Today I switched a co-worker shifts, since her boyfriend's birthday is today, and her shift is 12-8.  So I had time to get an oil change in my car early today.  I came home and ate some avocado toast and thought about writing.

The above beauty is Kent's Beauty oregano, and I am absolutely and completely smitten with it.  I think I may have finally found myself as a flower.  It's always interesting what people think about themselves, and what others think about them - does it ever match up, or do we always see ourselves a bit differently then the rest of the world does?  This week I am flowering oregano and it just makes me really happy.

Fast forward to 6:30pm, because I lost track of time and am blogging at work now.  The poppy in the above photo lasted but a minute, but my goodness it was beautiful for a minute.

I just got some headshots back in my email from a finance workshop that I attended in Manhattan a few months ago.  I had short hair then, brand new short hair, so now I can use current photos for my website.  I'm happy about that - and that a really fabulous photographer was generous to donate her skills to take the portraits.

I have lots of thoughts in my head all the time, and am unsure of how to edit and write them in a way that is easy to receive online.  I want to talk about so many topics: local flowers, finance, client relations, how much I love flowers, freelancing experiences, and more.  Perhaps I'll just title different posts with each of those topics, and categorize from there by bullet point.  That may honestly be the easiest way. 

The battle against fruit flies

Since it's now summertime and there's an abundance of fruit, and despite my fastidious efforts in keeping a clean kitchen, we have fruit flies.  They are intensely irritating and seem to be resilient against our apple cider vinegar traps, but progress has been made in the body count thus far.

My parents just left from visiting for the weekend.  I wish that I could take Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and just smash together the best parts of each city, and then my family wouldn't be so far away.  They're not even that far.  But six hours can feel like a pretty long drive sometimes.  Especially with a meowing cat, a mouth-breathing cat (has anyone else experienced how creepy it can look?  I know that they're just using a mouth gland to get a better sense of surroundings, but still!), and a husband who requires the car to stop at least once during the trip.  I'd rather just take it as a straight shot.

My first ever arch, above.  I'm a bit annoyed that it's taken this long to be given permission to make one alone.  Regardless, I think I like how it turned out.  It was a lesson in restraint.  Some of the mechanics with the arch itself prevented me from adding more flowers, but despite this setback, the clients were still thrilled.  So it's that interesting line dividing what we THINK is expected versus what will actually be expected from the client.  Luckily, things worked out really well this time.

Foxglove, just because.  

This orchid friend was a new one at Longwood.  My parents always just enjoy walking around and admiring their grounds, so off to the gardens we went.  It's fun just walking and talking.

Another test in patience is obtaining freelance work - and continuing to obtain freelance work.  I was booked solid in June, and am working for the shop on Friday to round it out.  I hadn't had a freelance job since about three months ago in early April.  It seemed like a big gap, and I'd like that to change.  Consistent freelance work makes me use different skills more frequently, and I love seeing how other people work.  It makes me think a lot.  For future freelance jobs, I need to remember to actually load music onto my iPhone, and bring headphones though.  On the majority of freelance jobs I've done, I've been given a bit of guidance and then left to my devices for the next 7 hours.  Sometimes in a room alone, which I actually really enjoy.  Then I just get to hang out with flowers.  But I might want James Taylor to join us next time.

New website soon?  I'm trying.

Chopped

About a month ago, I decided to cut my hair off.  I put it in a ponytail and cut above the elastic, and over three days, it became progressively shorter and looked better and better.  Chris helped me a lot with the back of my head.  And by help, I mean he stood there and reassuringly said that it looked just fine as I continued using the clippers to take more off.  

I've wanted to try short hair for awhile now.  Last year I was growing my hair as long as possible for our wedding, just because I presumed if I had more hair, there was a better chance that I'd have more hairstyle options for the day.  But I feel like my hair just kind of stops growing at a certain point.  Or just really slows down.

That's the opposite with short hair.  I have to trim it every week right now because it grows so fast and starts looking a bit too much like a mullet.  We're still refining the style I suppose.  But I really like it.  

