10 Tips & Tricks For The Perfect DIY Bouquet

10 Tips & Tricks For The Perfect DIY Bouquet

  

There are few things I love more than a home filled with flowers. I religiously buy blooms to stock our apartment every week, and adore both the scent and look of the flower-filled vases. I'll hold my hands up and admit that I am no flower aficionado, and I am always keen to learn more (to our local flower vendors - thank you for your patience!). Understandably then, I was over the moon when Chelsea based florist Amanda Austin, famed for top tier work with embassies, luxury hotels and weddings, invited me for a flower arranging class this weekend. 

A small group of us (which FYI was made up of some of my favourite girls) got to grips with making almost perfect DIY bouquets over the course of a couple of hours. And yes, there was tea and cake too.  Our minds boggled at the tips and anecdotes Amanda so kindly revelled us in, and we all left with minds suitably blown and our beautiful bouquets, naturally envisaging our new careers as bloggers-turned-florists. 

Below are 10 of my favourite tips & tricks for the perfect bouquet, as told to us by the  lady herself, Amanda Austin . . . 

1 - Proportions generally regarded as the best for a vase arrangement, in height, are either: 2/3 vase to 1/3 flowers or 2/3 flowers to 1/3 vase. 

2 -  To see where to cut a stem for height, place your vase at the edge of a table and hold your flower against it. You can then move it up and down to judge where to crop. 

3 - If you buys flowers in an aqua pack (the water-filled cellophane you sometimes find bouquets resting in) change the water immediately as the aqua pack breeds bacteria. FYI: this is why Amanda Austin makes all bouquets fresh. 

4 -  Always rotate the vase, not yourself, when arranging flowers.

5 - Waitrose is the best supermarket to buy flowers from. They reputably have the best supplier, buy seasonally and keep their flowers in top condition! 

6 -  Every flower has a natural 'happy face' this is the side of the flower which has been turned to the Sun and looks slightly upwards. Turn this side of the flower towards you when making an arrangement so you get the best of the flower. 

7 - The Dice Method will create a perfect bouquet every time. The Dice Method is such: always arrange flowers five stems at a time. Imagine a dice (shown below) and place a stem in your vase as per the dots on a dice; one in the middle, and one at each corner. Rotate the 'dice' and place a further five stems. Aim to cross all stems over at a central point - Amanda calls it the 'onion ball'. Follow this mathematical formula and you will develop a beautiful, balanced bouquet. 

8 -  A lot  of people remove the outer petal on a Rose - known as the weather petal - as it can look as if it is turning. This is not the case, and is in fact part of the Rose's beauty. It is a personal preference, but there isn't actually a need. (NB: I used to think this!) 

9 - Five Lilies, five Roses and five stems of green is the most popular bouquet ordered at Amanda Austin, a classic which works for every home and occasion. 

10 - Snip wood-like stems up the middle a little to allow for better water consumption. For Hydrangeas either dunk the head of the flower in water, or spray with a water spray daily as they drink from the head more than the stem. 

Amanda Austin's store on Kings Rd

If you are unsure of what type of flower arrangement will suit you and your home, have a think as to the aesthetics and designs - outside of flowers - you enjoy. As a rule of thumb, if you are more 'country' then an arrangement with more greenery will work for you, but if you are more 'city' in your aesthetic choices then less greenery and more flowers will work. Honestly, I think I am a hybrid of the two! I love a lot of the elements of the country, but aesthetically I lean towards a city vibe. 

Once Amanda had demonstrated, our class was invited to chose a style of bouquet to try their hand at. I chose to create a dark rose bouquet with  wild-looking violet-hued flowers, and deep Wintery tones. We used flower oasis to create our arrangements - not nearly as scary as it looks! Following the Dice Method every one's bouquets quickly came to life, and it was so lovely to see how, although all following the same instructions, we all injected our own personality in to our take-homes. 

My Wintery bouquet is now taking pride of place on my coffee table, and I am so excited to keep up with the tips and tricks Amanda taught us for future bouquets!

My finished bouquet!

Now taking pride of place at home!

