Where do I begin...

There's just SO MANY things to be thankful for!

I have definitely come waaaaaaay far from being that one floral designer whose design once called by another florist "as so ugly that her cat can do better".
I have forgiven that florist, because I know what I have in me, what I am capable of and that nobody can take that away from me.
In many ways, I am now very much thankful to that florist because of her comment, I grow stronger, learn faster and my motivation to share my knowledge grow stronger than ever. So, to those who are thinking of doing what you love to do (be it floral design or anything else), don't let anybody tell you "you can't". Please stay on the course! Don't give up! If you are feeling down, you are more than welcomed to talk to me! ^_^

I recognize that my design may not be agreeable with the common mass for the fact that I tend to use, mix and match other elements with or without flowers.
While traditional florists may see that as a potential flaw, I see it as a strength. I sincerely want each of my clients to have the most unique weddings/events of their lifetime. Even if 90% of the production is traditional, if there is at least that small chunk, that 10%, that is uniquely theirs, I would strive for it. My clients let me "fly" with my ideas (if you come and read my blog quite often, I use the word "fly" a lot...maybe I was a bird in my previous life! Hehehe...) and I can't tell them enough how grateful I am for the trust they gave me. Each of my clients is very precious to me. So many things I've learned from each of their events. It is definitely something that books can never teach you.

I realize recently that meeting the right people at the right time is very important. I am grateful to meet two very kind mentors from the floral industry, Susan Rowell and J Schwanke. Both of them are well established in their own rights yet they are so open, warm and welcoming. I am very much aspired to be as inspiring as them. I have learned so much from our conversations! The road is long and tough, but it really is not bad to walk on at all when you have friends to walk together with. I am also more than blessed to have a full support from Agnes Triwiyono (my first ever event planner mentor), Melinda Albert, Esq (my awesome lawyer and first client), Rita Faison, Randi Martin, and a list of event planners and vendors I met along the way. I definitely believe in the value of networking. Not only you'll find new friends, but with a little patience, you'll also get to meet great mentors!

One thing I like about maintaining Papertini as an organic, mini company is because I want it to be known as personable, approachable. Having my share in corporate America, I've learned that the bigger the company gets, the more tendencies they have to become bullies. You know that book, "All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum? I'd like to keep Papertini under such philosophy of life. I think that is what's best for the successful execution of my clients' events and the health of the company overall. To maintain such hefty goal, I fully understand that I cannot do everything myself. Therefore, on this Planet of Papertini, I have been very blessed to have wonderful "Papertinians": Mandy who has been with me since Day 1. Joy, Bonnie, Rosalind, Judi who have jumped in and lent their hands this past year. Everybody has been tremendous! I want the world to know that without their talents and helping hands, Papertini will not be where it is now. So thank you, thank you, thank you for always working so hard!

OK, the more I write, the more I think this starts to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech...so before it gets cheesier...let me just say my final thank you to... my dearest husband, Neal, who relentlessly endures all my antics and fully supports my ventures (and cooks breakfast for the staff in the morning of event days! He makes awesome breakfast!) ^_^ Also, thank you to my little baby cat (ok, he's not that little), Jake, who always keeps me company every single long night I spend making flowers at the workshop. Thank you and love you both so much!

And to all of you who stop by and read this article...thank you for giving me the opportunity to share a bit of me with you.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Best wishes,

Tanti Lina
Owner/Principal Designer 

I met Stephanie and Rob at the first bridal show I participated early this year. They are very nice and sweet. ^_^
Stephanie and Rob bought most of the materials themselves, which is great in terms cost control.

Stephanie wanted something different for her centerpiece and in our first meeting, she showed me pictures of a branch centerpiece idea.
So after doing some research, we've settled on using manzanita branches. Since this wedding has many crafty ideas, I've listed few tips and tricks for those of you who are interested to recycle this idea for your own event.

But before that...Check out the pictures from the wedding! ^_^ 














Click here to see the full photo album


@@ Tips and Tricks @@

Materials for the branch centerpiece:
Clear cylinder glass vase
Ribbon (1.5-2" width)
Manzanita Branch (www.nettletonhollow.com)
Beaded garlands
Silk maple leaves
Glue dots (1/2" diameter; can be found in scrapbooking aisle of your local arts and crafts stores)
Glue dots (3/8" diameter)
Pruning scissors
Hacksaw and table top vice (to hold the branch while you cut it off with the hacksaw)
Colored mini pebbles for vase fillers (that somewhat double as the branch stabilizer)








When you purchase the branch, they don't come trimmed. So you would have to trim off the weak, small branches while trying to shape them aesthetically. Some of the branch branches out and that means you can't fit them easily into vase opening, so that means you would need to shorten the bottom of the branch using the hacksaw and vice.

Place and attach ribbons around the vase using the smaller glue dots (3/8" diameter), trim the excess.

Place beaded garlands on the branch - the key is to create an illusion that the branch is full without using excessive amount of garlands.

Randomly place the silk maple leaves using the bigger glue dots (1/2" diameter).
You can choose to give the centerpiece a fuller look by placing more leaves on the branch.

Hang the tealight lanterns on the branches. Make sure you pick a stable, sturdy branches to hang these.


Materials for the tealight candle lantern:
Clear "planter-shaped" tealight candle holder
Wire (I believe I used the 22 gauge flower wire - just make sure it's thick enough but still flexible)
Hot glue gun
Ribbon (1/4-3/8" width)
Glue dots (3/8" diameter; can be found in scrapbooking aisle of your local arts and crafts stores)





The first thing we need to do is to create the wire hanger.
What I did was:
- Encircle the wire on the bottom of the top part of the holder (on the above picture: it's the are right underneath the ribbon)
- Secure the "circle" by twisting the wire
- Repeat the process for the second hanger
- Place the two hangers and twist the top part together as to create the "hanger"

Using hot glue gun, apply hot glue on wire that touches both sides of the top part of the holder to secure them.

Place ribbon around the top part of the holder and try your best to cover the hot glue.
Attach the ribbon using glue dots, trim the excess.

Turn on the LED tealight candle and place it in the holder BEFORE you hang it.


I hope I explained this process well and that you find it useful.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions in regards to this idea. ^_^


Before I close this entry, I would like to give a SPECIAL THANKS to my "new assistant" ^_^ : Rosalind a.k.a Rosie! Thank you very much for your hard work! I really appreciate it! 


Many happy wishes to you, Stephanie and Rob!

Thank you so much for this opportunity. It was an honor to be a part of your special day.
I really appreciate it. ^_^