What do Slinkys, water snakes, sunglasses and sponges have in common?
A fun and quirky tablescape, of course.
I attend several luncheon events each year that involve a program of some sort where gardening folks are introduced to new floral introductions, tools of the florist trade, and different techniques in flower arranging. There is always an arrangement or two that invokes ooo’s and ah’s from the audience, cameras click, note paper comes out, someone asks “where can I get that rose stripper?”.
The rose stripper was a “must have” tool that had the ladies chattering away at Friday’s luncheon. It resembles those silicone pot holders you can buy these days. You simply grip it, rather like a pot holder, and run it down the thorny stem of a rose. We chatted about it at our table, someone mentioned googling it, then we all looked shocked then laughed as ladies do when we realized the double meaning and what would likely be links to a google request for rose stripper.
I digress. In between the rose strippers and the angel hair lights, our presenter dashed out a door and then quickly back in again carrying this really fun arrangement. The crowd grew wild. Well, as wild as a congregation of 100 women or so with a median age of about 65 can be.
Wouldn’t this be fun for a summertime pool party? Water snakes are pool toys that float and bend. Here, they are wrapped with Slinkys. A sponge for a face adorned with Dollar Store sunglasses and out comes the Creature from the Blue Lagoon. The presenter put some tulle around the bottom then surrounded these creatures with smaller glasses of floral sundaes. The point is that the sky is the limit with how one decorates with flowers, even bringing in a cast of worms.
Made me want to go out and buy a huge Slinky and some water snakes.
First of all, having been to one of your garden club luncheons, I know the answer to just how wild a congregation of 100 women or so with a median age of about 65 can be – and your group definitely holds its own! These arrangements are dazzling Penny! If you didn’t have to worry about children ripping them apart, wouldn’t they make great backdrop for a child’s birthday party?
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I keep saying I want to be like them when I grow up, Janet. I mean that sincerely. Yes! They would make a great decoration for a child’s birthday party – place up high.
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Oh, the fun! I’m not much of a gardener, but I have a friend who is, and I’m going to forward this post to her. I know she’ll love it!
By the by, our daffodils are opening, and the daylilies are putting out feelers!
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I hope your friend enjoys this, Karen. It is so fun to be stimulated by these new and fun ideas and see where one’s mind goes with an idea.
You have the color of spring blooming there. Yea! Our dayllilies are also starting to emerge – though I like your words of “putting out feelers”. The odd weather continues, but it does feel so good to be outdoors, doesn’t it?
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What fun.
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Hurray! I’ve been able to comment. I just left a short one, not expecting it to work. I deleted my details in the form below and then filled them in again. Maybe this did the trick, and maybe WordPress has sorted the problem anyway. I am continuing to enjoy your posts Penny. Hope being a rose stripper hasn’t got you into too much trouble!
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Yea! I’m so glad you can comment again, Juliet, and so sorry for the bother wordpress has caused. I know others with wordpress that are having the same problem, so, we will see. Thank you for persevering.
Ha! Not any trouble – yet.
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Ha ha, a rose stripper would probably give you a biography of Gypsy Rose Lee if you googled it…….or worse.
I love the slinky/sponge critters. They are so bright and colorful. My sister makes some puppets from bright colored slinkys and tennis shoes with big eyes. They look similar. Very funny. Hers show up in black light.
You and the Garden Ladies have such a good time.
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Let me entertain you. hahaha
Aren’t they fun, Janet? The attendees were all agog over it and all rushed up to get a closer look when the presenter was finished. Can’t you imagine a fun little pool party with a few kids just old enough to have fun with these and not so young they would be afraid? You sister’s puppets sound like fun – especially at night or Halloween.
We do. Gardeners usually have a great sense of humor. You have to when gardening.
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What fun, Penny! I’m clueless when it comes to imaginative flower-arranging and table decoration, but your luncheons sound like a marvellous place to learn the basics. 😉
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I always leave inspired, Perpetua, and while my arrangements aren’t anything spectacular, I’ve been using different things as containers and adding a bit of whimsy. These water snakes tickled my fancy.
I’m so grateful that you are able to comment again. Thank you.
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What fun the gatherings must be, you should send your ladies over to the gatherings of the Women’s Institute here. They are big on flower arranging. I’m more of a hands-on gardener, getting dirty rather than artistic.
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They are, Friko, and I have definitely heard about the Women’s Institute. Many of our members are into the mechanics of flower arranging and do judging and such, but, make no mistake, these gals are gardeners through and through who have dirt under their fingernails and get down and dirty on their knees. I’ve seen them haul horse manure and pots of seedlings.
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Dear Penny,
My sister-in-law is a long-time member of a garden club. It has flower shows throughout the year and she always arranges for several categories. What you’ve shown here today truly bemuses me. So I’m going to send her your link so she too can see what can be done with a slinky and a water snake.
Amazing! Peace. (Oh, I’m starting “Little House on the Prairie” tonight. I finished “The Christmas Village” on the weekend. What an imagination the author of it has! Peace.
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We have several members who are flower show judges and a dedicated group who arrange flowers, many for our meetings. Many of the women who attended this luncheon are judges as well as Master Gardeners. All found this found and I’m sure sister-in-law will be as bemused as you are, Dee. ‘Tis good to have fun.
I’m so pleased to hear this, Dee, and hope you enjoy the continuing story of Laura and her family. Thanks you for letting me know. Wonderstruck is still hard to come by here. I’ll wait a bit until the furor with all the young adults settles down.
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Penny, these are amazing! I love them – and what an artist, to think of these alongside flowers. Just gorgeous: Maddie and Felix approve 😀
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I’m imagining Big Al at a pool party, Kate, and appreciating the approval of Maddie and Felix. It was such a fun arrangement and clever way of thinking outside of the box.
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I did miss a good luncheon, what fun arrangements, had to be great in person. Did they raffle them off? There is always next year…
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You know, Sharon, I’ve been to quite a few of these now, and this one was really the best. The food was fabulous, the desert to die for, the table decorations lovely, and his arrangements were all raffled off. The only one that wasn’t was the water snakes, though everything underneath them were. I was wishing you were there, my friend.
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He even used the string from a weed whacker in an arrangement. It was way too cool.
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That rose stripper story is soo funny! And it’s fun to laugh “like ladies do!”…. And so cute, the centerpiece.
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I’m glad you thought so, Sallie. We ladies do know how to have fun, don’t we? I think this centerpiece would generate some interesting conversation down there in Florida.
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Those decorations are amazing and incredible. I bet you had a great time at the luncheon. What fun! xx
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It was fun and I just love it when folks think and do “outside the box.”.
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