Mardi Gras Masqerade Masks

Hi friends!  It's been a wild couple of weeks.  Equal parts awesome and awful :/  Life can be really, really difficult sometimes, but God always sustains me and brings me to a place of joy.

One of the awesome things was this pretty purple Mardi Gras photo shoot, recently featured on Green Wedding Shoes.  My dear friend Christina of Simply Modern Weddings orchestrated this romantic, burlesque inspired shoot.  She asked me to create some male and female masquerade masks in shades of black, white, gold and purple.  I've never made a male mask before (kind of intimidating) but this was my chance.  It's tricky to make a mask masculine and luxe at the same time, but these handpainted masks with gold leaf accents worked out perfectly. Beautiful photos by Krista Mason photography.

Does this model look like Michelle Dockery from Downton Abbey to you, too?

All masks from this shoot recently listed in our Etsy shop!  

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Sisi's New Yellow Bedroom

I know by now what my daughter is into- yellow is her favorite color, she loves animals, the ocean and cars.  She is slightly girly in that she likes to paint her nails and wear tutus on occasion, but she is a tomboy in every other way.  This room strikes a nice balance I think.

Pale yellow walls, teal blackout curtains (had to double them up because one layer wasn't blocking out enough light), and bright pops of color.  We used mostly decor from her nursery, but it looks so fresh and new against the yellow walls.  It's amazing what a coat (or two or three) of paint can do!

A cute couple sells handmade platform beds on craigslist.  They whipped this up in less than a week and delivered it to us for less than 300.00.  Beat that, Ikea!

Her quilt is from Target and it says "Goodnight...Sleep Tight".  Quilts are easy to wash.  We don't do comforters in this house anymore. Also, you can see her magnetic sleep pad which Joe insists will keep her circadian rhythms on track and improve her sleep.  We have one under our bed, too.  Joe swears it has helped him overcome his insomnia.

The bookshelf that I made with my own two hands...

Joe is silly and changed the "SIENA" letters to "IN SEA."  He likes to play word scramble with them.

This is Bella, my mom's boston terrier. Dogs are allowed in Sisi's room only when she gives them permission.  I'm trying to make her room her own private respite from dogs and any future children we might have.

The stamped "quilt" I made looks darling over her antique teal dresser (another great craigslist find!)

The dresser has locking drawers, which is cool.  Until Sisi is a teenager and is hiding things from me.

Souvenirs from Mexico, and Sisi's first portraits :) 

I have a lot more decluttering to do in her closet.  It's mostly office/etsy stuff that I don't quite know what to do with now that our office is basically a kitchen island in the sunroom.  I left her a teeny bit of room for her dresses.  Good thing she has a minimal wardrobe :)

This teeny banner was a gift from Courtney of Joyful Joyful after I told her about my miscarriage.  The banner reminds me of the joy of Christ that fills our household even in the hard times.  I don't mean to bring up the MC all the time, but I can't help but think of it when I am in Sisi's new room.  The reason we got rid of our office and moved Sisi into it was because we were going to give Sisi's old room to Baby #2.  When we lost Baby #2, we decided to keep going on her new room.  It was actually cathartic to use my hands and energy to create and make new. Now her old room is empty and waiting.  We are all waiting...

BTW, Joe bought those Russian nesting dolls for Sisi's stocking.  Made a special trip to Laguna Beach for them.  Love that man so much!

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Sisi the Flower Girl (again!)

I absolutely treasure these pictures captured by Orange Turtle Photography of my dear friends Helen and Jordan's wedding.  I am having a hard time picking which ones to frame.   Orange Turtle is so so so good.  They also photographed my friend Kim's wedding (which was featured in The Knot Magazine!)

This dreamy sequence of me getting Sisi ready makes me daydream about the day when I'll be buttoning up her very own wedding dress and creating a special bridal bouquet just for her.  I'm sure the time will fly by faster than I can even imagine.

Helen wore a Petal and Thorn cathedral length veil, sprinkled with handmade hydrangea blossoms.  She looked beautiful!

