Beyond the Vine Flowers * Home Decor

Tablescaping Ideas for Parties or Weddings

2011-08-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

We recently partnered with Connie from Atmospheres by Design to put together this beautiful tablescape for a client. Sadly, the client chose a different look but we couldn't let this go that easily so we wanted to share it with the World!

Components included reflective mercury glass containers, lots of candlelight and elegant flowers. The butterscotch garden roses were an unexpected hit paired with the blue hydrangeas and Patience garden roses (which incidentally have an amazing fragrance). We fell in love with Connie's idea for napkin rings. They started life out as miniature picture frames...take a closer look!

April Showers

2011-04-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather is not so nice here today...chilly and rainy. However I can't complain since I was wearing shorts and a T-Shirt to work out in my garden yesterday when it was 75 degrees. Besides, as they say, April showers bring May flowers. I'm so excited to see all the tulips I planted last year as well as the giant alliums, peonies, and viburnum. The great thing about being a florist and working on weddings is that I get to see all of those beautiful specimens even before they bloom in our local climate. Last weekend I got to use amazing peonies in pink and white as well as the most spectacular purple lisianthus I have seen in several years. One of the brides this week is a personal friend and I was so happy for her as she had a top ten day for an outdoor wedding held in Mt. Vernon Gardens here in Omaha overlooking the river and the bluffs across the river followed by a picnic lunch reception. The other bride had a beautiful church wedding with an evening reception. Here's a peak at some of the flowers from the past week: White peonies, white dendrobium orchid blossoms and white hydrangeas formed the bridal bouquet. Japonica formed a color around the creamy white blossoms and added just the perfect amount of movement in the bouquet as the bride walked down the aisle. It doesn't show up in this picture too well but I loved the simplicity of the ribbon wrapping. It was white satin ribbon with a very narrow light ivory satin ribbon criss-crossing down the handle with pearl pins accentuating each 'X' on the stem.

Giant anthuriums and orchids were shipped in by the Bride's Aunt directly from Hawaii. I added soft pink lisianthus and stock, green Bells of Ireland, and two-tone pink and white snapdragons for this large garden urn arrangement in the middle of the colonnade at the park to serve as the space for the ceremony.

In Progress Wedding

2011-03-15T06:51:00.001-07:00

Well, I was going to try to post these pictures as I was working on this wedding, but with a co-worker gone during the week of the wedding, I fell behind. So here's a look at some of the bouquets while they were being made. I'm going to have to figure out a better backdrop because it's hard to see them with the workroom in the background. I'll work on that for our next wedding which will be the first weekend in April.

Just as a fun side note, when I got to the church and inserted the candles into the unity candle arrangement shown above, one of the candles was cracked and broken. I had to run back to the store for another candle. Such is the life of a wedding florist on wedding delivery day!

Here are the altar bouquets in progress:

And in place at the church:

And here was the bridal bouquet with these amazing purple Vanda Orchids:

Purple is definitely the hot color this wedding season. Here are some of the purple flowers we used for this wedding: Dendrobium Orchids, Moon Series Carnations, Vanda Orchids, Stock, and Gladiolas. If you are planning a purple wedding and want to learn more about what flowers are available, call our Wedding Coordinator at 402-397-4585.

2011 Wedding Season Kickoff

2011-02-28T14:29:00.001-08:00

Get your chips and salsa and a comfy spot on the sofa...it's just about time for kickoff...Wedding Season Kickoff that is! (And believe me, after running around all day delivering wedding flowers, I'm usually ready for chips and salsa and a comfy spot on the sofa.)

Our first wedding of 2011 is this Saturday and we are all preparing for the big day. Rental vases are being washed, flowers are being ordered, ribbon and supplies are in place just waiting to help make our bride's day spectacular.

