Spring is odd! It’s the most up and down season. I know it’s for a reason - sunny, rainy, sunny rainy makes the plants grow. But it’s still sometimes irritating. It helps, though, to see the results: three inches of growth on my neighbor’s awesome peonies in one day. Tree after tree starting to bloom. Daffodils. Daphne.

It is a bit pitiful to see those poor new buds covered in snow. But the late Winter/early Spring plants are tough and they can handle it. I, on the other hand, did not feel particularly tough as I slid around, waving my arms and trying to keep my footing! Walking on a hill with 2 inches of wet snow is tough; running impossible. I had to give up. So I made the most of my outing and took pictures.

 

September. One of the best months in Oregon. Usually dry, intense blue skies, flowers still blooming but many starting to fade and dry as Fall creeps in. Somehow the Saturday morning of Ildi’s wedding it rained. The ceremony was to be outdoors so as Josh and I drove the long and lovely highway out to Forrest Grove we crossed our fingers that it would dry out for the afternoon. It did stay overcast, but the rain let up for their main event, I’m told. And there is no way that clouds, or even rain, could dampen Ildi’s brightness - she is one fun, colorful, bright, cheerful, all around fabulous lady. Seriously, even as we sat in the car, silently wishing the rain away, I looked down at the bouquets in my arms and thought that the clouds got nuthin on these dahlias!

And check out those amazing crystals in the bridal bouquet! They are from Ildi’s mom’s wedding dress. Totally sweet and really, really beautiful. The personal elements to this wedding were just stunning.

[toss bouquet]

Ildi requested any and all colors for her bouquets (bridal, maid of honor, & toss bouquet) with an emphasis on light purple. The handle wraps were purple and teal, as well as the dresses. Combined with the crystals, lavendar, herbs, berries and roses the effect was almost overwheleming! Ildi personality was totally reflected in her choices and suggestions - beyond fun!

[corsages & boutonnieres]

[flower girl headwreath]

[dahlias, lady’s mantle, saffron, astrantia, fountain grass, veronica,

ferns, mint, roses, delphinium, jasmine]

A gorgeous sunny day. A lovely and convenient venue. A great group of people. A considerate and delightfully planned event. Jordan and Janae planned everything down to a T - for a reason! They are sweet, thoughtful and really fun, and wanted their day to be the same. And not just their wedding - their whole relationship is like that! I loved working with them at watching them take care of each other and find ways to make sure the other felt loved, at all times. So good! You two are such a joy!

The venue: Riverview in Troutdale

The photographer: Jess Harvey Photography

[couldn’t resist slipping in a photo of the bride & groom with the hottest groomsman -my husband, of course- and myself, enjoying a beer between the ceremony and reception. Cheers!]

I know all you haters out there were hoping I’d pass up Valentine’s day since I already mentioned the holiday this year. Sorry, I can’t help it.

And not just because I am a floral designer, of love flowers, or have an awesome significant other. I… kind of like Valentine’s day. I don’t like the greeting card frenzied, red food dye overloaded, sit in a jam-packed restaurant parts of the day. What I like is that we have a day where people are expected to say I LOVE YOU. Some people think the expectation takes away the significance, but I say if it takes a fake holiday to get you to say it, then at least you’ve said it. Saying I love you is like saying I’m sorry. It takes practice. (Too bad we don’t have some sort of weird holiday to say I’m sorry - greeting card people’d better get on it!) But for real - I know that if you only show your s.o. you love them on one day of the year where you HAVE TO then it’s not real and you’re a jerk. But if you’re someone who has baggage about the phrase, hasn’t have much practice with it, or is just plain awkward this is your big chance to get in on one of the best phrases in the world! 

Well, I’ll get off my soap box now. Actually, one more thing: I think the way to make this fake holiday better for everyone is to make sure to say I love you to as many people as you can.  Especially if you s.o. is awesome (or you are awesome) and do those sweet things throughout the year. Take time for someone else!

This year I experimented with a Victorian Posy style bouquet. Something of a theme and variation. We were going for antique and romantic with a little wild and unexpected. 

