Flowers

Studio Sneak Peek: Painting with Amy Osaba

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This past week I had the opportunity to hang out with Amy Osaba and paint some of her amazing creations. First off, let's talk about Amy. She is awesome. Super warm and welcoming. She offered me something to drink within .5 seconds, introduced me to her family- which by the way her sons are adorable (her oldest called my work phenomenal. He is 7 and completely melted my heart) and her mother is hilarious- and didn't seem to mind at all when I sat in on the team doing their thing. (Even when I picked up shears- is that what they're called?- and asked to help with the prep.) So yea, she's pretty cool and I'm thrilled I was able to get to hang out with her.

Now let's talk about her work. If you haven't seen her pieces yet (where have you been?) go take a look at her website. Or any wedding blog for that matter because she's loved by all of them. Each piece has a unique organic feeling-nothing is stuffy or overworked and yet they all have some unexpected twist to them. It's almost as if the flowers are dancing with each other- the textures and colors pushing and pulling your eyes around the arrangements. (And seeing as Amy used to be a ballerina, this makes complete sense.) As soon as I saw her work, I knew I wanted to paint it and finally (after psyching myself up and telling myself to stop being such a chicken) I sent her an email and asked if she'd mind.

Luckily, she didn't mind at all.

And after two phone calls for directions, various conversations ranging from how Amy Grant's Baby, Baby was stuck in my head to why we didn't like the fact that Taylor Swift dated Jake Gyllenhaal, 100s of beautiful flowers, 1 mini art lesson with her son, and 4 hours later- here is what was created. (even if it goes without saying...all images copyright of courtney khail)

Thank you so much for letting me come over, Amy! I had such a great time and can't wait to do this again. And I promise a painting will be on the way to you shortly!

from the studio: sonja and blake

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It's been too long since my last "from the studio" so today I thought I'd share my latest custom invitation!

copyright courtney khail stationery and design

A little back story:

When Sonja first emailed me, she knew she wanted a custom handwritten invitation, but wasn't 100% sure what she wanted those invitations to look like. She and Blake are both outdoorsy and very active (they got engaged on top of Mt. Rainer!) so we both knew their invitations had to have a natural vibe- wild, but still elegant. After we talked colors and wording, Sonja told me that their venue is covered in California poppies and Indian paintbrush blooms and we both knew right away that one, or both, of those had to be incorporated. I drew up a few different options, but in the end we all fell in love with this one! Having the viewpoint from slightly below makes the guests feel as though they are walking through a poppy field, while the bright orange blooms pop against the hand penned black ink. I love how these came together! And with each one just slightly different from the next, they really do look like a field of poppies when seen together.

Hope you enjoy!

Beautiful Flowers

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ink & peat via daily candy

I really like more earthy looking bouquets- you know, ones that look like you may have been able to pick them out of your garden that morning. So when I saw this bouquet from Portland based Ink & Peat, I fell hard. I love the soft colors and the whimsical yet hardy feel. It's so nice to see alternatives to the normal all white rose bouquet!

Hump Day

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Just thought I'd share a little beauty with you mid week :) I've been on a mission to try and de-clutter/organize my work space as well as the house so sorry for the late post today. Hope everyone's day has been wonderful, and if not, remember tomorrow is a whole new day with all new possibilities!

See you in the a.m!

Munich Flower Market

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I thought I would share a few of the pictures I took in the markets of Munich. Aren't the hydrangeas just beautiful?? I was tempted to get some for our hotel room, but we were checking out the next day so I refrained. Hope everyone is doing well!


a little blurry, but you get the idea!

Hydrangeas

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via flickr

Hydrangeas are becoming an increasingly popular flower for weddings and parties. In my opinion that is because you get a lot more "bang for your buck." Because each stem of hydrangea holds a rather large bloom, a bride or party host will only need to buy a few in order to have a very full bouquet or centerpiece.* Another great thing about hydrangeas is their availability and versatility. You can find them just about anywhere, during almost every season, and in almost every color imaginable- not to mention they easily can be used in modern and traditional arrangements. Although there are something like 23 different types of hydrangea species, the most commonly cultivated one in the U.S. is the "big leaf hydrangea." This is the type most of us are familiar with- the large shrub filled with large ball like clusters of blooms.

A wonderful characteristic of hydrangeas is the multitude of colors that are available. Just to name a few, hydrangeas can be white, light pink, light blue, hot pink, deep blue, a bright blue-ish purple, green, and one called "changing" which is a green with burgundy tips (only available in the fall usually). Word to the wise though- remember that colors vary. When you order pink, you might get a flower slightly different than the color you imagined. More often than not though, your florist will work the the grower to get the best possible match- just make sure to bring swatches with you as your definition of bright pink might vary from your florist's.

** this is great money saving wedding flower since it can be carried alone or mixed with pricier flowers to "bulk up" a bouquet. Also, if you want to create a lush feeling, this flower does wonders.

Peonies

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peony via flickr

pronounced PE-uh-ne or pe-O-ne- whichever you prefer.

According to the knot, the peony is the 7th most popular wedding flower. Probably because of their beautiful lush blooms, fragrance and most importantly, their demand. Unlike roses, which have a long growing season and therefore can be found throughout the year, peonies have an EXTREMELY short growing season (late spring to early summer). While not available for winter weddings, they can be imported for a fall wedding and are available in a range of pinks/purples (from the lightest almost white to the deep purple-y pinks), as well as lush red and classic white.

Costs:
Like I mentioned before, the growing season of a peony is very very short- usually only about 7 weeks. This makes the price of the bloom incredibly expensive (especially if you are having to import them in their "off season"). This doesn't mean that you can't enjoy peonies though! Think about single bud vases in the windows of your venue, or mixing other flowers in with peonies for a lush, beautiful, and way more affordable bouquet or centerpiece. Or maybe you'll carry a bouquet of peonies and your bridesmaids will carry a mix or different (but still complimenting) blooms. More often than not, your florist will completely understand that you don't want to blow your entire budget on flowers and will work with you to make your vision happen within your budget. If not, you might want to research other florists!