My Mom brought over another vase full of fresh picks from her garden early this week (a regular thing this time of year) and amongst the collection of black eyed Susan's, zinnias, and dahlias were the most striking color of blue blooms I've ever seen. I asked her what they were, and for the first time maybe ever, she didn't know! They were wild, and she thought that maybe they were catnip? Whatever they were, they were as pungent as they were pretty.
When Madewell approached me about doing an event in their store, I jumped at the opportunity! I didn't know much about their initiative to support local artists and businesses, but I sure did know about their clothing, their totes, and their accessories! Can anyone really have too many totes? I don't think so.
Read MoreSo it should be getting pretty obvious that the paper anniversary is my new favorite thing. Helping couples celebrate their first anniversary is fun on its own—absolutely! But add to that the co-conspirator factor when I get to work in stealth mode to surprise an unsuspecting party, and I'm in heaven!
Read MoreOn Wednesday my Mom popped over with a pristine Magnolia bloom that she and her neighbor had plucked from a tree in her yard (that story involved golf clubs—don't ask). We had talked about how I'd wanted to try one of these for a while, but my neighbor's trees had all stopped blooming, and the photos I'd grabbed of their blooms were also infested with beetles (they've been a real problem out here this year!). So she knew I had been on the lookout for a good model–and boy did she deliver!
Read MoreIt's time for another paper anniversary reveal!
When Brett sent me the photo of his wife's wedding bouquet, my adrenaline started pumping. There's nothing I love more than a good challenge—and this arrangement came loaded with tricky blooms!
Read MoreOver the weekend my husband and I were wandering through the produce section of the grocery store wondering what to make for dinner that night (as we do) when my eyes started to drift towards the flowers (as they do). I quickly darted to the display to grab one lone little bundle of the most adorable dahlias—just sitting there neglected in a stray bucket. By far the best thing I've seen at a grocery store in a while!
Read MoreI'm not a huge fan of lilies—I have a fight or flight response to their fragrance, and because of that, I avoid them at all costs. Calla lilies have always intrigued me, but by association, I never pay them much attention. A custom order I'm working on called for a few, and once I dug in, I realized the fun I could have with their clean lines and a blank canvas.
Read MoreLast week I had the absolute privilege of sending out an extraordinary first-anniversary gift to help a couple celebrate their first anniversary despite the fact they weren't going to be able to spend it together. While deployed this wonderful man reached out to me to see if I could help him surprise his bride with a unique bouquet.
Read MoreI often challenge myself by picking out fresh flowers at the market and seeing whether or not I can recreate them with my paper. When these experiments work out, I'm exhilarated—but then what?
Read MoreA few weeks ago I had the pleasure of chatting with the creative force behind Richmond's newest lifestyle blog, RVA Living. She asked me some great questions about how I manage my multiple businesses, where I look for inspiration, and if I could name my favorite flower—so hard!
Read MoreJust before the fourth my friend Amanda, who owns and runs Hummingbird Gardens, announced that she had an extra large harvest for her weekly deliveries. Being that I'm continually inspired by what she's growing (I actually used her photos as a reference for my cosmos!), I arranged to get one of her gorgeous buckets of flowers that week.
Read MoreThrough my career as a designer, I've had the opportunity to meet many impressive and ambitious entrepreneurs. None have ever impressed me as much as Christina Dick, owner of TFB Agency, a social media and public relations strategy company here in Richmond. She takes the concept of drive to a whole new level!
Read MoreEarlier this month I had the honor of being featured by my Alma Mater, the University of Richmond, via their new Alumni platform Spider Pride. Here's the intro to their piece, which you can find here.
Read MoreSummer is the time to toss the rules aside and have some fun. Here's to bold colors, oversized blooms, and wild creations!
Read MoreThis custom order had been arranged well ahead of schedule, so I was excited to get to work on it after I returned from my vacation in May. After hanging out with my childhood best friends and celebrating our impending 40th birthdays, I also realized that this gift is putting all of the birthday gifts I've given to shame! Talk about a real show-stopper!
Read MoreRight before Mother's Day, I got an email from a friend of mine about a custom order. She and her wife were about to celebrate their first anniversary and she wanted to know if I had any flowers, or if I could make something similar to the flowers they had in their bouquets. "I'm sure you know that the traditional gift for the first anniversary is paper, so I thought this would be perfect.", she wrote. Well, I have to admit, up until this point I had never put these pieces together. I sure am glad that Caroline did, because she's right—this is a brilliant gift idea!
Read MoreA few weeks ago I had a lovely chat with an editor at Richmond Magazine who was nice enough to write a little blurb about Paper Rose in the current issue of Richmond Bride. Issues are available with Richmond Magazine subscriptions or on newsstands now!
Read MoreFor month's I've been thinking about what I wanted to do for this collection. Mother's Day is an excellent occasion to send flowers—and paired with the time of year when it seems like everything is coming into bloom—it's the perfect storm of inspiration.
Read MoreFor this collection, I focused on flowers that come and go pretty quickly this time of year (if you can get your hands on them at all) and the fresh pops of color we're all longing for after a dull gray winter.
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