Flowers

Team Flower Workshop :: The Bouquet

0 · Jul 8, 2014 ·

It’s funny looking back at my time in North Carolina. I felt like I was surrounded with beauty every single moment of the day, the number of flowers so easily accessible to us was slightly overwhelming and the gorgeous mountainside scenery really did steal your breathe away. Then I received the pictures back of my work and realized that I really only made two portfolio arrangements. But that was enough friends, they are two of my favorite pieces ever.

There was an entire day focused around personal flowers. From boutonnieres to bouquets to flower crowns, I love them all. I think we should make wearing fresh flowers a part of our everyday fashion, don’t you agree? By far, the bridal bouquet is always my favorite decor item of the wedding. It crosses the line of being an accessory and a decoration and is always by the bride’s side. It holds the most photographed flowers of the day and I want the bride to love it forever.

When creating a bridal bouquet, I often find myself standing in front of a mirror, envisioning myself in a white gown and carrying this lovely bunch of blooms. It was so fun to see that others do the same, there was a mirror available for just this purpose. I chose of of the most vibrant magenta peonies I have ever seen, along with a paler, tree peony friend and orange kumquats. This is was spoke to me and I built my bouquet around them adding smoke bush, mock orange and tulips. And the icing on the cake was the long, elegant, flowing silk ribbons that cascaded down from the flowers letting the colors live on a little longer.

And then we all climbed the largest hill (or mountain — not sure of the correct term here!) I have ever climbed, in the middle of a cow pasture, and handed our blooms off to the beautiful bride model Kelly had waiting for us. Even to watch the reaction on her face as she took the bouquet from my hand was enough to make my heart go pitter patter.

My legs burned and I may or may not have stepped in a cow pie, but it doesn’t matter because I would easily endure these “hardships” for any of my brides, sacrificing my own clothing for the most picture perfect moments, lighting and blooms. Because that’s what a wedding planner does – in that moment it’s not about me, it’s about making someone else’s wedding day dreams come true.

You can read more about the Team Flower Workshop in yesterday’s post here. All photos by Heather Payne Photography, they’re film and they’re amazing. But more on that later 😉

Team Flower Workshop :: Philosophy Flowers, Boone NC

0 · Jul 7, 2014 ·

It seems I’ve been on the road a lot lately — quick trips to Holland, wedding planning in Northport and Maple City and then the every day travels throughout Grand Rapids. And while I love traveling, sometimes it’s just good to be in the comfort of your own home office (where’s there’s actually internet and phone service readily available!)

But by far one of my favorite trips this spring was down to Boone, North Carolina where I had an unbelievably amazing flower experience with Kelly Perry, Heather Payne and so many lovely new flower friends. As crazy as it might sound, the experience was life changing. It brought on a whole new appreciation for my surroundings, love of nature and showed me what new bonds and friendships can be formed over something as simple as the love of flowers.

If you haven’t noticed already, beautiful blooms are becoming a much bigger part of The Day’s Design. I have teased myself with the idea that I could be a floral designer for years now, but I now know more than ever that I won’t be happy without a big bouquet in my hand. Flowers have surfaced emotions that I didn’t even know existed. And when I got these pictures back from the workshop, I cried. Ridiculous, right? Who cries over seeing their work on film? Apparently, I do.

So here’s just a glimpse of the magic that took place down in North Carolina this spring. There’s lots more loveliness coming and I’m sure this won’t be the last time you hear me reference my ‘new flower friends’ or the charming Kelly Perry.

Flowers: The Day’s Design / Photography: Heather Payne Photography / Backdrop: Kathryn Godwin

Come back tomorrow and I’ll show you the bouquet I created for the workshop!

Preferred Vendor:: Once Wed

0 · Jun 27, 2014 ·

Oh my stars have I had some excitement happening over here! The last couple months have simply been amazing — from attending flower workshops to making flowers for Bloom the Workshop — I’m living on a beautiful high! Plus wedding season officially starts for The Day’s Design TOMORROW!!

