Here's your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it.

Happy belated Easter, peeps!

I spent my Easter with family... mostly eating, to be completely honest. I don't understand how I can even be hungry right now (or ever again for that matter) after this weekend's ridiculous display of gustation.

But that is beside the point!

The point of this post is this: on Easter morning I got up early to make a corsage for a fabulous Easter bonnet. A lil' commission for a fabulous gal who was to attend a fabulous Easter brunch at the KitKat Lounge. To be completely honest, I loved it so much I was almost sad to deliver it!

I admit I've never made a hat corsage before, but I think I've got a bright future here! Get yer orders in now for Kentucky Derby hats!

Stay for supper?

*chattery teeth*

After an all-too-brief hiatus in Nashville, I return to the bitterly blustery North (and to the blogosphere). And I'm back with a real bang: a photo-blog about last Monday's Supper Club at the Nature Museum!

What a fantastic night it was. City Provisions put the whole thing together, and really hit it out of the park with delectable, themed finger food delights -- every one a mini masterpiece made from 100% local ingredients! Death's Door Spirits kept the crowd blissfully buzzed with their custom cocktails all evening (my favorite involved their signature White Whiskey!) and the Nature Museum's staff was so helpful and informative. (They were also kind enough to laugh at all my jokes. Bonus!) It was so nice to meet new people and make friends among the guests who attended. What a classy bunch!

Finally, photographer Christina Noel captured it all with grace, elegance, and an ever-present smile. Brides, if there's one piece of advice I can impart to you, it's that you MUST like your vendors as people. That goes quadruple for your photographer, since you'll be spending all day with him or her. So check out Christina Noel! Not only does she take phenomenal photos, she's also the kind of gal I think I'd like to grab a couple of beers and tamales with! (And I only have tamales with people I think are totally rad.)

On to the photos. Huge thanks to Christina for getting them to me so quickly!

Guests began their supper stroll in the wetlands exhibit. They were greeted with food, drink, and this marsh-themed floral arrangement by yours truly!

(Photo courtesy of Christina Noel)

Cleetus Friedman, owner of City Provisions, put together an amazing menu for the event and also served as emcee. Along the way he'd teach us a bit about everything we were eating and drinking, then disappear to the kitchen to prepare more amazingness, allowing guests time to enjoy the exhibits, mix and mingle. This man knows his stuff, and the food was some of the best I've ever had! If you're looking for a caterer you've got to check out City Provisions! (Photo courtesy of Christina Noel)

Delicious bites from City Provisions? Yes please!

(Photo courtesy of Christina Noel)

John of Death's Door Spirits served drinks every step of the way, and was so knowledgeable. The drinks were fantastic, as well! This citrusy gin delight was served among the butterflies in the Butterfly Haven.

(Photo courtesy of Christina Noel)

My frilly feminine centerpiece got a place of prominence, directly outside the Butterfly Haven. (Photo courtesy of Christina Noel)

This one was a personal favorite! Inspired by the museum's brand new Nature's Architects exhibit, I used flowers that reminded me of nature's builders: bugs & bees & birds! (Photo courtesy of Christina Noel)

Our party ended in the Wilderness Walk, where this woodsy piece bid guests goodnight. (Photo courtesy of Christina Noel)

And here it is! Proof that I was there!

(Photo courtesy of Christina Noel)

If you want to see all of Christina's fantastic photos from the evening, check out the whole gallery! There really is so much more to see there. And if you want to learn more about the flowers used in my arrangements, just keep on reading!

My friend Colin Bayer was kind enough to snap the following shots with his fancy cam before I took off for the event. Thanks so much, Colin! (Click on any of these images to enlarge).

Arrangement 1: The Wetlands.

Euphorbia, Fiddlehead Ferns, Green Goddess Callas, Yellow Mini Callas, Muscari, and some amazing fuzzy mossy greens inside a moss container.

Arrangement 2: The Butterfly Haven

Big Blue Bird Roses, Little Silver Spray Roses, Buttery Yellow Stock, Sweet Lilac, and my favorite - Hybrid Delphinium, all in a frosted glass vase. This one smelled like heaven!

Arrangement 3: Nature's Architects

I wanted to find flowers that were beautiful, yet reminded me of bugs. Snowberry made me think of bug's eyes (!!!), Scabiosa Pods conjured images of honeycombs, while Billy Balls (aka Craspedia), Fiddlehead Ferns, Mini Callas and Rush Reeds completed the architectural look. I finished it off with a vase that reminded me of Mudswallows' nests. This one was so much fun!

Arrangement 4: Wilderness Walk

Last but not least, I used local Forsythia Branches and fragrant Freesia to create a wild, woodsy look. Simple, yet elegant! The perfect touch was putting them inside a bark-covered vase.

What a great event! Thanks to the Nature Museum for hosting! Thanks to Cleetus and the City Provisions crew for giving me this opportunity -- and also for the delicious food! Thanks to Death's Door for showing me just how delicious local spirits can be! And thanks to Christina Noel for capturing it all so beautifully.

Can't wait to work with you all again in the near future!

Forget me Knodt + City Provisions: it's supper time!

I recently moved to a new area of the city, and Mads and I have been doing lots of exploring on foot, checking out the local hangouts and such. And we have a new favorite! It's called City Provisions - a market / caterer / delicatessen that's all about being local, sustainable, and forward-thinking.

Everything in their store is locally sourced, from the bread to the meat to the booze. They even make their own deli meats! When I asked how one “makes” deli meat, the enthusiastic gentleman behind the counter gave me a brief lesson on meat curing. For example, they “pastrami” their own turkey and beef! Pastrami is now a verb. He told me it’s actually possible to pastrami just about anything, and then offered to pastrami my boot for me. (I respectfully declined).

They're good people, and I've become a daily visitor to the shop for Dark Matter coffee, hot doughnuts and whatever else strikes my fancy. One particularly fantastic thing they do is host monthly Supper Club farm dinners, meant to educate and enlighten folks by connecting them directly with the source of the foods they're enjoying. Many of these dinner events take place on-site at various local farms, and there's always a focus on pairing up with local breweries, distilleries and vineyards, as well. (Three Floyd's beer at Nichols Farm & Orchard? Yes please!)

Anyway, those who know me personally may imagine I am totally onboard with this whole idea. I love it! I love that people are doing it, and I love even more that so many people are participating! So, on one particular morning trip to City Provisions for coffee, I was able to set up a meeting with owner Cleetus Friedman, to see what Forget me Knodt could do to get involved.

Well, my dears, I am SO excited to announce that I've been granted the opportunity to get my flowers on display at the very next Supper Club coming up on April 11th, at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum! It's a really unique event. Instead of hosting a sit-down dinner this time, City Provisions is teaming up with Madison's Death's Door Spirits to create a classy, one-of-a-kind cocktail party.

Guests will be treated to heavy seasonal, sustainable finger foods paired with orginal cocktail creations as they enjoy an evening stroll through the nature museum. The event will take guests from the wetlands marsh exhibit to the wilderness walk and everywhere in between, including the Butterfly House (!) and I've been given the fantastic opportunity to feature my flowers in each section of the event! I can't really explain how excited I am!

You can find more information on this event, and even photos of previous events, here. If you're interested in attending the event, tickets are still available! Just call City Provisions at 773-293-2489 or e-mail supperclub@cityprovisions.com.

And check back here for updates and photos. Fortunately for this little florist, as is the case with every City Provisions Supper Club, the details of this evening will be captured by wildly talented local photographer Christina Noël.

Thanks so much for the opportunity, City Provisions! I can't wait to get designing!