Its 7:13 a.m., and I am home after my trip to NYC with the Chapel Designers. I have packed school lunches, the wholesaler arrived just seconds ago with flowers, and so life begins again. In my heart, I am overwhelmed with a richness and fullness from this trip. I am so honored and encouraged that so many designers from across the country took this chance to “meet me in NYC.” I have the spirit, the energy, and the desire to continue on because of all of the designers I met. On several occasions I was called the “flower mama”; if this is the next phase of my life, I will take it. There were so many moments about this trip that were surreal, and in these particular moments, I would experience an overwhelming feeling of gratitude I have never experienced before in my career. Here are the things that I will cherish forever. Greeting the designers for the first time at the door of Matthew Robbins, realizing that so many had come because they trusted and believed in me and in themselves (faith works!!). Loving on each designer and meeting them for the first time or seeing my old friends filled me up from my nose to my toes. Looking around the beautiful design studio of Matthew Robbins and seeing what can be born from the designing of flowers was so inspiring. Matthew’s kindness is so memorable because there is a warmth in his studio that cannot be fabricated; it comes from the real people working in this space, as Matthew and his staff are indeed very gentle and kind.

Seeing Evan in the crowd everywhere I went was a new and exciting experience; his belief in me, in us, and the Chapel designers was awesome, and his presence made me realize that we really are a team now.

On Monday morning when I walked quietly into the conference room, I stood there all alone and I nearly wept. I remembered so clearly asking to see the conference room of the hotel last year just before we left the hotel to go home. I dared in that moment to believe that we would return and fill that conference room (faith works!!).

Spending the day with the savvy and very spunky Tara Guerard simply took me back to 3 years ago when I first heard her speak. I am so proud of how far I have come in 3 years. Thank you Wedding 360 for hosting me in San Francisco, you most certainly started a desire in me to learn and to teach.

The excitement and gratitude I feel when I see my friend David Beahm is always a surreal experience. I know I can trust him and I am always thankful for him. His candid and very honest lecture that he gave the designers was poetic and powerful. I believe in David and all that he stands for. Listen to your gut!!!

Spending time with my friends and the flowers was a true joy!! Finally meeting my cute sales representative Niv was really fun!!

Walking through the doors of Martha Stewart’s offices is a joy, a honor and a pleasure that will always make me feel giddy. Meeting Shira the Real Weddings editor for Martha Stewart was also a true pleasure, and I nearly died in the props closet. There were so many beautiful china patterns, vintage containers, cake stands, and yummy things I am longing for now. Our afternoon lecture when I stood in front of all my Chapel Designers will always be special to me, but in truth I was so tired at this point, I can barely remember a thing I said. I loved seeing Isha and Jenn share from their hearts, and hearing Daevid speak started new sparks for my business as well. Spending time on the rooftop of the hotel or in restaurants, loving each young and oh-so-sweet new little designer, or marveling at those designers that found the desire to begin careers with flowers later in life. I found many role models on this trip. Strolling the flower market and seeing what I so whole-heartedly love makes me so certain that I do what is inherently my passion. Being recognized in the flower market by a customer as Holly Chapple of The Full Bouquet Blog also absolutely thrilled the heck out of me; it shouldn’t, but it did!! Time with Ariella Chezar was intoxicating; being taught for the first time ever in my career and understanding that I have a true passion, and a thirst for more of this career was also enriching. I honestly stood there with beautiful flowers in my hand watching the most lovely lady design, and I felt high and completely relaxed. It was a fulfilling experience no drugs or alcohol could ever create. The beauty and simplicity of the Flower School of NY made me long for a little shop, but knowing that is not in my future I enjoyed my time there and I made a commitment and a promise to myself to return to the school to study again. Our lovely lunch at La Grenouille made me feel like a lady–not a mommy, or a worker bee, but a lady. In this amazing restaurant, where fresh flowers play an important and necessary role in the experience, I was blown away by perfect china, perfect service, perfect and totally fresh foods and flowers. My heart soared here!!! I have so many other moments and experiences that I will share as I continue to post about our trip but for now it’s back to work. We have two weddings this weekend, a bridal show, and a photo shoot.  This will be my year of education, my year to learn, my year to learn how to be a teacher!!! I have many more pictures and several more posts to write but this was one heck of a start!!

It’s now 4:06 in the afternoon and I can finally post this entry. My morning got terribly interrupted and before I knew it I was meeting with clients, suffered some heartache, and all of the pretty flowers I chose by hand yesterday at market were shipped to another designer in the Hamptons. We go from loving it, to OMGding it in minutes around here. I can only “walk in faith” or believe that “faith works” because I have the Chapel designers!!!