Amanda rounded up our class with a final note of advice: "there should always be enough space for the butterflies to land". Such a beautiful sentiment, and one which wholly conveys this warm, lovely business and the team behind it. 

Are you guys going to try your hand at your own DIY arrangement? If so, do you think you are more Country or City?!

I am still catching up with all of our news, business and pics from New York but now we are over the jet lag hurdle (so hard on the way back?!) I can't wait to write it all up and share with you guys!

Have an awesome day all!

Love, 

MB x

Halfstack Beauty Test Kitchen - The at Home Facial

Halfstack Beauty Test Kitchen - The at Home Facial

In this episode of Beauty Test Kitchen - I am rounding up some products for an at home facial! It's easy to do and effective and you don't need to break the bank going to the spa when you can give yourself a facial at home!

All you need is a cleanser, a facial scrub, a towel, hot water and a facial moisturizer!

Watch our video for a guide on how to go about completing the facial at home and check out the products that we mention below. Some of these items are on the more expensive side, but as I mentioned in the video any moisturizer, scrub and facial cleanser you have at home will do - these were just some great products we were testing out that we actually thought worked really well.

The

Products highlighted in this episode include:

Goldfadden MD Moisturizer - www.goldfaddenmd.com - There are two types of moisturizers highlighted, the lightweight version for day time: Vital Boost Moisturizer. Vital Boost delivers hydration, antioxidant protection and a brightening glow to all skin types. Skin boosting and rejuvenating Vitamin D maximizes the skin's immunity, provides powerful antioxidant protection, improves elasticity and promotes a more youthful complexion. What I loved most about this is that is so lightweight and is oil free which is perfect for my sensitive skin! The second is the Wakeup Call Overnight Regenerative Facial Treatment. I love this stuff. I put it on at night before bed and my face feels awesome in the morning after I wash it off. It helps with spots and makes my skin feel really fresh.

Amala jasmine hydrating face polish - This is a great face polish/scrub for those of you looking for some hydration. It's has a beautiful smell and despite it being a scrub, it isn't like your scrubbing rocks on your face. The polish really does a great job at retexturing dry, dehydrated skin. The whole plant ingredients soothe and hydrate while removing dead skin cells.

Boscia Tsubaki oil infused Face Powder - This is another scrub that is gentle on your face, but packs a powerful punch when it comes to exfoliating. This comes in powder format so all you do is add water and you are good to go. It is gentle enough for everyday use and for all skin types, Tsubaki Oil-Infused Exfoliating Powder removes debris and oil from pores and skin’s surface while providing long-term deep-hydration and antiaging benefits. The grains of this powder are dried and then coated in Tsubaki Oil.

Equitance Brightening Collection - This collection focuses on beauty both inside as well as out. At the heart of the collection is the key in supporting skin’s vitality and radiance. So they utilize formal made from precisely balanced herbal ingredients. This helps in terms of keeping skin healthy and glowing. The kit incorporates toners, facial washes, moisturizers as well as supplements that give you the vitamins needed inside for healthy skin on the outside.

If you enjoy these videos, please take a moment to subscribe! You can also let us know what you are interested in seeing or hearing more about in the comments section! 

Halfstack at Home - Office Style

Halfstack at Home - Office Style

Hey Everyone! Jen Lezan here with Halfstackmag.com! Today I am excited to share a project we’ve been working on and some tips on how to create a functional yet stylish office space when you are working with minimal space, a shared space or have an at home office. You can watch the video and below you can find an outline of our tips for how to make a functional yet chic office space in a small area.

For our first tip: When working with a space that is in a home, functionality is most important. You want the space to work well and blend nicely into the surroundings, yet set it apart. The easiest way to do this is by utilizing paint.  We used (c/o)  Clark + Kensington paint from Ace Hardware in the Can’t find my Czechbook color from their OPI collaboration collection. This is a fun line of  fashion forward colors that are not for the faint of heart. The aqua style blue worked well against the white and wood furnishings we utilized in the space. The paint comes in matte, semi gloss and gloss. We used the semi gloss so it is easy to clean. This is a primer and paint in one, but it went on kind of light so we suggest more than one coat to get an even and sleek finish.



