I'm excited to bring you the first ever Jewel Box® Home giveaway!
As many of you know, one of my favorite ways to add beauty and life to a smaller space is with flowers, greenery and fruit. Now, most of the design heavies out there think only fresh will do. I remember Nate Berkus on Oprah saying that anything but real flowers or fruit are considered tacky. I happen to really like Nate, but I disagree with him on that point. Artificial flowers and greenery can look just as wonderful and of course last longer.
Here are a few arrangements from my home.
Fresh white casablanca lilies and lemon leaves near my front door. I carried these lilies in my bridal bouquet and like to pick them up at the grocery store whenever they are on sale.
White casablanca lilies and roses, with lemons and limes, fresh fruit in a glass bowl and granny smith applies by the kitchen entryway. I always keep fruit here for the boys to eat and I had quite a job 'protecting' the fruit from being eaten before this photo was taken.
Dried and artificial pomegranates, pears and figs with greenery in a large white urn. This arrangement reflects my husband's Italian heritage and the pear trees I grow in our side yard.
A simple buffet centerpiece of fresh honeycrisp apples and variegated euonymus leaves from my garden on a large white platter.
And now for the giveaway! One lucky winner will receive this premium white orchid plant from ProFlowers, a $99.00 value.
How do you enter? Just leave a comment with your opinion of fresh vs. artificial flower arrangements. You know where I stand, I like them both. But tell me what you think. I'll randomly pick a winner SUNDAY, so get your comments in quickly! For anyone leaving an anonymous note, don't forget to leave your email so I can reach you.
Genevieve
Of course I love fresh best, but I have silk red poppies in a cobalt blue bottle on my white-washed fireplace hearth that cheer me every single day. :-)
ReplyDeleteLove fresh the best but let's be real here - that's not always possible! A single rose bud or peony or anything else from my garden is totally satisfying.
ReplyDeleteI love fresh arrangements, usually for how I feel as I am buying them. I always get something each time I grocery shop (once a week) and relish that moment. Picking something just for myself, but can be enjoyed by all...
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance!
I agree with you, fresh is my preference but I've certainly see artificial that look so convincing that it's the touch test that determines whether they are real on not.
ReplyDeleteKaren
Garden, Home and Party
I like fresh, especially if they are from my yard. I especially enjoy fresh when they have a lovely scent.
ReplyDeleteI love fresh flowers, but there are some beautiful silk ones.
ReplyDeleteI love fresh flowers, but there are some beautiful silk ones.
ReplyDeleteI prefer fresh flowers, but I have some fakes that I like!
ReplyDeleteteresacline2001(at)yahoo(dot)com
I have a ton of house plants! so I agree that fresh is probably the best. BUT I do have some silk poenies which I love since they look so real... and no ants come with them.
ReplyDeleteI love this time of year when I can pick a few things here and there out of my garden and mixed them all up together.
PS: since I have so many house plants already, I'll pass on the giveaway.... but I can't wait to read who the lucky winner is!
I love fresh flowers and plants the best, but sometimes lifestyle or environment necessitates silk.
ReplyDeleteWell, I adore fresh but I love dried, too. I have a row of dried bundles hanging above by kitchen sink.
ReplyDeleteI adore fresh, even just a stem or two. But I also love dried and have a row of bundles hanging above my kitchen sink.
ReplyDeleteI have a few dried arrangements around the house. I love fresh flowers, though! Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeletetexasaggiemom
I'm with nate. but i must admit i do have a metal bucket with artificial gerbera daisies in my 5 year olds room and it's quite cute. but she's five.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of house plants but my wife is allergic to fresh flowers, so we use artificial flower arrangements. By the way, all of your arrangements on this blog are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have several artificial plants in my home I do prefer live arrangements, for some reason they just make me happy!
ReplyDelete...oh my...we would all love to have fresh flowers everyday of the year...but for many of us that is just not possible...but...we can mix real with the not so real...i have an gorgeous forever orchid in a pot with real moss from my back yard surrounding the base...and i use fern leaves from the porch everywhere...my easter table had fresh moss out ot the yard mixed with tiny pretend violets... everyone who comes through the door always goes to touch the flowers...there are no "nevers" in making your home beautiful and special...
ReplyDeleteMy sister is the flower arranger in our family, but I can put together a mean bunch of hydrangas in my granfather's flow-blue pitcher! Fresh is definitely best then!
ReplyDeleteI like fresh flowers but they die so quickly that I only use artificial ones now.
ReplyDeleteI like both, because I prefer to use fresh flowers from my own garden in season, so I use artificial arrangements out of season. :)
ReplyDeleteI prefer fresh, but I agree that they do die too quickly. I am not familiar with really good fakes. I know they can be fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for posting two comments (and, I know, this is the third one) but I had trouble getting my password to work and wasn't sure if my first one posted. I did not intend to "cheat" with more than one post. You can disqualify me :o)
ReplyDeleteHi All,
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying reading everyone's comments! This is such fun. I'll let you know the winner on Saturday along with our group's flower preference. So far fresh flowers are ahead by a landslide.
And a quick 'shout out' to Barbara. No worries about the multiple comments. I can't tell you how many times I have made the same mistake. Thank God it's not just me! Of course, I always blame it on the fact that I'm over 50.
'See' everyone on Saturday!
Genevieve
I recently went on a house tour and you wouldn't believe the amount of fresh flowers. In vases, in urns, in planters, in pots, in julip cups, and on and on!! They were so beautiful. Unless you own a florist or a fantastic garden, fresh flowers all over - all the time - seems unlikely. I say, go with the artificial for everyday and buy fresh when you have a special occasion.
ReplyDeleteFresh flowers / live plants are lovely but when it comes to orchids, I opt for the silk variety :) My home is just too dry-- they don't like it here for too long!
ReplyDelete