Inspiration....South goes West

In September I was down South for my Mother-in-Law's 70th birthday and it was wonderful to spend some time in a different environment.  We stayed on a lake out of town so I was able to take daily walks among tremendous old oaks dripping with Spanish Moss.  The magnolia's were not blooming, but were still fabulous with their seedpods bursting and full of the bright red seeds.  I did find a miniature magnolia with a couple of magnificent blooms.  But what really inspired me was the cotton.  On a drive up to North Mississippi for my nephew's football game, we drove through acres and acres of it and I immediately knew I wanted to work with it.  When I got back home, I hit my rolodex looking for a source and low and behold, a few weeks later I was working with cotton.  I love the contrast between the stalks and the cotton bolls, as well as the textural element the actual cotton offers.  It was a unique product to feature in Montana, but the arrangements were beautiful and the response was great.  It was fun to sit watch as people walked by, they couldn't help but reach out and touch the bolls.  One of the things I find the most fun in design is taking items out of their environment and using them in new context.  So if you are designing for your wedding, event or home, take a moment to envision items beyond their everyday use.

the magnolia seed pod because it is so cool!