You never forget your first – by Estrella Azul

They say you never forget your first… it’s so true!

I sit here at my notebook now and still remember like it was only minutes ago that I was there, dressed up in a red form fitted shirt, my favorite mini skirt and high heels.

Waiting.

My boss’ sentence “Good luck with your first client and your future working career” rang in my head throughout the weekend before going in to work that day.

I wanted to relax, but felt more nervous with every minute that went past, I looked at my clock numerous times, anxiety was taking over as I thought of what was about to happen for the very first time.

I now know for sure I was compared to other girls, but back then I only thought about how I wouldn’t be able to perform like I wanted, about what it would mean for me, what to expect emotionally and physically, that it may hurt me in ways I haven’t even imagined before.

***

He came in, calmly looked around the space then determinedly looked at me.

My heart beat like crazy in all it’s madness as I saw him come towards me, but he wasn’t nervous.

He already made up his mind and knew exactly what he wanted.

And I wanted him to think that I was good at it, I wanted to meet his standards.

***

This evergreen phrase has been reminded to me countlessly while I was still in training: “Our client is our master.”

I was taught to wear practical clothes that would come off and could be put back on quickly enough in heated situations so the client wouldn’t have to wait for too long, discreet so I won’t attract too much attention, care in revealing things about myself to my co-workers and clients, knowing that my words and behavior will attract different sorts of reactions from them and affect how they treat me in return.

I was afraid about times when a client could be overly infatuated by me, I already thought of how I wouldn’t lead him on and help him see reality before things get out of hand.

It was going to be a totally new experience, but I knew it would be made easier by all the information I got throughout the training period, confidence and also the client’s support.

***

After saying hello to him, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and asked how I could please him.

He looked at me deeply and attentively, and when he started talking everything seemed unreal.
He asked for something incomprehensible to me and I had to think for a second before knowing how to respond, without making him feel unattended.

I still remember his words so clearly in my head:

“Hello. Nice flower shop. I would like to buy a plant for my car!”

Beautiful living – by Estrella Azul

Practically living among hundreds of flowers and bringing joy and smiles to people’s faces – more often without even knowing it for sure.

A simple lady, who dreamed of a job like this ever since she was a little girl and if she had to choose between this and other jobs, she’d certainly choose this one over and over again.

This being: a floral artist.

What can be more beautiful than being surrounded by flowers, by that multitude of color and scents all day long until you flick off the lights and close the shop?
Almost every person who goes in the shop envies her, but not one of them thinks about the hardness of it.

No one realizes that being a floral artist doesn’t mean just sitting on a chair enjoying the beauty around you and selling the flowers.
Making bouquets, arrangements require lots of knowledge, special skills and even more talent.
It’s not as easy at it seems.
Flowers don’t stay beautiful on their own and don’t take care of themselves.

On most days she doesn’t get a break from the moment she arrives to work until she gets home.

Still, she wouldn’t be telling the truth if she told anyone that her job is a burden and that she doesn’t enjoy every minute of it.

It was and is one of the most beautiful ways of making a living.

Based on a true story.

Flowers… no other words necessary

On the day they celebrated their 9 years of marriage he sent her a bouquet of 9 roses as a testament to all the beautiful things during that time.

A surprise. A very simple gesture which matters so much.

She is one of my best friends, and when she came up the stairs with the magnificent bouquet in her arms, she had on one of the most happy smiles I ever saw.

No expensive jewelry, no new car keys, just a bouquet of roses.

Most of the time the simplest of gestures turn into the most meaningful, appreciated and happy moments in our lives.

A bouquet says a thousand words because it’s proof that someone thought of, remembered or simply wanted to show us their feelings.

 

Most of the time flowers say it all!

No other words necessary…

Tips on sending flowers – even if you’re worlds apart

No matter what your reason might be, a flower bouquet, an arrangement, a gift can send ones love, thoughts and caring warmth in a pleasant way. 
Here are my 2 quick tips for sending flowers to someone, even if you’re worlds apart. You just have to choose the floral bouquet that you like and with some clicks you can send it anywhere in the world!

