Floral Design + Wedding/Event Planning Course {UPDATE}

I have taken a HUGE break from my floral design and event planning course updates so, here's a 2 week update!

In floral design class a couple weeks ago, we created a "puppy in a basket" arrangement. I never really understood the point of this design. Like, why give a flower dog to someone?! Ha! Never the less, I made one anyways because that was the assignment. I was supposed to add a little "tongue" and bows to the dog but I had to leave class early this day so it went without.  I have to admit though, it turned out pretty cute!
We used carnations, daisies, wax flower, asters, lemon leaf and ming fern to create this design.

This past week, we created 2 designs. First, we made a corsage using a rose, daisies, alstromeria, babies breath and ming fern.

We also made a topiary last week using alstroemeria, daisies, mini carns, babies breath, ming fern and topped with a butterfly. I think the original arrangement would have looked much better if my alstroemeria actually matched the other flowers because it looks like a big disconnect from the rest of the arrangement. I ended up removing the "ball" of alstroemeria when I got home and created a round arrangement with the alstroemeria throughout.

As for the wedding and event planning course, I just finished up the lesson all about attire. This one made me want to go wedding dress shopping again! Maybe I can just pretend to be a bride and go to some bridal salons to try on pretty dresses??? Hmmmm

I re-learned about all of the different dress styles, cuts, veils as well as bridesmaids and groom attire. For the groom, I had NO IDEA that there were so many different choices of wear. There's formal daytime wear, formal evening wear, semi-formal daytime wear, semi-formal evening wear and informal daytime and evening wear with all of these consisting of different style suites and jackets (tuxedos, dinner jackets, cutaway coats, morning suits, etc.). I always thought that you either wear a tux or a nice shirt with a vest or jacket with trousers as a groom. Does anyone else know of all these different styles?! This goes to show my lack of knowledge when it comes to men's wear. lol

The next lesson is titled "All the Parties." This one should be fun! :)

Have a beautiful day my friends!

Floral Design (+ prom set) + Wedding/Event Planning course {update}

The week of the 8th was Spring Break for our floral design class so I didn't do an update. The arrangement that we came back to was called "Imagination Blooms." It was definitely the most interesting design I've done and I actually really liked it! This was also the easiest and quickest piece I've done in the class.
We used asiatic lilies, spray roses, dendrobium orchids, green button mums, bear grass, solidago, curly willow, orgonia, Ti leaves, orgonia, and ming fern.
It's kinda "wild" but it's fun and it looks expensive!

 I also created a corsage and boutonniere set for my pastor's son and his girlfriend . They went to prom together (so cute) and I was asked to create the corsage and boutonniere using red and silver. So, I used red  spray roses, white wax flower, lemon leaf, clear rhinestones, gray pearls, silver glitter leaves, silver ribbon and silver tulle with bits of glitter on it.
Here's what I came up with.

As for my wedding and event planning course, I am now on Unit 2 where I am starting to get into the "business side of things." This weeks lesson is all about the budget.
Talking about money isn't the easiest thing to do but it was certainly interesting and when planning a large event that requires so many details and different vendors, it's important to really be open and talk numbers.
Since the audio portion of this lesson is done by a wedding planner out of NY, it's mind-boggling to hear the cost of a wedding in that state! Just for catering alone can be hundreds of dollars per person!
I also read that the average cost per person to have as a guest at a wedding is $118 in the U.S. and is usually more than $200 in the northeastern part of the country. *Note to self, don't get our vow renewals done in NY. This cost includes food, drink, cake, music, invites, thank-you notes and facility costs. It's kinda crazy to think of each guest as a Benjamin Franklin (+ an Andrew Jackson) but it may be necessary if you want to keep costs down.
Going over contracts and what should be in them is also covered in this lesson which is quite helpful yet sounds exhausting. lol
I still have a couple more pages with this lesson and then I'm onto reading about wedding attire. It's been a productive week recently!

Floral Design class + Wedding/Event Planning course update//FUN FACTS

This past week was full of fun facts and pretty spring blossoms!
Since Easter is tomorrow, we created our first all around arrangement within a colorful Easter basket for Floral Design class this week. We used daisies, carnations (which have been in all of our designs so far), alstroemeria, ming fern, and wax flower.
I really enjoyed creating this arrangement and guess what? We even got out of class on time! This never happens by the way, but hopefully we can keep this momentum up. For the bow, we were supposed to place one on each side but I cheated and just plopped it on top. Ha!
Here's the arrangement from this week.