We added some pops of warmth and complementing color by using pillows and throws from (c/o) Lacoste Home available at Macy's. This helped add a lived in feel to an otherwise cold space and added a touch of comfort. If you’re going to be working somewhere for hours upon hours, you might as well make it comfortable.

A majority of the office space was furnished with Ikea to maintain our budget. In. particular, we utilized the Algot system from Ikea; which is just a system of shelves and brackets that we attached to the wall. This brings me to our next tip, make use of your wall space.  If you have a small space to work with, build up or use shelving as potential workspace as we did here. Rather than setting up a large desk, we kept it modern and minimal with white shelves that we can use as desk space.

Our final tip is to de-clutter and organize. We incorporated bins and desk organizers from Target, The Container Store and the dollar tree.  Group like items together, file away paper work you must keep, pitch the junk you don’t need and make sure everything has a place. This will help you keep track of where things are, find items more easily and keep your space clear to create. A quick little insider tip – utilize command strips plastic hooks on the underside of your desk area to corral your chords and keep them off the floor.

We hope you enjoyed this DIY video from Halfstack! If you like what you see, please take the time to subscribe and please feel free to leave comments to let us know what you think or are interested in seeing! Oh! And our Fall Music Issue Releases Wed. Sept 17! So, check it out at: www.issuu.com/halfstackmag. Thanks!!
-
Jen Lezan
Editor-in-chief

My Guilty Baking Pleasure

My Guilty Baking Pleasure

Hey lovelies! As I write from the safety of my sofa, at 3pm, I'm reminiscing on one helluva bank holiday weekend. A rotation of celebrations - from our close friends' wedding on Saturday, to a surprise appearance from one of my best girlfriends on Sunday - it's rendered us all bad-TV-and-food-coma limited. Safe to say we are all very grateful for an extra day of weekend. I rarely ever bake, but when I do I LOVE it. And to my shame, I cheat. Yes Betty Crocker's Devil's Food Cake Mix is my ULTIMATE guilty baking pleasure. It's easy. It's crazy delicious. I'm sold. 

Betty Crocker's Devil's Food Cake is pretty darn perfect, and I love it simply unadorned with a steaming hot herbal tea; but equally the five-year old decorator in me adores a good colour-pop topping. Smarties and raspberries being our decorations of choice as we watched TV under duvets today.

As the weather outside is currently looking throughly British (rain. rain. rain.) I may just have to stay indoors and devour the cake. Miranda Hobbes Sex And The City style. Remember the episode where she just can't help herself?! 

How are you guys spending the last day of August bank holiday? Do you love a baking cheat too? OR do you have a fantastic chocolate cake recipe to share? 

Back to Crocker we go . . . 

Love, 

MB x

10 Ways To Personalise Your Work Space

10 Ways To Personalise Your Work Space

Oh heyyy weekend! 

Today is the final instalment of this week's work from home special! It has been SO much fun! We are tying up all loose ends with a comprehensive look at my complete home office plus tips for personalising YOUR work space. All of today's tips can be used at home or within a traditional work environment - so don't worry if you don't have an at home office (yet!)!

Let's get the ball rollin'! Here's my 10 Ways to Personalise Your Work Space:

1. Fresh flowers
2. Fun stationary
3. Colourful notebooks
4. Inspiration board & books
5. Motivational Poster
6. Personalised mug
7. Tasty, healthy snacks
8. Trinkets dish
9. Jewellery box turned stationary store
10. Patterned Rug

Read on for comprehensive notes and pics of my personalised work space . . . 

1. Fresh Flowers - Bringing a beautiful, natural element to your office is a gentle reminder of the world outside. I find colour super inspiring so I love to have arrangements in bright seasonal hues - personal vases are a great addition to any desktop. 

2. Fun Stationary - Developing a collection of fun pens, pencils and general stationary, is a great way to put your individual stamp on your office. It may be psychosomatic but I genuinely feel more excited about putting pen to paper when my stationary looks pretty. I picked up my favourites from the V&A gift shop, some unique pencils from the Vogue Festival and a cute lipstick pen I was given at a press day - you can buy one similar here. 