1. Interflora – it’s the world’s largest and most popular flower delivery network. It can help you hand-deliver your floral message anywhere in the country and everywhere in the world!
   On their site, you’ll be able to design your own bouquets, pick something from the catalog or ask the florists for suggestions.
   I suggested this because I have worked with them, they’re very good, professionals.
2. Or – you could contact directly the local florist in the vicinity of where you want to send flowers to (use Google search), and since most of the flower shops nowadays provide the option of ordering and paying online, arrange delivery with them.

Flower arranging tips

I could list here at least 100 things in a heart beat, but it would be too far out to start a floral artist course through my blog. So, for those of you who are already married, or still single, and don’t have to think of your bridal bouquet dreams let me give some advices about arranging the flowers from your own garden. *Warning: looong post!*

First of all, hope you already know that you have to water the flowers in your garden only after the sun has set or in the morning before it’s risen, so you won’t burn your flowers’ roots and have them die on you (and then wonder what went wrong). You should also check what kind of soil you have because depending on the flowers you grow, they may need some additional flower feed.
A really good thing about the flowers from your garden is that you can be sure they’re fresh at all times When you cut them, be sure to place them directly into a bucket of water so the stem won’t get oxygenated too much, and before placing them in a previously cleaned vase which already has water in it (keep in mind the amount of water should be appropriate to the length of the flowers’ stem you’ll put into it), cut the stems again, just a bit, for refreshing the cut and to allow the flowers to soak up more water: cut at an angle to expose as much of the inner stem as possible! This will provide a larger surface area that is in contact with water and will mean the flower is able to soak up more. Repeat this cutting a little bit every day until you have the flowers, and I’m sure I don’t even have to tell you to change the water each day too.
Don’t leave any leaves in the water, they rot away quickly and kill the flowers before time.
When they first start to fade, cut off as many leaves as you can off the stem. It helps the water to go straight to the most beautiful part of the flower, keeping it alive for a bit longer. If you follow these tips, your flowers will surely remain fresh for longer than if you don’t.

From here, consider it all underlined –> And now for the art of arranging them: think of the flowers you are putting together. You won’t make them ugly, cause they’re after all flowers (like Judy said), but try to keep it as simple as possible.

You should consider the structure before anything so you can pick appropriately:

• dome arrangement,
• pyramid arrangement,
• crescent flower arrangements – this can be created by using flowers with curving/flexible stems, the two tips of the crescent typically point up in the air,
• horizontal arrangements – linear arrangements that sit close to the surface on which they’re placed,
• vertical arrangements,
• L-shaped arrangement,
• fan arrangements,
• triangle arrangements,
• inverted T arrangement,
• oval arrangements,
• Hogarth’s curve arrangement – in the shape of an “S”)

and decide accordingly on

• focal flowers that provide the focal point of your bouquet, the center of attention,
• line flowers that create the silhouette, they give shape to the hole bouquet,
• fillers that fill in the gaps you might have in between flowers and could go round the bouquet to give it some balance. You can also add some non-flower elements for diversity, like vines, ferns and other greens provide interest and texture.

When mixing, try to keep it to a maximum of 3-5 different type of flowers that are close in size (be careful not to match extreme sizes of flowers like a Freesia and a Sunflower) and in color range (here you can use your knowledge of color relationships or just click here). After deciding on a color palette, choose flowers in accordance with it, because all the different colors of your flowers work together to create harmony or disharmony. The arrangement should have a sense of balance, both by structure and color.
Be careful to don’t mix flowers that are obviously of different textures, the ones that secrete some kind of liquid that you can see (a toxin), they’re better left in a separate vase, you could say they’re a bit territorial.
Don’t place fruits near your vase, because the gases they release are toxic to flowers and they’ll die quickly.
To make the most of your vase filled with flowers has a lot to do with the placement. It should suit it’s surroundings, and one golden rule applies, they don’t call them centerpieces for nothing: give them value! You can do this by the placement choice and be careful to be able to see each flower you have in your vase.
It’s really easy. All you need to do is: if you put them in front of a window, wall, etc. be sure to cut the stems to different (not extremely) sizes; on a table in the center of the room it doesn’t matter too much but it’s very useful there too, because like that you will be able to see each and every flower, from every angle. Try to arrange the flowers in your hand first to see the effect and place them into the vase afterwards. Insert the line flowers first, then the focal flowers and when you’re done place the fillers to balance it off.

