Endless Summer

With summer closely approaching, I am very excited to get home. At home, I live very close to the beach, so of course in my front yard we have a huge hibiscus plant! Hibiscus are one of my favorite flowers because they are so tropical and vibrant. They remind me of spending long days at the beach and getting some sun. 

  

One of my goals for the summer is to find ways to incorporate hibiscus crafts and decorate with the great hibiscus that we have! We have two different colors, one a peachy color and the other a vibrant red. Both are beautiful, but I think that my favorite are the peachy ones. Here are some pins I found on Pinterest for my hibiscus inspiration!

My Sorority House

bubble

(null)

My sorority house is one of my favorite places to be while I am at school. The best part is, our flowers in the front beds just started to bloom again! I can't wait for summer when they will be their prettiest!

Plant Memories

The world around us is truly amazing. Recently, the Mad Cow protein has been found to create memories in plants. These "memories" pass on from the mother plant to offspring and help the new plants know when to bloom.

Jekyll Island

Sloths Love Flowers Too!

While trying to study for finals, I came across this great article about a cute baby sloth eating his favorite food, hibiscus! It is really cool to see the many different uses of flowers, as so many different creatures have different purposes for them. This baby sloth, Lucca, really enjoys eating hibiscus before his afternoon naps! How cute!

Edible Flowers...

Well, they might not really be flowers, but these edible egg flowers make for a yummy, healthy breakfast! They are extremely easy to make and make for a great kickstart in the morning as we get ready for summer!

There are only 4 ingredients!

• olive oil
• bell peppers
• eggs
• parmesan cheese

First slice the bell peppers and remove the white parts inside the "flower" shape. Next, heat up the olive oil in the skillet and sauté the bell peppers for a few minutes. Crack an egg in the middle of each flower and cook for 2-5 minutes depending on how done you would like you eggs. Finally remove the egg flowers and top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Check out the full article here!

Kanapaha Moonlight Walk

The Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, located in Gainesville, Florida, is a great place to check out beautiful nature. The gardens are made up of 24 major collections that can be viewed from a 1.5 mile long path. The Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is home to the state's largest public display of bamboos and the largest herb garden in the Southeast. The gardens are a great place for families to adventure. Besides during special events, visitors are allowed to bring their dogs on leashes and can also have a picnic in the picnic areas. Kanapaha recently had their Spring Garden Festival, and is now looking forward to their Moonlight Walk. The Moonlight Walk will be held on May 14th, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The walkway will be lit with twinkle lights, lanterns, and about 1500 luminaries. People are encouraged to bring a picnic basket, blankets, lawn chairs, and flashlights. The Alachua Astronomy Club will have telescopes for people to use and there will also be live entertainment. Carly Davis, a University of Florida student, says she is looking forward to the event.

Double Take

I found this great video showing close ups of very unique flowers. Typically whenever we think of flowers, we think of the typical daisies, lilies, roses, etc. The common flowers. These are definitely far from common, and all actually resemble something other than a flower. My favorites are the monkey orchids and the swaddled babies. The "faces" on the monkey orchids are just so cute!

Where to Buy Cheap Flowers

Is That A Flower or an Alien?!

First ever flower grown in space makes its debut! #SpaceFlower #zinnia #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/2uGYvwtLKr

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 16, 2016

This awesome Zinnia flower is thought to be the first flower grown in space, although there have been reports of a sunflower that was grown out of a plastic bag in the space station. The cool thing about the Zinnia flower is that it is edible and can be grown without soil. The possibility of growing flowers and plants in space is awesome because it is one step closer to learning about the idea of living in space. Find out more here!

A Trip to Floral Expressions!