As an added bonus (as if I needed something else to be excited about!), I met Lauren from Once Wed at Kelly Perry’s workshop and this sweet girl invited me to become part of the Once Wed preferred vendor guide. Eek.. how exciting is that!? So now it’s official and you can see my listing on their beautiful blog.

I would also recommend you check out my new flower friend’s gorgeous new business, Stone House Creative. I can’t wait to see the magic Lauren’s sure to create.

Wild & Free

0 · Jun 23, 2014 ·

Over the weekend I read the quote “All good things are wild and free” – Henry David Thoreau.

I can’t get it out of my head.

I don’t know the original context or what point he was trying to make when he said those words, but I do have this feeling of home when I read it. I feel like it’s somehow belongs with me and holds a liberating truth.

When I think about how I want my life to be, the words contained, ordinary and tame do not come to mind. Not in the least bit. But rather I have this imagery of myself running barefoot through an open field of wild flowers a warm breeze running through my hair. Wild and free.

I think of the majestic lioness on the prowl through the safari of African, graceful and strong. She’s stalking her prey, caring for her young and soaking up the hot summer sun. Wild and free.

I think of a lush, hand picked bouquet. Each flower allowed to shine with it’s own grace, evoking a feeling reminiscent of the garden where it once belonged. Draping greenery, curled stems and delicate petals all speak with their own voice bringing the bouquet to life, not forced to conform into a tight arrangement but able to dance in the fresh air. Wild and free.

Doesn’t that just seem like the way life should be?

Above is my Baby Bean — barefoot and free 🙂 By Hetler Photography.

A Blank Canvas

0 · Jun 17, 2014 ·

We just sold our huge dining room set. It was a solid maple Ethan Allen table which easily expanded to seat 10 people, along with a huge matching hutch. It was pretty – but it wasn’t right for me. It was so nice that I was scared to touch it and would panic every time guests came to dinner. Considering Hubby is a chef and we love to host dinner parties, this is pretty ridiculous, right?

It’s funny how having an empty dining room is a huge weight off my shoulders. It seems so airy and bright, open to new possibilities and full of freshness.

So what’s next? Well that’s the thing, I don’t have to have it all figured out just yet. Possibly a new office space which could then easily be turned dining room when the occasional presents itself? Or maybe a better place to craft, put together awesome event details and florals? I don’t know.

My previous visions of a new creative space for me aren’t falling into place exactly as planned. There are some hiccups in the scheming of the basement remodel. As a planner, this is sometimes hard to swallow. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that I don’t have a plan or my plans changed. But here’s what I’ve come to realize – first off, it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. And secondly, I plan ALL THE TIME, it’s just what I do. I don’t think there’s ever a moment in time where some sort of creative vision isn’t floating through my head. But I don’t bring them all to life. That doesn’t make me a failure and I’m still awesome with my craft. It just makes me human.

I was reminded of this last Friday as I sat in a room with about 35 other woman who are just trying to figure out their craft, hone their visions and find the right fit and purpose for them. They don’t have it all figured out yet, some are searching for website and social media answers while some are still trying to figure out what they were put on this earth to accomplish. Just because they haven’t figured it out yet doesn’t mean that I don’t respect them or think of them as less of a person or business woman. It just reminded me that this is a constant journey for everyone and I don’t have to feel 100% on top of my game every single moment in time. I should probably cut myself some slack.

For the moment I have a big blank canvas in front of me. And I love it.

Just a little sneak peek from Ashley Slater Photography of Bloom the Workshop last Friday — the styled shoot portion was so much fun, I loved creating these florals for Michaela’s beautiful tabletop.

The Best Laid Plans

0 · Jun 11, 2014 ·

Its peony season here in West Michigan. It’s also time for me to prepare for my small part in Bloom the Workshop. How lucky could I possibly be that fate would bring these two happy occasions together in the same week!?