Something like the photo states. I’m sure you’ll do a great job, even a few flowers can be amazing if you put your heart in arranging them (notice how from this angle too you are able to see every flower?).
Most of the things listed, are all depending on the decorations and style of your house, your taste, etc. this doesn’t apply to everyone, just some tips in general, only you know what flowers you have and maybe that neighbor who thinks the grass is greener and flowers are brighter on the other side of the fence

These are the most “in general” sort of things I can say right now. I’m much better at showing than describing, especially in English (though I’d love to speak English while making a bouquet, etc.), I just know what to do and how it’s going to be beautiful, it’s also hard to put into words, since it’s something that takes practice. So if my tips weren’t clear enough and if anyone has questions, feel free to ask, I’ll most gladly answer, just check back later/next day if we’re in different time zones

Bridal bouquet tips :) Make your perfect wedding day dreams come true!

It’s my 100th post today, yesss! (imagine here a smiley jumping up and down of joy). I know it’s not a huge achievement, most people probably have at least 10 times as many, but who cares about other people right now (or in general for that matter)? I’m happy I reached this number and I’m proud of myself cause I’ve managed to keep a nice variety of topics without repeating myself (too many times) and it’s only annoying when I have to add tags, cause I always find myself adding new ones instead of using the old ones as much as I could… if only that “Choose from the most used tags in Post Tags” thingy would stay open all the time… but again: who cares about that, right?
Anyway, back to my original string of thoughts: I wanted to post something meaningful (and long), so I chose a topic I love most – flowers! And since they have a looot to do with most of my time, here’s a post with some tips for the brides to be about flowers, especially in the bridal bouquet.
Hope you’ll enjoy reading as much as I did typing it (and making the bouquet in the photo)!

 

Bridal bouquets

First off and very important: find a great floral artist! It may take some time, so you should start the planning several months before the wedding and have at least 3 (long) meetings with your florist prior to the wedding so you’ll be able to properly elaborate an what you want, what best suits you. In my opinion it doesn’t even matter if it’s a bit far from your home, on your wedding day you can always ask someone to get your arrangements for you, or if they’re very professional the florist will bring it to your home.
Second: be ready to pay a price (yet with moderation of course), cause it’s one of the most important days in both your lives. You wouldn’t want to end up running back to your original florist on your wedding day, to make you another bouquet because the cheap bouquet is ugly, fell apart, etc. It’s so much easier to just nail it the first time around, isn’t it?
When you’re ordering your bouquet and the arrangements make sure you give all the details possible, like: your hair style, wedding gown color and style, groom’s outfit color, car and reception hall colors/overall look and style, etc. All very important aspects for creating the harmony you deserve. It’s like in any good relationship – communication is the key, in this case with your floral artist!

So many decisions, right? You should ask yourself what your favorite flower is, what colors does it come in, if it’s in season and what kind of flowers it can be mixed with? Choosing flowers that are in season will cut back on your expenses, since they’re readily available.
Picking the perfect color will not only enhance your mood but it will help in finding balance not only through your hole color scheme but also spiritually. For many couples the meaning and symbols of the colors and flowers chosen are a big source of inspiration: you can express your deepest love, affection, gratitude and intimacy for your groom – it can be  like a secret love language between the two of you! For example you can add to your bouquet the same colored flower your sweetheart gave you when he first started (or during the time he was still) courting.
In case your physical aspect isn’t something you’re proud of, believe me, a perfect wedding bouquet can help a lot:
if you have a bit of weight surplus – a long stem hand tied, an arm sheaf bouquet or a cascading bouquet would best suit your figure (and on the big day as much as when looking back on your wedding photos it will surely give the impression of minus 5 to 10 kgs);
if you’re a bit under the ideal weight line – you should opt for a classical round bouquet, give a thought to a pomander/kissing ball bouquet or an ingenious fan/purse/etc. bouquet. 
Either way, chose something that keeps your overall look in balance. Think of not making the bouquet of too many flowers (since you’ll have to hold it almost all day long), depending on the style you chose, talk about using organza and satin ribbons, faux pearl and gem beading, decorative wire, curly ting, decorative pearl rain drops, glue-on (colorful) acrylic crystal, feathers, etc. all with moderation and depending on your own personal style (and the hole aspect of the wedding).

