The renovation of the Muny’s upper plaza...
Read More
Stems’ Florists Deck the Halls at the White House
STEMS FLORIST WORK AT THE WHITE HOUSE included the Grand Foyer and the East Hall.
Kim Brennan worked on the East Hall and Colonnade and her daughter Jenny Thomasson was a
member of the team that made the Grand Foyer into a winter wonderland.
If you’re a florist with a patriotic spirit, you might want to consider volunteering to decorate the White House next year. That’s what the mother and daughter team of Kim Brannan and Jenny Thomasson did on Dec. 4. Brannan and Thomasson are co-owners of Stems in Old Town Florissant and they were two of the four florists who represented Missouri. They were selected from more than 1,000 applicants.
Thomasson and Brannan had to keep their selection a secret for months. Finally, they were able to meet with volunteers from all over the U.S. to bring the First Lady’s dreams to life. They were also invited to a White House reception where Thomasson actually got to meet and speak with Michelle Obama.
After spending two days in the White House warehouse surveying the vast accumulation of vintage decorations and then preparing the décor for the White House, they had an additional three fast and furious days to help decorate the entire White House.
Thomasson was a member of the team responsible for decorating the Grand Foyer as a Winter Wonderland that included four 14-foot Christmas trees, thousands of crystal drops, and sparkling snowflakes. Brannan’s team decorated the East Colonnade with eight gorgeous wreaths, topiaries, and evergreens. They also decorated the East Hall with paper-crafted ornaments and the first-ever animated First Family dogs, Bo and Sonny.
“I was really amazed watching the concepts for each
room come to life, using vintage ornaments from previous administrations, new and hand-crafted ornaments from people all over the United States, and crafted ornaments we made during our pre-planning in the warehouse,” Brannan said. “We were really part of the design process. It was a wonderful experience!”
She added, “We felt honored to bring just a small taste of Stems to our areas at the White House.” -Pat Lindsey
