Just do it, she said.

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Hello out there. *taptap* Is this thing on???

She said "JUST DO IT. Who cares what you write or how much you write. Just do it. Type away."

And I'm finally typing away. A whole month after I went to visit Jen over at Green Quince . I told her I didn't even remember my password to blogger, I didn't remember how to link anything...sigh...I'm a hot mess and I'm a procrastinator and that equals trouble sister.

She told me: just. blog. 

So this is how I got to this post almost a year and 1/2 since my last post. I'm going to just jump right in and then catch up on all the flowers and stuff that's been going on since then. 

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The Needle Shop in Chicago is my latest obsession. I am also currently pouring through their blog and I'm really thinking of taking up sewing. Right now I outsource all my sewing. (To my grandfather, lol, he was a tailor and he enjoys sewing for me and I enjoy drinking coffee and taking all the cred. HA! plus I love the convo.)

I'm making a DIY project for my friends baby and my daughters student council fundraiser and I am loving all these fabulous prints from their shop. They are stunning and I've never felt this way about anything other than flowers. And milk glass...I'll post about that obsession(which led to over 250 pieces of depression era milk glass) a little later. :)

I mean...Karen Tusinski Fabric Galleri Fiori large poppies in red???? to DIE for. 

dearStella Fabric

Home Decor 

Chevron stripes in orange and navy blue are pretty hot.

 I'm infatuated with this fabric that reminds of a certain Jackson Pollack I adore.

Jay MacCarrol fabric

"New York Downtown"

Timeless Treasures House

Valori Wells Fabric

If anyone is out there, thanks for reading. It felt good to blog again and I hope to share pictures of the stuff I'm making with this fabric I bought yesterday. :)

Its 1.1.11

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Make a wish! It's 11:11 1/1/11

oooooooh.

I started a 365 project!
http://365project.org/

The 365 project is a free online photography site that allows you to post a picture a day, every day for 1 year. My friend Tania introduced this to me and I'm hooked! It's definitely easier than blogging every day, I already takes pictures everywhere I go, AND I can't wait to see my year in pictures come January 1, 2012. :) I'm suuuper excited!
Here are some of my pics so far.

Boston was soooo beautiful for the New Year!

This one is titled " I heart Cute Tips"

I just bought ramekins, googled a recipe making sure to look for something titled "EASY", and viola! 2 hours later sans torch, Creme Brulee.:P

Our new puppppeeeeee! His name is Cheech so far.

Here is an invite if you want to follow me:

http://365project.org/invite/r/84d903c464

I will follow you as soon as you sign up!

Music fills the Soul

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When I can't get on Pandora, I tune into my blog! I use Playlist.com

I added about 30 songs today, everything from Duke Ellington, to Angie Stone, to Chaka Khan, to FLoetry, to Maxwell and my favorite, India.Arie.

Enjoy!

Flower post...sorta.

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So uh...what's floral about this post? I'm talking dahlias, leaves, vines, branches, trees...birds rest or eat these things so they are in it too. HEEE! I know it makes no sense but-whatevs! :)

I was innocently reading my emails and low and behold a single picture in my GILT email captured my eye...monstrera leaf earrings by Wendy Mink.
$108

$98

I came across a site called Max&Chloe and just went to town flipping through endless pages of fabulous jewelry.

I need this Dahlia necklace on my neck now.
Kris Nations you are the ish. She's got some killer jewelry on there, like the succulent earrings and the orchid cuff. This baby is $105.

Carrie Saxl ...I need to high five you when I see you.
I could wear everything that is in the CS collection.

$90

Oh! Be still my heart.
These bad boys need to be mine. Instead of being girly and sighing or oohing...I cursed.
*shrug* I said " OH FUUUUUDGE", except I didn't say Fudge...
{shout out to Ralphie from a Christmas Story!} $100

How darling are these??? I don't even use "darling" in my monthly vocab..I mean goodness, this necklace is just the cutest thing ever. $85

This is too cute! $100


This is a Blue Bijoue Vine necklace that I <3.>

Then I found these on Etsy and I took a big gulp. I looove them.
$16

I don't even wear barrettes but I'm considering growing out my bangs or forcing my daughter to wear them so I can live vicariously through her. :P
$6

{Etsy}


I want to go shopping now and I just SWORE I was done. :/

These two I would love a replica of for now...I don't exactly have a cool $10k for this set. I am on the hunt for a blue set of earrings and cocktail ring and this is the year I find it since I have been looking for a perfect set since 2008. I missed my opportunity just 3 months ago.
Long story that I will save for another post.

