Blooms Make the Room

I’m super excited for this upcoming VIRTUAL flower arranging workshop event that I am co-hosting with my fabulous artist designer friend Annie Damphousse of Housse Studio!

Anyone is welcome to join us – virtually – on Sept. 10th at 1pm!!!

Along with getting bunches of farm fresh flowers from Alice's Table delivered right to your door to create a beautiful sunflower filled floral arrangement AT HOME – I will be teaching this part via a private Zoom link – attendees will also get a SNEAK PEEK inside Annie’s studio where she creates original works of art from paintings to textile designs to custom commissioned home goods (her new designer-inspired pillow collections are gorgeous!)

Join us and YOU can brighten someone’s day ...

Last October, Annie donated her styled bar cart (in photo above) to the annual dining by design Heading Home to Dinner fundraiser held at the Boston Design Center.

This year, she has come up with a creative way to give back to this community that is experiencing a greater need than ever.

A note from Annie ... 

“I am creating a special painting – inspired by the gorgeous colors in the floral arrangement – which will be raffled off after the event. All attendees will be entered into the raffle, PLUS have an opportunity to purchase additional entries into the raffle during the event.

All raffle proceeds and a portion of each ticket price will be donated to Heading Home – a Boston based charity that provides housing and support services to families and individuals in need.”

Grab your tickets by Friday, August 28th to reserve your spot and to receive your fresh flower delivery (from 1-800-flowers) in time for our virtual workshop on Thursday, September 10th! 

Get your Blooms Make the Room event ticket HERE. 

Love Letter Gifts for the Holidays

How is your holiday shopping going? If you’re still searching for that something special that you haven’t seen before, I have the perfect site for you! Uncommon Goods is an online retail shop based out of Brooklyn, New York, that is filled with unique gifts made by talented craftspeople who focus on sustainable design.

“We make it our mission to support and provide a platform for artists and designers; in fact, half of what we sell is made by hand. Most of the products we carry are created right here in the USA, and about one-third of our entire collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials. At the core of our company is a great respect for the integrity of the creative individual and the belief that it is our responsibility to use our business to impact the world in a positive way.”

– via Uncommon Goods  

They have lots of cool home, garden, office, special occasion and even personalized gifts in their collections, and they asked me share some of my favorites with my readers this holiday gift giving season. Since I love typography and graphic design, I have chosen some text worthy treats that would certainly make a thoughtful impression.

Personalized Faux Bois Vase $90

“When lovebirds carve their initials into the knotted bark of a tree, they create an everlasting record of a romance able to stand the test of time. Ceramicist Laurel Begley translates this ages-old tradition into a keepsake vase that captures a couple's ability to always find something fresh and beautiful to love about each other as they grow old together.” 

Custom Address Stamps $72

“A thoughtful token for a couple of newlyweds, a family, or a new homeowner, this personalized stamp celebrates the place you call home. Brandy Schuman custom designs these stamps in her Atlanta, Georgia, studio and then cuts them out of durable red rubber and North American native wood. Your chosen name and address are rendered in a stylish mix of print and script lettering, adding handwritten appeal to ready-to-go writing.”

Cocktail Recipe Glasses

(Set of 4) $20

“Keep your bartending repertoire at hand and streamline your mixology with this set of clever cocktail glasses. Each rocks glass features four formulas — one on each side — for concoctions based on their main spirits: gin (salty dog, Tom Collins, gin rickey, gin fix); rum (mojito, rum sour, Boston cooler, Havana two); vodka (Bloody Mary, vodka cooler, Madras, seabreeze); whiskey (whiskey fix, de riguer, cablegram, dinah). Each glass in the set is marked on its base with its main spirit, so it’s easy to get to the bottom of things at cocktail time.” 

A Year of Gratitude $30

“You can live a life of abundance, independent of any material things, if your heart is always filled with a spirit of gratitude. This elegant box set contains all you need for a head start on such a gracious way of living. Not only does it contain 52 thank you cards—one for each week in the year—but it also has tips for writing meaningful thank you notes, and a guided journal for you to record your experiences.”

