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How to create your own flower arrangements

<p>Flowers are a sure-fire way to make just about anyone’s day. Whether you’re giving them as a gift, using them to decorate you house or making a centrepiece for an occasion, flowers will instantly brighten with their beauty. Here are some tips for creating your own flower arrangements at home.</p> <p><strong>Look for inspiration</strong><br />With Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, inspiration for flower arrangements is now literally endless. Magazines and books are also a great source for ideas.</p> <p><strong>Select a colour scheme</strong><br />When deciding on a colour scheme for your flower arrangement, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, is it an arrangement to go in a vase in your home and if so, what are the colours of the room it is going in? Or perhaps it is a gift for a friend and if so, what’s the occasion? Lastly, what time of year is it? These factors will influence what you go for. If the arrangement is for a house then you’ll need to pick colours that suit the room. If it is for an occasion, you’ll want to consider if you need bright and happy colours, or something more subtle. Lastly, if it's summer, it’s best to opt for colours that celebrate that time of year.</p> <p><strong>Write up a recipe</strong><br />Prepare a recipe for your floral arrangements, just as you do when making a meal. Include tools and supplies needed, the amount of flowers and go from there. If you're making an arrangement for home, you’ll likely just need the bucket, vase, a couple of tools for grooming the flowers (see below). For a bouquet, you’ll need all of that minus the vase and add in some ribbon and string, or if you’re after a centrepiece, you will also need a block of floral foam and a votive to make your arrangement in. It’s always a good idea to buy a few more flowers than you think you’ll need. A standard flower arranging supply tool kit would include: clippers, floral tape, ribbons, floral moss, flower preservative, rose strippers if you have roses, and vases. Once you have your recipe, you'll know what you need.</p> <p><strong>Off to the market</strong><br />You have a few options when it comes to where to buy your blooms: you could start in your own garden if you’re on a budget, otherwise there are lots of wholesale flower markets, or grocery stores, store front florists, farmer’s markets and mail order. We recommend heading to wholesale markets. The produce comes straight from farms, the variety is amazing and you can generally get the best value for your money. Keep in mind that in order to get the best flowers from the markets, you’ll have to get there early and some markets open at 4 or 5am. Check what markets are closest to you.</p> <p><strong>Pick your flowers</strong><br />Peonies or gardenias, roses or carnations, orchids or irises? It is best to select flowers according to the time of year and what’s in season. Out-of-season flowers are likely to be harder to come by and expensive. There are some places in which you can pre-order, so it might be worth a phone call to discuss your options. Otherwise, just Google what you’re interested in and see what's in season where you live and make your plan around that. When you’re at the market or store, make sure the flowers you buy are not beginning to wilt. Ideally, there should be a few green buds in the mix and petals should feel firm and have no brown edges.</p> <p><strong>Grooming</strong><br />First you need to pick out any dead or broken blooms and petals. Next, you need to cut each stem by at least one inch at an angle using a sharp knife, scissors, or clippers. Then it is very important to get them into some water. Buckets work well to keep them in and a tall bucket in which the stems can gently rest on the sides will work best. The fewer leaves left below the waterline in the vase the better as leaves steal nutrients from blooms and can also cause the water to get nasty faster. Be sure to pull of the extra greenery. Most flowers (except tulips and hyacinths) do best in lukewarm water.</p> <p><strong>Caring for your flowers</strong><br />Keep the water fresh and change daily to keep the flowers healthy. It’s also good to trim the stems periodically to help them stay hydrated.</p> <p><strong>Step-by-step guide to flower arranging<br /></strong><br />1. Begin by placing two or three more branchy stems into the vase (or in your hand if you're making a bouquet) as this will help you get an idea of the overall shape you want your arrangement to take. You want to create a sense of width as well as height, so really work those angles.</p> <p>2. Now start adding the attention-grabbing blooms one at a time, again at different heights. Try placing one big bloom right on the edge of the vase, and one at least an inch or two higher. If it looks like your arrangement is growing a set of eyeballs, snip one of the stems.</p> <p>3. Turn your vase often and consider working from different angles. Even if you vase ends up in a corner or against a wall when you’re done, you want it looking good from all sides.</p> <p>4. Go slowly and don’t be afraid to take things out if it’s not working. Keep going, adding alternate colours, sizes and shapes. Mix foliage and greenery with vivid hues, ensuring you don’t damage them. When you feel like you’re done, try adding two or three longer gestural stems (ranunculus or anemones) at an unexpected height or angle to pump up the drama.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Royal comeback! Duchess Kate returns to work in floral ensemble