I have one sad little peony bush in my back yard. She’s slow to bloom and doesn’t produce many buds. But each year she comes back and brings me so much joy. And each year I’m stuck with this dilemma, to pick the flowers and bring them inside to enjoy for a fleeting moment in time or leave them on the bush – where I’ll see them much less but their loveliness will live on a little longer.

This year I decided that they would have a special purpose. They would be enjoyed by others and I would bring them along with me to Bloom the Workshop. They would live long after they’re gone in the memories of all my new creative friends.

In addition, I’ve spent my week scouting out the best roadside/garden side/woodland greens and blossoms to add to the ones that will my arriving shortly at my doorstep from my wholesaler. I never order all of my flowers from a wholesaler – I need to touch, feel and explore to make my creations perfect. I had a plan, a picking spot and even a travel route all schemed out.

And then came the rain.

My poor little peonies are sadly smushed to the ground. And while I haven’t exactly explored my other flowers which I was sure to forage – I have a sinking feeling that all their sweet little petals might not be in tack. What’s a girl to do?

I sadly made my way to the farmer’s market this morning in hopes of finding some fresh cut loveliness like I found the week before, only to find the stalls empty. So now friends, I have a mission. And I don’t know yet how this story is going to end or where my travels today might take me. All I know is that sometimes the best laid plans fail but I will not. I promised to deliver some gorgeous arrangements to Bloom and I don’t break my promises.

Above is a little something I put together earlier this week — and I might have snagged the image from Bloom’s Instagram feed. Be sure to follow along with me @thedaysdesign or the workshop directly @bloomtheworkshop

Rest

0 · May 22, 2014 ·

Yesterday I returned home from Philosophy Flowers workshop. First off, let me just say that Kelly Perry herself is an absolutely enchanting and sweet soul with a huge passion and fabulous eye for floral. Secondly, each and every other girl I met while there was just as delightful. I was truly in flower heaven sitting with my flower friends in the mountains of Boone, NC.

One of the common themes that kept repeating itself throughout the workshop was the idea of rest. While this workshop did truly feel like more of a vacation than “work” – I would not necessarily say it was restful. Truth be told, I was exhausted by the end of my trip – and getting up at 3:30 in the morning to travel home didn’t exactly help that!

But when I finally made it home, I saw my world in a whole new light. Stepping away from the everyday enabled me to be filled with new wonder upon my return. Yesterday I took a walk and I simply saw things differently. I fell in love with flowers even deeper while away and that new light and appreciation followed me home. I stopped and picked some branches and blooms up along my walk. I paid attention to the very subtle color variations and imagined all new flower combinations.

Rest is good for the soul. Working too hard will just wear you out and make you weary. We weren’t put on this earth to be run down, but rather to embrace new friendships, to worship and rejoice.

Enjoy your Memorial Day and get some rest friends, I’m going to spend it with my little family {pictured above by Hetler Photography}!!

Floral Design 101

1 · May 17, 2014 ·

One of the perks of being married to a GRCC employee is being able to take classes for free. Did you know that Grand Rapids Community College offers a Floral Design class? This useful tidbit of information had been passed my way so I thought sure, why not? What have I got to lose?

3 hours of flowers for 5 days. That’s all the class entails. I thought I could be a college student for a measly 5 days. Oh boy, there are reasons why people wait until after schooling to have kids, who was I kidding? It wasn’t even a stressful or demanding class but let me say, I am so happy my sister was able to come and spend a few days with me. What a Godsend! It was like having a nanny this week. A-MAZ-ING.

So anyway, the downside of the class was that it’s all artificial flowers. The school just isn’t equipped for fresh – no coolers, sinks or other necessities for fresh. But design basics are pretty interchangeable so not all was lost. The curriculum itself is very basic. I mean, extremely basic. But I’ve never had any formal training whatsoever, so I actually found it pretty entertaining. And then there’s the fact that I always look at arrangements and say “Oh, I can do that” but I never actually push myself to do it. This forced me to take that step and really prove that I can do it. Some tasked ended up being a touch more difficult than anticipated, I was given rules and couldn’t just grab and create whatever I wanted. This idea of boundaries threw me for a loop, but I conquered something in myself and it made me very happy.

