Really digging a White House gig

Whoops! There's a new White House florist, and she scooped her employer by announcing the news ... on Facebook. "Laura Dowling is excited and honored to be named the new White House florist," the Alexandria floral designer wrote as a status update Sunday night. Perhaps Dowling thought she was sharing with just 64 friends; her profile is actually visible to anyone on the D.C. network, and we got tipped to it before the first lady's office had the opportunity to issue an official release. The White House confirmed Monday that Dowling quietly started working at the mansion last week, but provided no details; Dowling did not return our calls for comment. The appointment isn't a surprise -- the designer, who runs her firm out of Old Town, aced her tryout for the Obamas last month and was the front-runner for the prestigious position. On her Web site, Dowling describes her approach as "garden style": natural arrangements with contrasting elements and colors, lots of vines and tendrils but a formal feel. She has spent the last decade traveling to Paris to study French floral design and will bring that influence to her quintessentially American gig. The first public showcase of her work comes Nov. 24: The Obamas host a state dinner for India and every detail -- food, flowers, guest list -- will get plenty of attention.