<p>After a busy summer filled with family trips to the elusive island of Mustique and family palace Balmoral Castle, Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge has returned to work in a fitting ensemble. </p> <p>Just days after Prince George, 6, and Princess Charlotte, 4, started school, Duchess Kate has attended a festival in Wisley, Surrey, to celebrate the opening of her third Back to Nature garden. </p> <p>For the special day out, the royal went for a fitting, beautiful floral dress by designer Emilia Wickstead, along with a pair of nude wedges. </p> <p>The 37-year-old blended in well for her first royal engagement back since the summer, and chatted with fellow parents and happy children. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Pvl1yoYFr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Pvl1yoYFr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Cambridges 🇬🇧👑🎀 (@thecambridges_family)</a> on Sep 10, 2019 at 2:36pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Duchess Kate also managed to mention a little fact about 16-month-old Prince Louis, where she said he “loves to smell the flowers and he enjoys being out in the garden”. </p> <p>The royal has proven time and time again she has a keen interest in the wellbeing and mental health of children and has spoken out about how spending time outdoors promotes growing kids future health and happiness. </p> <p>She also encouraged families to spend more of their time outdoors in a speech to attendees. </p> <p>"I am not as green-fingered as many of you here," she admitted.</p> <p>"But I was passionate about creating a garden that inspired children and adults alike to get back to nature and reap the positive mental and physical health benefits that it can bring.</p> <p>"The gardens were, I suppose, a manifestation of some of the work I have been focusing on around how best we can support our children in the earliest years."</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see Duchess Kate’s floral ensemble. </p>

Beauty & Style

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Glowing in green: Princess Eugenie turns heads in floral for surprise engagement

<p>Princess Eugenie is embracing the warmer season in the most glamorous way she knows how.</p> <p>During a surprise appearance in London for an important cause, the royal opted for a stunning ensemble that turned heads for all the right reasons.</p> <p>With most of the royal family now on summer holidays, Eugenie delighted fans when she arrived at Westminster Abbey to show support for a cause that’s close to her heart – The Anti-Slavery Collective.</p> <p>The charity aims to beat modern day slavery, and Eugenie met with John Cotton Richmond, the US Ambassador-at-Large for Combating Trafficking in Persons.</p> <p>The 29-year-old stunned in a green and gold floral Alice &amp; Olivia dress, which came complete with a matching ribbon tied around her waist.</p> <p>The wrap style silhouette and bunched sleeves made the Princess look right on trend, with the deep green hue complimenting her brunette locks.</p> <p>She finished off the look with a pair of nude heels.</p> <p>Eugenie has previously discussed her work in anti-slavery initiatives, with the most recent interview being from last year when she appeared on podcast <em>Global GoalsCast</em>.</p> <p>The Princess and her long-time friend, Julie de Boinville, who works with the royal on Antislavery Collective, both revealed the time they visited Calcutta in 2013 and met a woman who started the Women’s Interlink Foundation.</p> <p>The Foundation aims to get trafficked females off the streets by teaching them skills such as fabric design and creating clothing.</p> <p>“Jules and I, that was the first time we ever really saw what modern slavery was and human trafficking and what really that is in the modern age,” said Eugenie at the time.</p> <p>The Princess has been kept busy this summer by making a number of appearances at Royal Ascot, as well as attending the Queen’s garden parties at Buckingham Palace.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see Princess Eugenie’s flirty summer ensemble.</p>

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Princess Mary & Prince Frederik visit sea of floral tributes for Denmark’s Prince Henrik

<p><span>Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary have taken their children to visit the floral tributes laid outside the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, in honour of the life of Prince Henrik.</span></p> <p><span>Frederik and Mary admired the notes and flowers dedicated to the late prince alongside their children Prince Christian, Princess Isabella and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><img width="500" height="329" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7268416/2_500x329.jpg" alt="2 (63)"/></span></p> <p><span>Earlier that day, the family had accompanied Queen Margrethe as she followed Henrik’s casket down from Fredensborg Palace to Amalienborg.</span></p> <p><span>Henrik’s coffin will remain in the palace until the weekend when it will then be taken to the chapel of Christiansborg Palace and put on public display until the funeral next week.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-video"> <p dir="ltr">Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Joachim and families came out to see the flower tributes on Amalienborg and to thank the people. <a href="https://t.co/cWHuqWH8S7">pic.twitter.com/cWHuqWH8S7</a></p> — Scandinavian Royals. (@crownprincely) <a href="https://twitter.com/crownprincely/status/964107018838536192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2018</a></blockquote> <p><span>As Queen Margrethe visited the flower display, she was seen smiling as she looked down at Denmark’s tribute of love for her late husband.</span></p> <p><span>On Tuesday, Henrik died “peacefully in his sleep” at the age of 83.</span></p> <p><span>The palace confirmed they will respect Henrik’s wish to be cremated, after he refused to follow the royal tradition and be buried in a tomb prepared for him and his wife.</span></p> <p><span>Half of Henrik’s ashes will be spread over the Danish seas and the other half will be buried in the royal family’s private garden at the Fredensborg Palace, where he passed away.</span></p> <p><span>The grieving Danish royals declared a month of mourning after Henrik’s death.</span></p> <p><span>As flags were lowered to half-mast across the country, Frederik and Mary were seen arriving at the castle.</span></p> <p><span>On Tuesday, Henrik was moved from Copenhagen hospital to the family residence where the palace said he wished to spend his last moments.</span></p> <p><span>He died at 11.18 pm and had his wife, Queen Margrethe II, and his two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, by his side.</span></p> <p><span>Frederik had left his visit to South Korea for the Winter Olympics when he received word that his father’s condition had “seriously worsened”.</span></p> <p><span>Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the late prince had “represented Denmark magnificently”.</span></p> <p><span>“His commitment was infectious, and his insight great.”</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Scandinavian Royals via Twitter</em></p>