The above photo was taken about a week and a half ago at a wedding on Long Beach Island that I was fortunate to freelance on.  Amy at Leaves of Grass Floral Design is a sweet soul that I met just under a year ago, and she hired me to freelance for the event.  Working a gigantic event with her and the rest of the team was a wonderful experience - just think branches upon branches upon branches.  And the most beautiful local flowers as well.  There's a lot to be said for sourcing flowers locally - the  overall quality is truly unparalleled.  That might be a discussion for another post.  But for now, just trust me. 

It's funny because my cousin actually was married five years ago at the same venue.  Luckily, instead of the over-hundred-degree temperatures that I experienced before, the week was mostly overcast and cold.  Perfect weather to arrange flowers at a beach house.  We didn't even use the air conditioning, just opened the windows.  It was perfect.

Freelancing has been so educational for me in the past year.  Luckily, I've been able to work for some amazing florists while also working at the flower shop that I'm at full time.  We're in the middle of a busy wedding season at the shop already, and we're not slowing down until mid-July.  Sometimes I wonder about the sustainability and heart behind the back to back to back weddings that we produce. I especially wonder how I'd like to run things once I'm on my own.

I think that I'm also benefitting from seeing other florists in action because then I'm able to analyze how they work.  Not only how they design, but how they interact with others, and how they run their show.  The back end of business, the numbers and logistics, are really fascinating to me.  I want to write about those things, but I'm not sure if it's worth it, or who will read it.  Sometimes having the thoughts in my head is enough, but then when I'm ready to talk, few people actually are comfortable talking about those things.  Perhaps I'm just trying to share a ton of industry "secrets" and steal information from others.  If you're paranoid and insecure, that sounds about right.  

If there's one thing that I've learned recently, it's that there is more than enough business to go around.  This is evidenced by the amount of inquiries for weddings at the shop that I have to refer elsewhere.  Some weekends, we are booked completely solid and just cannot take another wedding.  And no, not even the inquiries that insist they "don't need much...just a bride's bouquet, 4 bridesmaids, boutonnieres, and ten centerpieces plus delivery to (insert location 30+ miles away)."  

Hopefully soon, I'll be launching a new website with a new blog for myself.  It's almost ready - maybe by Friday if I feel ambitious.  We've also been apartment hunting, and I'll be telling the horror stories of that soon as well.

Flowers to Hospice

Since I've been posting a lot recently on my Instagram account about flowers that are headed to hospice units, I wanted to explain a bit more about what hospice is, and why I care so much about it.

Hospice is very different from any other traditional medical care.  The focus of hospice is not treatment, but quality of life for those with terminal conditions, typically with 6 months or less to live.  Maximizing comfort is the priority.  Hospice care will not only be provided for 6 months if the person exceeds that projection, but hospice care will be provided so long as doctors can verify that the client's condition remains limiting to their life span.

Talking about the process of dying is really difficult for lots of people.  I'm not one of those people.  My dad died when I was in elementary school, and I've had lots of close relatives die since then.  My family throughout my life has been very up-front about death, and it's not really something scary to me.  Probably because it was discussed frankly and not drenched in religion - but all that aside, I find our life processes fascinating and am interested in them.

We've had lots of brides at the shop recently request that their reception flowers be donated to hospice care - any hospice care.  Often, hospice care is provided in the client's home, but there are several inpatient wards throughout Philadelphia.  Every Monday, I go visit one 15 bed unit to fill bud vases with leftover wedding flowers (we always have a ton), and just yesterday I went to another unit in South Philadelphia to donate to a specific unit that the bride is associated with.

You would think that I was delivering a million dollars.

Staff and volunteers get so excited to see the flower deliveries, and I suppose families and patients do as well - I don't have a ton of interaction with the clients of the hospice.  

I would like to think that bringing a bit of nature into a medical setting has a positive impact.  Showing something bright in a stark, clinical setting can really improve someone's mood, even incidentally.  But I think that donating flowers to hospice is a really small way to communicate care for others in our community.  Lots of people don't know much about hospice, and I feel like it's kind of a no-man's-land.  

Suggested reading and watching below.  I've personally viewed or read all of these and recommend them to anyone who is interested in learning more.

