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JUST ADD
WATER
CYNTHIA GAYLIN BIGONY
PHOTOGRAPHS BY VIVIAN JOHNSON
EASY TECHNIQUES & EVERYDAYIDEASFORINSPIRING FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS
Text © 2020 by Cynthia Gaylin Bigony
Photographs © 2020 by Vivian Johnson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by an means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on fileISBN: 9781513262888 (hardbound) | 9781513262895 (e-book)Indexed by Sam Arnold-Boyd
Proudly distributed by Ingram Publisher Services
Printed in China
1 2 3 4 5Published by West Margin Press
WEST MARGIN PRESSPublishing Director: Jennifer NewensMarking Manager: Angela ZbornikEditor: Olivia NgaiDesign & Production: Rachel Lopez MetzgerDesign Intern: Michelle Montano
To Randy, Kendell, Courtney, Taylor, and pups Charlie & Lola
Youare my everything.
EASY TECHNIQUES 29 EVERYDAY IDEAS 71
9
A
walk on the beach, a good book beforebed, or freshflowers in my
home. A great lifeisn’t about greathuge things; it’s about smallthings
that make a big difference.
Working with flowers is verynurturing.It transports me to a zone of joy Idon’t want to leave.
I remember my first “aha” moment. It was a late afternoon and I had just finished unloading groceries. It had been a long day and I was tired.Looking over at the flowers I just purchased still made me smile, so I gathered myenergy, pickedup the blooms, and began prepping.I removedthe leaves,carefully recut the stems, and placed each flower into a vase in a way that looked pretty to me.
How was this different from any other time? I became aware of the profound calm I felt as I worked with myhands. AsI claimed this moment for myself, the noise ofthree youngchildren playing with our dogs grew faint. I had found peacefulminutes of restorative joy, an active meditation that energized me!
I am grateful for these simple moments and appreciate them often. However, I also know that when it comes to real life and myhectic schedule, fast and easyflowers are a must.Of course, I love sitting down with an elaborate book showcasing over-the-top party ideas. However, this is not that book.
This isa book with beautiful yet simple designs that anyone can recreate in a pinch. It encourages you toset aside personal time to recharge your soul byworking with your hands. Touching nature to nurture.
So manypeople I meet say, “I’m terrible at arranging flowers.” This simply is not true!I wrote this book to demystifythe process of creating professional-looking arrangements with ease. Ifyou can holda pair ofscissors, I promise you can create beautiful flower arrangements. Keep in mind thatwhen it comes to creativity, the number one rule is there are no rules. Sowith simple techniques to guide you and easy ideas to try, you can putyour own spin on these, or just copy what you see and enjoy.
My goal for you is to open thisbook with curiosityand close it by saying, “I can do that!”Because it’s the small things in life that really matter, and sometimesall you need to do is just add water!
XO
GETTING STARTED
GETTING STARTED
13
This book is about simple designsfor everyday living—and that’s for your tools andmaterials too!You don’t need anything fancy, just some easy itemsfound in your home for quick access. There are also some handy optional materials that you can find online or at your
local craft store.
SCISSORS A pair ofsharp flower scissors isideal, but I will admit, I usually grab kitchen scissors. This is amust for cutting stems and removing lower leaves to keep the
water clean.
RUBBER BANDSI likesaving thethick rubber bandsthat come with the asparagus from the grocerystore aswell as buying different sizes of clear hair bands. A variety
of bands will be useful to have.
TAPE Tape is my secret weapon when creating invisible grids tokeep flowers and stems in place.Waterproof
