Flowers on the Go

Despite my efforts to remember (and acknowledge) people's birthdays this year, I nearly missed yet another one last week. Thankfully Jamie mentioned in a text that she was making dinner for her mom's birthday. Eek! I had no notes on that one and hadn't sent a card to Edy. (I've realized since that if you're not on Facebook, I'm still likely to miss your birthday!)

Luckily, I have this quick little flower bouquet thing that I do occasionally for birthday gals in the area. And with just a few supplies, you can too!

Basically, I'm not such a fan of gifting flowers that just came from the store, still wrapped in their cellophane glory. So instead, I spend 5 extra minutes to deliver something that's just a wee bit sweeter looking. And, as an extra bonus, the recipient doesn't have to take time out of their busy day to trim and arrange the flowers in their own vase (which, on tough days, I don't even get around to doing when I buy flowers for myself...sad!)

Here's what you'll need:

• Flowers. I prefer one type of flower in one color. I find it to be simple, classy, hard to mess up, and often less expensive. But the choice is yours!
• Glass jar. I use from my endless supply of canning jars, but really any glass jar can work. (Take my word for it, we used ALL kinds at our wedding.)
• Scissors. To trim the ends.
• Water. You can use the fountain in the grocery store, or leftovers from the water bottle that rolled under the seat in your car. 
• Pretty coordinating ribbon. Throw in a few options before you leave the house if you're arranging on the go.

I think the instructions are pretty self explanatory, but a couple tips:

• Err on the short side when cutting your stems. Most flowers look best in a big bulby bunch in jars.
• Trim your stems at an angle and get into water quickly.
• Tear the leaves off the stems. 
• Tie your piece of ribbon around the jar. Wider ribbon is typically nicer. Or you can go for longer stems, and tie your ribbon tight around the flowers, placing it in the jar like a bouquet. Looks pretty, but be careful the combo isn't too top heavy. 

This is simple enough to be done in your car, with a screaming baby sitting next to you. Take my word for it!

And, if you're lucky, you might even have a couple stems left over from the bunch to brighten up your own space at home!