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Princess Mary stuns in floral gown at award ceremony

<p>Crown Princess Mary has stunned in a floral gown as she attended a research awards ceremony in Copenhagen.</p> <p>The Australian-born princess presented the Carlsberg Foundation Research awards, which are given annually to science and humanities researchers.</p> <p>The 44-year-old glowed in the Marc Jacobs dress featuring a yellow rose print.</p> <p><img width="397" height="681" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/28134/princess-mary_397x681.jpg" alt="Princess Mary" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10px;"><img width="497" height="345" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/28135/38d6655400000578-3810682-winner_winner_mary_smiled_as_she_posed_with_the_winners_of_the_a-a-2_1475021168558_497x345.jpg" alt="38D6655400000578-3810682-Winner _winner _Mary _smiled _as _she _posed _with _the _winners _of _the _a -a -2_1475021168558" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></span></p> <p>Mary and her husband Crown Prince Frederik will be heading to the United States this week to visit Washington and Boston.  </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/08/how-to-layer-without-looking-bulky/"><em>How to layer without looking bulky</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/08/how-to-dress-up-a-jumper/"><em>How to dress up a jumper</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/07/return-of-vintage-clothing/"><em>The return of vintage clothing</em></a></strong></span></p> <p> </p>

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5 floral dresses to celebrate spring

<p>The start of spring marks the time when fashion turns to brighter colours, looser silhouettes and blooming prints. Before you dismiss a floral dress as too hard to wear, have a look at the interesting ways these five celebrities do spring flower fashion.</p> <p><strong>1. Helen Mirren</strong></p> <p>The detailed floral pattern embroidered on the lace gives a soft, garden look that is both ladylike and eye-catching.</p> <p><strong>2. Meryl Streep</strong></p> <p>Meryl’s bold choice of colour is well matched with a quiet, sophisticated pattern. Her choice of style is also very forgiving if worn on larger frames.</p> <p><strong>3. Judi Dench</strong></p> <p>Who said that floral had to be colourful? Judi proves that there is still space for black pieces in a spring wardrobe with this kaftan-like dress.</p> <p><strong>4. Kerri Anne Kennerley</strong></p> <p>Kerri makes a daring statement with this short, pink number. We say forget the rules and if you’ve got it, flaunt it! However, if you’re feeling a little shy, a white or pale blue shawl could make this outfit more modest.</p> <p><strong>5. Oprah</strong></p> <p>This dark and dramatic evening dress proves that floral prints can be seriously graceful. The flowy shape of the skirt is effortlessly elegant and paired with the lightweight sleeves, the ensemble is low key, yet glamourous.</p> <p>Do you have a summer dress that has stood the test of time? Share your photos in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/08/10-best-photos-of-lucille-ball/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">10 best photos of Lucille Ball</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/07/return-of-vintage-clothing/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The return of vintage clothing</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/07/tips-for-dressing-for-the-airport/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">5 tips for dressing for the airport</span></em></strong></a></p>

Beauty & Style

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Beautiful floral arrangements

<p>Need some inspiration to create your own floral arrangements this spring? Look no further than these beautiful floral designs.</p> <p><img width="360" height="480" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9681/1.jpg" alt="1 (73)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="360" height="450" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9682/2.jpg" alt="2 (76)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="360" height="450" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9683/3.jpg" alt="3 (72)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="364" height="546" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9684/4_364x546.jpg" alt="4 (67)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="353" height="470" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9685/5_353x470.jpg" alt="5 (65)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="352" height="416" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9686/6_352x416.jpg" alt="6 (62)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="340" height="340" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9687/8_340x340.jpg" alt="8 (53)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="338" height="337" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9688/9_338x337.jpg" alt="9 (42)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="335" height="504" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9689/10_335x504.jpg" alt="10 (31)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="326" height="487" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9690/11_326x487.jpg" alt="11 (15)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><em>Image sources: BHG.com, Martha Stewart, greenbouquetfloraldesign, flowersforeveryone, designbotanica </em></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/at-home/2015/08/add-colour-to-home-without-paint/">Add colour to your home (without painting)</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/at-home/2015/07/lace-vase-tutorial/">How to make beautiful lace vases</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/at-home/2015/07/fragrant-plants-for-home/">5 plants that will keep your home smelling lovely</a></strong></em></span></p>

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