Turn Tissue Paper into a Festive Floral Photo Backdrop!

Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch is 50 acres with millions of vibrant flowers in a rainbow of colors. Head to the fields through May 31 for more than just flowers. There are live music events, creative workshops like Flower Flow Yoga, Charcuterie Workshop, a flower crown-making workshop, a sweet pea maze, tractor rides, picnics, wine tastings, meditation, tea in the garden, food trucks, and more.

Plan to stay the day and bring home beautiful flowers and/or inspo for your own garden. Carlsbad itself is a stunning coastal escape, with seven miles of pristine SoCal beaches, amazing restaurants, and hotels + spas (girls trip, anyone?). Choose your fun of choice: surfing, biking, hiking, sunbathing, or massaging. From a floral-infused spa treatment or sipping on a botanical cocktail, the sleepy town of Carlsbad is actually the perfect year-round getaway.

Where To Stay

It was my daughter’s spring break, so after some fun in LA checking out the Tar Pits, California Science Center, Griffith Park, and more, we headed down to Carlsbad for the Flower Fields, Legoland, and a visit with family. We spent a night at the Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa, a vast resort with fire pits, a spacious pool and jacuzzi so you’re not piling on top of other guests, ping pong and pool table poolside, and a cozy brunch-friendly restaurant.

Bonus: if you’re traveling with kids, the Westin offers a private entrance right into the Legoland Park. We had stayed at the Legoland Hotel before, which is fun for kids but not my ideal stay. The Westin was fun for me, my partner, my 9 year old daughter, and our dog!

In celebration of flower field season, the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa nearby has a Petals, Candles & Craft Workshop and a Power of Flowers kids program each Sunday; plus floral-inspired bites at the resort’s Test Kitchen Series. The Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach, a Hilton Resort & Spa also offers a seasonal Red Flower Fields Scrub & Massage at its spa and Floral Infusions cocktails at their bar.

The Beach Terrace also offers a Bloom Bliss Package, which includes accommodations, two tickets to The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, farm-to-bakery cookies from a local baker, and a donation to The Flower Fields Foundation.

Where To Eat

Outside of the Flower Fields and resorts, there are some amazing restaurants and cafes in Carlsbad too. We especially enjoyed Harumama Noodles + Buns, which creates adorable animal-themed sticky buns. All of the food was delicious for kids and adults! Other places to try: Jeune et Jolie, a beautiful French spot with SoCal influence, Campfire for comfort food and creative cocktails in an outdoor setting, and Handel's or Jeni's for homemade ice cream.

For Parents

My 9 year old daughter loves Legoland and this was our third time going. Beyond the build sessions and incredible Lego sculptures of our favorite cities, we did a few new things, like saw a fun extreme sports performance, a boat ride in their new dino exhibit, and a submarine ride with an aquarium of sharks, sting rays, and more.

More Flower Fields In The U.S. To See

Purple Haze Lavender Farm

Purple Haze Lavender is a 7-acre farm located in Sequim-Dungeness Valley of the northern Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. The town was rated one of the best small towns in the northwest by Sunset Magazine. The farm has a gift shop, ice cream stand with lavender ice cream and lavender lemonade (yum!), picnic area and you can pick the lavender from mid-June through early August.

PELINDABA LAVENDER FARM on the San Juan Islands is also worth a visit.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Nothing says spring more than the arrival of the tulip. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon, Washington offers four stunning tulip gardens. Find breweries and wineries nearby, museums, tea houses, and more nearby. Here are some recommended stays in the area.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

This family farm in Woodburn, OR has been growing tulips since the 70s. Visit now through the first week of May. Find fresh cut flowers, gift shop items, and all sorts of food and activities on weekends.

Crested Butte Wildflower Festival

This festival celebrates the wildflowers blooming in one of the most picturesque valleys in Colorado. It goes all summer long with hundreds of events and program. The festival takes place July 12-21.

Bluebonnets superbloom

You can find bluebonnets growing all over Texas this season, but one of the best places to spot the state flower is at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at University of Texas, Austin. Explore nearly 900 different species of plants, including a great view of beautiful bluebonnets.

