4 Inspiring Tips for Celebrating a 'Dr. Seuss Christmas'

Have you ever experienced the flower shop Grinch of the holidays, the weary grouchiness that comes to steal your Christmas cheer after long hours of hard work? Keep that old partypooper away and enjoy the Holidays more this season using the sage advice of Shonda Cunningham AIFD of Shonda’s Secret Garden in Ogden, Utah. Inspired by the imaginative Dr. Seuss, Shonda discovered how the satisfaction of creating for others brings joy to her holiday season. Her whimsical ‘Dr. Seuss Christmas’ entry was chosen as the Most Inspirational Holiday Floral Design in the OASIS Floral Products 2016 INSPIRE Floral Design Showcase. This Seussical sense of bliss can start with something as simple as a centerpiece.

A ‘Seussical’ centerpiece

“This centerpiece on our holiday table sets the tone of the room and inspires the warmth and spirit of the season,” says Shonda. “Its tone speaks of exuberant youth and playfulness.” The use of polished OASIS™ Beaded Wire and 3/16 OASIS Flat Wire in red adds a nice contrast to the natural feel of assorted pine.

“Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer. Cheer to all Whos far and near. Christmas Day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we.” How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966 TV Movie)

Shonda agrees. No matter where her children are or what’s going on in their lives, “we all come together for Christmas. It's fun, festive and as a family we just love the atmosphere of the pine and floral and shine; not to mention that my favorite color is shiny!” How can you incorporate Shonda’s Seussical sense of joy into your holiday season?

1. Add a whimsical flair

Bold color and unexpected form add whimsy to a design. Dr. Seuss paraded a curious cast of characters through his stories to add excitement to his fanciful tales. Follow his example by incorporating an unpredictable mix of colors and materials into designs to capture the eye. Meeting this challenge makes your designs as fun to create as they are for clients to receive. [rev_slider alias="dr-seuss-christmas-1"]

2. Mimic ‘Thing 1’ and ‘Thing 2’

The chimerical Seuss characters Thing 1 and Thing 2 created chaos for the comical Cat in the Hat by their unexpected behavior. Floral designer Donald Yim AIFD, CPFD, asked to recreate Shonda’s design for an OASIS Floral Products print ad, followed suit and added a few clever ideas of his own to mix things up. Donald created amusing arrangements that featured circles of OASIS™ Aluminum Wire and OASIS™ Midollino Sticks with dramatic swirls of 1" OASIS™ Flat Wire, OASIS™ Button Wire, OASIS™ Flat Cane or OASIS™ Mega Beaded Wire,  much like the fanciful fiends might have done. This matched Shonda’s desire to showcase new concepts and techniques. “As floral artists every time we show our clients great quality designs that meet their needs,” Shonda says, “we're helping our businesses grow and building customer loyalty.” [rev_slider alias="dr-seuss-christmas-2"]

3. Be the ‘Thinga-Ma-Jigger’ that inspires

Just as the famed ‘Thinga-Ma-Jigger’ transported imaginary characters to unseen places, sharing adventurous designs with customers opens their minds to new possibilities. “Most of our customers want to see creative design,” according to Shonda. “A variety of design styles lets them know that we are knowledgeable in more than one area.” “Some can't imagine what we describe in verbal terms, but they can begin to when they see what we put in our shops and on our websites. Seeing opens new doors to us for stronger customer relations and trust.”

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” ― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

4. Embrace the holiday spirit

When asked what inspires her holiday designs, Shonda replies, “My signature style is influenced by my love of change and how it forces me to grow as a designer. I keep learning and perfecting techniques along the way.” “People who love what they do and love sharing what they create inspire me. Every day I am in awe at what my fellow florists create for the joy of others,” she adds. “I love the joy our creations give to those who own them, the emotions tied to what we create and the happiness we in turn share with others. It fills my heart with pure joy. “I love my job!!!” Shonda says with the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning!

“Sometimes you will never know the value of some thing, until it becomes a memory.” ― Dr. Seuss

How can you add joy to your holiday season by creating Christmas memories for others to treasure?