2011 Arkansas Florist Assoc. Convention

Held in Hot Springs each August, this is the first time I've been able to attend.

Here are a few photos from the weekend....Enjoy!

Some of the competition entries for the sympathy category.

and a few from the wedding category.

Vendor booths

Rose varieties

My favorite part: designs from a few of the presentations.

Not Your Typical Bridal Blog: Offbeat Bride

To keep up with wedding trends, I often surf wedding blogs, generally being overwhelmed by information, ideas, photos, ideas, colors, ideas, and so on.   I can only imagine how a bride feels!  Sign up for one thing and you're quickly drowning in wedding STUFF!  It's enough to make you dread wedding planning.

Recently, however, I came across this site: OFFBEAT BRIDE.  I like it because it gives some great ideas for ways to personalize your wedding.  I mean really personalize it.  We're not just talking about color choices or whether you should have chair covers or just bows here, but non-white dresses; themed weddings; and really unique touches to make your wedding about you!  

From their site...

Image from OffBeatBride.com

If Offbeat Bride's ethos had to be boiled down, it would be this:

• We aim to provide positive encouragement to couples who are trying to retain their identities through the drama and pressure of wedding planning.
• We believe that no two weddings need to look the same, because no two couples are alike.
• We believe that your wedding isn't a contest — there's nothing to prove except for that you love your partner.
• We love really awesome photography.
• We want to prove that online wedding planning communities don't have to be snarky, bitchy places where women decree each other tacky.
• We support couples all along the nontraditional spectrum — from beautiful hardcore freaks & geeks all the way to what we affectionately call "Offbeat Lite." Your wedding should be a reflection of YOU, not other people's expectations or tastes — that includes us!

NOTE: some adult language used


Check out the site...then call me when you're ready for some offbeat flowers.

Enjoy!

'Exuberance'

ex-u-ber-ance

  [ig-zoo-ber-un ns]

--noun

1.   Also, ex-u-ber-an-cy.  the state of being exuberant.*

I recently purchased a pair of earrings for an amount that I consider quite high for earrings.  The amount really isn't important, but its an amount that usually takes quite a bit of rationalization for me to pay this amount for something so small.  

The reason I purchased them?  The story the artist told me.  He made them personal, and I couldn't pass that up. 

I was really just window shopping and didn't intend to purchase anything.  But when I stopped at this booth, some of the earrings on display caught my eye.  So I picked up a pair and looked a bit closer.  Then I looked at the price tag. And I put them back.  Continuing to browse the booth, I noticed another pair.  And noticed the same price.  On the 3rd pair, I didn't pick them up.  Having seen the proprietor of the booth notice me, I didn't want to think he was making a sale, when I really didn't intend to buy anything at all.  

But he was watching carefully.  He saw that the three pairs of earrings were basically the same design.  These earrings aren't all that large, maybe 3/4" long, so the design on them isn't extremely well defined from a distance.  But I picked the same design all three times.  Having seen this, the proprietor came from behind the booth, picked up the original pair and proceeded to tell me the story of the creation of the design.  He showed me the symbolism portrayed when the earrings are hanging and the alternate symbolism when they are laying flat.  He told me that the name of this design was, 'Exuberance.'  Then he put the earrings back and went back behind the booth.

That's all.  He didn't talk about price.  He didn't make me a deal.  He didn't pressure me.  He just told me a story--a story of what this design meant to him, the artist.

I purchased the original pair that had caught my eye.  And every time I wear them I experience a little bit of 'Exuberance.'  I feel:

ex-u-ber-ant

  [ig-zoo-ber-uh nt]

--adjective

1.     effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; lavishly abundant: an exuberant welcome for the hero.

2.     abounding in vitality; extremely joyful and vigorous.

3.     extremely good; overflowing; plentiful: exuberant health.

4.     profuse in growth or production; luxuriant; superabundant: exuberant vegetation.*

* from dictionary.com

When I grow up, I want to be able to sell like that!

...and, yes I wore those earrings today.

Stuck: Where did all my creativity go?

Recently, I had a short period of time where creativity was just pouring out of me.  Any time I sat down to write,  the words flowed easily and effortlessly (and for me, that's a HUGE deal).  Floral designs came naturally--everything matched the vision I had in my head.  I could stay up for hours reading blogs, watching educational videos, and just learning new stuff in general.  What a great feeling!

Then it stopped.  And my question is: Where did all my creativity go?  

Today I realized something.  My creativity isn't gone; I just lost a bit of focus.  I'm an introvert.  I prefer being behind the scenes.  I love being the boss and I love being the creative designer that I can be (am).  But recently I've had to be 'out front' quite a bit.  OK, in reality, I WANTED to be out there, because I really do want to be successful, I really do want my business to grow, and I really don't mind (most of the time) doing the stuff it takes to make this happen. 

So instead of taking deliberate time to recharge, I unconsciously took time off.  I let blogs pile up to be read (427 unread posts on Saturday); didn't update Twitter; minimally updated Facebook; totally quit thinking about SEO stuff, AdWords, marketing, networking, or anything in the social media world; and took 4 naps this past weekend.   Not good.  Well, the naps were nice--especially on snowy Sunday.

And today (I really do like Mondays!) I went to work and knocked out 3 estimates in less time than it usually takes me to do one, answered emails, paid bills and organized my week all before 2pm.  (One of the joys of being self employed is that when you finish at 2pm, you can leave work.  I went shopping for a new consultation table.  Technically, this still counts as work but I wasn't at a desk any more.) 

So here's the new goal or the call to action or whatever it needs to be called to get me doing it: Be conscious of when I need to recharge.  Not only be conscious, but do something positive about it.  No more mini-burnouts.  I love my job, my clients, and all the things I get to do working with my clients in my job!  

Now on to updating photos. . .  :D  Oh, and if anyone wants to comment about all this, I'm listening.