We have some brand new glassware being used for the first time this week so I'm excited about that. I keep describing them as a tall bierstein shaped vase (shown above)...that doesn't sound very romantic so if someone has ideas on another title for this new wedding rental, please let me know. These are great vases because they can also be flipped upside down and used as more of a pedestal base for candles or tall centerpieces designed in a dish that would sit on the glass that usually serves as the base of the vase when right-side-up. Hard to explain in words but one of these days I'll post some pictures of two different ways to use the vase. For now, here's a simple picture of the new vases. Check back Wednesday for pictures of the flowers arriving from exotic lands for this event! Purple is the color of the week (and the color of many weeks to come...it's a hot color for weddings this year!)

12 Days of Valentines

2011-02-02T08:53:00.001-08:00

Why not spread out the Valentine's Holiday...Send your special someone a gift every day from now until the big day...February 14th. Start and end with a dozen roses! Or check our website for more ideas: http://www.gobeyondthevine.com/

Winter/Holiday Wedding from December, 2010

2011-01-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post the pictures from my December wedding for all those bride's planning a Winter wedding next year. There are some great inspirations here with everything from fireplace mantles to topiaries with strings of fresh cranberries. The ceremony was held on the campus of Creighton University at St. John's Church. The reception location at the Joslyn Castle was perfect for this style which the bride referred to as Colonial Williamsburg. If you aren't familiar with Williamsburg at Christmas (which I was not before I did this wedding) you should definitely check out this website: http://www.history.org/visit/christmas/

The bride's bouquet consisted of Cymbidium Orchid blossoms, Vendella Roses, burgundy Miniature Calla Lilies, Antique Hydrangeas, green Hypericum berries, and Spray Roses with a collar of fresh Magnolia foliage and Flat Cedar. The centerpieces mimicked the bridal bouquet with the addition of pinecones, boxwood and assorted evergreens arranged in a cylinder vase.

The fireplace in the Grand Hall was the focal point for the entire reception venue. Large column candles glowed in tall glass vases filled with fresh cranberries. Clove studded oranges, pineaplles, apples and other fruits filled the niches of the ornate carved wood mantle. Rustic reindeer constructed of twigs were nestled in fresh evergreens and looked out over the guests all evening.

The bridal party and a few of the guests were beginning to arrive at the Joslyn Castle. The chandelier in the Music Room was ornately decorated with fresh evergreens and hanging pepperberry along with fresh orchid and rose blossoms.

There was fresh snow on the ground the day of the wedding which made the whole event seem all the more magical this time of year. Luminaries adorned with fresh pine and magnolia leaves lined the drive leading to the front door where guests entered the Castle.

New Year...New Focus on Wedding Inspirations!

2011-01-10T19:49:00.001-08:00

After spending ten hours on my feet yesterday at the bridal fair at the Mid America Center I am ready to kick off the new year with a new focus on creating some amazing wedding inspirations for all the brides out there planning their weddings. Check back often for new ideas on colors, flowers, centerpieces, and general inspiration collages for all things 'Wedding.'

Here are a few of the bouquets I showcased at the bridal fair to highlight upcoming trends in wedding colors. Turquoises and teals are continuing in their popularity this year as well as purples, mainly eggplant and darker shades. I had a yellow and lime bouquet that the girls were in love with so we shall see if yellow continues this year.

May Holidays

2010-04-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Saturday is May 1st...May Day! Don't forget to send your loved ones a cute little May Basket. We can create beautiful floral arrangements in small baskets or tin containers perfect for a May Day gift. You can stop by our shop and delivery your basket yourself or have our delivery driver suprised your loved ones with a basket delivered to their door!

Mother's Day is coming also...Sunday, May 9th. We will be creating some fantastic fresh flower arrangements using colorful seasonal flowers such as larkspur, lilies, stock, viburnum, and roses. Send your hip and trendy mom a stylized mounded bouquet in a clear glass cube vase. If your mom likes a more traditional style, perhaps sending a beautiful upright vase arrangement with lilies, roses and stock would make a great fragrant combination. Our designers are happy to help you pick out the perfect bouquet to let Mom know how much she means to you.