Documentary: How to Die in Oregon

TED Talk: There's a better way to die and architecture can help

Books:

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

The Good Death: The New American Search to Reshape the End of Life

There is Value in Education

When I was looking around the Philadelphia area for florists that I wanted to contact, I got a crash course in floral design style differences.  In other larger cities, you'll see people whose portfolio is almost exclusively blush and soft neutrals, round balls of blooms in bouquets.  You'll also see some folks who do more modern styles, with color-blocking and tropical flowers.  I could go on and name about 10 other signatures among the florist community here, but there was only one thing that I was looking for when I was reading everyone's website and blog, looking through their portfolio multiple times: what do I want to do?

In contacting floral designers for a potential meeting, I contacted people whose style seemed to be something that I liked, and that I would want to try a hand at.  There were tons of people that I didn't email, because I do not want to immerse myself in certain styles.

As I read websites and anything I could find on dozens of florists, I would read interviews that those florists had done for others, and all of their backlogs in their blog.  And something that I found to be a common theme was really sad to me.  Tons of these folks have flat-out said or written that they would not ever hire someone who had any previous floral experience.  These are probably (actually absolutely are) some of the people who didn't return my emails, but I won't name names.

The fascinating thing is that a ton of these folks, who will not hire anyone with experience, teach workshops and classes.  What dissonance.

Workshops and classes are a great way to hone techniques, learn new things, ask questions, and meet other people who are interested in similar things as you.  Workshops are also a nice way to simply try new things, without having to please a client.  They are valuable.

Then I suppose the issue is defining what "floral design experience" actually means.  Does it mean you took a class once?  That you interned or apprenticed for three months?  That you were an employee to someone else?

Stay with me here.

Relating to education for floral design, I've also noticed another interesting phenomenon.  Lots of industry folk, not even specifically people in floral design, have something on their bio that reads to the effect of "has trained with top industry leaders/premier so-and-so/top-rated whomever/luxury something in (insert nonspecific region here)" to validate their expertise in their field.

But what does that even mean?

Does it mean you took a class once?  Foes it mean you interned or apprenticed for three months?  That you were an employee to someone else?  That you were an employee to someone else?  That you met someone at an event and are extrapolating and stretching your expertise?  That you freelanced for someone?

So then the issue is being specific about the extent of your training.  

I just think it is fascinating that there can be such ambivalence all around about education level.  But I find it relevant and interesting because I am a former teacher, and I believe that education is everything.  Education has the power to change your life.

I feel there is value in education, and that it should be rewarded.  Not treated as a detriment.

That being said, I must acknowledge that attitude is a trait that is independent of educational level.  Meaning that your knowledge of any skill is of little value if you are unable to amend your application of techniques and skills in a kind and humble manner.  Especially if you are working for someone else's studio, or are under the tutelage of someone else.

When my new website goes live, there will be a link or page of some sort that will have a listing of my relevant experience, and the extent of that experience.  Workshops and classes will be listed and skills learned at each will be explained.  Any freelance jobs will also be posted, but I'm not sure what the best way to list those might be yet.  Perhaps just a list titled "Has freelanced for" will suffice.  But it will be transparent and complete.

So go examine your website, and your attitude.  How does education and the value of continuing education fit in with what you are communicating to others?

We Have No Budget

would you create

something amazing for us

we have no budget

Screenshot from Instagram, from @newrafael (Reposted from @brrch_floral)

When I saw this picture on Instagram, I immediately thought to myself, "Wow, what a great thing for a client to say to you!  No budget?  The sky is the limit!  Now what can I suspend from the ceiling...and how many bunches of sweet peas would be the best."

And then, I noticed the little quips, and silly emoji faces that people had tagged their friends with.  I then realized that people were tagging fellow creatives in a tongue-in-cheek manner.  They took "no budget" as minuscule budget.  Which is more frequently the norm.  And kind of a bummer - on the end of the client and the professional.  

It's no secret: small budgets for large events with big dreams is not easy.  And it's also not really fun to be limited in any way, especially if your client's budget directly affects how much zing and flourish you initially think can go into making their flowers amazing.

Notice that I said initially.  Sometimes after meeting with a client, you need to continue to process the information they've given you, and really hunker down to get the right proposal to them.  I'm sure there are brides and grooms out there who also need to decompress after their many meetings prior to the wedding day.

If you have an budget with no end, then that's awesome!  Email me and we'll knock it out of the park.

