January Magic Sachet

January Magical Intentions Sachet

January is the time to start again.  All that you wanted to do the previous year, and all the aspirations you have yet to fulfill are given new life in this month.  When associating words with January, these are top of my list : 

Re-Birth, cleansing, revitalizing, fresh start, purify, cold, white, bright, silver green, yellow, crisp, clean, waiting to be filled, organize, plan, motivate, look within, imagine.

Flowers and plant material have carried these powerful messages since ancient times.  Your sachet has been created from specially selected material to work as an intuitive charm in helping you to realize your intentions and bring balance to the month of January.  

Store this sachet in your car, kitchen cabinet or by your favorite chair.  Take it out and give it a sniff anytime you need to refocus or need some comfort.  While this blend is specifically designed for January, it works great in February, March or anytime you begin a new project and need renewed focus.

Each Sachet carries a slightly different blend ratio, but each sachet does have at least one of each listed ingredient.

Sachets are not to be ingested in any form nor used as a lit incense.  Please keep out of reach from small children.


Ingredients

Juniper - Activating Energy - Balance - Harmony - Protection

Persimmon - Warm feelings inside and outside

Magnolia - Ancient Wisdom - Relaxation - Stress Relief 

Cedar - Balance - Harmony - Magic - Wisdom - Clarity/focus - Grounding - Healing

Palo Santo - Meditation - Balance - Harmony

Birch - Beginnings - Rebirth - Renewal 

Lemon - Happiness - Joy - Positivity - Vitality - Energy

Eucalyptus - Healing - emotional, spiritual and physical

Ginger Root - Raise Body Heat - Release Toxins - Confidence - Spice up Romance

Holly - Healing - Happiness - Protection

Myrtle - Romantic Love - Peace

Coffee - Productivity

Babies Breath- Magnify your intentions. Choose a specific goal to work towards, time to focus.







"Where Happiness Dwells, Evil Will Not Enter" - Meridian House Weddings

When it comes to wedding venues in Washington, D.C., historic Meridian House is a crown jewel and a favorite of Atelier Ashley Flowers. From its grove of 80 year old Spanish Linden trees to its elegant library and drawing room, every inch of this property is the perfect backdrop for a wedding. Guests to Meridian House enter through tall double doors with an inscription that reads, "where happiness dwells, evil will not enter.” And as you’ll see in these images by Procopio Photography, fewer words could better describe the celebration of this sweet couple by their families and friends. Special thanks to Meridian House Director of Events Maria Canellis and star planner Janice Carnevale of Bellwether Events whose leadership made for a perfect day.

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Where happiness dwells, evil will not enter
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Washington, D.C. November Wedding in Jewel Tones

When we met with this pretty bride and her sweet mom to discuss wedding flowers, the request was very specific: emerald green for her and classic blue for him. Over the course of our consultation, we really got to know more about this client and her wedding day dreams. We miss these in-person consultations because they give us an opportunity to learn what makes our clients tick! Until we can meet again, we’re doing our very best to listen to our clients and translate the emotions we hear in their voices into beautiful designs. Thanks, once again, to Emily Alyssa Photography for capturing beautiful images of this special day at The Line Hotel and All Souls Unitarian Church. Happy First Anniversary!

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Boutonnieres at the Line Hotel

Boutonnieres at the Line Hotel

Bouquets at The Line Hotel

Bouquets at The Line Hotel

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November Wedding at Washington Golf and Country Club

November is here! This time last year we had hit our full wedding stride. Life was busy and we were feeling good! I think you can see it in the flowers. Thank you to Emily Alyssa Photography for all the pretty images of this happy wedding at Washington Golf and Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. The ivory, peach, burgundy, and blush flowers look just as lovely as they did on this November day. And thank you to Kelly Peck for planning and coordinating a perfect wedding. Happy first anniversary Janice and Stephen! Wishing you good health and happiness.

Invitations by The Dandelion Patch

Invitations by The Dandelion Patch

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October Bliss in Annapolis, Maryland

There are so many beautiful images of this wedding from last October it’s hard to choose just a few to share. Liz Fogarty Photography tells a story with her photos and captures the light and soft details just perfectly. This wedding was held at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church and historic Ogle Hall on the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. For the design, we blended burgundy, peach and ivory flowers with fruit, greens and soft candlelight throughout for an elegant fall look. The talented Christina Calvert planned the wedding and you can see her signature touches throughout. Happy first anniversary to this special couple!