Primavera, Spring Sale and Fine Art Show

2010-03-10T19:37:00.001-08:00

Join us at Beyond the Vine for our Spring Sale starting Thursday, March 18th from 4 pm to 8 pm and continuing during regular store hours on Friday through Sunday, March 19th through 21st. Everything in the showroom will be 20% off and you are eligible to receive a free gift with a minimum $25.00 purchase. Enjoy wine and desserts on Thursday evening as well as a special treat. Local artists will be displaying their work and will be available to discuss how original artwork fits into your home decor plans.

We have been unpacking new merchandise for days and we can't wait to see what is new this Spring. We have a huge collection of Easter goodies including faux chocolate bunnies, whimsical easter eggs, and much more. New lamps, furniture, throws, candles, and accessories are all waiting to be taken home!

We can't wait to see you March 18th through the 21st.

Holiday Decorating

2009-12-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Beyond the Vine specializes in Holiday Decorating. We have permanent botanicals to match all of the latest color trends for your home, from traditional red and burgundy to modern turquoise and chartreuse. See other color combinations on our website at www.gobeyondthevine.com

Holiday Open House, Sale Weekend

2009-10-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

Please mark your calendars...Beyond the Vine's Annual Holiday Open House and Sales Event will be held November 5th through the 8th with extended evening hours on November 5th with light snacks and drinks for our customers to enjoy while shopping. Come and see the latest trends in Holiday decorating. Save 20% on all of your purchases during this special weekend. We hope to see you all there.

Halloween On Sale

2009-10-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

All of our remaining Halloween merchandise is now 30% off. Shop early to get the best selection of witches, goblins, spiders and more.

East Coast Meets High Plains

2009-08-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Beyond the Vine was fortunate to be part of a beautiful wedding at the Durham Museum here in Omaha. The museum, which was formerly Union Pacific Railroad's Union Station, is an architectural gem built in the Art Deco Style. The bride and groom chose this location because of their love of travel and more specifically because of its direct link to train travel and their own history with traveling on trains to see each other during their courtship. The bride currently resides on the East Coast, but is originally from Omaha. She returned to her 'High Plains' roots because of her love of this region and her fond memories of growing up here. The groom hales from the East as well, but his favorite flower is the sunflower so with her love of the High Plains and his love of sunflowers they are a match made in heaven!

When the bride originally came to me with her ideas, she said the overall feeling she wanted for the flowers was, "East Coast meets High Plains." I'm sure at the time I looked at her with a baffled expression, not exactly sure what that meant. After months of planning meetings, lengthy emails back and forth, and many phone calls, I think we pulled it off. The starting point for all designs was goldenrod, the State Flower of Nebraska (Solidago is the cultivar used in the flower shop). This rich golden yellow wildflower was perfectly fitting for the "...meets High Plains" part but how was I ever going to incorporate the "East Coast" part of her theme?

The bride also felt that the space at the Durham had a masculine quality and she wanted to be sure that the flower and color choices incorporated a sense of femininity. You will see from the photographs that we did this by choosing a color palette consisting of yellow, lime green, pale pink, hot pink and mauve. I had my doubts about these colors at first, but once I held the flowers in my hand, I fell in love with this rich, yet feminine palette. More importantly, the bride also fell in love with the colors.

In addition to being in a location that referenced the travel theme, the bride chose many other details as a 'through line' for her theme. Miniature suitcases, also called train cases, were used for half of the centerpieces on the guest tables. Each train case was different but contained the same floral arrangement, helping to unify the decor in the room. The other half of the tables contained an elegant glass pedestal holding a traditional arrangement with a mix of lilies, orchids, larkspur, stock and roses (a combination of elegant and wild flowers). Three vintage postcards were incorporated into these arrangements depicting the Union Station Building in the 1930's.

Each table was given the name of a city that meant something to the bride and groom. Place cards with the guests' names and their corresponding City or table name were inserted into silver luggage tags that also served as the guests' keepsake memento from the evening. Additional travel references could be seen at the guest book table and could be heard after the ceremony! Instead of bubbles or tossing bird seed, each guest had a toy wooden train whistle that they sounded as the bride and groom marched out of the ceremony and downstairs, 'track-side' in the museum for their cocktail hour.