But I do have a few suggestions and some intel for folks who may have a smaller budget and want to stretch it as far as possible.  I know several flower folk who agree with these ideas, but I'll bet there are even more out there that I don't know, who have great tips as well.

First, understand the limitation of your budget.  This is part of being self aware, but also part of being realistic.  I am a lot of both of those things.  You may not be able to give each of your eight bridesmaids a substantial bouquet.  Perhaps they carry smaller posies instead.  Giving each groomsmen, father, grandfather, uncle, usher, and chuppah holder a boutonniere could also chip away very slowly and very innocuously into your budget.  Maybe only the groom gets a bout.  That way, he looks snazzy in pictures and gets a little something, since you still get your bridal bouquet.  Maybe you want to allocate more money towards the floral arch that the ceremony and all family photos will be taken in front of, as opposed to a large escort table arrangement.  That's fine too.  You may only get normal, clear glass container votive candles, as opposed to the more pricy rental mercury glass votives.  The candles will still light the table all aglow.  

Second, be flexible with your florist.  Any florist that I've spoken to out there has tons of tips and tricks for ensuring that you get the overall look that you want, without sacrificing your wallet.  Your florist should be happy to edit the proposal as you see fit, but ultimately, they are the expert.  Be honest with them and listen to their recommendations.  

Last of all, I think a positive attitude can go a really long way.  This is a tip for everyone out there.  It's about finding the right florist/caterer/planner/whoever to deliver their magic to you on the wedding day.  Entering into every meeting with a hopeful outlook will go a far way, along with determining if the professional partnership together is a good idea.  For example, I was contacted the other week for a wedding (would have been my first wedding booking ever!) and I had to turn it down.  There were lots of reasons, and I may talk about the ideal client some other time on this blog, but I decided that I was not the best person for their needs.  I referred them to two other florists that would have been more suitable for their wedding, and gave them some helpful (I hope) advice in finding the right florist.  But I still treated them with kindness and heard them out, and hopefully, they don't hate me.  Despite turning their business away, I was still positive with them.  

Whatever your budget, you can have beautiful flowers at your wedding.  It's just a matter of figuring out the best setup and design for the day overall, and working together to refine the proposal.

Any thoughts?  Questions?  Email at alyssa.yukevich@gmail.com

[In other news, I'll be working on my new website for a bit this afternoon!  Get ready to see that by the end of May!]

Little Flower School: Bouquet Intensive, February 2015

I braved a snowstorm two months ago to return home from Brooklyn.  Seriously.  It took 4.5 hours to make it back to Philadelphia, in some really crappy weather.  The drive up only took about 1.5 hours, and it is a really good thing that I had a full tank of gas.

Intimate flower arranging and coffee sipping occurred, as only five ladies, myself included, registered for the class.  Held at the Saipua studio in Red Hook, a wonderfully gorgeous day unfolded indoors as snow fell gently outside.  Sarah and Nicolette were wonderfully kind teachers, but didn't skimp on the constructive criticism in order to better our work.  Attending Little Flower School was a dream of mine for awhile, and I am pleased that I was able to attend a class with the instructors.  Ultimately, I would love to attend a private class with Sarah - I will be accepting donations to my continuing education fund on a rolling basis.

Choosing the color palette was actually my favorite part of this bouquet.  My ideal client is definitely flexible on color, because sometimes the most beautiful flowers available are not the color you're expecting.  The dark purple lace flower and the glowing pink ranunculus are not typically a combination in the shop that I work at, let alone pairing them with umbrella fern.

Fritillaria is one of the most interesting flowers that I've learned about in some time.  The petals have a checkerboard.  I mean, seriously.  That is interesting.

The side view.  Unf.

My second bouquet, after a delicious lunch and champagne, was way more challenging for me.

Having made a moody bouquet, I wanted to do something completely different.  But none of the foliage was speaking to me at all.  Odd, right.  I'm surrounded by abundant beauty in foliage form, and I don't like any of it at that moment.

So Nicolette said to just omit the foliage.  Her challenge to me was to make a bouquet without foliage, swirling color in way that variegated the bouquet from one color to the other.  

This bouquet would not have worked without the hyacinth.  See that it's both pink AND yellow?

And I should confess that I actually didn't want to use it.  I'm not used to hyacinth in bouquets.

But the hyacinth is necessary.