You know what room it is in your house. You walk by it every day and each time you say to yourself, “Gee, that room needs something”. The next day you don’t think about it until you walk by again. It’s just like “Groundhog Day”, isn’t it?

So where do you start? You know you need color, but do you paint a wall, move the furniture, add a rug? Well, having been in the design business for quite some time, I’ll happily tell you my thoughts about it in the hopes that it helps you do your next room. I think you look at doing all of those things, and then you add what makes the most difference. I call it the “Green ~ Flower” effect. You need green in the corner and flowers on the table. Let’s have a look at what you might want to do and where you need to start.

First, at least one wall needs color to add drama. Don’t worry about using a dark color. Match it to your rug and you are on your way.

Now that you have that done, it’s time to pick out a silk tree for at least one corner. It guides the eye up and helps your brain take in the room all at once and sense warmth. Without at least some greenery, your room will look cold and stark. It complements your furniture and brings subliminal comfort to the feel of the room. I don’t think you need a rain forest, but a couple of silk green plants or trees in some really awesome pots will make a room rock!

Once you’ve nailed down the greenery part of the “Green ~ Flower” effect, it’s time to work on my favorite part, the flowers! This is when the fun starts! You start by writing down all of the colors you want to highlight or bring out. Be sure to start with your wall color. Pull others from your rug and your furniture if it is made of fabric or leather. With list in hand, go to your room and stand there. Imagine that you have a flower arrangement on the table that is in a non-descript pot and all the flowers are a solid color. Start at the top of your list, close your eyes and imagine each color on your flowers. See how they look with the wall and the rug. Rule out any that don’t sit well with you. Trust me, you’ll know as soon as you “see” it. You should now have a nice list of colors that you want in your silk flowers.

The next step is to determine what design category you are in. My categories are:

the “Minimalist” the “Traditionalist” the “More is Better” the “Eclectic” the “I have no idea & I need help”

The Minimalist

If you tend to favor a very simple, scaled down look with very few decorative items sitting around, you are what I call a “Minimalist”. This simply means that you don’t like clutter, and if you put out a decorative piece, you are proud of it and like it very much. Minimalists should begin their search for flowers with types like orchids that are simple,serene, elegant and yet electric with their beauty at the same time. There are so many varieties and vibrant colors that there is surely one that will fit perfectly.

The Tradionalist

I fall into the Traditionalist category. I like silk flower arrangements with lots of different flowers. I like them to have all of the colors that I want to bring out with different hues of those colors to make it interesting. I like a vase or container that is complementary, but is “discussion worthy”. It should make someone say, “That arrangement is beautiful in that vase!”. It could be the color, texture, or size, but it should spark a comment or a conversation. I also like different kinds of ivy and greenery that complement the piece. I guess that I just like “traditional” flower arrangements instead of funky or wild ones. It all depends on the room and the contents.

The More is Better

These folks tend to like stuff everywhere. They feel much more comfortable with all of their stuff around them. They tend to attach sentimental value to decorative items and like to set them out and enjoy them. I’ve been known to poke gentle fun at my “More is Better” customers by telling them that they will develop the “hoarder condition” if they don’t watch out, but I have to admit that at one time as a youngster I could very well have fallen into this category. They enjoy many different colors and textures, but will probably lean toward their “favorite” flower. They will say something to me like, “Oh, I want something with a “whatever it is” flower. They are my absolute favorite!”.

The Eclectic

These customers are so fun to work with! Their rooms have all kinds of neat stuff in them, and making an arrangement for them gets my imagination running wild. There is one on my website that I did a few years ago that my customer absolutely loved. It has willow branches going everywhere and looks kind of like a thunderstorm with lightening to me. It’s really cool and funky, and I get comment emails from the website about it all the time. It still makes me chuckle. When I interview these customers, I write pages about what they like, and then go off and sleep on it. Usually I wake up the next morning itching to get into my flower room to make the design I have in mind.

The “I have no idea & I need Help”

These customers are also very fun to work with. I write volumes with them as well. I really like to do these locally so that I can go see their home and start to figure out their style. I’ve used pictures for long distance customers, but it’s much more fun for me if I can get “into their house and into their mind”! They usually ask a thousand questions which I love. They usually end up falling into one of my other categories, and usually when I see their home I know right away what category they fall into.

So now you know all of my trade secrets, and how I do design work. It’s really fun and I meet the neatest people. My hope is that you will figure out what category you are in and find just the perfect wall color, rug, silk tree and arrangement for your room!
Julie Eby, Dallas TX
Julie Eby is the owner of http://www.CrossesAndChristmas.com/, a retail website that sells religious home decor and jewelry in the catholic, Christian theme.
Julie is also the owner of http://www.LuxuryInBloom.com/, a retail website that sells silk floral arrangements, silk orchids, silk trees and plants, and greenery. Julie also creates custom arrangements for customers. Proudly serving the Dallas, TX area, and the USA since 2005.

