Colour Me Confused

 

Remember getting a new box of crayons?

  Oh, man, what a feeling.  The smell, the newness of the box, (if you got one with a sharpener in the back you had it made), and of course the colours.  If you were anything like me you could look at the colours forever.  And  you had to see if the names on the new crayons  were good names for the colours.  I usually came up with alternate names that I thought were better.  How exactly does one end up with the job of naming colours?  I've always wanted that job.  Anyway,  I blogged the other day about green, well today its purples turn.  I have a couple of brides I'm working with who want purple.  Not just purple, but according to the dress designer, eggplant.  Its very convenient for me actually that it happens to be the same designer and colour.  Thanks ladies.  :)  Of course one persons version of eggplant can be vastly different from another persons version.  Some interesting results from google. 



Even the poor eggplants can't agree.  




Colour really is in the eye (or the minds eye) of the beholder.   Its a beautiful, colourful world we live in and I wouldn't change that for a thing (not even an eggplant).


Until the next blog.......

Its Not Easy Being Green..........

Show of hands.  Who remembers that quote.  Okay, I can't see your hands so I'll tell you.  It was Kermit the Frog.  My absolute favourite Sesame Street character. 

Anyway, this blog is about green. I love green, I've always loved green. This year Pantone, the experts on colour (even though they spell it wrong lol), decided that the colour for 2013 is Emerald Green. The only problem IMHO is that they have lovely pictures of  KELLY GREEN. 

Here are pics from their webpage. 

 

These are pics that from Google that show up when you search for Kelly Green.
Too close for my liking. 

 

Now,  having shown the above pictures, the ones below are what I think

of when I think of Emerald Green. 

 

 

 Wow, now those are Emerald.  But Sharon, you say, they look the same.  Nay, I say, to my eyeballs there is a glaring difference.  I would wear Emerald anyday, but never Kelly. 

 

So Pantone,  I'm afraid you messed up.  I love you guys, so I'll forgive you this year. 

Just don't let it happen again. 

 

I have to say Kermit was right, "Its not easy being green". 

Don't get me started on "Forest".

 

Until the next blog.........

 

 

What in the Name of Mattel was THAT?????

So I'm minding my own business, ironing some shirts. I'm the only one home except for the old folks downstairs. I can hear their TV playing quietly, the gentle snores coming from the animals ( it is nap time after all ). I'm basically enjoying the peacefulness of the quiet. Out of the frikking blue I hear what sounds like satan coming through a walkie talkie, I swear to God. At first I wasn't even sure what I heard, so I listen, nothing else. Maybe a minute later I hear it again. Not a clue what its actually saying, but it sounds angry and evil. Now I'm thinking it really sounds like a walkie talkie, I wonder if someone has come up on my porch so I head to the door and BOOM, again this voice from hell. Now I'm in the hallway, trying to think of anything we have upstairs that would make such a bizarre sound or pick up radio waves. Nope, nothing. No electic toys, no walkies, no baby monitor (anyone thats had one knows what I mean). Now at least I know its coming from upstairs. So being more curious than scared, I start heading up the stairs. Well, it happens again and I realize its the bloody smoke detector. Why theres a woman in my smoke detector yelling at me, I'm not really sure. So now I'm thinking OMG is there a carbon monixide leak and she's yelling at me to save myself and leave her behind? No, cause the alarm would be going off too. I try listening right beside it and its saying "low battery" in garbled english and the french. I had no idea that there was a woman in there. Honestly, had I known I would have offered her a snack or something. But seriously, this is the first time in many years I forgot to change the batteries when the time changed. We so that twice a year without fail, except this year. So the mystery woman with the demon like voice was very helpful and may have saved our lives. If you can get a talking smoke detector its worth it. I wouldn't have had any idea the batteries were dying otherwise. So now I know my house isn't possessed, we have one extra mouth to feed (although she must be pretty small to be living in there) and I can go to sleep tonight knowing the batteries are good. If you haven't changed your smoke detector batteries GO DO IT NOW!!!! I mean it. Right now!! Its okay I'm finished writing so you won't miss anymore of my wit. GO!!!!!!!!!!

Tips, Tricks and Secrets

Hi folks,

Here are some websites that I like and will hopefully be useful to the brides and grooms out there.  So read on, bookmark, have a laugh at my confessions and remember, silk flowers never wilt.   ;) 

http://www.bride.ca/wedding-ideas/index.cfm/2009/1/14/Wedding-101-Getting-Started--New-Brides-Checklist

Also from the same website,

What do you think?  Will mint be the colour for 2013?  It seems to be in the running as one of Pantene’s choices.  It may not be as attention grabbing as this year’s “Tangerine Tango”, but it’s certainly a beautiful colour none the less.

Check out Bridal Guides  “Tip of the Day” page.  http://www.bridalguide.com/

 

I like these tips from the “been there, done that” crowd in this article. http://www.bridetobe.com.au/Article/Planning/Your-Wedding-Day/Latest-trends/12-weddings-tips-you-should-read

I really like Weddingbells “Start Planning” guide.  Where was the internet when I was getting married?   http://www.weddingbells.ca/articles/slideshow/start-wedding-planning/0/

For the budget minded bride…..http://www.frugalbride.com/frugalhintstips.html

These are just a few that I really like,  but thanks to Google the sites are endless.  Now I’m going to share a few of my own tips. 