1. Before starting, ideate about the final floral arrangement.

Before buying flowers, think about what you want the final product to look like. Is your ideal floral arrangement big and luscious, or is it bare and playful? Consider the shape, color, and size of your arrangement to create a plan of what flowers and materials to buy! We love to scroll through our socials and Pinterest for the best ideas!

2. Have a range of different flowers.

At the most basic level, floral arrangements make use of several different types of florals: focal flowers, line flowers, and filler flowers.

Focal flowers are larger and hold more visual weight. These are the flowers with eye-catching factor, like lilies or roses. Line flowers are a bit thinner, with blooms growing along the stems — think snapdragons or other line-shaped greenery. Finally, filler flowers are smaller stemmed blooms used to balance out your floral arrangement. Zinnias, baby’s breath, or mums are just a few examples.

"Flowers with stronger stems are ideal for beginners. When you're just getting started, work with carnations, mums, roses, spray roses – basically any grocery store blooms," says Malori Maeva, CEO and Founder of Form Floral. "It'll give you an opportunity to experiment without a huge price tag and they're more forgiving than super delicate blooms like dahlia or poppies. Plus, if you can make grocery store flowers look beautiful, you're going to have no problem making more luxe flowers look beautiful."

Depending on your OG arrangement idea, you may need more of one type of flower than others. Big, lush arrangements (more focal flowers) are most suitable for special occasions and celebrations, while thinned out arrangements (more line and filler flowers) give off an artsy, experimental vibe.

Some floral combos to try out:

• Rose + Eucalyptus + Tulips
• Dahlia + Ruscus + Ranunculus
• Chrysanthemum + Fern + Cornflower

3. Use color theory.

Color theory isn’t as daunting as you may think. Essentially, you can use color theory as a tool to guide which color flowers you’re buying for your arrangement, and how to place them together.

Using monochrome colors means your arrangement will be the same color all around. You can add different hues of the same color for variety – say you’re crafting a red arrangement – then you can also incorporate some pink shades!

Analogous color palettes make use of like colors. More technically, analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel. So, reds are analogous to oranges, and greens are analogous to blue shades. A good way to think about it for beginners is to either work with a warm or cool color palette.

Complementary colors lie directly opposite from each other on the color wheel. Some pairings include red and green, yellow and purple, and blue and orange.These combos are known for their boldness, so move forward with complimentary colors if you’re looking for a jaw-dropping arrangement!

Considering saturation (strength of the color) and contrast (lightness vs. darkness) is also helpful in building an arrangement.

Though design rules like color theory are helpful in floral arranging, sometimes the best way to learn the art is by getting your hands dirty, says Maeva. "Play around with different heights, shapes, textures, and color palettes. So much of floral design is figuring out your personal style, and the only way to make good work is to make some not-so-good work first."

4. Start small.

Begin filling your arrangement with line and filler flowers, and small greenery you’ve collected before adding bigger focal flowers. This provides a good foundation for where you want the arrangement to go. Remember, nothing is permanent, and you can experiment with different placements before you’re finished making your floral arrangement!

5. Play with layering.

Layering flowers refers to the height each bloom is placed. Instead of having every focal flower stand at the same height, you can layer them by trimming the stems at varying lengths, so they lie closer to the lip of the vase you’re using. This adds visual interest and diversity to your floral arrangement! When layering, aim to get a feel for the natural shape of each stem and flower, and cooperate with that.

6. After you're done, be sure to take care of your floral arrangement.

Now that you’ve assembled quite possibly the best beginner floral arrangement, make sure you’re caring for it so it lasts! Checking the water levels each day and topping your vase off when it’s low helps your flowers live longer. Adding flower food is better supports them, too!

"Those little packets of flower food that come with your blooms? Use them! The directions are easy to follow and you'll want to make sure you get the right ratio of food to water for most longevity," says Maeva. "If you don't have flower food, don't fret. Changing the water in your vase every day, keeping your flowers in a cool spot out of direct sunlight and away from any air vents, and giving your stems a fresh cut when you change the water out will go a really long way in keeping your flowers fresher for longer."