People have been recreating flowers with a myriad of materials for centuries. The earliest artificial flowers were crafted in ancient China. First using cloth, “silk” flowers began to catch on in the United States in the 1800s, but early efforts produced silk flower arrangements and silk florals that bore little resemblance to their living counterparts. Yet today dust resistant, realistic, low maintenance silk floral arrangements can be found if a consumer is willing to look.

Artificial flower arranging took a giant leap forward in the early 1970s with the use of plastics and high-quality synthetic fibers. As technology and manufacturing techniques improved, these materials enabled manufacturers to create silk flower arrangements with greater botanical accuracy than ever before. Though the commonly accepted term is “silk flowers”, it is something of a misnomer, as modern flowers are rarely made of silk.

Today’s silk flower arrangements have continued to get better and more realistic. From the delicate veins running through the leaves, to the way the stem seamlessly meets blossom, today’s silk flowers are often so realistic, they have to be touched to be believed. It’s not uncommon to find that even the leaves feel like they have “fuzz” growing on them, adding that realistic finishing touch.

The creation of artificial flowers and artificial foliage is an exacting process and one that requires creativity, keen senses and a commitment to the production of quality silk floral arrangements. Today’s consumers are demanding in their desire for realistic artificial flower arrangements. Dust resistance, realism, and easy to clean are just some of the required characteristics that go into creating the finest items possible.

As manufacturing processes continue to improve, you can expect the quality and consistency to continue to rise. You should also expect to find the best deals and the widest selections available online. The internet revolution continues to help to connect people with the realistic, beautiful silk flower arrangements that they seek and often at the best prices available anywhere.
Johnny Best is a freelance writer and online commerce expert covering the latest trends and emerging product segments in e-commerce. He is also the owner of several e-commerce businesses including the popular site DesignerSilkPlantsandFlowers.com where they feature Beautiful Silk Flower Arrangements, Silk Floral Arrangements and more.

At some point during your wedding planning you will probably realize (if you haven’t already) that weddings aren’t cheap, and you may be forced to make difficult budgetary decisions.

There are many ways to cut costs out of your wedding budget. For example, you can choose not to give out wedding favors, limit the choices at the open bar to beer and wine and choose elegant, inexpensive wedding centerpieces.

The key is to find inexpensive wedding centerpieces that fit into your overall wedding theme without coming off as cheap and tacky. With a little thought you can make this happen.

Here are three ideas for elegant, inexpensive wedding centerpieces:

Alternative Floral Arrangements

The most popular choices for wedding centerpieces contain flowers in some way. If you have talked to any florists, you will quickly find out that you have to pay a premium to have the beauty that flowers can bring to a wedding reception.

Instead of real flowers, consider silk floral arrangements. These aren’t the silk flowers that your grandmother has from the seventies. Silk floral arrangements today are created by artists, and honestly they are sometimes more beautiful than the real thing.

Dried flowers are another possibility. Many times they are less expensive than fresh flowers, and you can also combine them with silk or select fresh flowers.

Lastly, if you have a few close friends or family members helping out you can create your own floral arrangements to use as your centerpieces.

Candles Can Set The Mood

Another option for inexpensive wedding centerpieces is taper displays. Take three or four tapers of different size and put them on a decorative plate or other holder.

Tapers come in all shapes and colors, so it should be easy to match the color of your wedding. You can also add a few silk or dried flowers to the centerpiece for added effect.

Hurricane Vases Are Versatile

Hurricane vases are elegant and practical, and you can do many things with them. They can be found at many craft stores and online for only a few dollars each.

Take the hurricanes and fill them with an object that compliments your overall wedding theme. For example, tapers or pillar candles work really well. Wrap ribbon or silk flowers around the base, and you have the perfect inexpensive wedding centerpiece.

Other things to put in a hurricane include stones, water with a single Gerber daisy, coffee beans and just about anything you can think of that goes with your wedding.

It is easy to get overwhelmed when planning a wedding, especially the financial end of things. With a little thought you can trim some of those costs by making creative and smart choices about your centerpieces.
Stephen Badiali is the owner of Wedding Ideas Guide For more information about wedding centerpieces visit Wedding Centerpiece Idea

In part one of this series we talked about the important elements in your rooms that you should consider when selecting your silk flower arrangements. We also talked about lighting, what areas of the room need enhancing, natural light versus artificial light and more. In this part we are going to continue talking about container selection as well as protecting your surfaces and the most important part which is where to find the best silk flower arrangements, the widest selections, the best prices and with the least effort! We will also talk about credit card fraud both online and offline and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Once you’ve found the perfect silk flower arrangement, it’s time to decide what container, bowl or stand you want to display your silk arrangements in. The best retailers sell their arrangements with beautiful containers. But if you find the perfect silk flower arrangement but not in the perfect container then consider something pre-made in ceramic or glass. Choose an item that will blend with your room and your flowers. Also, remember the design elements you are looking for and that we talked about in our last installment of this article series.

Finally, decide what surface your silk flower arrangements will be on. Depending on where your they will be placed you may need to consider a stand or some other items to protect the surfaces they sit on. If you bought a stand together with your silk arrangements, then you won’t have to make this decision. If you didn’t, decide whether your flower arrangements will be on a glass top table, on the window sill, or on a wooden coffee table.

