dream... welcoming and funny, she loves european floral design and provides us with ample opportunity to put our creativity to the test. Once upon a time she owned a chic shop in Charleston. I asked her about it, and she said that they just "sold the things they liked..." From the interior of her home, I think I would of liked her shop very much! The first impression of her second floor condominium is, "Wow!"; the second is, "wait a minute, I know those dining room chairs?" In June 2010, Mrs. Hegenberger's home was featured in a New Orleans HOME andLifestyles article "View from the Balcony."

We started our day out front hanging an "installation" above the main entrance. Gold grasses, and dried botanicals hang suspended from a grid of red christmas lights. My photograph

doesn't do it justice, but it is amazing to walk under at night.

Inside, you are welcomed into two large rooms perfect for holiday entertaining. I can't decide whether the chandelier or the fireplace is the focal point of the dining room, but you come to the chandelier first so I'll start there.

Mrs. Hegenberger is a buyer by profession, and she's great at it. She laid out all our options and we went straight to work. We used a silver bay/olive branch garland instead of fresh cyprus above the table. The gold garland was originally bought for the tree, but Paul saw the opportunity to repeated the curl from the top of the chandelier and simultaneously add a ton of movement to the design. Two red high-heeled shoe ornaments add a touch of whimsy that only shoes can. They were bought for a holiday party two years ago, and will be sure to bring back wonderful memories for guests.

This is picture is a bit incomplete.... can you find what's missing? The mantle is supposed to have a second gold tree to frame out the portrait. Unfortunately, it was delivered damaged and will need to be replaced. Whereas the gold branches were chosen for their height, the small christmas trees were arranged to add depth and fullness to the mantle without obstructing the art piece. Our mini forest is united with a length of fresh soft cypress garland that cascades to the floor on either side of mantle. Here are a few detail shots of the beaded blossoms, frosted berries and painted palm fronds that make up the garland. We love the combination of textures, but notice we kept the colors to a limited palette.

The dining room is open to a comfortable and eclectic living room. Mrs. Hegenberger loves her Christmas tree. It's tall, skinny, and fits perfectly in front of the window. She also anchors the 12' tree with wire to the window frame... a good recommendation if you have a tree that could be bumped and toppled by guests.

This fun bubble garland is our transitional element on the tree because it incorporates all the bright festive colors of our palette: citrus orange, hot pink, fresh green, purple and gold. It illustrates that you don't have to use just traditional ribbon and garland on your tree, feel free to experiment and branch out from plain old red and green. The bright tree still "fits" with in the decor because we use metallics (gold, silver and copper) to tie the tree into the chandelier and mantle design, while we use a pink and green polk-a-dot ribbon throughout the rest of the room to add a touch of color.

We draped the remainder of the cyprus garland around the huge, gorgeous mirror in the living room. The weight of fresh garland is always a consideration especially this much of it, but Mrs. Hegenberger assured us that the mirror wasn't going anywhere and would probably be sold with the house! The garland is wrapped with a light green fuzzy ribbon, nothing too fussy that might compete with the gilded frame.

Another mantle anchors the far wall of the living room. We left it alone to allow use of the TV; however, we opted instead to enhance the finials on the iron shelves. Each "helmet" is wrapped in more cyprus garland, pink ribbon and silver bay leaf garland, and topped with gold branches which echo the two big gold trees in the dining room. It's amazing at the end of the day how it all comes together.

Thank you Mrs. Hegenberger for the wonderful coffee and conversation. Happy Holidays!

Thank you note

We are always honored when a client takes the time to write a note of appreciation for our work. Yesterday, we received this gracious letter from Mamie Sterkx Gasperecz, Executive Director of Hermann-Grima + Gallier Museums.

November 16

Dear Paul -

Your flowers were the talk of the Weinmann's Historic House Gala! You are so amazingly talented! Thank you for your patience, your time and your generosity!

Best,

Mamie

Portfolio - Radio Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Chicago

Recently we loaded up the truck with red roses and cylinder vases, and drove to the frozen tundra of downtown Chicago to prepare for the Radio Hall of Fame's induction dinner on Saturday, November 6th, 2010. Paul has worked with the museum for numerous years, and has become their resource for everything floral.

The challenge of any destination event is the coordination of multiple vendors both at home and on location. For example, we worked with a national vendor for the red carpet, and turned to our trusted NOLA businesses for the boston ferns and fabric draping.

