Obsessed with buttercup

I bought a bouquet of Persian Buttercups (also known as ranunculus asiaticus) at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago and not only did they last for three weeks, but I became obsessed with them. Now I seek them out every time I'm at the market or near a florist, but I haven't had much luck. They bloom in late spring / early summer, so I think I'll have to try and find some to plant on my patio this summer. The name ranunculus comes from Latin and means “little frog." Mythology says that there was a Persian prince that was so beautiful that everyone loved him and wanted to be him, and since he was a modest prince, could not muster the courage to declare his love for just one. So he died and was memorialized in a beautiful flower that grew in swampy areas.

One of the pleasures of working with ranuncula is the small buds that many stems carry. Snipped and used on their own, these cuties help create layers of texture in a denser arrangement or bouquet. But, you don't have to get too fancy. Ranuncula look their loveliest when kept simple. One thing to note is that they can be quite expensive – as much as 4 or 5 dollars a stem for prime flowers. But so worth it! Their little paper mache petals and delicate color variations are just too much to resist. And four stems could easily hold the center of your table (however, their stems aren't made of steel, so if you want to keep them long and leggy, keep them suspended upright with a small flower frog).

I quite prefer the softer, looser, more naturally inspired arrangements that flowers like the ranunculus make.

photo credit: Martha Stewart

DIY mini cakes!

I just love the idea of making several mini cakes for a party instead of just one big one. You could get super creative with flavors and cake toppers! And the most brilliant part? You can make them by using a simple tin can as your cake pan. Check out the DIY instructions over on Oh Happy Day!

Back in business! Well, sort of.

After some technical difficulties and a VERY busy start to 2012, I’m in the process of reorganizing and re-prioritizing, well, my life, so to speak. As many of you know, h&a happenings is not my full-time job, even though I’d very much like it to be! After the new year, I applied for a new day job and after many weeks of interviews, I was offered – and accepted – the position. The exciting part for me is that I’m heading back into marketing, which will inevitably help me market h&a happenings more effectively, and I was just really REALLY ready for a change of scenery (my old job had become boring and monotonous and one of those things that you groaned about as soon as you opened your eyes in the morning).

For h&a happenings to take off soaring, I need to have a day job that actually pays me well (which my old job was NOT). So, for the next couple of months, juggling my day job with my side business is going to be a little difficult, especially since I’m moving to Berlin for a month for training (the above pic is actually of my cute little apartment I'll have while I'm there - I have a balcony, which I'm super excited about!). But, I will have my laptop and my creativity with me, so I will be able to blog and brainstorm and discover new ideas for parties and getaways (speaking of which, I’m planning a Memorial Day weekend getaway to Vermont, which should be so much fun because it’s 1.) Vermont and 2.) such a great group of people!!).

On my to-do list over the next couple of days is to pack (for a month!! How does one actually do that??!), learn basic German, see a few friends that I will miss dearly while I'm away, and to snuggle a ridiculous amount of time with my husband (and our dog and cats).

Thanks to you all for your continued support!