If you catch your flowers looking a bit dull, trimming the ends of their stems every few days with shears allows them to drink up the nutrients and water more effectively. Once your arrangement is on the way out, repurpose the petals to make some gorgeous flower DIY projects!

1. Tulsa King

Sylvester Stallone made a bold entrance into television with Tulsa King, a gritty yet entertaining crime drama from the mind of Taylor Sheridan. Sylvester plays Dwight "The General" Manfredi, a seasoned New York mobster who's exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, after serving a 25-year prison sentence and starts building a criminal empire from the ground up. Other stars include Andrea Savage, Max Casella, Neal McDonough, and more.

2. Freaks and Geeks

Before they were household names, actors like Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and James Franco were the fresh-faced stars of Freaks and Geeks, a short-lived but beloved dramedy that captured the awkward, painful, and hilarious high school journey.

The show, which came out in 1999, follows Lindsay, a bright student who veers off the mathlete path to hang out with underachievers; meanwhile, her younger brother navigates freshman year.

3. Colin From Accounts

Colin From Accounts is an Australian rom-com that begins in an unexpected way: with a car accident and an injured dog. When the character Gordon, played by Patrick Brammall, nearly hits Ashley, portrayed by Harriet Dyer, with his car, the pair find themselves co-parenting a stray dog they name Colin.

The show's depiction of modern romance is witty, heartfelt, and filled with chemistry, making it easy to binge.

4. Evil

If you're more into the dark and twisted, check out Evil, which explores the blurry line between the psychological and the supernatural. It follows Kristen, a skeptical forensic psychologist, who teams up with a priest to investigate unexplained phenomena.

Evil weaves in commentary on science, faith, and the modern world's own dark side: internet culture. The cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Michael Emerson, Andrea Martin, and more.

5. Twin Peaks

While it came out in 1990, Twin Peaks is still considered one of the best shows ever created. When a high school student named Laura Palmer is found dead, Dale Cooper, an FBI agent, is called in to solve the case. This leads to the discovery of secrets buried within a seemingly quiet and unassuming town.

Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, the cast includes David Lynch himself, Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Lara Flynn Boyle, Sherilyn Fenn, Frank Silva, Grace Zabriskie, and more.

6. The Twilight Zone

Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone is one classic that will never go out of style. This series uses science fiction, horror, and fantasy to tell self-contained stories that often end with a moral punch or twist. The episodes are only 30 minutes long, but each one pushes the boundaries of viewers' imaginations and reflects the anxieties of its time.

Still, even decades later, the thoughtful themes and eeriness resonate among audiences, both young and old.

7. Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets is the kind of thriller that pulls you in from the very first episode. After a high school girls' soccer team crashes in the remote wilderness, the series jumps between the events that unfold following the accident and the lives of the adult survivors over two decades later.

This show, starring Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Sophie Nélisse, Ella Purnell, Hilary Swank, and more, is unpredictable and binge-worthy.

8. The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race is a reality TV staple that's continued captivating audiences for more than 20 years. It follows teams of two as they race across the globe and tackle challenges for a chance at winning a $1 million prize.

Beyond the adrenaline rush, the series gives viewers a glimpse into diverse cultures and gorgeous landscapes. It's part travel, part competition, but totally entertaining.

9. Drunk History

Your high school history class definitely wasn't like Drunk History, where real historical events are retold by intoxicated narrators. Hosted by Derek Waters, the show delivers tipsy (and not always entirely verbatim) takes on all sorts of scandals and situations, from the death of Rasputin to the Stonewall riots.

It's chaotic but surprisingly informative and features a rotating cast of comedians and celebrity cameos.

10. Dexter

Last but not least is Dexter, an unsettling yet oddly endearing crime drama. Michael C. Hall stars as Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood spatter analyst by day and a serial killer by night. The twist is that he only targets people whom he thinks deserve it.

Dexter came out in 2006, has eight seasons, and is still one of TV's most compelling depictions of a monster hiding right in plain sight.