Namaste Pillow $97

“More than just a warm greeting or farewell between yogis, the word ‘namaste’ is also used to express gratitude or to thank another person for his or her selflessness and generosity. Capturing the nuanced spirit of this expression, Alexandra Ferguson’s handcrafted pillow brings a calming presence to any space and serves as a reminder to be thankful for life's many blessings.” 

What Wood You Say?

Wooden Desk Phrases $50

“Wise words spring to life in these bright desk sculptures. Artist Matthew Hoffman draws and then laser cuts uplifting phrases out of birch plywood. Highlighted by a vibrant finish and letters that climb, each pedestal-footed design is signed by the artist himself.” 

“I really like the idea of sneaking positive

messages into the world.”

– Matthew Hoffman

In addition to offering beautiful gift items, Uncommon Goods also shares the inspirational stories of the makers behind them. Be sure to check them out while selecting your next perfectly thoughtful gift from Uncommon Goods this holiday season!

Note: I was compensated for this blog post,

but the opinions are exclusively my own.

Place your UncommonGoods order by 5pm ET on the dates below to receive your order on or before December 24, 2015:

December 17 – choose Economy shipping or faster

December 18 – choose Standard or Preferred shipping or faster

December 21 – choose Expedited shipping or faster (not valid for PO Box addresses)

December 22 – choose Express shipping (not valid for PO Box addresses)

Orders placed after 5pm ET on December 23 will leave the UncommonGoods warehouse on Monday, December 28.

*Unfortunately the shipping cutoff for International orders has already passed.

Where have you been?

In case you have been wondering what I have been working on lately, here are some links to posts I put together for White Light Visual, where you can find me during the week. I love the variety of projects and industries that they serve. Since starting in January, I have connected with local business owners, interior designers, large corporations, property managers and educational institutions. We are planning to host a spring open house/creative networking event sometime around May, so let me know if you would like to be on the guest list. Email me at yvonne@whitelightvisual.com (post links are in green)

{ Large Scale Glamour in a Corporate Office }

{ Boston Design Week at White Light }

{ Making an Impression at a NY Design Show }

Follow me on Instagram for more ...

Summer arrangements ...

Driftwood with succulents and summer accessories by Laura Thomson

Even with the wealth of flowers outside our windows in the summer months there is still much to be appreciated in the gathered variety. For the “Designers Shine with Designer Bath” award event that I planned for the showroom in July, we hired Laura Thomson to create arrangements to add a bit of nature-inspired beauty to our designer celebration. She really came through with her thoughtful designs. See them posted on our facebook page and read about Laura’s design process here.

Yard snipped hydrangeas in a low glass vase with pebbles 

This past week, the winning space of the Shine contest was photographed by Michael J. Lee. Ian Mentasti of Stephen Terhune Woodworking, a division of Carpenter and MacNeille, was our award-winning designer and his master bath project was amazingly beautiful. I brought lots of luxurious bath items to style the space for our professional photo shoot including hydrangeas from a friend’s front yard. The leftover blooms came home with me and I put them in a low vase to enjoy for awhile. Look for the winning space in next issue of Design New England Magazine as it will be featured in a full page ad for Designer Bath. The entire house was stunning! I really wish we could have stayed to photograph more of it.     

Ferns, ivy and peace lily in a large black urn by Churchills Garden Center

I took a trip to visit the York Decorator Show House today. Designer Gerald Pomeroy was a shining star at this year’s show. His living room, dining room, kitchen and sun porch were elegantly designed with lots of rich textures and subtle patterns. I wasn’t there to photograph the show, but I was able to capture the above urn on the grounds surrounding Harmon House. There is only one day left to view the 19 decorated spaces ... if you can’t make it in person, there are a few photos of Pomeroy’s work on the Design New England blog. If you do plan to visit, you’ll see lots more designer flower arrangements inside (along with some fabulous decorated living spaces), plus gorgeous gardens and plantings outside. Charles C. Hugo Landscape Design created an outside kitchen set against the backdrop of the York Harbor that looks like the perfect place to spend a summer afternoon.

