Creating a Focal Point

This weekend I was reminded of how amazing a good focal point can be. I'd been called in to create the floral decorations for a church dinner that was being held Sunday morning in our building's gymnasium. It's a huge space and very very gym-ish. Basketball hoops, court lines on the floor, and banners on all 4 walls. Impossible to disguise any of it. So instead of trying to disguise it I used a trick I'd learned as a wedding and events floral designer. I used the concept of a focal point. In event design this would usually be somewhere that was immediately visible to the eye upon entering the room. It would be big and glorious and immediately set the mood in the mind of the attendee that this was an occasion. By drawing the eye and creating that first impression I kept the attendees from noticing the room en large- at least until after that first impression was made. Secondly, they would notice the tables set with matching arrangements. I like to have two or three different styles of varying heights to add interest.

I also placed the arrangement on a round table sitting on top of a beautiful golden rug. The round shape contrasted nicely with squares and rectangles of all the satellite tables. Again, adding to the visual weight of the focal arrangement.
When I was doing weddings I would always visit the sites with the bride prior to creating a design. This way I was able to walk through and take notice of the places that the guests would linger. This might be the entrance, or an alcove, the dining table, or a staircase. Placing flowers in these places enhanced their value to my mind because they would register longer in the mind of the guest. Thus, they would make a bigger impression. It was also much more elegant than throwing money at everything because if you followed that tact the guest would tune out almost immediately because of the visual overload. As in a painting, the eye needs a chance to rest, and if you don't give it that rest it becomes fatigued quite easily.

Recently, a friend mentioned that a good party planner would plan their evening so it included high and low moments over the course of the night. If you constantly strive to keep the evening strung high the guest can feel overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted.

But now I'm thinking. I guess this might be true of life as well. If not for the depressions we might not appreciate as acutely the high moments. I guess we need both.

SPOOKY!!

We're starting to get into the season here and yesterday's shopping trip did nothing to curtail the urge I'm feeling to spookify my home. The first shop I walked into was brimming with cauldrons and witches and spooky spooky decor. LOVED IT! So I bought a few things and set them up while cooking dinner last night. I couldn't wait. Unfortunately that meant that my family did. We ate a little late. But when one feels the urge to decorate I say go for it! So I pulled out my bittersweet garland and played around with some crows I had purchased earlier. Very very fun.

Then this morning I woke up with plans for adding some written wire words (BOO!) and a spooky tree. I pulled out a tree form I'd started a while back and finished the wire work on that and let Jasper put his little cat and pumpkin knick knack under it. He's always afraid I'm going to sell the stuff he likes so he made sure to tell me that it was NOT for sale. Kind of cute. I'm thinking it needs some spider webs and maybe a noose. Or some bats and ghosts hanging from it 's branches. I also have some boo-tiful orange and black fabric that I'm thinking might look really cute stitched to the leaves. Although that might be over kill. Still I like the idea. I've also got some plans for a big wire spider's web with a scribble spider to hang in my foyer. Or maybe we'll make the spider's body of fimo. Ideas... ideas! A big moon would be fun as well.

And just to whet your appetite a little more... I want to introduce you to one of the most creative books I've stumbled on lately; Matthew Mead's Halloween Book. It's got one great idea after another and I just positively love them all. Party decorations, yummy spooky eats, stitched fabric moon quilts, and fabulous little needle felted pumpkins are just a few of the goodies in this must-have or at least must-look at book for the season. I love it! Oooh.. and in the next few days I'll try to post a few more scary ideas and I have a tutorial that's been requested as well. Lots and lots of fun you won't want to miss. And remember now...(insert spooky cackle here) YOU'Ve BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!!