Last but not least, my most important tip: the best solution is to first pick out your wedding bouquet – after that everything flows on it’s own, and  makes your life so much easier cause you got it off your list, and you won’t have to alter anything you wanted in it depending on the surrounding details. Your floral artist should be able to offer suggestions, provide examples, guide you in the right direction for you, will prepare the flowers so they look their best and last for the longest time possible, and help you get even closer to the perfect wedding day you’ve always dreamed of.

Later update: You can also find my post about “Bridal bouquet tips for making your perfect wedding day dreams come true”right here on Pillowchats.com

Some ramblings :P

Yummy chocolate muffin

Since Laura was so sweet today and said people are missing me over here, I decided to write something… I have a few thoughts to write about, but of course this would include me doing some thinking too, so don’t hold it against me if it doesn’t work out

Well anyway… let’s start with the beginning, shall we?
First of all, let me tell you how hard it is to buy a gift for someone: very hard! My Sweetheart’s birthday is on the 1st of February, and it was honestly hard to find just the right gift for him (being such a perfectionist doesn’t pay off in cases like this). I searched for quite a few days, started out with an idea, and then had to change it along the way… the important thing is that I’ve found a great gift -> which means that it won’t go to waste because he kind of needs it, so obviously it’s useful, and he’ll like it, which is really the most important Plus I’m baking the birthday cake too
But I’m not done yet… because now I get to focus on a Valentine’s Day gift (yes, I’m always efficient and think about/buy the present ahead of time, it saves me from the extra stress and rush). I kind of have half of it already, but it still needs some work since I’m the one making it, and I really can’t give him just that so I still need to go shopping and find something he’ll like, even though this time I have no idea that would suit my given finances at this point… And of course it doesn’t help that every time I ask him what he’d like he says: “I don’t know.” … so more amusement and head ache for me

Another thing that’s on my mind since last week is that since I’ve finished the floral artist course, now I have to find a job as soon as possible.
It’s okay on some level, cause I have a job lined up for me in the floral artist position at an acquaintance’s flower shop, basically she has so much work in the weekends when the weddings string starts from about march, that she needs another person to help her. So that’s gonna be from Friday afternoon ’till Sunday afternoon, but I’d love it if I could find something else to fill in the weekdays too, it would be a lot better (not to mention what a big help financially too)! And if I want to make my/our dream of living together with my Sweetheart come true, I really need 2 jobs (I’ll elaborate on this one another time when it will be closer to achieve).
I can see sadly, that these days it’s over with the: “get a job and live well” possibility, now it’s more like: “get a few jobs and still struggle”…

And I won’t even get started on how “easy” it is to find a good job, the essential is that: if you don’t have experience they won’t hire you, but if you’re not given the opportunity to work, how in the world could you have the experience they ask for???
And the fact that it’s a financial crisis everywhere, that people are fried from a lot of places, etc.  doesn’t help eighter. What can I say? … “perfect” timing.

But at least I had a blast experimenting some recipe last weekend at my boyfriend’s (it was to die for!) and especially yesterday when I baked some very tasty muffins (yes, I’m one of those people who actually gets more relaxed by doing something like baking, cooking, cleaning )

I guess I did have something to write about after all

PS: the surprise gift-box from my arrangement is still alive, I’m so proud of it

PPS: check out this site with some crazy Valentine’s day gifts, click here. Hint to the toilet gift -> What will they think of next? A heart-shaped bucket for when both partners get sick? Sorry if my example was disgusting…

[My-Mood Videos]