The staff at Beyond the Vine extends a heartfelt 'Congratulations' to the newlyweds!

2009-05-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you all had a very nice Memorial Day Weekend. At least here in Omaha, the weather was picture perfect. For all of the weathermen's talk of impending storms...Mother Nature came through with four gorgeous days in a row! Here at the shop we worked on four weddings, two of which had outdoor ceremonies so as you can imagine we were very happy that Mother Nature sided with us rather than those pesky weathermen.

One of these days I'm going to figure out how to write HTML code on this blog site so I can format these posts more attractively, but for now you'll have to suffer through with the way the template allows me to post pictures. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the weddings this past week.

Jewel Toned Wedding Flowers

2009-04-29T11:23:00.001-07:00

Beyond the Vine created flowers for a very memorable wedding this past weekend. We had the pleasure of producing the flowers for a traditional Indian wedding and reception. It was great fun to learn about the traditions and rituals surrounding this very special occasion in the Indian culture. The ceremony took place at the Holland Performing Arts Center. A stage was set up on the second floor and upon it was placed a mandap, the traditional area where the bride and groom are joined in marriage. We placed large arrangements on top of each gold pillar containing huge white stargazer lilies and lush green dendrobium orchids. The aisle was lined with 30" tall cylinder vases containing white dendrobium orchids and copper curly willow. I have attached a few pictures...enjoy!

The reception at the Joslyn was located in the atrium in between the new and old buildings. Bright colorful glass sculptures by glass artist Dale Chihuly are hanging on both ends of this amazing architectural space. Colorful jewel-toned flowers were chosen to accent the space and play up the bold colors in the glass sculptures. The bride absolutely loves orchids so various types of orchids were used throughout including fuchsia and lime dendrobiums, yellow oncidiums and green miniature cymbidium orchids on the cake. Other flowers used included stock, delphinium, anthuriums, Bells of Ireland, hypericum, snapdragons, lilies, hydrangeas, ranunculus, calla lilies, and wax flower. Three different styles of centerpieces were used to break up the space in this large room. Curly willow branches over eight feet tall were shooting out of large metal stands on one third of the tables with orchid blossoms dangling from wires attached to the branches. This dramatic height helped to bring the scale of the tables more in sync with the massive architectural scale of the room. Disc lights glowing green were used under 24" tall vases along with hundreds of votive candles throughout the room for romantic lighting.

2009-04-14T08:11:00.001-07:00

Come to Beyond the Vine's 'Spring Green Savings Days' this Thursday through Saturday, April 16th through 18th for 20% off all Home Decor Purchases. Save an additional 20% to 70% off select merchandise. This is a great time to save on our new Spring arrivals.

We are unveiling our 'Going Green' program with the introduction of our new re-usable shopping totes. You can purchase each bag for $2.00 and then receive a $2.00 credit on each in-store home decor purchase when you re-use your shopping tote! You also receive a coupon inside the bag that can be redeemed for 20% off a single home decor item. Let's all do our part to reduce the use of paper and plastic bags.

We will have refreshments and the Tea Smith will have the newest green teas available to sample.

2009-04-06T06:24:00.000-07:00

This striking wrist corsage was created on a coiled aluminum wire base that can be bent and wrapped around the wrist. A black ribbon is woven through the wire bracelet and allows for a 'custom' fit by fastening the ribbon to a tightness that is comfortable for each person's wrist. The white flowers and black and white accents create strong contrast in this contemporary design. Did you notice the jewels bedazzling the miniature calla lilies? Black bead sprays create movement and whimsy. This corsage is perfect for girls wearing white, black or red. By simply switching the color of the ribbon in the center, this style could be worn with any color dress. Call the shop at 402-397-4585 and speak to our designers to have your very special custom-designed wrist corsage created for your prom this year.