The ceremony was held at the studio of WTTW Channel 11. We created an amazing first impression with this elegant entrance table. The vibrant red of our Freedom rose is amplified by large cylinders of water. This look would be wonderful for a wedding reception, cocktail party or special anniversary dinner.

Doesn't the studio look great! The black, red and white color scheme was consistently repeated through out all elements of the event.

We were also responsible for providing the red carpet, black pipe and draping, lush boston ferns and clear lucite pedestals. The dramatic red rose arrangement inside the speaker's podium was just one of the unexpected elements that made the decor unique.

The guest centerpieces were inspired by and repeat the look of the front entrance table. A collection of three vases and votive candles were arranged on an oversized mirror. We highly recommend the use of mirrors when the centerpiece design emphasizes the use of glass and candlelight.

Overall, the trip "up north" was a resounding success. Our team was rewarded with a delicious dinner and the opportunity to take pictures with special guests like country star Reba McEntire. Our gears are already turning for next year when the Radio Hall of Fame unveils its new facility.

Portfolio - Historic Houses Society Tenth Annual Fall Gala

This morning we had the privilege of decorating Mr. and Mrs. John Weinmann's home for the Historic Houses Society Tenth Annual Fall Gala to take place later this evening. Click here to learn more about former ambassador Weinmann and his contributions to New Orleans and Tulane University. The gala will raise funds for the continued success of the Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses. Be sure to stop by the museum's website - http://www.hgghh.org/ - to take a virtual tour or plan your next visit.

Guests are greeted by two cheerful chrysanthemum wreaths featuring the HG logo.

Our silver candelabras compliment Mrs. Weinmann's amazing array of silver serving-ware. The arrangements include yellow asiatic lilies, yellow and red circus roses, red alstromeria lilies, orange spray roses, pittosporum, green trick carnations, hypericum, and millet.... what a mouthful!

A silver trumpet vase full of orange and yellow flowers add much needed height to the beautiful piano. Proper scale is always a concern especially for the grand homes of New Orleans.

Outdoor guest table centerpieces consist of a collection of votives, and colorful mini calla lilies submerged in water and topped with floating candles. Our oversized mirrors will amplify twinkling of candlelight through out the back garden.

Small bouquets in the restrooms add a touch of elegance with the scent of sweet smelling dutch hyacinths, but Mrs. Weinmann's gorgeous vases are the real showcase.

Paul created a beautiful and lush oriental arrangement for the front foyer. As designers we enjoy the challenge of using our client's unique selection of vessels. If you're looking to add to your own collection this holiday season, we carry numerous exclusive lines of dutch pottery... details coming soon.

Find of the Day - Green Trick Dianthis

Our "Find of the Day" is the Green Trick Carnation (aka Dianthus Barbatus Green Trick "Termarisou"). It is by far our favorite flower in the shop right now. This fuzzy, poof ball is the craziest looking carnation most people have ever seen. Green trick is a fairy new dianthus hybrid and my online search uncovered very little background information. The flower has amazing texture and is capturing the attention of judges at a number of international flower shows. We love the texture too ~ It is like moss on a stick! The apple green color is the perfect compliment to the vibrant yellows and oranges of the fall season.

We also love it's longevity. Growers enthusiastically promote the carnation's 4 week long vase life. We're testing a few for ourselves, and so far they look better than ever at the 2 week mark.

Paul designed a low round, fall centerpiece of yellow asiatic lilies, rust red mini cymbidium orchids, seeded eucalyptus, red wheat, curly willow tips, fresh pyracantha berries, green trick carnations and safflower.

Portfolio - Zoo to do 2009

Our portfolio preparation continues. Today we ran across pictures of the famous Zoo To Do elephant. Why NOT have an elephant at a fundraiser for the Zoo! Our elephant was the focal point of the silent auction tent and wowed patrons with his gorgeous flower-covered blanket.

He made a wonderful impression and is still the talk of the town a year later.

Do you want to add a bit of fun, floral fantasy to your next family celebration? We have just the ticket for this Thanksgiving... a Thibodeaux turkey.

He's so cute! Imagine the surprise on your Mom's face when you bring him to dinner. Thibodeaux's turkeys are in short supply, so reserve yours soon.