Taking a trip to Floral Expressions today to check out my fave flowers!#ctncouture

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

Such a cute little florists store pic.twitter.com/nHcvznGm7G

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

Chances are pretty high that I'll be leaving here with some roses...#ctncouture

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

Which color roses are your favorite?#ctncouture

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

I'm a sucker for red and pink.. 😏#ctncouture

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

So beautiful!!! #ctncouture pic.twitter.com/gBN6L6c7AU

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

This store is so cool! Family owned and operated 🌸🌸🌸 #ctncouture

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

What flowers should I get besides roses?

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

March 17th is my sorority's founder's day! I think I will get our official flower, the purple Iris!🦄 #ctncouture pic.twitter.com/d3gsYBF95V

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

So many pretty flowers, I can't wait to bring them home! 🌹🌷🌸💐 #ctncouture

— Lizzy McCarthy (@liz_mccarthyuf) March 7, 2016

How to Wear Flowers

For this spring and summer season, bright colors are definitely in. Not only are these beautiful hues popular, but flowers are also making a trend in the fashion world. Here are my favorite picks from Anthropologie & J.Crew.

Balcony Garden Inspiration: Pinterest!

Pinterest is probably my favorite app EVER invented. Ok, it definitely is. Pinterest is a great way to find recipes, DIY projects, style ideas, and most importantly flower inspiration! One problem I have found with living in an apartment is that there is very minimal space to grow flowers and gardens. Below are my top five pins for balcony inspiration!

Flowers are great for brightening up a space and bringing a design together! Here's a quick tour of what my desk looks like and some of my favorite flowers! #carnationcouture #flowers #roses #rosettes #style #design #happy #goodvibes

A photo posted by Carnation Couture (@ctncouture) on Feb 22, 2016 at 6:16pm PST

First stop: my favorite DIY craft; glitter state of Florida! Can't miss the heart for Gainesville! 🐊 #florida #gators #glitter #diy #craft #gold #home

A photo posted by Carnation Couture (@ctncouture) on Feb 22, 2016 at 6:18pm PST

Even the background of my computer is covered with roses! One of my favorite Lilly Pulitzer prints: First Impressions #roses #happy #verypink #mac #homework #focused

A photo posted by Carnation Couture (@ctncouture) on Feb 22, 2016 at 6:23pm PST

Who doesn't love a magical unicorn? The unicorn is my sorority's mascot and this one adds a touch of whimsy to my desk! 🦄 #unicorn #sorority #deskinspo

A photo posted by Carnation Couture (@ctncouture) on Feb 22, 2016 at 6:21pm PST

Finally an overview of my desk! All of the items I chose to decorate with come together with some nice soft pink rosettes! Trader Joe's is my favorite place to purchase flowers when I'm out running errands. Putting flowers in a big mason jar is also my favorite way to display them! #deskinspo #design #rosettes #flowers #carnationcouture #college #decor #workspace

A photo posted by Carnation Couture (@ctncouture) on Feb 22, 2016 at 6:27pm PST

Valentine's Day Flower Economy

Can You Tell A Difference?

I found this amazing time lapse video on National Geographic. It was made by filmmaker David de los Santos Gil over a period of 9 months! That is some true flower dedication. Personally, my favorite flower in this time lapse is the hibiscus because we have them in my yard at home. There are so many beautiful colors displayed here against the black background; it is truly breathtaking.

Freshly Cut

There's something about fresh flowers that makes my soul happy. Bringing a piece of beautiful nature inside to brighten up a space can truly do wonders for one's mental health. There are some pretty amazing flowers on our planet, but not all of them are what you might consider to be typical; some flowers are really smelly. Here at Carnation Couture, I will discuss the many benefits flowers provide, as well as how I enjoy styling and using flowers.

With my junior year at the University of Florida halfway over, I am looking forward to new academic experiences that will prepare me for my future in media. My entire life I have played golf and it is my dream to work in the golf media industry. Growing up playing golf has taught me to have an appreciation for the nature around me. On the golf course there are so many factors that come into play; your actual game, your mental game, and Mother Nature. No matter how things are going, it's always a great idea to stop and smell the roses.

- Roses on my desk -