Design tip: add orange

Photo credit: Laura Thomson

In case you were unable to attend the Boston Flower and Garden Show in Boston last week, my friend Laura Thomson who blogs at Designing44 posted some of her favorite takeaway tips. Stop by her blog for a tour!

Art in Bloom 2012

Last week was the Village Garden Club of Lynnfield’s Annual Art in Bloom display at the Lynnfield Library. Seasoned artists from the Lynnfield Art Guild along with talented students from the Lynnfield Middle and High Schools were asked to submit their works of art to be interpreted with flowers. 

“Soaring Colors” by Alison Council

I fell in love with this collage by Lynnfield High School student, Alison Council. First, the typography combined with hand written words of inspiration really appealed to me. Second, the bird image is made up of little bits of ripped magazine pages. You know how much I love magazines! The composition of the piece impressed me and I admire its confident message.

Arrangement by Yvonne Blacker

“Soaring Colors” by Alison Council

For my arrangement, I chose mini carnations which look like crinkled pieces of paper. I found these really neat floral accessories that looked very Dr. Suess-like (the tall curled brown branches remind me of Alison’s poetic script, bright pink orbs repeat the pink of the bird, and the fragile white pods resemble eggs). I supported the flowers with a nest of feathers tucked into the tall, vintage silver vase. In order to incorporate some blue into my interpretation, I twisted a pale blue silk ribbon around the vase as one might wrap a hand-held bouquet. This arrangement was all about the container, the scale, and finding inspiration in whimsy. 

It was such a pleasure to meet the artist, Alison, on opening night. Her parents were also there, and I could tell they are very proud of her! The audience was quite lively being composed of students, their families, and those of us who have been at this Art in Bloom thing for awhile : ) I think it was one of my favorite shows because it really captured the spirit of community. 

“Life, The Universe and Everything” 

Artist Gabriel Fadel, Lynnfield High School

Arrangement by Ann Encarnacao

“Eiffel Tower” by Britt Daw, Lynnfield Art Guild

Arrangement by Laura Thomson

“Spring Blooms” by Ashley Bass

Arrangement by Chris Barbosa of Northeast Nursery

Lynnfield Middle School student Ashley Bass

discusses what inspired her painting.

“Pastorale” by Beth Aaronson, Lynnfield Art Guild

Arrangement by Bootie Stevens

“Twilight Garden” by Juhi Saxena, Lynnfield Middle School 

Arrangement by Karen Hathaway and Betsy Foley

“Happy Pandas” by Marina Maylor, Lynnfield High School 

Arrangement by Mary Schwartz

“Live Free” by Mackenzie Comeau, Lynnfield High School 

Arrangement by Paula McKeever and Debbie Caniff

“Jetty” by Britt Daw, Lynnfield Art Guild 

Arrangement by Jan Lisacki and Karen Hathaway

“Candle Light” by Shaila Desai, Lynnfield Art Guild 

Arrangement by Micki Trigilio

“Henna Design” Samantha Shapleigh, Lynnfield HS 

Arrangement by Judy Barry, Floral Designer

Judy shared a neat professional trick with us ... she created her arrangement in a shallow dish that she then balanced on top of the tall floor vase.

“Window Reflections on Rue De May”

Artist Ruth Mowder, Lynnfield Art Guild

Arrangement by Greg O’Brien of Gregory’s

Flower Shop and Garden Center in Wakefield

“Cat Tail” Connor Reardon, Lynnfield Middle School

Arrangement by Nadine Richie

“Sedona” by Gail Rober, Lynnfield Art Guild

Arrangement by Lisa Green, AIFD

Eric’s Flower Emporium, Reading

“After the Storm” Joanne M Graham-Troy, Lynnfield Art Guild

Arrangement by Darlene Donnelly, Heritage Flowers, Lakeville

Club members Micki, Wendy, Laura, Betsy, Karen, Joan, Ann

Thank you for stopping by to visit our arrangements.

