Baby shower fleurs

Yesterday got all my supplies (well, not exactly...I will explain!) and decided to get a jump start on doing the flowers for the baby shower I'm attending on Saturday. The hostess of the shower hired me to do a pretty centerpiece for the shower, so I, of course, agreed! I adore doing cut flower arrangements! It uses an entirely different part of my brain than working with live plants. Plus, it's winter and there is nothing but a wide array of grays and browns out there. It's bleak, my friends. Bleak! So working with gorgeous, colorful flowers - most of them tropicals - is such a pleasure. I miss color at this time of year.

I actually bought most of the fresh flowers at Stop and Shop. I know that sounds crazy, but there is a store in a nearby town that has the BEST cut flowers! They are always very fresh and VERY affordable. I also order some flowers from some online stores and got my fresh greens the other day at the garden center. I have a business, so most of the places give a wholesale discount, so it's pretty good pricing for me!

I used quite the array of flowers. Some of them? I do not even know what they're called! There is one type that is sort of these purply-blue, gangly, star shaped things - really neat and airy looking. Then there are the ones in the center that are a type of tropical lily - again, purply-blue. The baby is going to be a boy, so I was requested to do shades of blues and whites.

I also used alstromeria (Peruvian lilies), a bit of baby's breath, creamy-white roses, green poms, rose-colored mums that have a daisy face, and my most favorite thing in the world? Seeded eucalyptus. It's SO pretty and looks nothing like regular eucalyptus, which I do not like! Don't ask me why?! Some things I just hate. Like impatiens. Yuck! I know I'm a flower snob, but there are just some that do NOT appeal to me whatsoever!

Annnnyway, seeded eucalpytus. It's feathery, has flat leaves and these cool "flowers" that are shades of green, gray and pink. Really pretty. Here's a picture.

You can't see that much there, but I'll post a picture and see if I can get a closeup.

Here are the things I started with:

These are most of the flowers and some greens.

These are the roses and the seeded eucalyptus.

These are my clippers and the pretty blue vase I used. Inside the vase is what gave me trouble yesterday. It's floral foam or Oasis which most florists use.

I forgot to get new Oasis at the store, so I used a piece that had been used already. I flipped it over, figuring it would be just fine. Nope. Bad idea.

I finished the arrangement and noticed there were parts drooping here and there. I tried and tried to fix it, which only made the Oasis disintegrate even more! SO frustrating after spending the better part of an hour making this pretty arrangement.

So, I sent my lovely husband to the florist up the street to buy me a block of foam...

I'll post the finished product a bit later. Right now I MUST shower (I just did a kick-a** workout!) and then must get a couple things downtown. Later, alligator!