I also got to put together some bouquets for the wedding in soft dusty pinks and purples.  It really was a joy!  The only stressful part was waiting for Joe to inch his way to San Diego in crazy traffic with a truck full of flowers on a very hot day.  I was worried Helen would have to walk down the aisle holding Sisi's flower girl wand :/  Thankfully, Joe made it just in time.  Thank you hubby!

juliet roses, blush lisianthus, blue scabiosa, lavender, hydrangea, eucalyptus and brunia

Sisi's walk down the aisle didn't go nearly as well as her first walk back in May.  She was pretty worn out from the drive down, and just wanted mommy to hold her.  But I was a bridesmaid, so I couldn't hold her. Then she had a meltdown during the entire ceremony and Joe had to lock themselves in the bathroom so as not to disrupt the ceremony.  Sheesh.

Luckily, the reception went pretty smoothly.  We toasted, we boogied, and we watched the cake cutting with great expectation. 

"mmmm cake!"

"mmmm cake!"

Thank you Helen and Jordan for sharing these images with me!  Helen, you have been the most supportive, loyal and protective friend these past 12 years. We are total opposites in many ways, but we have formed a lasting and true friendship.  I know you guys don't like your faces plastered all over the internet, so I tried to keep it vain and posted mostly pics of Sisi and me.  Just in case anyone is wondering why there are no pictures of the darling couple.  They are totally darling, just take my word for it. 

Such a happy day!  Thanks to Orange Turtle for capturing it so perfectly!

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Petal and Thorn Giveaway!

Inspired by This is giving away 100.00 to Petal and Thorn!!!

100.00!! Just for example, that could get you 7 of these hydrangea bobbies...

One of our handcrafted bow veils... 

 A masquerade mask for the ball... 

 A fascinator with golden details... 

BOTH of these feathery combs (one for the ceremony, one for the reception??)...

Or 3 of these mesmerizing peony flowers...

If you are wise, you will enter the giveaway now!!! 

*All photos by the incredible Juneberry Photo, except the last, from Rue Magazine.

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Thoughts on Being a Housewife

A special rose and scabiosa bouquet I made for a friend.

I retired from the floral business almost 3 years ago for many reasons.  I'm still asked often if I regret my decision or if I miss it at all.

I do miss it. I am and will always be *obsessed* with flowers. Fortunately, I am able to fiddle with flowers on a regular basis, whether it's putting together a few arrangements for a friends' wedding or the many baby showers I've hosted since retiring.  Also, we just had a brand new landscape put in, which includes some gorgeous passion flower vines and wildflowers that Sisi and I can pick and leave in bud vases all over the house.  It's divine!  So I still get my flower fix, just in much smaller doses.  I think the act of picking and savoring flowers, and getting to enjoy their entire life cycle, makes me appreciate them even more than I did when they were my business. My commodity. There is nothing more disillusioning than cramming a 500 rose arch into a hefty bag at the end of the wedding just because it's served it's purpose for the 20 minute ceremony.  That part of the business always rubbed me the wrong way.  

Now for the other question: do I regret my decision? Not at all.  Quite frankly, I'm living my dream.  How is that?

•  I've always been domestically inclined. While my siblings were out cruising the neighborhood with friends, I was in my room drawing, rearranging my room, or baking cornbread from a box, my specialty :)  I can't say that I love every moment of cooking, errand-running, cleaning, and childrearing, but I see the incredible value of those tasks and the way my actions are directly contributing to our well-run, happy home.  I am constantly growing in my housewifey abilities, and becoming more and more passionate about them. 

• I love setting the pace of my day.  As an introvert, this is important to my sanity.  Too much rushing around and back-to-back commitments (even fun social visits) stresses the heck out of me.  I have come to accept that my own ideal pace of life is a little slower, more deliberate, more planned out than most people need.  As a florist, I was constantly running from the flower mart to appointment to consultation to industry networking event to the studio and if I was lucky, to bed at the end of the night.  On wedding days, I was usually a shaky mess because I was on such a tight schedule and so many things (traffic, weather, if the flowers were holding up) were out of my hands.  Every business has it's stressors, but I think floristry has particular stressors that really did not compliment my introverted, conscientious, over-thinking personality.  In the 4 years I was a florist, I was totally stressed out for all 4 of them.  I did hide it well though.  