One side.

Other side.

A fun fact I learned in floral class this week was that you can put a bit of clear lemon lime soda in a vase of flowers to help expand their life. The sugar in the soda will help nourish the flowers and the carbonation will help keep the vase clean. Cool right?

I also completed lesson 3 of my first unit of Wedding and Event Planning. This lesson was my favorite so far because of all the interesting customs and traditions of weddings within several different cultures.

Here are some fun facts I learned about the traditions we still carry out today in weddings:
*The tradition of a bridal bouquet originated in ancient Rome with the belief that fragrant florals and herbs would ward off evil spirits.
*The wedding cake originally symbolized fertility. Same with the tossing of rice.
*The kiss at the end of the ceremony symbolizes an exchange of spirits, uniting the couple in both body and spirit.
*The reason why we have bridesmaids started within some cultures that the idea of hiding the bride among similarly dressed women would confuse any evil spirits. This also applied to groomsmen.
*Having the groom stand on the bride's right side started in ancient times when men armed themselves with swords. If any danger came to the couple, the groom would easily be able to draw his weapon with his right hand. This is the same reason why we place a knife to the right of our dinner plate when we set a table.

I also learned of some pretty interesting customs from many other countries including:
*In the Chinese culture, the bride and groom will have a drink with each table as they visit the guests. (I can imagine the photos by the end of the night!)
*In the German culture, on the night before the wedding, it is tradition for the guests to break pottery and play pranks on the bride and groom. Also, during a German ceremony, the groom will kneel on the hem of the bride's dress to symbolize his control over her and the bride will rise and step on the groom's foot to assert her power within the marriage.
*In the Scottish culture, when a couple first decides to wed, they will notify the baker who will create a dense wedding cake for them. Then, brandy is poured over it once a week up until the wedding day.
*Russian newlyweds will tie a doll on their wedding "getaway car" if they want their first born to be a girl or tie a bear to the car if they want to have a boy.

There was SO much more that I learned and as you can see, it was a lot of fun! I love how ancient custom still plays a role in why we do things today during weddings. Whether or not they still have the same meaning, there is a reason why each tradition started in the first place and it's quite fascinating! Even for the most "non-traditional" bride, there is always something that companies a wedding which rooted from ancient meaning.

Are there any intriguing wedding traditions or customs that you've learned about?

Floral Design + Wedding/Event Planning course updates

This week in Floral Design class, we created a very colorful all around arrangement. We used irises, daffodils, carnations, daisies, goldenrod, eucalyptus leaves and ming fern.
I really loved this arrangement and was so excited to work with different flowers than we had the previous weeks. I have noticed that it's also getting easier to place flowers and we have been getting out of class on time lately. Whoop!

Here's this weeks arrangement.

By the way, I was dying to work with Eucalyptus leaves and I was ecstatic when I found out that this past week we had them for this design. I just LOVE the way they photograph and cascade out of arrangements. I can't wait to create a bouquet with these leaves in it!

As far as the Wedding and Event Planning course goes, I am finishing up Unit 1 with "Ceremonies" where I have learned a bit more in depth of the different types that take place among different religions and cultures. Also, in the audio portion of this lesson, they talk about different ways to go about a ceremony if the couple doesn't want any type of religious mention or vice versa. They also go over ideas if the bride is a part of one culture and the groom is another, how to go about blending the two.
It's a good way to end the first Unit and I am now moving on to Unit 2!

Have a beautiful weekend my friends!

I'm going nude (a nap time mani, new custom order + wedding course update)

The past few days after leaving the hospital from baby Blayze's birth, I've had the stomach flu. I first thought it was food poisoning from the hospital's cafeteria but after my husband came down with it only a few hours after being home, I knew differently. Needless to say, I was in bed all weekend and got a bit behind on a few things.

I am now feeling fully recovered and have been able to knock out quite a bit of things-like a new mani! Here's to nap time manicures with quick drying polish! I am loving the nude color. Simple, natural and hey, it goes with everything!

Polish: NYC-Fashion Safari

I have also caught up on most of my orders and sent out several handmade pretties including this completely custom order. This Canada bride is the sweetest ever and I'm her very first Etsy order (I still remember my first Etsy purchase)! I am so thankful and honored that I was able to work with her.

