Their Knickers are Coming Down!

After a rude awakening by the dustman on this dark, drizzly morning, I checked my email only to be rewarded by an early access preview of the annual Agent Provocateur sale.  Now that we have safely placed our (shamefully large) orders, we recommend you stop what you're doing right this second, and do the same.  We heartily endorse the Nikita, Francoise, and Jenifer lines, but it's hard to go too far wrong with AP.  Go on, you deserve it.  And it only comes once a year.

DJ B-Day

It's our house DJ, Jake Rudh's birthday today.  Head down this eve to Clubhouse Jager to shake it during his weekly music extravaganza, Transmission. And get to work on your Halloween costumes. If we're lucky, he'll spin again for our 7th Annual Halloween Bash (only three months away.  What on earth are we going to be?)

Holy, holy, hole-y

A new client of ours, formerly referred to as Mrs. Liz and now more accurately called by her real name, Linda Henneman of Thinkdesign Group, has the most beautiful perforated "paperwork" we've ever laid eyes on.  Smart, simple, fresh, timeless.  She's so cool, and we have an unnatural fondness for white things with holes in them.

The Calm Before the Storm

After a lovely morning at the market buying flowers for our peeps, we had a terribly unfortunate incident occur.  Our wholesaler recently rebuilt their entrance and chose to use some sort of deadly, corrugated, sharp, metal, industrial stairway.  On a handful of foreshadowing occasions we have gotten our heels stuck in the grating.  Today however, there was serious, irreparable damage done to Heidi's new shoes, and I had to literally pull her out (and not just any shoes, the extra fine tricolor patent leather mary jane peep toe "we finally got the website done reward shoes").  Anyone got a good shoe repair guy in their pocket (or a little sympathy for the Skoog)?

White hot.

Kudos to Jimmyjane for redesigning some classics (the usual suspects) in pure white. Body safe and minimalist-friendly, these are just the thing for those of us turned off by bad design.

My Beautiful Laundrette

One of my favorite signs and the jolliest sunny-hued awning snapped out the window during lunch at Pop Restaurant, the only place in Minneapolis guaranteed to take care of a Nehi peach soda and caramelized onion fix.  I missed the shot I wanted which included a bright yellow school bus and flabby man in tank top with blue jug o'laundry detergent, but the gangly server just didn't understand my urgency, and got in my way. At any rate, the laundrette sign always reminds me of mid-eighties Daniel Day Lewis, and reminds Heidi that it reminds me of Daniel Day Lewis, which is slightly more involved than it simply reminding her of Daniel Day Lewis, directly.

Treat Tuesday (you deserve some art today)

Every week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, New York gallery owner and temptress, Jen Bekman, puts up fresh new art on her site, 20x200.  Some of the most recent things we've been unable to resist are these photographs from Luke Stephenson (above) and Mickey Smith (below).  Priced by size, they are an entirely rewarding way to spend twenty, two hundred or two thousand bucks.  Don't hesitate -- they go fast.

Gaily-colored mums

We have fabulous (and gaily-colored) wads o'mums over at Surdyk's right now (in the season's hottest purple hues).  Huge wads of long lasting blooms, and a value-rific deal at $14.99.  Buy some mums for your mum.  You can laugh together about how clever you are...

And Surdyk's is in the middle of their wine sale.  I hear your mom likes a nice pinot grigio this time of year.

And the dish ran away with the spoon...

Oh how we LOVE artist Mark Ryden and his creepy/wonderful sense of humor.  We can't stop singing this song.

Damn Coral

We did the floral for a gorgeous event at the Walker Art Center for Target. Todd Pinzuti of Bungalow 6 warmed up the Skyline Room with incredibly gorgeous linens and lighting. We love how the look of the room shifted from fancy luncheon to glowing evening with the shift in light. Our arrangements were enormous, but despite their heft, they were all rescued at the end of the evening (and given good homes, we are sure).  Thanks to Michele Gunderson Photography for the images.

StylePoints and Baby's Breath

After blowing in here yesterday in her covetable Sigerson Morrison sandals to interview us for a still secret matter, we were given a design challenge by the lovely Sara Glassman, fashion reporter for the StarTribune. After winning her over on the merits of carnations, she asked us if there were any frontiers we had yet to tackle.  And yes, baby's breath has been looming on the horizon for over a decade.  So we bought some and went to work.  We're pretty smitten with the city vase/country flower contrast, but the similar fine, dotty textures.  The initial disappointment is that a mass like this isn't actually cheap.  But when you've tired of the clever carnation, step up to the next big thing in un-cool cool.  Barbette's getting the original (copies soon to follow).

Boy, do we like that Sara: quick, clever, and an excellent writer (and if you know us even a lick, you know how much we like good writers). Check out her blog, StylePoints. We're still laughing about her take on $11.99 Sonia Kashuk lip gloss at Target: (Am I the only who thinks if they just made it $12, it would feel a little more Chanel and a little less Maybelline? Not that there’s anything wrong with Maybelline!)

Speaking of Sigerson Morrison (and Target), we are still holding our breath until Anya Hindmarch and Sigerson Morrison launch their handbag and shoe collections, respectively, for Target. October 12 through December 26, 2008 is the window of opportunity.  In the meantime we'll still fawn over Hindmarch's delish metallic leathers at Vivre, currently in the midst of their summer sale.

Damn Blue

In case there's any question on the transformative potential of lighting, here's proof -- images shot by Greg Jansen of our flowers which we designed for a recent LPGA event put on by Lexus at the Walker. Our flowers look positively ethereal by the light of projected speedometers and hubcaps.

Flying Purse

We did this bag-quet (get it?  like a bou-quet, but a bag) about a million years ago for a shoot for the Twin City Bridal Association.  We've been trying to round up the image ever since, and now lo and behold, they are using it on their site again.  It looks a lot like it's flying, which kinda works with the feathers...

