My life often seems like a dream, like a crazy story that I am actually living. The weirdest things happen here daily. I am really thankful for my open door -open heart policy. Several weeks ago I received this email…
In the Subject line it said “From Russia With Love” ( I thought it was spam)
Good day, Holly
My name is Olga and I’m from Moscow, Russia (this phrase looks exactly like a perfect beginning of any letter which we learnt form English – Russian grammar books J ). Somewhat a year ago I accidentally came across your website and blog in some LJ community. I was simply astonished by the combination of flowers that you compile, the style and beauty of your wedding bouquets. Now my every morning starts with fresh news from your blog (which google translator kindly translate into Russian for me): latest wedding photo reports, your troubles with suppliers and the process of making bouquets.
Each day I’m amazed by your energy, imagination and the team you formed. Each wedding that you create flower decoration for looks like a theater play or a book with its own story and characters.
Recently me and my friend Tania opened an internet bouquets store (here is the link www.flowerbazar.ru). Almost a year we incubate this project and during this time we both got married and on our own experience realized how hard it is to find a fresh, stylish bouquet even in Moscow, not mentioning some smaller cities of Russia. This was the last point where we decided to solve the problem radically – and created our own on-line flower shop where we try to make simple but beautiful bouquets at realistic prices.
In future we definitely want to grow and do wedding floristic as well as decoration of various ceremonies and parties because it gives us an opportunity to implement our creative ideas into life, make people happy and make events bright and memorable.
So now all my above writing leads to the following point: from October 22 to November 6 me, Tania and our husbands will be un US in a road-aferwedding trip across your country. And I thought that I can not miss this chance to meet you in person! I do not want to insist, of course, but perhaps it can be possible that you can show some short master-class for me and Tania or perhaps we can take part and watch how you do your preparations for some upcoming event? We would love to agree to any form of communication with you, if you allow it.
So we are waiting for you answer.
And once again thank you for the ideas and creation that you give to people all over the world!
Olga Beleckaya
Is this amazing or what? How could anyone be reading my little blog in Russia and why would anyone want to come here? I quickly wrote them back and explained that I was a normal person, a home based business with a bunch of kids and they said “we know we read your blog everyday” but they still wanted to come. So today was the day, and in spite of any fear I may have had about letting some Russians stop by, I opened the door and I let them right in. These four young people were beautiful inside and out and it was such an honor and true pleasure to be a stop on their journey through the United States. I am not sure how a trip to Holly Chapple’s house gets on the agenda of people touring the United States but sure enough they fit me in, right after NYC, Boston, Niagara Falls, New Orleans, Miami, Key West, and Holly Chapple. I told you this was crazy!!!!!!
This was SO MUCH FUN!!!!!! All four of them were truly interested in this business and I was completely enthralled with them. I showed them how I stored my props, showed them images, showed them how I buy and they literally video recorded the whole visit. I even discussed with them the importance of their husbands being supportive as the girls moved towards their goal. These husbands were wonderful. What a fabulous pleasure to meet these young people, I am so thankful for this blog and the many gifts it brings me!!! My new friends brought me caviar and a beautiful little Russian nesting doll, each doll was holding a different type of flower. I feel like a movie star!!!
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I am pretty excited about how this day turned out. Right after our new Russian friends left I did a fun little fall photo shoot with photographer Geneveieve Lieper and after that I headed to DC to do today’s wedding at the Carnegie Science Institute.
This was my beautiful bride right after I gave her her bouquet!!! This wedding was so important to me because the brides parents chose me on behalf of the bride and groom and I knew this was an incredible honor. I loved working with this family and I loved today’s designs.
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Here are a few more beauties waiting “in the cooler” for tomorrows weddings.
Good night Russia, good night USA, good night Chapple family!! Whoops, one last thing… I am counting on a man named Russ from chicago to pull a miracle out of a hat for me!!! Are you reading this Russ, where are my anemones???????????????????