Silk flower arrangements are a great way to add a burst of color to a room in need of some pizzazz. Many people have several different arrangements that they rotate each season.

Finally, save yourself some time, aggravation and gas by using the internet to find those perfect silk flower arrangements. The internet offers a vast selection for you to choose from but be careful to look for sites that are secure and offer excellent guarantees and security policies.

The best sites offer satisfaction guarantees, money-back guarantees, good return or exchange policies and free shipping. Also be sure to look for sites that use secure encryption for their credit card transactions, have excellent security policies and, most importantly are scanned daily by Hacker Safe, Geo Trust or one of the other major website security companies. These companies ensure that the websites they scan are totally secure and there are no loopholes for hackers to break in and steal credit card information. Its mind boggling how many sites (most actually) have no scanning of any kind and frequently have major loopholes in them due to the web designer’s incompetence as far as security measures go. Look for those trust and security logos. They are a sign of a good and secure site.

Amazingly, it’s much easier, more convenient and safer to shop online today than it is in the store and it’s just as secure. You might wonder why it’s safer online…the answer is that too often these days we hand our credit card to someone behind a counter who is able to quickly copy the credit card number or rub it against a carbonless form and nearly instantly steal it from you. Far more credit card theft occurs this way than online.
Johnny B. is a freelance writer and online commerce expert covering the latest trends and emerging product segments in e-commerce. He is also the owner of several e-commerce businesses including the popular site Designer Silk Plants and Flowers.com where they feature Silk Flower Arrangements, silk floral arrangements and more.

Everyone certainly wishes the floral arrangements of his/her wedding could last a lifetime. A floral arrangement with fresh flowers is the typical option for weddings, but they are not something you can treasure for years to come. Silk flowers, on the other hand, are beautiful, durable, and last for a long time.

These days, you can get silk wedding flowers for the entire bridal party including bridal bouquets, handsome boutonnieres, cute flower-girl baskets, amazing altar arrangements, and reception table centrepieces made from the highest-quality, realistic silk flowers and accessories.

Usually there isn’t anything that is standardized in terms of wedding flowers – everything is customized. Roses and carnations are almost always a part of bridal bouquets; the remaining flowers are usually flowers that you would like to choose to fit your corsage or bouquet or anything else that would require a floral arrangement. If you are uncertain as to what to choose and how to go about it, you can seek help online.

Silk carnations, roses, open roses, pink and white roses, and magnolias look very good on a bride. If you want handsome corsages or boutonnieres, there are tea roses with carnations and ribbons in various mix-and-match versions with stunning looks.

Silk wedding flowers also sometimes come in a preset, completely ready, appropriately themed floral arrangement. All you need to do is pick a themed floral arrangement that matches your feelings and likes (for example, romantic roses – wherein all floral arrangements will be made using beautiful roses). And, as mentioned before, silk floral arrangements for your wedding also symbolize longevity, happiness, joy, and the everlasting beauty of the person you are going to marry.

Nearly anyone can learn to arrange flowers. You do not have to be a professional to make a beautiful silk flower arrangement. Silk flowers are an excellent choice for beginners because they are easy to work with and last forever.

The best place to begin is to decide where the flowers will be placed. A flower arrangement that is for the centerpiece of a dining table will definitely look different than a flower arrangement that is going to be on a shelf or in a corner.

Next, pick a vase. The size and shape of the vase will determine the size of the flower arrangement. A general rule is to use a vase that is half the height of the arrangement. This will give it a nice balance. Also, if you want a very full arrangement, you will want to choose a vase that is larger and has a wider opening. If you are going for something simple and sophisticated, you can choose a tall vase with a narrow opening. Another good choice for the beginning florist is to use a vase that has a crosshatch pattern over the top. This allows you to arrange the flowers more easily and evenly. Otherwise, you will need to cut a piece of Styrofoam or florist foam to fit inside the vase in order to anchor the flowers.

The only limit when choosing the flowers to arrange is your imagination. You can select a bunch of flowers that are the same color but in varying hues of that color. For instance choose several flowers that are different shades of yellow, from palest lemon to deep gold. Or you can work with all warm shades like yellow, orange and red, or all cool shades like blue, purple and green. It is best to choose three or more colors with one of them being more dominant than the others. It helps to have a color wheel that shows complementary colors, secondary colors and other pleasing color combinations.

To choose your design, you can go with a horizontal design or a vertical design, depending on what it is going to be used for. A vertical design that is spare and simple will look stunning on a corner table, and a horizontal design would look great on a buffet table or dining table. Use odd numbers of flowers to get the best effect.

Some people like to start with the greenery and fillers, and others like to start with the flowers. Experiment with both ways to find out which is more comfortable for you. Remember not to overload your vase. When you are done, take a step back and view your design. You want it to look symmetrical.

If you still feel like your flower arranging skills are not the best, you can always take a class at your local craft store or college. Making your own silk floral arrangements can be fun and fulfilling.
Bob Hett offers great tips and advice regarding all aspects of flowers. Get some great ideas now by visiting http://www.flowerscenter.info