Hare Doing Hair

Bastian+Skoog's own, Lindsey Borgerson, submitted an entry titled "hare doing hair", starring her bunny, Asko (or is it Olive? We can't tell them apart) to the 10 second film festival at The Soap Factory. Awesome. That bunny's got mad talent (and that Lindsey's pretty great, herself).

Gettin' Our French Girl On

We got an opportunity to channel our inner French girl when we designed this week's flowers for Monique Lhuillier's store at 50th and France.  How lovely and summertime fresh is their new window display with a creamy-hued lady bike, lacy bike basket complete with baguette, and the most scrumptious confection of a dress?  We're quite fond of our modern but lacy flowers, as well: feverfew.  Who knew?

Thanksgiving/Giving Thanks

We had the best time working with Elizabeth Dehn designing flowers and offering decorating tips for Minnesota Monthly's Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide.  The shoot was a blast, the photographs of our flowers were gorgeous, but unfortunately we were not allowed to use the images unless we shelled out a hundred bucks a piece, so here is the fancypants centerpiece sitting on our floor, instead.  In this non-Thanksgiving season, we take a moment to give thanks for all of the incredibly talented photographers who take such care in shooting our flowers and are so generous with their work.  Working on print publications is definitely a collaborative and synergetic process, and one which we find incredibly challenging and rewarding.  We are lucky to be in a community so rich with brilliant artists and dear friends.

And mark our words, next Thanksgiving we'll be in Vegas...

Long before you cheered him on during season 3 of Bravo's Top Chef, Brian Malarkey was our groom. Wed to the lovely Chantelle Hartman at the Lake Harriet Rose Garden, their nuptials were classic Minneapolis with a twist, and, of course, very food-centric with a reception at the gorgeous and delish Loring Pasta Bar.  Read more of the details (and the menu) on The Knot's feature of their event, photographed by E Photography.

Alignment is Enlightenment

Sometimes we design something amazing that is not particularly photogenic. And sometimes the stars align, and our photographers and stylists make magic happen. We adore these flowers and these delicious images, styled by Martha James and photographed by Maki Strunc for the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Minnesota Bride Magazine.

In the pink

The gorgeous wedding of Sara Beach and Tyler Reeder, which took place on the terraces at the Walker Art Center, was featured in Inside Weddings Magazine. Details, and more of Elizabeth Barnwell's gorgeous photos can be seen on the Inside Weddings website.

Damn pink

After saying we'd never do it again, twice, we designed something for Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The theme, if you could call it that, was damn pink, with a little bit of toile thrown in just to be tongue-in-cheeky and keep ourselves entertained. They arrangements smelled nothing short of mind-blowingly good, loaded with peonies, lilies, garden roses and carnations, and our little nook in the midst of a pile of le corbusier sofas because quite the destination.

Flower and lifestyle porn

We were named best florist in City Pages Best of the Twin Cities a while back, but we're still not tired of their write up. It may be our favorite review ever:

Seriously funky floral arrangements with brave color and texture combinations, inventive structure, and imaginative materials are what separates this studio from your average floral designer. When we say imaginative, we mean imaginative. A bridal bouquet shaped like a box? Done! Work grapes into the bouquet? Done! Thinking less in terms of a bouquet, and more along the lines of an Asian-inspired rope of chrysanthemums? Done and done. With services ranging from huge undertakings like bridal design and corporate events to more modest bursts of brilliance such as hostess gifts or weekly deliveries to your home, the folks at this place bring a certain avant-garde flair to each and every project. A simple browse through Bastian Skoog's online portfolio, which offers page after page of flower and lifestyle porn, will prove it--not to mention what it will do to your imagination.

The only florists we know who manage to write off shoes...

Our new ad hit newsstands today in the Fall/Winter issue of Minnesota Bride Magazine. Look for it. Page one.

And, of course, we thank our lucky stars for the photographer in our pocket, Kern Nickerson, husband of Ms. Skoog, who makes us look so good.

More Martha

One of our all-time favorite weddings of a photographer friend of ours, Natasha D'Schommer, was featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. Held in the beautifully tiled Lakewood Cemetery Chapel; men in kilts, a double decker bus, a herd of flowergirls and boys, cigar boxes full of roses, and rather surreal, giant carnation topiaries created an eclectic mix of our favorite things. Photos by Liz Banfield.

Meet Shelley

We have a new addition to the Bastian+Skoog team. Her name is Shelley. She's a Dyson vacuum, and she's bright white (thank God they finally gave us a non-purple option). We are absolutely appalled at what she pulled out of our carpet. Incredibly dirty girls are we, but things are looking up.

Captains of Industry

Our brilliant, adorable, kiwi rockstar friends in QuarterAcreLifestyle just sent us a link to the eyecandyrific video of their decidedly rockin' song, Captains of Industry.  Big thanks to Mickey Smith for the superfine photo.

What happens in the photobooth no longer stays in the photobooth...

Last night was the MN Bride "Best Of" party at the new and improved Calhoun Beach Club. It was two and a half hours of seeing loads of our friends with whom we never have time for quality time. Two big thumbs up to Marc and Leda at Studio 306 for their relentless pursuit and triumphant capture of the (well deserved) best photographer award. We're on the fence about the newfangled digital photo booths. Despite our best attempts at anonymity, the photos are out there for all to see (and, as such, our wild days are over)...

Martha, Martha, Martha

We're thrilled to see a wedding we designed last year appear in the Summer 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. Brittney was a dream client -- super stylish with a great vision and a kickin' aqua and red palette, yet easy-breezy and very trusting of us. Kudos to Watermark for their stunning letterpress 'paperwork' and Liz Banfield photography for making us look so good.