2009-04-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at the latest prom flower fashions. This colorful boutonniere is made up of Bells of Ireland blossoms, purple hyacinth blossoms (with a perfume-like fragrance), caspia and Italian ruscus. Teal wire has been rolled into ball shaped accents as well as wrapped around the stem. Why go with a common rose boutonniere when we can design something fun and modern for your prom dates. We can also creat a wrist corsage to coordinate perfectly.

Prom Season Officially Here!

2009-03-27T07:59:00.001-07:00

Jan has made the season's first boutonnieres and corsages for prom this weekend. Come and visit our blog each week from now through May to see the latest and greatest in Prom Flower Trends. There are some really cool new styles available as well as new products including metallic wire, jewels, magnets and more. If you want to be on the leading edge and stand out at your prom, make sure you order your flowers from Beyond the Vine!

What's next?

2009-02-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

Cupids arrows have all been shot...hopefully you were all hit with one of them!

Now that Valentine's Day is over, it's time to re-decorate. With Spring on the horizon (maybe distant horizon in light of our recent snowstorm), it's officially time to put out the forsythia, tulips and pussy willows. Our Spring permanent botanicals are arriving and our designers are ready to make you a new front door wreath or perhaps two new topiaries for your fireplace mantle. Whatever you may need, we are here to help.

History of Valentine's Day

2009-02-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

I was doing some research on the topic of Valentine's Day and found myself reading several accounts related to the history of this holiday. I decided to write my own account below for your reading pleasure:

There are many tales of how Valentine’s Day originated. As with any historical date, it is most likely that a combination of events and people helped to mold our modern version of this lovers’ holiday. The farthest back account was during the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, a festival called Lupercalia took place each year on February 15th. The night before the festival was to begin, the names of all the young Roman girls were written down and placed in jars. The young boys then drew a name out of the jar. That boy was then paired up with the girl whose name he withdrew from the jar for the duration of the festival. In some instances, the pairing would last for the entire year after the festival. Over that year, the boy and girl often fell in love, and would later get married. This is where our modern tradition of ‘picking’ a Valentine might have originated.
As Christianity spread, pagan holidays were virtually erased by replacing them or renaming them. In the case of The Roman’s Lupercalia, Pope Gelasius renamed the pagan festival as a feast day of the Roman martyr Saint Valentine and moved the day to February 14th. Historians, however, aren’t clear on which of the three saints by that name that Pope Gelasius was honoring. Most scholars will argue that it was the St. Valentine whom was a Roman priest in the third century during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Claudius II.
Claudius II was not a very well liked ruler at the time. He believed in a strong army to fortify his weakening empire. He struggled to increase his ranks and realized that men who had a family would not want to leave their wives and children to fight. To overcome this stumbling block he decided to ban marriages all together, eliminating this need to protect one’s family as young men would no longer be allowed to create a family. Of course this did not go over well with the Roman people and that is where Valentine came into the picture. Upon seeing the dissatisfaction of his fellow Romans, Valentine decided he would secretly join lovers in the holy sacrament of marriage. Unfortunately, Claudius was somehow tipped off to these secret nuptials and had Valentine arrested, and sentenced to death.
Once in prison, Valentine had many people visit the prison to show their support for his cause. One account even says that these visitors would throw cards and flowers up to his window, perhaps another origin of our modern Valentine’s Day rituals. Most accounts also speak of a young girl who visited Valentine often. She was the daughter of a jail guard, and she was blind by some accounts. One Catholic legend says that the guard brought his daughter to Valentine, asking him to restore her sight. He succeeded by using his strong and powerful faith in God. On the day of his execution, February 14, 270 AD, the Roman priest left her a message and signed it ‘From your Valentine.’ Eventually Valentine was canonized and became St. Valentine. On his feast day, Romans held festivals where the young men would pass handwritten notes to the women they were courting or wished to court. At some time in history, it became common to sign these notes just as Valentine signed his, ‘From your Valentine.’ This phrase now appears on thousands upon thousands of greeting cards during the month of February.