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October Wedding at Historic Newton White Mansion in Maryland

When the sweet Emily Brutout Chisholm of The Hay Adams Hotel asked us to design flowers for her wedding, we jumped at the chance. Emily is lovely inside and out and it is no surprise that she works at one of the finest establishments in town. Emily plans beautiful weddings and events and is always the picture of calm and confidence, even on her wedding day. Thank you Emily for choosing us be part of your special day and happy first anniversary! All photos by Cara Lynn Photography.

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The wedding took place at the stately Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville, Maryland. The mansion sits on 586 picturesque acres surrounded by a beautiful rural landscape.

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“Your Seat Awaits You…” October Wedding at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C.

A year ago this weekend, we designed florals for two beautiful weddings with travel themes. Perfect for 2019. Not so much in 2020. Thanks to photographer Lissa Ryan, we can travel back to a more carefree time and see all the pretty details of this beautiful day at the St. Regis Hotel designed by expert planner Margo Fischer of Bright Occasions.

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The St. Regis Washington is a perfect backdrop for a wedding and makes our job easy!

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Happy first anniversary!

A September Wedding to Remember at Congressional Country Club

On your mark, get set, go! This wedding marked the start of what would turn out to be a marathon wedding season last fall. We began with a bang on September 14th, and, nine weddings later, ended our run on December 30. We look forward to sharing all our beautiful fall 2019 weddings over the next few months and wishing our couples a happy first anniversary.

Tess and Will were married at the historic Congressional Country Club and their beautiful day was featured here on the United With Love blog. Their wedding had all the best elements: special order flowers, tall and low centerpieces, garlands of greenery and lots of candle light. It was a delight to design.

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Nesh Brankovic, Nesh Photography

Labor Day Weekend and Weddings

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We’ve been leaning pretty far forward lately on the upcoming fall, winter, and holiday season. But we didn't want Labor Day weekend to pass without taking a look back at the wedding we were working on this time last year. This sweet couple chose Dock 5, Union Market for their ceremony and reception which presented a new design challenge for us. Along with the help of expert planner Alison Golt, we were able to use beautiful flowers, lush greenery, and lantern light to transform this urban warehouse into a romantic wedding venue. What strikes us most when looking back at these pictures by Carly Romeo & Co. is the relaxed smiles, big hugs and overall closeness of everyone. Can’t wait to get back to these types of moments. Until then, happy anniversary to this special couple.

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Preserved Pinecones, DIY and Sparkle!

It’s that time of year; pine trees are beginning to get ready for winter and start to drop their cones. You would think it would happen in November or December, but actually August and September are the prime pine cone collecting months for the Washington D.C. area.

Atelier Ashley Pinecones

I collected my first batch for the season today - boy were they sticky and covered in sap - yuck! The sap is such a pain that I absolutely recommend wearing plastic gloves while doing your scavenging.

Sap is not the only deterrent to collecting pinecones. Little bugs and spiders call pinecones home so before you store yours away for fall and winter table decor, preserve them first.

There are two basic preservation methods - one includes scrubbing and vinegar and the other includes baking. I prefer a hybrid of both. Here is my method:

  1. Spritz all your pinecones with a combination of 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water.

  2. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place the pinecones a couple of inches apart. Use foil to prevent the sap making a golden mess of your cookie sheet.

  3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake for 19 minutes. DO NOT LEAVE THE ROOM! Every other blog will tell you to bake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes but after several attempts, I found the sap really wouldn’t melt properly until the temperature was 325 degrees. The higher temp does increase the chance that your pinecones could catch on fire, so stay vigilant and if you want to be extra cautious, keep a fire extinguisher nearby.

  4. If possible, open the windows or run a fan before removing the pine cones from the oven. A waft of pine smoke may billow out when the pine cones are ready.

  5. Allow pinecones to cool in a (non-flammable!) spot.

Preserved Pinecones

Glitter time!

Once the pinecones are cool you can begin to add some sparkle. There are two ways to add glitter to your pinecones. You may use a bottle of glue or spray glue to dot, paint, or spray the glue onto your pine cone.

Once you have the glue where you want it, you can either pour glitter directly onto the pinecone or roll your pinecone in a bowl of glitter. “Spray and roll” provides the most glitter coverage while “dot and dump” gives you minimal coverage.

Voila! You’re done. Sit back and admire your beauties.