Phew!

If you follow along with me on social media, you might see it’s been quite the summer. I’m finally home from weeks (…ok, months) of traveling. And while I’m enjoying my own bed for a change, I’m also filled with the satisfaction of time well spent on the road, educating, participating in conferences, and making new friends and connections. 

Here’s a quick recap of where I’ve been, and what’s coming next!

Private Team Trainings

This summer I got to do one of my favorite things as an educator. I visited two different design studios (Hedge Fine Blooms in Virginia and Debbie’s Bloomers in Texas), and worked with their teams to teach color theory, spiral bouquet techniques, design trends, and more. I loved dropping into their spaces and customizing a curriculum that aligns with their work culture, their brand, and their business goals. In the coming weeks, I’ll dive deeper into this offering and how it worked with each business so keep an eye out for that on the blog!

In August, I taught TWO(!!!!), back-to-back Hands-On Bouquet Bootcamp® workshops in Dallas at the lovely Floral Bar. It’s so exciting to see my Bouquet Bootcamp® workshop flourish in its new two-day format. It gives me the opportunity to really dig deep into color theory, as well as mindset, spiral bouquet techniques, and design challenges. A big thank you to Mayesh Wholesale, our floral partner for providing such top-notch products and amazing customer service. I can’t wait to show you all the photos from Kate Panza Photography and give you the full workshop recap coming soon!

2022 Calflowers Fun N’ Sun Convention

This was my first time at this convention AND the first time they included hands-on education so I was honored to be invited to teach hand-tied bouquets to designers, wholesalers, growers, and more. 
We had two very diverse classes! I will recap the whole experience soon, including a breakdown of #thatflowerfeeling which you don’t want to miss. The short version is that I connected with top-tier industry vendors, farmers, and professionals and got a preview of new products from Chrysal and Sun Valley (their new ilex berry blew my mind). Afterward, I sat down with Debra Prinzing and recorded an episode for her Slow Flowers podcast (which you can check out here), so it was a very meaningful trip!

AIFD Symposium 

In addition to teaching around the country, I also attended the AIFD Symposium. At AIFD, I had the great pleasure of assisting my friend Susan McLeary on her main stage presentation designs along with a team of wonderful designers. I was also asked to present on behalf of the Society of American Florists to share a short presentation on my experience over Covid called “No Guts, No Glory”. Several presenters shared moving stories of how they survived the toughest parts of Covid and how they overcame challenges to get through it all. Next year AIFD is being held in Chicago, one of my favorite places, so I can’t wait to head back!

SAF Convention

At the SAF Convention, I enjoyed the privilege of just being an attendee but got to partake in many of the activities, see loads of friends and make new connections. Some of the highlights were seeing several friends be inducted into PFCI and win industry awards, hanging with the Next Gen Crew and I got to be a part of a skit with FlowerClique. 

Looking Forward

It was such a busy, fulfilling summer but I’m grateful to be home. Right now, I’m leaning into the (comparative) slowdown, taking the time I can to listen to and nurture my body (catching up on doctor’s appointments, rest, and home-cooked meals). Putting myself and my family in focus is helping me balance and combat burnout. Together, we are looking forward to a trip to Hawaii to celebrate before the year ends.

Being able to prioritize family time is helping me stay focused, positive, and excited about all we have coming. Most importantly, we’re finishing up our Bouquet Bootcamp® Virtual Experience. This is an exciting way to share my Bouquet Bootcamp® without the travel needed, right from your home or studio. This will be my final Bootcamp offering with a hands-on component for the year, so be sure to sign up so you can go into 2023 with some solid education under your belt! 

Thanks for looking back with me and hope to see you soon!