• In ending one business, I was able to start another.  Petal and Thorn is my dream business. I will never tire of making beautiful wearable art.  I can take my time with each stitch.  When I'm making a cocktail hat, the rest of the world disappears.  I also love the process of photographing each piece, telling it's story on the website, and shipping it out to each excited bride. Working with non-perishables and selling via my website is infinitely less stressful than working with perishable flowers on a time limit.  Best of all, I can usually manage to complete my work during Sisi's naptime, leaving the rest of the day for family time. 

• I have time to think. When I was a florist, I didn't have a moment to reflect.  I look back now and realize there were so many ways I could have run a better, tighter, more profitable business. But in the thick of running a business, I didn't have time to strategize.  It was always tyranny of the urgent.  I'd do one wedding, and then dive into the next without 5 seconds to reflect on what went right or wrong.  Now, I have sooooo much time to think.  As an introvert, thinking is totally my strong suit :)  I think about all sorts of things- business, health, marriage, parenting, God, my ancestors, my childhood... all the most important stuff that usually gets shoved to the back of our jam-packed brains.  

Some people say they are SAHMs because there is no other way to raise good kids in this corruptible world.  I totally do not agree with that! I do adore being with my child all day and every day, and I do think it's been good for her.  But this blog post is about how it's been good for ME!  I have found a job that suits me and my talents, and provides that perfect level of stimulation for me to be energized but not stressed.

I remember telling a coworker in Berkeley that I hoped to be a stay-at-home-mom one day, and he literally said, "I feel really sorry for you.  That's all you want to do with your life and your education?"  Ouch. Would he have the audicity to tell a housekeeper, nanny, chef, or teacher that they are wasting their lives?  Probably not, but he felt he could bash me for wanting to be all of the above, and then some.  Not everyone can be a stay at home mom.  Not everyone even wants to be a stay at home mom.  But I'm blessed to be one, and am loving it thoroughly.  No regrets!  No shame!

Simple centerpieces for a friend's wedding, boxed up and ready to go.

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Just listed on Petal and Thorn!

These pieces aren't actually new, I've just never gotten around to photographing them properly and listing them.  The images are from a recent shoot with Jessie of Juneberry Photo and the one and only Jodi Newton (who was my first ever Petal and Thorn model!)  I'm thrilled with the way this *classy* and *tasteful* bridal boudoir session turned out (and yes, I really do believe there is such a thing!)

Handpainted Hydrangea Bobbies...

Ladylike Bridal Hat...

Both available on petalandthorn.net.

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Wind In the Willows Themed Baby Shower

I wasn't the hostess this time, but I did provide some simple flowers and decor for my friend Shaun's Wind in the Willows baby shower.  She's expecting her first baby this summer, and I can't wait to meet little Abigail!   

So, I'm one of those weirdos who has no idea what Wind in the Willows is about.  After a quick google image search, I found out it stars a toad and a badger and other woodland creatures.  And there's a canoe in it. So I decorated accordingly with little woodland touches and lots of wildflowers.

I'd been eyeing this froggy vase for awhile, and this party was the perfect excuse to buy it.

How gorgeous is that pink beronia?  Like hundreds of tiny fuchsia lanterns.

I found some cute garden statuary to use as decorative accents.  I fell in love with them, but sadly, they didn't survive my latest decluttering session and were all sold at my garage sale.  Honestly, what was I to do with all those mushrooms and hedgehogs?  (I did keep the frog.)

I made a cute paper canoe garland using an origami tutorial that I just can't seem to track down right now.   Sorry!  I'll add it here if I find it.  The little oars are made of bamboo skewers, too.  

My friend Aime created a cute onesie stamping station.  How genius is that toilet paper roll heart stamp?  

I added to the project by making some foam shape stamps.  I happened to have a bag of mini corks in my stash, so I glued on some pre-cut foam flowers.  I even cut out my own shapes (stars, water drops, triangles, etc.) out of a sheet of foam and the stamps turned out great!  It's my favorite way to decorate fabric now.  I'll post a more detailed DIY on that later.

A sweet and simple shower for a beautiful mommy. Congrats, Shaun!!!

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