The history of this holiday has a large break in time following St. Valentine’s execution and the initial start of festivals honoring him. It wasn’t until eleven centuries later when the next date appears on the timeline. In the 14th Century Geoffrey Chaucer, the great English author included references to Valentine’s Day and love in his poems and writings. He is attributed as the first person to officially relate Valentine’s Day to true romance. Scholars say that prior to this time, the feast of Saint Valentine was based on Christian love (Agape) versus passionate love or true romance referenced by Chaucer.

Through the Middle Ages the Catholic Church attempted to squash the romantic references of Saint Valentine’s Day, but to no avail. Romantic exchanges were made for centuries until finally in the 18th Century gift-giving became part of the February 14th ritual. Beautiful hand-made cards containing intricate lace, hearts and cupids were exchanged in England and throughout Europe. When the American colonies were first established, this tradition of exchanging Valentines continued.

As is the American way, a woman by the name of Esther Howland disovered a great way to achieve the American dream. In the 1840’s she was the first person to create commercially produced Valentine’s Day greeting cards in the U.S. Her creations earned her the title, ‘Mother of the Valentine.’ She is credited with several innovations related to Valentine’s design including using a colorful piece of paper behind the lacey overlays, and the use of a three dimensional shadow box design used towards the latter part of her 30 year career. In 1881 she sold her company to the George C. Whitney company which also produced elaborate Valentines until 1942.

To bring things up to current history, it is interesting to look at the Hallmark greeting card company. Joyce C. Hall, a native of Nebraska interestingly enough, started his business with two shoeboxes full of picture postcards that he attempted to sell to dealers after moving to Kansas City in 1910. When he mailed out his first batch of cards, he was met with some disgruntled dealers. Some returned nasty notes along with the postcards while others just kept the cards without remitting payment. However, enough dealers found the cards good enough to sell and remitted the requested payment to Hall, earning him his first $200. After a few short years, Joyce C. Hall had made a name for himself in the picture postcard business. He brought his two brothers into business with him and expanded the company and its offerings to include greeting cards, Valentines, and Christmas cards. He obviously knew what he is doing as today, almost one hundred years later, his business is still thriving with over ten million Hallmark cards being sold every year. Approximately twenty-five percent of those cards are Valentine’s Day Cards!
So now when you go to the card store and pick out a romantic Valentine and sign it, ‘From your Valentine,’ you will understand the origins of this 18 Century old tradition. ~ Happy Valentine’s Day from Beyond the Vine

Sweetheart of a Sale

2009-02-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

Beyond the Vine is holding a 'Sweetheart of a Sale.' Select merchandise in our showroom is on sale for 50% off the original price. Visit the showroom and look for the heart stickers!

2009-01-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

We've made it half way through January which means that Spring is that much closer. We are getting Spring bulb gardens and beautiful Spring blooming plants at the store. Our cyclamens are particularly gorgeous this year with rich variegated foliage and colorful blossoms. Cyclamen also have a very light and lovely fragrance to enjoy. Send one to yourself to climb out of your winter 'blahs' or make a friend's day by sending them a bit of Spring.

Just a reminder for local Omaha people...the Cathedral Flower Show is this weekend. This is another way to catch a glimpse of Spring. For those of you that have never attended, the Cathedral is filled with fresh flowers and blooming plants, all designed by local area florists. For more information go to http://www.cathedralartsproject.org/Awards.asp and click on the events tab. Hours are Saturday, January 24th from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday, January 25th from 1 pm to 4:30 pm. This year's theme is Quilts, so along with the beautiful floral arrangements, you can see many fantastic quilts on display and learn about the history of this amazing textile art.

2008-12-31T08:04:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't had too many posts. The month of December was crazy busy at
the shop with all of our in home decorating jobs and fresh flower orders for the Holidays. With 2009 at our doorstep, I wish all of you a Happy and Healthy New Year.

I just wanted to remind everyone (or tell you for the first time) that our 50% off sale will continue for the first few weeks of 2009. All of our Holiday and Christmas merchandise is 50% off in the store so hurry in for the best selections. We still have some great ornaments, wreaths, gifts and decorations available at great discounted prices. This is the perfect time to spruce up your existing decorations or stock up on next year's Christmas presents.