We hope you enjoyed the show!

The Village Garden Club of Lynnfield

My Pinterest Valentine

A carnation sundae (so easy!) created at our Garden Club

pre-Valentine’s Day meeting (red oasis is the secret ingredient) 

Homemade sugar cookies served on a silver tray

(Garden Club ladies know how to host a pretty party ; )

Dove chocolates that I received from my boys

(discovered on my bed forming the shape of a heart)

Origami heart with hugs + kisses pattern

 for my boys (I made them each one)


{origami heart how-to}



happy valentine’s day
xoxo yvonne


ps all photos are mine but feel free
to pin them if you are a fan : )

Holiday Homes Tour

Laura Thomson designed vignette for the

Holiday Homes Tour in Boxford, MA

Around the same time that I was planning my New England Finery decorated space for the Boston Antiques & Design Show, I was asked if I would like to participate in the Boxford Holiday Homes Tour. I thought about it for awhile, but with a magazine to produce, a show to prepare for and a new full-time job (I will share more about that in a later post), I just didn’t think I could pull it off without cutting corners somewhere. I am just one person (my favorite new line : ) and so far have not learned how to clone myself in order to be in two places at once! But I knew someone who could really rock this type of event.

Flower arrangements in vintage red goblets

Designer: Laura Thomson

My friend, Laura Thomson, who I have watched do amazing work year after year at our garden club Art in Bloom shows, and whose home is to-die-for gorgeous (get a glimpse of it in this holiday post), was willing to step up and be one of the featured designers. And she did an amazing job!




She had an entire porch (and a large bit of front yard) to decorate. The porch itself had gorgeous stained floors and rustic looking white-washed walls. To see what Laura did to transform this veranda to an autumn cider-pressing party, visit her new blog Designing44 to read about it in her own words. And be sure to follow her – she is super talented and I can’t wait to see what she posts in the future!




Want to see more from the tour? Here are some photos that I took while enjoying this “holiday stroll” on a warm, early November day.



I never tire of a classic black urn with fall flowers, grasses, peppers and gourds. So colorful and welcoming!



This dining room was striking with fresh green walls, cobalt blue glassware and pumpkin spice damask chairs.





The designer of this space, Arlene Jaffe or AJ as she likes to be called, came right up to me and introduced herself, “Do I know you from somewhere?” Well my memory is not as good as it used to be, but after a few minutes of “were you here, were you there” we figured out we sat together at a luncheon that featured a panel of designers from the Old York Decorator Showhouse back in 2009.

I loved seeing AJ’s work in person. She has an elegant sense of style paired with a super-bubbly personality. Note to my designer friends: when showing off your work at a designer showhouse, don’t be shy! Introduce yourself to visitors and get their feedback like AJ does. You will never know what you have in common unless you start a conversation!




AJ not only decorated this home for the holiday tour, she also decorated the home for every day living. This sitting room was quite inviting. Love the artwork over the fireplace, ottoman focal point and textured floor covering.




Another friend of mine was on the tour – Liz White from Mason & Madison. She set up shop in one of the homes and had on display numerous gift items including delectables and adorables ...








One of the designers on the tour, Linda Holt, wrote a great blog post on being a part of the event. Reading it, I discovered she studied with a color consultant/designer who I follow on twitter, Maria Killam. It is a small world!


If you’d like to take in a holiday tour for yourself (I suggest you grab some girlfriends, your mom, or a design enthusiast to join you) there are a couple coming up that I know of:

Concord Museum Holiday House Tour
December 3rd

Holly Days in Sandwich:
Holiday Homes Tour on Dec. 11th


Maybe I will see you at one of them?


P.S. Click here to view more photos from Laura’s space and see some other homes on the tour that I posted about in my decorating column for Lynnfield Patch.