HAppy Birthday Alfredo!!!

Lordy Lordy he sure don't look 40!!! We Celebrated our dear friend Alfredo's Birthday last weekend. So Heres to your 40th birthday Alfredo. May this year be Filled with peace, harmony and happiness.

On this special occasion we got to put some fancy finishing touches on Alfredo and Pacos New digs. They have recently moved just across the street from us into a beautiful new place and boy is it pretty.
Alfredo asked me to create something with wow. With free artistic vision I went to work and blasted them with color and form.
Chon added the finishing touches with beautiful candle light this always warms any place up. Just adding lots of votives with real candle light always makes everything look much more rich.
Always remember don't be shy with color, It makes people happy.

Fall colors and fruit for an elegant look.

I love using fruit in my designs. After posting my inspiration of a painting of pears I thought that this design done for my dear friend Anna's father was appropriate for a post.
Here I show that fall colors can be beautiful and sophisticated. I love this design for the beautiful earthy colors.

Inspiration.....

This Image by Louise Kikuchi of Pears is very simple and beautiful. I love the contrast of the gray bush stokes and the soft yellow of the pears. This evokes thoughts and feelings of fall for me.

Inspiration

Simple lines and bold color...........

A small spring wedding celebration for the sweetest girl in the world

Doing a small wedding on a budget can be tough. Last spring we were asked to do a wedding for the dearest client I've ever had. The brides request was that we bring the outdoors in. So we did.
Flowers on a tight budget can be hard but with imagination and lots of good energy you can make it happen. Here are a few tips for making your budget go far.
To make a big impact think big bold color. Color reads rich and catches the eye. You should also consider the size of your floral pieces. If you have fewer flower pieces these pieces that you do have should be larger . If your flower displays are larger the overall effect will be much more powerful.
Less is more........ Often we will group flowers. Grouping individual flowers is striking and can be very inexpensive. Below we just placed many bouquets of individual types of flowers in several different glass cylinders. Pile extra flower petals at the base of the cylinder and scatter a hand full of votive candles around. This created a beautiful and grand entrance flower display. Very inexpensive and adds to the wow factor.

This is a prime example of bold color and a very happy Bride. Enjoy planning and plan with a smile.

Happy Birthday Vallery!!!

Talk about a Party fit for a Queen...... Last Night we did an amazing Dinner party in honor of our dear friend Queen Vallery. 
Set amongst the lush green back drop of Vals Family farm Chon and I created a tablescape of Summer flowers and soft french linen.  We used Reds, Sherbet orange and Yellow for a nice contrast to all the natural greens that engulfed us. The addition of the antique Hydrangea added to the soft, feminine, elegant feel.

The Menus were a simple and sweet way to display the evenings dinner offerings.

Seven Courses of rich  Traditional Italian cuisine. Ranging from Braised Beef Short ribs with salsa verde to Buttermilk Panna cotta with figs and Black pepper shortbreads. Outstanding.
We are sure that Val was happy on her day. We hope to spend many more birthdays with her. 
Happy birthday Queen Val. We love you and you and wish you many more. Rory and Chon Zinna Design

Easy indoor container gardens to brighten your day....

Who said that you can't have a beautiful garden indoors? If you are like many others in the city you are limited to little or no outdoor space. Its easy and cheap to bring the outdoors in. Here's how we at Zinnia created a beautiful container garden. This indoor garden is great for brightening up a room and naturally filtering the air. So take a trip to your local garden green house and pick up everything you need to freshen your nest with our easy indoor container garden. Begin by choosing plants that are appropriate for the natural light in your home. Ask your local green house o help you choose which plants will work for you. While your at your local garden center pick all the things you'll need to create your garden.
First pick the container that you love the most. Next pick the plants that will fit into your decorative container. Don't forget a liner. This will protect your furniture from water damage. Gather some small stones, some good potting mix and a small bag of sheet moss and your ready to go.
To begin your planting start by covering your work area in craft paper to cut down on the mess that the soil will make. Place stones over the drainage holes in the bottom of your planter. This will insure that all of the lovely potting soil that you will fill you container with will not end up washing out of the pot.

Add potting soil about three and a half inches from the top of the container. slightly pack down soil. Gather all of your plants.
Keeping height in mind. Add plants so that the tallest growing plants stay pretty central and any plants that are low growing or cascading stay to the outer perimeter of the planter.
Once these plants are in place, add potting soil to about one inch from the lip of the container. If you fill to full with potting soil, when you water your plant it will over flow.
To cover the soil add small amounts of sheet moss. Adding the sheet moss will also help to insulate the soil and retain some moisture.
Final details are always the most important. Give the sides of your container a good wipe down and you are all done. Make sure you water on a regular basis and your plants will be happy happy happy. These small little gardens look great as a table center piece or a nice plant to have on a desk or sideboard.

zinnia design, our friends Eric and Adrienne Delaforce and Anne Barge

Spring was in full swing and time for wedding season was around the corner. My friends Adrienne and Eric Delaforce from Eric's Eye photography asked if I could put together some new looks for an Anne Barge shoot that they would be working on. With no delay I gathered my floral palette and began working. I came up with four looks that i think are perfect for this years weddings and my niece Elizabeth and I were off to a downtown loft  to assist the Delaforce team in creating these beautiful images that I hope will inspire you.
The shoot began and My niece Elizabeth an aspiring photographer was asked to join in on the creativity. She was very excited. Eric was nice enough to teach her a few things and help her with her technique. Thanks again Eric for your kindness.
And the fun began. In this shot the acid green orchids add a great burst of color while staying very classy and trend forward.

These were my favorite. Fire kissed Calla Lilies, buttery mini Orchids and black and chocolate brown french double sided french satin ribbon create a look of elegance in what we call the best of show look. Regal...... 
This bouquet is oh so sweet and budget friendly. Great for outdoor country weddings. We love this one for it traditional sophistication. Beautiful creamy spray roses and Pink dusted Jasmine tied with smooth French satin create a rich look for your dreamy day to come.
And talk about dreamy. Look at this jewel. Long french Tulips are like diamonds. Silky cream roses and cloudy white Hydrangeas anchor this bouquet that is to be carried upright and across the arm almost like pageant flowers. you cant go wrong with this collection of flowers. Truly decadent. 

just another because its our favorite.

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Prom night for the ZInnia Crew

Elizabeth's sense of humor is very prevalent in all of these photographs. I love this one of her in the bathroom just after getting her prom gown on. 
My sister proud and enjoying the moment. Elizabeth's date Jeremy grinning in the back ground.  Jeremy is a very charming and well mannered young man.
E and Gann Gann putting on the finishing touches.
Three generations my mom, my sister and my niece. I love this photo.
Of coarse there had to be flowers. Jeremy's boutonniere of bronze Gerbera daisy and peacock feathers.
E didn't want to do the same ole prom wristlet so I made her a small hand tied of Bronze Gerbera daises, Peacock feathers and  silver bullion . These colors all complemented her dress which was beautiful.
Ready for pictures and ready to go.........
Elizabeth.........
Prom 2009 Elizabeth and Jeremy.