I created boutonnieres for the guys, corsage pins for the ladies and hair clips for her bridesmaids. I also include a little gift for her since the pieces were for everyone else.

So, I realized after I sent her package off, I didn't take a photo of the 6 boutonnieres all finished! This is all I have (the one on the right isn't 100% complete). There were 5 navy wrapped bouts and one white bout.

Since I want the gift to be a surprise for the bride, I will share what I made her in a later post. ;)

It has been a while since I've shared any updates from the Wedding/Event Planning course that I'm taking but that may be because I haven't really put too much time into it. I have been coordinating a wedding for the past few months amongst lots of other events and projects. Since the wedding was at the end of June, I dived right back into my studies and finished Unit 3 (finally)!

This Unit was all about the photographers, DJs, live music, flowers, honeymoons and travel. Since I've worked with photographers several times whether it be with styled shoots, weddings or other types of collaborations, lesson 10 was my favorite to read because I was really familiar with the content and I absolutely admire photography. 

If you want to cut the costs of your wedding day, DON'T do it with your photography! Those photos will be all that you have to look back on from your big day. There had been countless times that brides have regretted their decision with the photographer(s) or lack thereof. Find someone that you are comfortable with and really love their work because those photos will be your treasures from that special day.

As far as honeymoons go, bridal consultants don't get too involved but it was fun learning about different places to travel and when. Did you know that when it is summer time here in the U.S., it is winter time south of the equator and vice versa? Good thing to know if you are getting married in July and are thinking about going to Tahiti or Bora Bora for your honeymoon. Maybe a second thought?

Unit 4 is up next! I'm about half way done!

If you're a bride or have been a bride, what's the first thing you bought/booked for your wedding day?

I think mine was the venue then the dress...

Wedding Planning course + Floral Design class + ORGANIZING (or an attempt at it)

Lately, I feel as if everything is in a bit of a whirlwind. I have so much to do and yet, as one woman, I wish I can stretch the hours in a day so I can get it all done! It's been such a blessing to get to do what I LOVE to do! I'm seriously so grateful that I can say that I just LOVE my job(s). Even when you are doing something you love though, it's easy to get burnt out when you don't take time out for yourself and your family. It's easy for me to think about EVERYTHING I have to get done instead of taking it a bit at a time. I'm learning.

As you may or may not know, I started my Wedding/Event Planning course recently. I have read the first lesson and I feel like I'm hooked! I haven't even completed any projects for the course just yet but it's sooo exciting to finally start this journey (officially).

What I got from my first dose of content so far, is that I really need to focus on organization. I can be organized in some sense when it comes to certain things, like my shop. I use a white board, a calendar, post its and a filing box but I still feel like I can improve with the shop/blog/etc. I'm not the most organized person all around and when planning events, it's a MAJOR issue. So, I guess I can start a "mid-new years resolution" right? {Get more organized}

I also started my floral design class. It's been quite fun so far BUT hard work as well! I really didn't think it would require so much "knowledge" and patience. Haha! I really do enjoy it though and can't wait to actually experiment with my own designs. So far, you have to do almost EXACTLY what is being instructed. The only experimenting I've had is choosing the colors of the flowers I'd like to work with-and even that is hard when everyone is rushing to pick their fav. first. It's great to learn the basics though which is what I need! Here are the 2 designs I have completed so far:

First week was learning to create bows and creating a single carnation corsage

This past week was creating a symmetrical arrangement of a dozen carnations. I tried to create an ombre effect with it. I gave this to my mother for her birthday today. Happy Birthday Momma!

So on top of 2 new courses, I have my beloved shop to keep up with. It's my pride and joy (other than my sweet, adorable son)! Today, I started a few new organizing projects in my craft room and first was my huge box of shipping confirmation receipts and purchase receipts from etsy.

That was organized to a T. Promise.

I also have my white board of orders to complete. I really haven't seen it completely WHITE in a LONG time! As soon as I finish an order, another arrives! It's amazing! 

With that, add the items I need to get done for the craft show in Long Beach, the giveaway items for the Elevate Conference and the new business cards I need to get done by next month.

I feel like I need an assistant at times. I know several handmade business owners that seem to be able to do it all! They are like super people I swear! lol If you are one of those, please tell me how you do it! :)

Anyway, like I said, it all seems to be a bit of a whirlwind right now and yet somehow, this little baby makes it all better. At least temporarily. :)

There's my busy self in a nutshell right now. How do you de-stress? Do you have any great organizing tips to share? :)

Have a beautiful night friends!

