DESIGN EXHIBIT: Favorite Pastime

January's Design Exhibit offered a warm and personal glimpse into what inspires our designers. Although we featured just two designers this month, the exhibit felt especially meaningful, with one designer sharing two distinct creations that reflected different ways she loves to spend her time. Each arrangement told a story, blending personal passions with thoughtful floral symbolism.

Charlotte Sazama’s design, Grandma’s Garden, celebrated her favorite pastime—spending time with her grandchildren. She beautifully compared grandchildren to flowers in the garden of life, a sentiment reflected in her floral choices. White and yellow daisies formed the heart of the arrangement, with white symbolizing purity, innocence, and youth, and yellow representing joy, happiness, and optimism. These cheerful blooms were nestled alongside a spider plant, chosen for its meaning of prosperity, resilience, and positive energy, perfectly capturing the love, growth, and strength found in family bonds.

Jessica shared two designs, each inspired by a different pastime she enjoys. Her first arrangement highlighted her love of gardening and was created in a container shaped like gardening boots, adding a playful and thematic touch. The design included yellow Asiatic lilies, delphiniums, goldenrod, a rose, asters, and lush greenery, echoing the colors and textures often found in a thriving garden. Her second design reflected her passion for hiking and was arranged in a small black vase. Using leatherleaf fern, goldenrod, and blue lace flower, Jessica incorporated elements reminiscent of what one might encounter along a scenic trail, bringing the beauty of the outdoors into a simple, nature-inspired arrangement. Together, these designs made January’s exhibit both heartfelt and creatively inspiring.

DESIGN EXHIBIT: Favorite Sports Team

For our October Design Exhibit, designers showcased creative floral arrangements inspired by their favorite sports teams, combining personal stories, unique plant materials, and thoughtful containers to highlight team spirit.

Shirley Levendoski created a traditional mass design honoring Navy Football, reflecting her family’s love for tailgating at games. Her arrangement featured yellow daisy mums, small white spray mums, and Rucus Butcher's Broom. The flowers were displayed in a handwoven basket Shirley made during a basket-making course, decorated in Navy’s signature blue and gold. Bill the Goat, Navy’s mascot, was attached to complete the Navy theme. The basket was used as the centerpiece for their tailgating parties.

Rena Pogue designed an arrangement inspired by the Baltimore Orioles, using English boxwood, dianthus, and chrysanthemums. The flowers were arranged in a box wrapped with a fan towel, evoking the colors and spirit of her favorite team.

Paula Moratto paid tribute to the Washington Commanders with a design that incorporated Spider chrysanthemums, burgundy roses, and leucadendron Safari Sunset Conebush. She also included a football to complete the sporty theme.

Mary Ann Cannone's creative pot-et-fleur design was based on the New York Yankees. She used dracaena, chrysanthemums, fluxweed, and lemon-lime dracaena, and drew pinstripes on the vase while incorporating pinstripe foliage. Mary Ann also shared a personal story of taking her sons to a parade in New York, where one of her sons received an autograph from the legendary Joe DiMaggio.

Each design reflected not only the team colors and symbols but also the designers’ personal connections and memories, making the exhibit a vibrant celebration of sports, creativity, and floral artistry.

DESIGN EXHIBIT: Favorite Vacation Spot

For our September Design Exhibit, designers had the freedom to choose either a Traditional or Creative Design. Each arrangement shared a story, celebrating a place that holds special memories.

Peggy Smail recalled a memorable trip to Kentucky with her design, Kentucky Sunshine. She incorporated black-eyed Susan, orange coneflower, purple aster, goldenrod, and Autumn Joy sedum. To complete the story, her design included a small bottle of bourbon and a horse, symbolizing Kentucky’s heritage.

Cindy Hare drew inspiration from her visits to National Parks. Her design featured an impressive collection of blooms, including New England aster, meadow flox, bush grass, wrinkleleaf goldenrod, and Japanese yew, among others. A piece of bark, representing the grandeur of the mountains, brought her design to life and evoked the beauty of the natural landscapes she enjoys exploring.

Sally Moore chose the beach as her favorite vacation destination. Her design combined the golden tones of Gold Mop cypress with bright red begonias, creating a lively contrast that echoed the vibrancy of a summer day by the sea. Seashells nestled among the flowers served as charming accents, instantly transporting viewers to the shoreline and evoking the relaxation and joy of a seaside holiday.

DESIGN EXHIBIT: Favorite Sport, Hobby, Recreation

​The Design Exhibits for this month's meeting showcased members' favorite sports, hobbies, and recreational activities, creatively expressed through floral artistry. Each design was a personal reflection, blending botanical elements with meaningful inspiration.

Karen Frost presented a traditional design inspired by soccer. She used white chrysanthemums to create a clean, crisp look, and paired them with green floral accents to add depth and interest. Crepe myrtle branches were incorporated for texture, offering a natural, balanced element to the design while capturing the lively, dynamic nature of the sport.

Carol Schoenfeld shared a floral arrangement inspired by her favorite hobby—painting. Her vibrant display, featuring sunflowers, roses, and baby’s breath, reflected an artist’s eye for color and balance. Arranged for a table set for a leisurely afternoon of artistic exploration, the flowers embodied the joy Carol finds in her craft.

Cindy Hare shared a vibrant creative design titled "Fabulous Fun," inspired by her love of pickleball. Using American beech branches, hosta, spotted laurel, and dianthus, she crafted an energetic and playful composition that reflected the lively spirit of the game. Her design brought a sense of motion and enthusiasm to the exhibit, perfectly echoing the fun and camaraderie of her favorite sport.

Sue Callahan presented a heartfelt design titled "Let the Good Times Roll," inspired by cherished memories of her children playing soccer. Her design featured sunflowers, daisies, yellow roses, hosta, and privet, artfully arranged to express joy, nostalgia, and the simple pleasure of watching her children at play.

Together, these designs beautifully illustrated the theme, transforming personal passions into stunning floral interpretations that delighted and inspired all in attendance.

DESIGN EXHIBIT: Favorite TV Show

​At our recent meeting, members showcased their creativity by designing floral arrangements inspired by their favorite television shows. 
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• Sally Moore designed an arrangement inspired by Dancing with the Stars, featuring golden cypress and alstroemeria.
• Paula Moratto’s design, based on Name That Tune, showcased gold mop cypress and daffodils.
• Patty More’s arrangement, inspired by the sitcom Friends, included yellow freesia, hot pink carnations, Persian daisies, Indian chrysanthemums, snapdragons, baby’s breath, and laurel-leaf snail seed.
• Jessica Kruse created an arrangement based on Murder Mystery, using red roses and red carnations.