My 7-year-old son has a fierce little friend named Sally. She routinely bosses my headstrong boy around and it’s fantastic! But, last year during the second week of January, we invited Sally over and she directed some of that sass towards me. She strutted into our living room with a bemused expression on her face and asked, “Why on earth is your Christmas tree still up?” It struck a nerve. Was I delinquent? Technically, yes (12th Night had passed). I fake laughed through my discomfort and replied, “Sally, we just love Christmas.” But was that all? Could the twinkle lights, and jingle bells still draped over my mantle be about something else? Something deeper. Sally’s question changed my perspective.
If your home is still filled with saggy red bows and dried up garland, you’re not alone. You just need inspiration. Urban Earth, a full scale floral and design studio, is here to help steer you towards Carnival season.
Can you offer a few tips for DIY decorating your home during Mardi Gras? Go for it! Show your fun side. Tell a story and make it personal. At the same time, it takes some effort to put it all together. And everyone’s not necessarily comfortable in the artistic realm. We are here to help with that. Sometimes we are dropping off décor elements for our clients to install themselves, with their kids and other family members. Make a party of it. And, if you don’t have the time, we can take care of it for you.
Can you describe your favorite Mardi Gras installations/decorations from over the years? There have been so many it’s hard to say! We’ve done fun costume-based installations that have focused on the New Orleans style of Carnival as well as that of Venice, Italy. The Yardi Gras house float flowers are a natural for us. We also love to celebrate the colors of the season in live flowers and real botanicals. Unique flower design is in our DNA here at Urban Earth. It is our first love, after all.
What’s the wildest request you’ve ever had? What’s “wild” in New Orleans?! LOL. The creativity of the season offers so much inspiration, so many fun themes, interesting stories, and other great ideas to express. We recently turned a second floor gallery into a giant Oyster Platter, complete with ice cubes, lemon slices, hot sauce, a go cup and even a couple of pearls! Royalty themes are fun, too. We are forever in love with Yardi Gras house float flowers and those are great year-round.
In your opinion, what sets Urban Earth apart from other event companies? Two things come to mind. Our experience for one. We know our way around this city and its great venues. We’ve learned to anticipate the unexpected when it comes to design planning. Next, we’ve always had a rebellious edge to our design approach. We don’t like to do the same thing twice. We like unique materials used in unexpected ways. Flip it on its head, break the mold. It’s fun. Suggest we do something weird, something unheard of, and we’re in.
Meet Penn, Shop Talk Blogger
Penn larocci is a born and raised New Orleanian. After graduating from Tulane University she lived in NYC for nine years working in sales and marketing at an investment bank. When she missed New Orleans more than she could stand, she moved back home, met her husband and started a family. She’s now raising two rambunctious little boys and spending her free time on environmental sustainability projects.
