I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it until it begins to shine.

- Emily Dickinson

Apparently words have power. They mean something once they are spoken into existence and I have seen it proven time and time again. It’s why the words that we speak to others and even more importantly to ourselves, matter. Growing up my mother and grandfather would ritually choose a word or phrase at the beginning of the year to write at the top of their goal sheet and calendars. It usually rhymed with the year, something like, “let’s thrive in 2005.” I used to think this was cheesy and gimmicky but now as a mid-thirty year-old mother of two, jaded by the existential cynicism of my twenties, I have come to accept the practice. What child-like wonder it took to choose these words.

I suppose it’s not the phrase itself but rather the people who are speaking, believing and praying them into being that make these words powerful. One might suggest this practice is manifesting. That word feels too trendy and I just cannot bring myself to use it. I feel more like what my grandfather and mother were doing was simply re-calibrating.

This year I chose abundance as my word for 2021. At the end of a year dry with desert sand, I was longing for a spring, not just one that trickled. So I prayed with this word, for my business but also for my neighbors and friends. I kept it in mind as I approached each proposal and job, resulting in far more bookings than I could have imagined or hoped for. Looking back over the past year, I can say without hesitation that this was a year of abundance yet not always in the ways I was expecting. With abundance of work came an abundance of childcare logistics and scaling my business towards elevated levels of anxiety and exhaustion.

Reviewing the ways in which abundance was played out this past year is a practice not only of reflection but also of gratitude. I hope it is an encouragement to those who are also hoping to re-calibrate in the new year and pondering whether the cheesiness of a new year’s word is something you are willing to declare.

The first arrangement I made in 2021 was an anniversary commission for some dear neighbors and friends. It felt like the perfect wintery piece for the start of the year. The orange pops of light from the ranunculus was a flicker of hope reminding us that the days are progressively getting longer and brighter.

Last Valentine’s Day was my first, living in Philadelphia. I delivered to both Philly and NYC since so many of the people I love are now in both places. On February 14th, I made the journey to Brooklyn myself, surprising friends on their stoops with not only flowers but also the face of an old friend.

Collaborating with a like-minded mompreneur on a baby mobile was such a fun and different project for me. Sarah Hollingsworth is the owner and founder of baby registry company, Poppylist. Her love of flowers and motherhood closely align with my love for flowers and motherhood! Working with silk flowers, I created a dangling nursery piece. I hope to do many more projects like this. Silk flowers are a sustainable way to honor the beauty of flowers and inspire people towards nature.

I don’t do many photo shoots on principal but when Source and Gather reached out, I happily said yes! We did a super fun shoot at City Winery. As a designer who tends towards color, working with a more neutral color palette was an opportunity to expand my portfolio. Source and Gather is a collaborative company built by event planner, Willa Dunn and photographer, Gina Ribando. They create customized collections to style micro weddings and small events. Check them out for your next dinner party!

Photography by Gina Ribando.@ City Winery Philadelphia

Mother’s Day was the kick-off to my main work season and so with summer quickly approaching, I wanted to invest in some professional development that I knew would take my designs to the next level. For years, I have admired the work and teaching of Amy Balsters of The Floral Coach. So it was a no brainer to sign up for her Bouquet Bootcamp as soon as she posted dates. At the beginning of May I drove down to Alexandria, Virginia and learned skills and practices that I will take with me for the rest of my career.

While there are so many weddings to highlight from this past year, I feel it is important to mark the first one. The image below features a wedding I had booked almost two years prior. It was a beautiful and celebratory event at June Bar in Brooklyn. To this day, I have never seen a dress that receives more accolades!

Photographer Sarah Kuszelewicz @ June Bar, Brooklyn, NY

My summer weddings were ones full of Alaska peonies, Florabundance ranunculus, and some of whatever was growing at Jig-Bee. Though not all pictured here, almost every one of my summer weddings took place in Brooklyn. Getting to work in the city I once called home was a blessing.

Far Out Feeling Photography @ Dobbin St. in Brooklyn, NY

Matthew Morgan Photography @ Rule of Thirds in Brooklyn, NY

One of the most valuable and important things I did all year was take time to rest and create arrangements for the sake of creation itself. This time away was given as s gift from a dear friend, mother, writer and floral educator, Kelly Perry. Taking time to explore and ponder with no boundaries or borders made room for imagination, creative growth and at the same time much needed rest.

The next slew of images are those from the abundance of weddings I had this fall. They were a mix of Philadelphia and New York weddings, each with its own style and seasonal uniqueness.

Kristy Hoadley Photography @ Ridley Creek State Park, PA

Daniel Moyer Photography @ Bartram’s Gardens, PHL

Par La Mer Photography @ Prospect Park Boat House, NY

Gatherings are a central part of what Flower Clvb offers outside of event florals. The opportunity to gather and share with one another is so important to its vitality and purpose. In the past gatherings have offered only opportunities to create florals but this year I decided to incorporate a seasonal meal. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweet Grass was a huge influence on this model. Gatherings have become an opportunity to celebrate and honor the earth’s gifts.

I have hesitated to plan gatherings as the world begins to re-emerge from COVID, however I felt it was okay to start small. Even in the ways of small and slow, there is abundance. It felt good to work with flowers only grown locally without pesticides, and with little to no impact to the earth.

Fall marked the busiest and most mentally trying time of my floral career. The amount of abundant growth I experienced this year was a blessing but required logistics and planning that often felt overwhelming. It meant time spent away from my kids and left me questioning whether or not I am a good mother. I am the type of people- pleaser and gritty achiever that refuses to back down at no amount of pressure even at the cost of myself.

I learned so much, not only about running my business more efficiently but also about valuing my mental health. Sometimes it takes going to a really dark place, to realize that all the lights are off. As the new year approaches, my goal is to reach for the switches that get those lights back on. Perhaps it means drinking less, prioritizing therapy and making some tweaks to the way I organize my schedule. Even despite these struggles, I am still proud of the ways I loved and cared for my children and for the designs I created for my incredible brides.

The word I have chosen for this year is humor. Wearied by the heaviness of this past year, I feel this word needs no explanation. In many ways humor is an issue of the heart. When my children are throwing tantrums and my instinct is to yell, if I decide to begin speaking in a British accent and get real silly, it almost always changes the mood for everyone. What would arrangements look like with a bit of humor added? How might my brain operate with more David Sedaris and less Michael Barbaro? Perhaps I will re-watch Seinfeld rather than binging Walking Dead episodes.

Almost fifteen years ago I took a trip to Jinja, Uganda where I met a woman who had been kidnapped along with her twin sister by the Lord’s Resistance Army at the age of 16. She was rescued by a cohort of nuns. As she was recalling the story to me, I asked her how she kept hope. She told me that her friends who were captured with her, would try to make each other laugh. This has stuck with me over the years. They did not laugh to minimize or cover up what was going on but simply to get through it. I am sure there is plenty of psychology around this and I have all of 2022 to dig in, laugh a little and release all the tension I currently am holding in my shoulders.