2008-11-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is out voting today! Record turnouts are amazing.

After the elections wind down and we settle into life after campaign commercials, we will all realize that the calendar flipped from October to November already. Daylight savings time has come and gone and soon the Thanksgiving turkey will be in the oven. In the meantime, there are a couple of weeks to get your home ready for the Holidays. Beyond the Vine would love to help you spruce up or replace your decorations. Our showroom is packed full of delightful Fall and Christmas items.

Come and see us on Thursday, November 13th from 5 to 8 p.m for our Holiday Preview Sales Event. Receive 20% off of your entire purchase as our gift to you this Holiday Season. Our sale will continue through the weekend, including Sunday from 11:30 to 4 p.m. If you've never been to our store, this is a perfect opportunity to visit our treasure trove of fabulous finds!

We hope to see you soon.

SALE!

2008-07-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that this is the last week to take advantage of the summer sale at Beyond the Vine. Everything is 20% off excluding books and cards with select merchandise 50 to 70% off! Spruce up a room in your house for that summer party of for the upcoming holidays...Christmas will be here before we know it.

Beyond the Vine
2520 S 130 Ave
Omaha, Nebraska 68144
402.397.4585

Street of Dreams

2008-07-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

I attended the 2008 Street of Dreams Home Tour yesterday. This year's tour was on the outskirts of Blair, Nebraska in a new development called Cottonwood Creek. The geography of the area is breathtaking with rolling hills and wide vistas. The idea of the development is to feel like you are out in the country...there are to be no streetlights and the houses are on large plots of land so as not to feel like you are on top of your neighbors. My favorite thing about the division is that the architecture of the homes does not seem cookie cutter in any way. Each home had a different builder and each one had its own character and charm.

The only down side to the tour this year was the long distance you had to walk to see each home. In addition, the rolling hills made for quite a strenuous hike down and back up at the end of the tour. They did provide some transportation for people that needed assistance, but on a hot day, this walk made even myself a bit uncomfortable.

Once inside the homes, the brand new air conditioning systems were a welcome relief from the blazing heat outside! Each house had a very unique feeling once you stepped inside. The first home very much felt like walking into a ski lodge with exposed wooden rafters and beautiful stonework. One of the biggest things I noticed on this tour was the mix of woods and wood stains used within each home. The kitchen of the first home had three or four different wood colors alone. It really created a warm and natural feeling.

I don't want to write about every detail but I do want to leave you with a list of things I came away with that were of personal interest:
1. A blow up screen that can be used outdoors for movie projection!
2. House #2 was Arts & Crafts Style with awesome built in cabinets next to the fireplace...I want to do that at my house.
3. A newel post at the bottom of the staircase in one of the homes had a lantern on the top of it with glass panels allowing light to come through...this was then on a switch that you could shut on and off...again something i want to think about at my house.
4. Wallpaper that was like homemade paper with cool textures and colors that can be cut into any shape you can dream up and applied to your walls. It reminded me of paper piecing that I do for scrapbooking...a very cool look at a fairly affordable price...$6/sq ft includes the paper and the installation!
5. HVAC vents that were round holes in the floor and ceiling rather than having large oblong vents. This home had a heat pump I believe but the air coming out was very cool and very forceful even though the hole seemed small. This looked very cool and modern...i just wonder what happens when you want to put your sofa right where the vent is on the floor?
6. Lots of closets were well designed with built in cabinets and shelving units....how have i lived my whole life without one of those closets???

Share your ideas on what you saw at the Street of Dreams or any similar home tours in your area....

New to the Blog World

2008-07-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to arrive in the 21st Century, we have decided to start a blog for Beyond the Vine! We hope to share information about flowers, floral design, home decor, interior decorating, plant care and much more. Feel free to share information with us as well. Maybe you have a project you are working on that you would like to show off or maybe you need help with a room in your home....whatever it is, we can't wait to get a dialogue started.