Since having my second child in October, life has been a flurry. This past year, aside from the incredible weddings and events I designed for, I also survived a labor related trauma that almost took my life. To acknowledge the hard stuff is to say sometimes life does not go as planned. The unpredictabilities of each new day are enough to make one both curious and humble. I look back on this year to reflect and remember that life is precious. Below I’ve highlighted a few events or experiences from each month that shaped my year, mostly through pictures and slightly through words.

JANUARY:

My 2019 began with a winter wedding, moody and romantic, the kind that had me jumping from my studio, to church to the hotel, to the venue! I would do it all over again in a heart beat. Working with such astounding photographers (A Sea of Love Photography) made the memory of the day feel as special as it was. Choosing the right photographers for a wedding is critical to achieving an aesthetic vision that can be remembered beyond the actual event. It was my first wedding at the Box House Hotel, a stunning venue even for a winter setting. The staff at the Box Hotel runs like a well coached football team for which all people participating in the event want to play.

FEBRUARY:

Mid February was the first gathering of the year. Friends and strangers gathered to make flowers in cups or BYOC containers. These gatherings have always happened with the intention of making flowers something people value and feel is accessible. Rather than going to the flower district, I picked up some flowers from Whole Foods so that participants could see the potential and beauty in a grocery store flower.

MARCH:

A few weeks later, I was off to the Team Flower conference where I helped plan a special evening dinner for conference attendees in Waco, TX, home of both the Magnolia Silos and the flower shop where my flower journey all began. While the evening did not go as planned and we ended up eating bbq in a conference hall rather than on the beautiful suspension bridge and river lawn, I gained perspective and inspiration that has taken my business to the next level. Conferences can often feel fluffy to me but at the Team Flower conference, I made friendships that are foundational to me as a florist.

When I got home from the Team Flower conference my friend Danielle was about to receive her third round of chemo. In a small attempt to make the day less grim, I made her a crown of chamomile. The journey of cancer is never an easy one but Danielle is a fighter and is now in remission and recovering. These brief words fail to convey the heroism in her battle. Danielle you are so strong and I love you.

APRIL:

I’m not prone to take a gals trip in this season of life as a mother of young children but I’m so glad I did. This trip was fuel for my soul and I say this with such sincere conviction. We call our little montage “clvb.” It was a clvb reunion where we spent time by the ocean, put on face masks and had conversations deep into the night…well I was in my first trimester so sometimes I’d be the early to bed, early to rise conversationalist. Despite being pregnant, we almost got matching tattoos ( yes, I’m in my 30s). We opted for solid fake ones. Tam, Rebecka (O.G. Flower Clvb member) and Caroline are my sisters though we don’t all live in the same place, we keep up and not just up, like we really uplift each other. I can’t wait for our clvb rendezvous this year! #clvb2020

MAY:

This past May marked 6 months since we lost my aunt Karen. Her life and memory are carried on by her three daughters. Her eldest was married this month and walked down the aisle with a silk bouquet her mother had made before she passed. The centerpieces I made for the reception were only to compliment those my aunt had created. We will remember her and celebrate her life always.

The Flower Clvb Spring gathering brought together mothers, daughters, friends and coworkers to create flower crowns. Thank you Tam for sharing your home and opening the door to strangers who soon became friends.

JUNE:

June was the month of rain in NYC. Though dreary, it seemed to make for a blooming fall. This was also the month I began making florals for Flannel, an Australian based clothing company that does not sell flannels. Rather, Flannel sells clothes that make you feel like you are walking through a sea of wild flowers. This weekly account has allowed me to experiment and get super versatile in my flower choices.

JULY:

By July I was well into my second trimester and anticipating the life to come. During this time, I visited a friend in Youngstown, OH and dug my hands into some soil alongside her on the flower farm where she works. There is nothing like going to the factory where the media I build with everyday is made. I love that it comes from the ground. We had many conversations as we planted seeds and plucked blooms about the earth and the core values behind it. What world are we going to leave behind for the next generation and how can we cultivate kindness and a love for the earth? If we can see land beyond its dollar value, plant flowers to attract bees, and create arrangements with the end of celebration, I wonder what that would to do for those of us that work with flowers.

AUGUST:

The first week of August I hired my non-pregnant friend to help my pregnant self make one of my favorite arrangements ever! A baby’s breath arch!

SEPTEMBER:

The third flower Clvb gathering was bright and full with seasonal flowers. I wish I could buy flowers at the Union Square market year round and for every wedding. There is nothing more satisfying than working with flowers from local farmers. The flowers are so fresh, pure and guilt free. Supporting slow flowers feels just as good as supporting slow fashion.

OCTOBER:

I welcomed my second child and first daughter into the world during the first week of October. Laboring without medicine to bring forth this little full headed flower, was worth every painful contraction. Within a couple hours of leaving the hospital after giving birth, I was rushed and I mean RUSHED back to the hospital. The blood in my uterus was clotting and I was hemorrhaging. I almost lost my life on the second day of my sweet girl’s life. I thought I wasn’t going to see my kids grow up and as I write this holding sweet Lucy as she sleeps against my chest all I can say is thank you Lord for each moment I get.

NOVEMBER:

seven weeks postpartum, I did the florals for another amazing Box House wedding. With the help of an amazing team including my mother in law who held my daughter in between feeds, it was as seamless of a process as I could have imagined.

The week after was the final gathering for the year. For the fourth gathering, we made holiday wreaths and ate chocolate. It was the perfect start to a holiday season.

DECEMBER:

Flower Clvb served as one of the floral vendors for an expo called The Big Fake Wedding. This unique concept for a bridal show gave opportunity for vendors of all kinds to come together and produce a fake wedding with engaged couples as the wedding guests. I absolutely loved creating the bouquets and table centerpieces, working alongside my stylist friend, Julie Rose. This experience allowed me to get a little vision for the collaborative styling opportunities to come.

while I could not include every formative moment or event in this post, it was such an important mental exercise to both recall and share the things that happened this year. I’m so grateful for each opportunity and simply for the breath of life. As I look to 2020, I hope to share with you some of the goals I am setting in addition to getting more sleep (newborn life is not for the faint of heart). Until then, farewell and thanks to those of you who have made it a meaningful year.