I’ve never thought of myself as completely traditional. While I like balance, I don’t always like symmetry. My first task was to create a traditional floral arrangement – rounded, with one central flower and equal flowers all the way around. I managed to make something lovely. Mission accomplished.

Next was the contemporary arrangement. Less is more was the motto here. That’s not always an easy motto for me to live up to. My instructor said that the contemporary arrangement is usually something that would be described as “interesting” and leave one wondering how they could make that, where as a traditional the reaction would be comments on how pretty it is. I personally have always thought of contemporary arrangements as slightly on the strange side, extremely clean and angular and definitely not my style. But I was able to create something that brought my earthy, natural style in and paired it with a more modern shape, placing it in an industrial textured pot. And yes, I was the student picking up sticks along my walk on the way to class. Mission #2 accomplished.

Task 3 was architectural. This was a concept that I was completely unfamiliar with. Arrangements that fit into this category might include the pyramid, topiaries, pomanders, the “s” shape or horizontal arrangements. I chose the “s” shape, which seems to be something that I already did, just didn’t realize it. I always created arrangements in this shape to create balance and movement – I love finding out why things look good to me!

It’s funny the things you learn even in the most basic environments. I seldom pass up a chance to educate myself, even if I did find myself surrounded by a group of college students using this as an “easy A” to satisfy a necessary elective. I was able to practice and experiment and it was fun – sometimes you just need to get out of the house to get inspired!

Speaking of getting out of the house – I leave tomorrow for North Carolina! I cannot wait to meet some new flower friends at Kelly Perry’s workshop. I need to pack – Team Flower, here I come!!

Flowers are Coming to The Day’s Design!!

0 · Apr 30, 2014 ·

I am so grateful and beyond excited for the opportunity to follow my PASSION for flowers and offer romantic, garden style blooms to my design services. This May, my travels will take me to North Carolina to attend Philosophy Flowers’s workshop where I hope to hone some of my floral skills. Flowers make me feel alive and I want to be surrounded by them as often as possible.

Flowers and design go hand in hand, so this seems like a natural step for me to take. It’s becoming a rather requested service of me. And you’ve no doubt seen my floral work throughout my website, in inspirations shoots and even at my own wedding. In fact, you may have thought this was a service I already offered, which it is, but on a very small scale. Putting together a few blooms for a birthday party, brunch or simply brighten someone’s day is a little different than creating a design with hundreds of flowers, moving pieces, aisle décor and centerpieces for a wedding.

So when it comes down to it, fear has held me back and I’ve been scared to book a whole wedding’s worth of floral. There are so many more details to consider than just hand-tying a few blooms together. And what if I fail? This is someone’s dream day that I would be crushing!

In light of this, right now my basement is being reworked, plans are being plotted and floral recipes are being created. If all goes well, full on large scale floral services will be officially be added to The Day’s Designs offerings soon… like really soon, I’m talking to brides about blooms this summer and fall! Eeekk… I’m so excited to actually be typing those words!

What does it mean for you, my current and future bridal clients? It means that you will have yet another resource for beautiful blooms. It means that the person designing and coordinating logistics with also be hands-on with florals and ideas can easily come from one person and one place, without having to communicate your vision over and over again to countless vendors. It also means one less vendor to worry about on your wedding day. However, you by no means HAVE to use my floral services. I know there are so many amazing florists out there, and if one of them strikes your fancy, I highly encourage you to work with them. No hard feelings, I want your day to represent you and make your vision come to life. I will also be taking on a limited number of floral only clients, so bring on the flower love!

I can’t wait to share more about my adventures of adding blooms!

Flowers

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