Disclosure: I received a copy of for Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty for review purposes. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
I wanted to share Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty because even though our family lives in a small Townhome in North Richland Hills, Texas, I’ve always loved flowers. In our home we don’t have a lot of space for big floral displays, but we do have an outside flower garden, and I still enjoy anything that brings that kind of beauty into everyday life.
I like his this book made me feel like flower arranging might actually be something I could do. Not perfectly, not like a professional florist, but something real and creative that doesn’t feel intimidating. I can also share this book with my sister who has taken floral classes in the past to help her relearn what she had learned in her classes.
Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging is not just a picture book of arrangements the Author takes the time to actually teach us how to understand flowers and design in a way that feels approachable. Without making us feel overwhelmed.
One of the things I really liked is Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty doesn’t assume you already know what you’re doing. It walks you through everything beginning with step one and ending with the final arrangement.
The Author includes:
- Tools and supplies you will actually need (not overwhelming or expensive lists) and she includes photos so we know what we are looking for.
- Floral terminology so we understand what were reading and can even talk to florist like we know what is happening.
- Like the #Ten Commandments” there is a set of Florist “commandments” and design basics to help us get started in our floral design journey.
- Floral design foundations that explain how arrangements actually come together including what flowers and colors to us.
- Simple color theory including a color wheel to refer to when designing your creations.
- A color cheat sheet with combinations (like soft, unexpected shades such as lemon chiffon and other blended tones that make everything feel intentional instead of random).
I wanted to let you know that part really stood out to me because it makes me feel like I could actually try floral arranging at home without guessing the whole time. Then I could invite my friends and family over and teach them to make there own arrangements.
The design sections (is where Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty really shines) I like how the Author has broken the book down into sections that show us step-by-step what we should do and why.
Including:
- Foundations of floral design which I needed before I could even being arranging flowers.
- Design techniques and arrangements which was fun to lean about.
- Weddings, parties, and gift arrangements which was my favorite part of the book. And this is where it gets really fun for everyday life and seasonal inspiration.
It includes ideas like:
- Summer picnic tablescapes (with full dishes and setup ideas) I need more than anything for the Summer party I want to host.
- Holiday arrangements like Valentine’s, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas which I can’t wait to try and make not only for myself but my mother in law as well.
- Halloween centerpieces David and Charlie feel in love with and can’t wait to make for our home.
- Winter evergreen arrangements I can take to Suzzane and my mom.
- Metal floral runners for table design David liked.
I immediately thought about how many of these could fit into blog content, gift guides, or even simple home decorating ideas for the seasons. Which is why you will find Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty inside our Summer Gift Guide and once we finish learning how to arrange flowers we can even make a arrangement for the men in our lives for Father Day and that is why you will find this book inside our Father’s Day Gift Guide.
The creativity factor is the section of the book I loved most because it doesn’t limit you to a vase I wish you could see the arrangement they created in a boot which makes me wish I had a pair of my dad’s cowboy boots for a decoration for my front porch.
Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty actually shows you how to think outside the box:
- Boots used as vases
- Everyday household items like Tea Pots that can be turned into containers
- I like how the Author reminds us to be creative because “anything can hold flowers” and there is styling ideas showing how this works.
The part really stood out to me because I immediately thought—if I still had one of my mom’s tea pots, I would have loved doing a flower arrangement in them. Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty makes you look at what you already have in a completely different way.
Charlie liked learning there is wearable designs like:
- Corsages which he would have liked to make Mikalyia for her school dance but since they aren’t together Charlie said he would like to make a corsage for his grandmother.
- Boutonnieres for Weddings
- Flower crowns to turn little girls into Fairy Princesses.
Even my son Charlie got interested in Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty because when he gets a new girlfriend, he would know how to make her a corsage for the dates they go on. Charlie also said this book is fun because it would keep him from trying to figure something out last minute. It’s those little real-life moments that made this book feel more useful than just pretty pictures.
Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty feels doable and what my family really appreciate is that the Author doesn’t make you feel like you have to be a florist or an artist. You just have to like flowers.
The book makes it feel like:
- You can learn at your own pace which is a Godsend for busy parents.
- You can start small and not break the budget with items you have at home or find at the Dollar Tree.
- My favorite part of the book is how the Author reminds us we don’t have to be perfect
- And even “simple” arrangements can still look beautiful
There’s even a full section that works almost like a floral library or index so you can go back and find things easily. It’s very structured without being overwhelming.
Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty surprised me in a good way because it’s not just about making flower arrangements—it’s about learning how to see everyday things differently. From color combinations to using what you already have in your home, Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging — A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty makes flower arranging feel possible even in a small space like ours.
You don’t need a fancy setup. You don’t need experience. You just need a love for flowers and a willingness to try. And honestly, that makes Blooms: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging- A Fresh Approach to Everyday Beauty which is worth keeping on the shelf.
About the book:
Flowers aren’t just for florists—they’re for everyone: enthusiastic amateurs, pros, DIYers, and anyone who simply loves blooms.
In Blooms Every Day, AIFD-certified floral designer and founder of Flower Moxie Amy McCord shares the tips, tricks, and “bless her heart” lessons she learned the hard way so you don’t have to. Amy’s approachable style blends professional design principles with real-world practicality so you can create breathtaking arrangements with confidence.
Inside, you’ll find:
- Step-by-step photo tutorials for bouquets, centerpieces, and large-scale designs.
- Budget-savvy sourcing tips, plus flower swap ideas so you can achieve the same look with different blooms.
- Insider mechanics and care advice that make your arrangements last.
- Inspiration for every occasion—from weddings and holidays to everyday blooms.
Beautifully photographed, quirkily styled, and refreshingly down-to-earth, Blooms Every Day is more than a how-to book—it’s an invitation to bring more flowers (and a little fun) into your everyday life.
Meet the Author: Amy McCord
Amy McCord believes flowers are for everyone—not just the pros. She fell in love with floristry in the least traditional way possible: trading a career in forensics for nervy brides and floral trial by fire. From those beginnings, she went on to design hundreds of weddings before founding Flower Moxie and Petal Icon.
As a CEO, Amy discovered her true passion: sharing the “bless her heart” lessons she learned the hard way with DIY brides and budding florists. Today, she’s an AIFD and CFD-certified designer leading a multimillion-dollar floral company. Her work has appeared in Martha Stewart, Forbes, The New York Times, Refinery29, Brit + Co, Bustle, and her mom’s group chat.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
