New adventure for BB....Bridal boutique photoshoots!!

In spring of 2011, Tanya Prosser, owner of Fairytale Occasions was working hard at clearing some of her stock of wedding dresses.  She put together a great crew to model her dresses.  Blushing Blooms had the pleasure of sending some bouquets for the photo shoot.  The results are pretty phenomenal!

For Fairytale Occasions Photography by Vince Cianci

 Makeup by Krystal Downer-Victoria Hair by Karen Smith Flowers by Blushing Blooms

Raising Spirits April 2010

Our dear friends son, 16, was suddenly diagnosed with an unusual cyst growing along his spinal cord which was eroding and very unstable.  This was a very scary time for all and everyone felt helpless.  Only time could tell.  The mom never left her sons bedside.  They spent many weeks at the hospital.  I didn't know how to help.

It was late one night and she sent me this lovely poem which the father who married or only the month before gave her.

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.

Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If nature allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

And we could never fly…
Thank you Father Joe for sharing this beautiful and fitting story

Kirsty still keeps this sitting on her kitchen window sil

Adam is a pretty cool 16 year old boy.  He loves rocking out on his guitar and skateboarding.  After his neck stabilized he was able to jam in the hospital.  After 3 surgeries Adam was returned home...doing ok all things considering.  He's not able to skateboard any more....but loves to rock on the guitar and see concerts with his friends.

Way to go Adam!! You rocked it!

Turquoise, gold, pink and purple: A unique challenge

I had a bride Suman find me on kijiji wanting very colourful and unique flowers for her East Indian wedding in 2010.  She wanted the bridesmaids to have hot pink kissing balls.  This was a great creative challenge!

The results:

I had to get really creative with gold paint and spray paint, turquoise nail polish and beads to help add the little extra punches of colour.

Back at it...focus: Weddings!!

So after my home office was repaired from the flood in spring of 2010, I began looking at a more targeted audience.  Brides!  Weddings seemed to be an easier target.  So fall 2010 I began putting together some sample bouquets to bring to wedding shows.

And the Creativity Began

Over the next few months after making Sarah's flowers I made a few beginning display items.  I tried going to small craft church sales with Kirsty Clarke (now Arevalo)~owner of Say it With Sweets and a Scentsy Independant Consultant.  But found I wasn't quite hitting my target.

Here a few items I made....most of them however got destroyed in a flood March 2010.

Hot pink peonies and lime green orchids

Yellow roses and black-eyed susans

Basket of pink peonies, ivy, white  

                                                                                        cherry blossoms and butterflies

Easter wreath with pink eggs

Purple orchids and moss

White carnations and pink lillies

White orchids, stones and sand

Orange hibiscus, sand and seashells

Happy St Patty's with green gerberas

 Happy Easter with yellow eggs and white carnations: My first sale  for charity

Some left over boutinierres from 2004

My first customer! January 2009~Sarah Nobert

Sarah had lost her grandmother and wanted something significant in her memory.  She wanted something to put by her grave.

Where to start.  Sarah knew she wanted pink roses and there had to be a robin.  Those were her grans favourite.

This is what I came up with

Sarah cried when she saw it.  It was a touching moment and to hear her describe what her gran would say about the roses was very sweet.  I don't think this ever did make it to the graveyard.

Jeff and Rachel's Destination Wedding, Oct 2009

The Beautiful Couple

The Gang

The Bridesmaids' Bouquet

The Brides Bouquet

Rachel asked me to help make her bouquets.  This was the greatest opportunity and motivation I needed to get in touch with my creative side.  She knew what colours she wanted and we went out and bought her flowers together.  Hot pink and orange lillies, white stephanotis, and hot pink roses were a must! Rachel loves hot pink and black and wanted to throw some other bright colours in too. 

I knew I had to make these bouquets rock.  So I added black tule to the bridesmaids' bouquets which contrasted nicely with the black flowers and different bright ranunculus. Turned out pretty awesome!

We managed to cram them in our suitcases, fluff them up a bit and they were good to go!  We brought them home and used them at the reception hall on the head table.  Turns out....silk flowers are PERFECT for destination weddings!