The first half of January really was productive (then I got some sort of flu and laid in bed for the second half). I think I could have posted what I learned and some of the good year in review type stuff, but I got caught up in needing to do a little more analyzing, and get my tasks and goals a little more in order, and do something a little better and more interesting, like having a year in review photo post. Are you seeing a trend here? Unhelpful and somewhat incapacitating perfectionism, anyone? Yeah, I think one of my personal and business goals this year should be “take yourself a little less seriously”. Especially since one of my other goals is to make smaller goals than last year (this is surprisingly incredibly difficult for me). (Note: smaller goals does sound kind of bad, but there are good reasons! Mostly related to our commitment to working at our church this year.) 

So, without further ado, editing or thinking, here are my top three learned “dos” and “don’ts” from 2011:

Top 3 Dos:

-Clean workspace FIRST

-Take photos of EVERY project

-Do accounting RIGHT AWAY

Top 3 Don’ts:

-FREAK OUT

-Try something NEW the day of

-Forget coffee

It’s not rocket science and it’s not glamorous, but learning happens continuously and without request or permission. I don’t know what I was hoping to learn in my first real full year as a floral designer, but I’ll take any lessons I can get. It was a good, full year and I more than met my goals. This year’s goals are pretty practical (though they have yet to be turned into tasks and are thus, currently unattainable - I’m on it!) and I have high hopes for an interesting year - learning life lessons along with increasing my practical and creative realms. Hello 2012! 

Now I will leave you with some images of a wild, winter bouquet in welcome of February and the rest of the year:

Then last week Jess sent me some of her professional photos. Eee! From what I can see, the photographer really captured the romantic look Jess was creating for her wedding. The venue was a bed and breakfast with a flower-filled yard and gazebo - if that gives you any idea of how sweet and romantic this wedding was! I can’t even tell you how thrilled I was to meet Jess and hear her vision for her special day - soft pinks, creams, sage, that would be set off by navy. LOVE it so much!

Jess was so great to work with, and had such a great vision for her wedding… it was absolutely wonderful to be a part of dreaming up flowers and bouquets with her! I love working with all types for flowers, and often gravitate toward flowers that are less expected and a little more wild, but there’s a romatic in me that needs only the slightest hint to get rolling. Then I’m gushing garden roses and peonies all day long. 

Enough of that - on to the photos!

[photos by Dina Chmut Photography]

As luck would have it, we arrived just as a tour was starting! A unique tour, given by the head security guard: he showed us his favorite (and least favorite) pieces, as well as some of the cool places visitors normally don’t go (because they’re not allowed, and, in some cases, because they just don’t know they can). It was awesome. I hope you can have a similar tour someday when you visit!

On to our Titian. She was exhibited under a warm light in a small, dark enclave - hopefully keeping her cozy and feeling at home, having recently left Florence. I hadn’t expected the crowd and small line to get a closer look. Or the awkwardness of being in a small, dark space with 20 strangers, bumping your arms and blocking your vision. But the overall atmosphere did function to highlight how special this piece is, and how exciting it was to see it in person. The jpeg below is sort of tragic - I thought of leaving it out, but figured most of you wouldn’t bother clicking the link. I wish I could describe the exquisite details and the deep, rich colors - it gives me shivers to remember it. Were I still a student (or bought a pass this year) I would have gone in an off time and sat on that bench for long enough to really savor it. But I went free night on her final weekend, so I sacrificed prolonged viewing for a relived memory of Europe and moments in front of other popular (possibly overly so) works (aka trying to snatch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre).

It was a lovely experience.  

[La Bella (Woman in a Blue Dress)]

   Now for the rest of the museum: 

[the hallway is art: architectural + lighting = sculpture]

[a lucky focusing problem in the museum public library - this place is freak-out cool]

[the elevator is art! light and kid’s fingerprints]

[the green room and green room wall covering]

[the trustee’s boardroom is art: windows, lighting, view]

[the museum-goers are art - or at least they don’t see a problem becoming part of the art by LEANING ON IT. whew. I was a bit aghast, if you can’t tell.]

 [myself and my dear Anna, trying to look seriously important, standing in the boardroom]