3. Colourful Notebooks - I always carry a Moleskin notebook with me, they are smart and conveniently sized for handbags. In the past I have had black - perennially chic - but when I went full time with the blog I decided I would treat myself to bright red which made me feel even more enthused to jot down all of my ideas and notes. I constantly write lists and find them super useful for getting my work in order, and worries off of my mind before bed. 

4. Inspiration Board & Books - The DIY inspiration board is one of my favourite things in my revamped home office. It is so nice to have a non-digital space to store inspiring images. When I come across a beautiful editorial or quote, I now have a dedicated space for it - and one which I can keep in my eye-line.  I also like to keep art and photography books near me; Oli introduced me to the stunning work of Ansel Adams and I recently picked up a 4 book collection of V&A prints. A quick flick through one of these books is enough to re-inspire me. 

5. Motivational Poster - Sometimes all we need is a few good words to point us in the right direction. My DIY ‘Go With The Flow’ poster, helps me take a step back in times when I feel overwhelmed. You can use my super easy DIY instructions to make your own, or head to independent illustrator Jasmine Dowling, Etsy, or Urban Outfitters to buy one pre-made - I love this cute 'Bee Happy' poster. 

6. Personalised Mug - My Dad was the first person to tell me that having your own mug in an office makes you feel more at home. If you work in a shared office environment, taking your own mug to work makes those tea and coffee breaks feel more personal; bonus - if you own a mug which you’ve been given by a loved one you’ll think of them every time you use it. My ‘M’ initial mug was given to me as a housewarming present from one of my best friends, every time I use it, it reminds me of her and the awesome weekend we shared when she gave it to me. Mine is from Anthropologie.

7. Tasty, Healthy Snacks - Keeping HEALTHY snacks at hand is a great way to curve ‘bad food’ cravings. I like to have fresh fruit and nuts at hand. I prepare mine right at the beginning of the day; that way when hunger strikes at around 11 (the elevenses are TRUE!) I’m not even tempted to venture towards the fridge or shop for an unhealthy alternative. My aim is to basically never be REALLY hungry - that’s when I reach for starchy ‘filler’ food. 

8. Trinkets Dish - One of the first things I do when I sit down to work at my computer, is take off my bracelets and watch as I find the clattering as I type SO uncomfortable! Instead of randomly discarding my trinkets, I keep a small vintage dish on my desk. The trinkets dish works similarly to a key hook - ensuring that hopefully (!) you’ll not lose track of important items. I use the dishes of some vintage tea sets I own but Anthropologie, Cath Kidston and Marks & Spencer also have some sweet options. 

9. Jewellery Box Turned Stationary Store - Jewellery packaging is SUPER useful - use the base and lid upturned - they turn into pretty little containers! I use mine to hold small stationary items like paper clips and pins, a super stylish way to organise and up-cycle. 

10. Patterned Rug - A multicoloured rug is an attractive addition to any office area, and provides warmth if you like to kick off your shoes - like me! I bought mine for £4 (!) from Tiger, but Urban Outfitters has the most A-mazing selection, as does Anthropologie - I'm in love with this one. 

The important thing to remember with all of the above personalisations is that they can be used in ANY office environment - boss’s permission pending! A huge part of feeling ‘at home’ at work is making the environment personal to you; filling it with odds and bobs which mark your personality and stimulate you in your role. If you are ever feeling a little uninspired at work, see if making a few tweaks from the above list, and this week’s posts, can help you get your mojo on track. I’d love to know how you get on!

The weekend is a great time to embark on DIYs and invest in new office ware; take the opportunity and make Monday a day to look forward to!

I have really enjoyed this week’s dedicated topical posting, if you guys have suggestions on a item which you would like advice on - drop me a line! The Elgin Avenue is as much about YOU, so input is welcome with open arms. * demonstrates Italian Mama-esque embrace *

Have a great weekend guys!