Ron Hami $4345 for the Earrings and $5900 for the ring. *sigh*


BTW, if you are not a part of GILT, check it out and shoot me an email and I will send you an invite :)

Unlikely pairing, I know.

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Sooooo here's the thing. I really don't like carnations. I think it has to do with the fact that when I was going through floral classes, I had to use them in everything. I really hated them, but there are two exceptions for me.

1. When they are in unusual colors or if they are bi-color.
Like these- what color would you say=> white and purple?
White and deep wine? I don't even know what color these carnations are but me likes.


2. In mass, as in my hot pink pomander wedding earlier this year.

Some will shun me for this bouquet, but I really loved these purple bi color carnations and the imported peonies in December were dying for me to buy them. I bought the peonies, $5 a stem(wholesale) and since I had some leftover statice, some roses, lisianthus, and spray roses- I threw together a bouquet for a friend of mine.

I kinda dug it.;)

Sadly these peonies never opened passed this{BOOOO!} but that's what I get for buying imported Peonies out of season. Too good to be true I suppose, like eggnog for the Fourth of July; it's just not right.

On a Personal Note...

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I'm really shocked.

I can't believe I only posted 35 times last year. ONE HUNDRED post less than last year.
I'm beside myself.
But there is an explanation, so are you ready?
I suck.

Okay, no that's not it, it's just really hard to know where to start. Let me work my way backwards. As my profile alleges, I am a student. Weddings by day, student by night so to speak. I study my brains out when the kiddos sleep and on the weekends I play with flowers. I have been doing it for the past two years, and this year I transferred to UC Berkeley. Since I have a big family, I can't exactly live on campus so I commute 2 hours a day there, make it back home in time to pick up kids, and then get on with my mommy duties.

It's freaking hard.

There's no way around it, Cal is challenging. I had 7 readers and what felt like a gazillion papers due and they were not easy. So when you factor in my classes, my homework, my emails, my brides, my wedding, my vendors, the walk-throughs, the consultations, the prep work and labor, the set ups, the husband, the kids, their homework, their school stuff, and all the other basic life stuff we all go through. Needless to say I was overwhelmed. Then my grandfather got sick, then we experienced a death of several family members, then I got sick. That's about as far as I will go with it, but you get the idea.
I had a decision to make by September and it was not pretty. I had to basically let everything go and take care of myself, seriously take care of myself, and then take care of the remaining brides I had and get through mid terms and finals.

I survived.

I made it to the end of my semester and I completed all my big beautiful weddings and I kept my sanity and worked on my health. Thank God for my husband, he helped out and supported me like you wouldn't believe. I looked up and realized, I had 1300 emails in my inbox, I left a lot business on the table, I let a lot of opportunities for collaborations, guest blog spots, publications, contests, and potential clients go. Not to mention personally, I sacrificed a lot. Professionally and personally I was stretched too thin and burning the candles at both ends.
But fast forward to now; I got my act together, cleared my calender, set up a vacation and here I am!! BACK with a vengeance. I came close to giving it all up in order to focus on one thing but the tide has turned and I'm healthier, and that is a BIG part of what made me realize I love what I do and I can't give it up. In the time I was gone for my vacation in Boston I received 19 inquiries for weddings(!) and I am in the process of returning emails now. FINALLY!

Thanks for checking in on my little blog, thanks to those who stuck with me and those who I will work with in the future. I appreciate your business and I hope to start posting my little heart out very soon! I have a lot of weddings to catch up on and a lot of photographers to contact so you may see a random October wedding or Thanksgiving post or even a summer wedding show up.

To add to all this we got a puppy for my mama, a Jack Russel Terrier, but something tells me he is going to be our puppy since he's so cute and I'm the one taking him to Puppy Prep Academy and raising him until I go back to school. Isn't he a cutie pie?

{photo by Rig Galvez}

coral peony Kuga Designs by breemira · 365 Project

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coral peony Kuga Designs by breemira · 365 Project
I just started a 365 project, yay!