Starting at the beginning.  Where did my passion start.  When I look back, I've been classically trained in scientific names and more than intrigued by the natural world.  Reading things like "The Origin of The Species" by a one Charles Darwin...For fun. Yes, at heart I am a nerd.  A book loving, Linnaean classification memorizing, fact remembering weirdo.  My grandfather was a biology teacher.  So, summer vacations that we spent on the Oregon coast...we were learning things in disguise.  From the every five minute "what's this called grandpa?"  to the deeper questions like "how is the water so far away now?"  He had an answer.  A patient and loving answer. Flash forward to my struggles through school and college.  Difficult, difficult LEMON DIFFICULT!  It wasn't until I got to calculus 3 that I finally "figured out math".  It sucked.  Organic chem was so interesting...but it was truly not my path.  I was doing more than two hours of homework a night to fit in with the premeds and pharm students to get my AS degree in biology.  At the time I didn't realize that I was too creative for school.  I am not by any means encouraging people to drop school, but at this time in my life I was paying for my education and also in a relationship that was getting very serious and was working full time to make the necessary dollars.

Not much later my husband popped the age old question.  He had our dog bring me the ring.  It was so sweet!  I said YES of course!  So, begins my route to finding my life's passion.  Planning a destination wedding on my own was tough, but I was for sure a DIY kinda girl.  I scouted and scoured the wedding town we were to be married in for things we needed for our wedding.  Everything was in place besides a florist...the town did not have a florist.  The nearest one was like an hour away and I did not like their work.  But, they did have a hydrangea farm nearby.  So, naturally I did what any crazy bride to be does.  I found a way to do it my damn self.  First, I took a beginning level floral class offered by a college.  In taking this class, the teacher told me I have a lot of natural talent.  Balance, she said was a very strong point with my designs.  She mentioned that I needed a wholesalers license to purchase the flowers I needed for my wedding coming up in the next year.  So, I sole entrepreneured myself.  And, after I got that first weekly availability list from the wholesalers I was done.  LOL.  I ended up spending like $800 wholesale or something crazy.  My sister and I played the infamous florist Tetris game with all my goods and loaded up the Toyota (toaster mobile) and drove with the AC blasting to Oregon.  I'm sure I have pictures somewhere of how hilarious the car looked.

Night before the wedding...Up till 3am doing boutonnieres.  My step mom in law stepped in and finished some of the centerpieces so I could try to get a little sleep.  Day of the wedding, I was wrapping my bouquet 10 mins before I was supposed to walk down the aisle.  It was a bit much.  I shouldn't have done it.  But I loved every minute of it.  And so began my love of flowers.  It began with a beautiful marriage.

Since then I have taken my love of flowers to the next level.  I still cannot get enough education.  There is so much to learn and I feel that is part of being passionate.  You take it beyond.  To keep something fresh and exciting to you is proof that you love it.  To have a childlike wonder at the beauty that can be made from nature is something special.  Something I take pride in.

Thank you for listening!  I enjoyed sharing my adventure with you!

 My bridesmaid Vicki holding my bouquet. <3

Gina