First off don’t DIY if you really don’t have to.  I know you’re probably thinking I say that because I’m a vendor.  Where that’s really coming from is experience.   I did it for my first wedding and it led to a lot of unnecessary stress and frustration.  I made the dresses (including my own), the bouquets, the centrepieces and my ex was a caterer at the time and he catered our wedding.  He had hired people but he oversaw it and spent more time in the kitchen than he probably wanted to.  (It was an awesome meal BTW)  Although I love creating, it was truly added stress that I could have lived without while we were doing so many other things to prepare.  However, I loved my dress.

Another tip for you is DON’T FORGET THE FLOWERS.  I know, I know, you think I’m being a pushy salesperson again.  Really, this is once again from experience.  This is where I must hang my head in shame.  I made my own flowers the first time around and now sell flowers to others, yet at my second wedding the thought never entered my head.  Why, you ask.  Well it was a very small wedding at city hall.  Quiet, not a lot of people, nothing fancy.  However, I didn’t realize I’d overlooked this detail until my sisters handed Mark and I a boutonniere and a corsage.  DUH!!  Thank goodness someone was thinking. 

Aren’t we cute? 

 

My last tip is not to lose sight of why there’s a wedding.  I know it may sound silly but the bottom line is that you love him/her and you want to spend your life with them.  If Aunt so and so doesn’t like the photographer, too bad.  If your best friend thinks your cake is ugly, so what.  It’s your wedding day and it’s really about the two of you.  Don’t let the details and opinions weight too heavily on you.  In spite of the bumps in the road, the important thing is that you make it to the alter to say your “I do’s” and start your own happily ever after. 

Until the next blog, 

Sharon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Tidbits of Useless Wedding Information Just for Fun

Little Tidbits of Useless Wedding Information Just for Fun 

Y  Carrying a bridal bouquet is a tradition that began during ancient times.  The earliest wedding bouquets were not flowers at all. During ancient times, women carried bunches of garlic to ward off evil spirits. The ancient Greeks and Romans place garland around the neck of the bride and groom to represent new life, fertility and hope. The Celtics created bouquets of strong herbs and spices. These bouquets included thistle, heather and ivy. The pungent aroma of the herbs and spices was thought to have mystical powers strong enough to keep the evil spirits away.

Y  According to the Huffington Post, during the 15th century, people took their yearly baths in May and would generally get married in June. Just to be safe, brides carried bouquets to mask the smell of body odor.  How lovely.

Y  According to OurMarriage.com, during earlier times when people had significant fears of demons, brides carried smelly herbs and spices in their bouquets to ward off evil spirits.

Y  Brides were thought to be good luck, so the tradition of tossing the bouquet into the crowd became a way for brides to share their good luck.

Y  Brides use a variety of flowers for different reasons. According to 800florals.com, roses represent everlasting love, lilies represent virginity and purity, orange blossoms represent marriage and fruitfulness, zinnias represent lasting affection, and ivy represents fidelity.

 

Y  Brides of ancient Israel wore blue ribbons on the border of their wedding cloths to denote love, modesty and fidelity.  Hence, “something blue”.

 

Y  During the days of “Marriage by Capture”, the bride was certainly not going to go peacefully into the bridegroom’s abode, thus, she was dragged or carried across the threshold.  In even earlier times, it was believed that family demons followed the woman and to keep her family demons from going into the groom’s home, she was carried across the threshold upon her entering for the first time.  After that, the demons could not enter as she would come and go out of the home.

This Stuff Should Come With A Warning

Blog number 2, somebody stop me I'm on a roll. ;)

When you work with flowers you use floral foam. Its great stuff for making arrangements and centerpieces. What nobody tells you is when you cut into it a million, jillion little particles float through the air making a "bee line" for your eyeballs. Its like wiping fibre glass in your eyes. Holy crow, I think I need safety goggles. And don't get me started about the wire. My fingers look like pin cushions. Then there's the plastic rose thorns.........

Okay so I'm just being silly, I love this work. However brief, there's my safety warnings for the day. :D

Until the next blog,

Sharon

THE DREADED FOAM.   
 

To Blog or not to Blog..........

First off let me just say that I'm no writer.  I'm only doing a blog because according to all the online business info I've been reading a blog is an important part of marketing.  Okay then,  what you'll probably see on here for the most part are pictures, cartoons, stuff that can fill up a blog nicely without my actually having to write. 

I've started a business called Once Upon A Petal (www.onceuponapetal.net), go check it out.  I make silk flower bouquets, corsages, boutonierres and whatever other pieces a bride and groom might want for their wedding.  

Here are some of the reason's I like silk as opposed to fresh.  They are great for anyone with allergies, they won't wilt by the time you're at the reception, you don't have to wait for the last minute to have them delivered and my personal favourite,  they are scent free.  That works for anyone like myself who is kind of sensitive to certain smells.  I love the smell of fresh flowers, but it doesn't always love me back.  Tylenol where are you? 

Anyway,  I'm loving this work.  I've always known my dream job would involve colour, lots of colour and creativity.  Not to mention the fact that I have the "entrepreneurial gene".  I've tried about 5 times now to open my own business without success.  This time I've done a lot of homework, research, reading and learning.  Still am actually, the learning never ends.  As Thomas Edison said, "I've failed my way to success".  At least I hope so.  

Until the next blog,
Sharon