I hosted an impromptu Easter dinner the other weekend and due to its somewhat last minute nature, I found myself running around a bit more than I would have liked! This was the first time we hosted anyone in our new apartment and despite the fact that we’ve been there for 5 weeks now, I still haven’t managed to get things in order! After a bit of scrambling, I was able to get the place presentable and prettied up a bit for our guests!

The quickest and in my opinion, easiest, way to add some pizazz to any get together is to create a simple flower arrangement. Many people can find flower arrangements intimidating, but really all it takes is a little bit of elbow grease and a whole lotta willingness to experiment.

I prefer more of a romantic, vintage look (think Anthropologie catalog), so I tend opt for shorter containers and more voluminous flowers. Hydrangeas are a permanent fixture in my household and I was so excited I was able to find ranunculus at my local Trader Joe’s. They can be hard to come by!

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20130403-110341.jpgFlowers from Trader Joe’s ($3.99 – $5.99) | Assorted tumblers from World Market – ($3-6) | Chevron coasters from World Market ($14.99) | Anthropologie Lacework coasters ($6)

This particular arrangement took about 5 minutes and cost me $25. It is simple to recreate for any occasion, from a dinner party to a bridal or baby shower. Why spend a fortune at a florist when you can just DIY?

I also made these fun little gift boxes which would make an adorable party favor. Full DIY details to come…

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