Recently {Pretties with a side of caffeine, a morning walk + a concert}

Since coming back from vacation last weekend, I've had lots to catch up on in the shop. Luckily, I've had some beautiful and peaceful mornings to work in my craft room with a side of caffeine.

 These pretty bridal caps are going out to Texas for a photo shoot with Marilyn Duvall Photography.

My little love bug and I took a morning stroll through the neighborhood while daddy was at work.

This past Saturday, my mother in love, step father in love, husband and I went to see Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves at the Angels Stadium for the No Shoes Nation Tour. It was SO much fun (after we stopped baking in the sun)! We sang and danced the night away. Then, afterwards we had Lucille's BBQ (YUUMM) at about midnight. No biggie. :)

I started Unit 4 of my Wedding and Event Planning Course a couple days ago. This is the last unit before my virtual internship and I'm pretty excited to start some projects and apply what I've learned so far.

I just finished the lesson about "How to Beat Wedding Stress." With weddings that I've helped with, have coordinated and definitely my own, there are mounds of different stresses that a bride will encounter.

Wedding coordinators are supposed to alleviate as much stress as possible which means, that "stress" is now upon the planner. I know so many people think that being a wedding/event planner sounds like so much fun along with playing with lots of "pretty" details and perks. Although there are rewards, it's a pretty high stress job and knowing how to handle it, is essential. 

Sometimes, you may even be like a therapist. Brides have a lot on their plate and working side by side with them will bring up issues whether it's related to family, finances, the bridal party, decor decisions, etc. Being the "voice of reason" and/or the "listener" is certainly a part of the job title as well.

Here's to wearing multiple hats! 

Are you a bride or have been a bride? If so, what has caused the most stress and how did you handle it?

Have a beautiful week my friends!

Follow along on Bloglovin' + Instagram

Recently (a wedding, a styled photoshoot + a baby)

It's been a while since I've posted because lately, I have been a bit busy and priorities had been placed elsewhere.
I have been running around with baby love trying to keep up with all of his energy and excitement. Morning rituals of bath time and naked baby as well as his first dentist appointment leading to broken utensils. Whoops!

I also had 2 full days of wedding coordination starting with decorating and rehearsal time on Friday. Saturday was the big day so running around and making sure everything was going smoothly was the job on hand. Thankfully, everything did go well and there weren't too many major hiccups. I did get a bit emotional though as the bride (a dear friend of mine) danced with her husband for the first time. It was so sweet and as usual, I had tears in my eyes.
On my way to the festivities!

Sunday, after church, my husband and I decided to take our young adults bible study to the beach. It was PERFECT weather outside and many people had the same idea we did because it was pretty busy.

A few weeks ago, I was asked to participate in a bohemian inspired shoot by Beyond the Wanderlust. Without hesitation, I sent out a piece to Salem, Oregon to be featured in the photo shoot. I am absolutely in LOVE with the styling of the shoot and I'm so excited to see the rest of the photos!
Here's a sneak peek. Get the headpiece here from my shop!

Photography Credit: Hurtienne Photography

I also went to talk to the Dr. this week about having another baby soon. My husband and I have been talking about it so I wanted to make sure that since I have hypothyroid, my thyroid levels are stable and we are good to go.
He gave us the green light but I have to get ultrasounds every 6 weeks (as if I didn't have to see the Dr. enough already) because of my history with ovarian cysts. Oh boy! Keep us in your prayers that everything goes smoothly.

I took some time to myself the other morning to sit on the porch with coffee while the flowers were being watered. I keep telling myself that I need to wake up earlier to enjoy these moments more often.

I was able to get these pretty custom orders out in the mail to some brides to be!
Love these boutonnieres with vintage-inspired buttons, gold skeleton leaves, detailed pearl ribbon and pretty feathers.

These lovely flower corsage pins are going out today. They are inspired by these corsage pins in my shop and came out beautifully!

Lastly, I have also been trying to get Unit 3 done of  my Wedding and Event Planning course. All of that has been put on the back burner while I try to focus more on my shop but I have scheduled the units back into my agenda so I may doing more updates soon!

As far as 4th of July goes, we have yet to make any plans. We seem to spend the 4th all over the place and they seem to always be last minute plans.

What are you doing for Independence Day?