Love, 

MB x 

1 Easy Tip To Organise Your Office Space

1 Easy Tip To Organise Your Office Space

Today I am sharing a crazy easy tip on office organisation, one which is so incredulously simple I hope you all get DIY-happy with it - like I did!

Simply take a small nail, and hammer it into the wall above your desk at eyeline level. Then use an ordinary bull dog clip - available in most stationary stores, supermarkets and online - to hold ANYTHING you like. I've used mine for keeping my passport safe - with a vintage post card attached to it too, encouraging me to book my next holiday! I've also used the bulldog clip to hold onto magazines - in particular ones which I love the cover of and so would not wish to turn into material for my inspiration board. On a practical note the 'bulldog clip organisation method' - official name - is REALLY good for keeping hold of receipts or reminders, and because they're always in your eye line, there's no getting away from them!

What do you guys think? Will you be giving this easy DIY a whirl? 

Tomorrow I am sharing the final instalment of The Elgin Avenue's home office week; I hope that you guys have been enjoying it so far. Thank you so much for all of the comments and tweets - I love hearing how you guys are getting on!

Today I am hitting up a couple of press days, as well as heading here for an afternoon treat and an event later. Phew! Follow my Thursday adventures on Instagram. 

Have an awesome day all!

Love, 

MB x

DIY Inspiration Board

DIY Inspiration Board

Hey peeps! It's only Tuesday and already I am SO enjoying home office week on The Elgin Avenue! 

Today I'm sharing a SUPER easy and effective DIY to personalise your home office space. One of the points which keeps coming up in my discussions with friends and readers, is that our working spaces need to INSPIRE us. Pinterest and the digital sphere can go a long way in aiding this, but nothing beats an old fashioned inspiration board; one which you can look up to when working at your computer, gain a little encouragement and flair from, and one which you can change up as often as you like. 

Read on for my simple steps to developing your own DIY inspiration board . . . 

Instructions: 

- Remove the glass from your frame. Mine was an old mirror which broke in our move - at the time I was devastated (7 years bad luck?!) but I am so glad I kept hold of it to create something new. 

- Lay down newspaper in a well ventilated area, and place your frame on top. 

- If you do NOT wish to spray your frame as well as the backing board, then either remove the back to spray separately or cover the frame with masking tape. 

- Shake your spray can and cover the entirety of your pinning area. 

- Leave to dry - mine took about 15 minutes. 

- Take stacks of magazines, postcards and trinkets and develop a pile of inspirational items you wish to pin to your board. You can, rip or cut images from magazines - I like a mix of textures so chose to do both. 

- Arrange your images and items when your inspiration board is flat. Play around with the composition.

- When you've decided on your arrangement use drawing pins to fix in place. 

- Hang your inspiration board with PRIDE!

A note on how to curate your inspiration board: this is YOUR space to feel inspired - get creative with whatever charges YOU. I chose to include images which are inspiring me right now; including editorials, Liberty print postcards and items which I've saved over the years. One of the magazine cut outs is one which Oli has had since before we were together, I always remember it being tacked to his bedroom door when we were first dating, it makes me so happy to see it now in our shared home. The beauty of an inspirational pin-style board is that is can be changed constantly, and I'd recommend you do - it keeps creativity fresh. I've used post its to add notes to some of the images, it's my way of keeping track of my thoughts and inspirations. 

Where to buy the perfect Inspiration Board frame: charity shops, car boot sales and markets are always great places to find old frames. I bought mine at a car boot sale (in its mirror state) a couple of years ago. Other than that Etsy has some awesome second hand and new options, I found this one - but hurry its the ONLY one, this one from IKEA is a little smaller than mine - at 40x50 cm - but would be a great one to customise. 

So there you have it my lovelies! The easiest DIY Inspiration Board EVER. Will you be trying this DIY out? It is ace for a weekend project, or a relaxed afternoon. And the great thing is you can curate your inspiration images ALL the time, begin collecting now and you'll have a constant flow. 

I would LOVE to hear what you think. Drop me a line below.

Have a super day all!

Love, 

MB x