A few weeks ago, I was overjoyed to find my guest post live on Heart Love Always about designing a bouquet from flowers purchased at the grocery store! HLA is one of my favorite blogs because I love the content Alexandra creates – she shares sweet stories about couples in love, recipes I seriously need to try, and a host of fashion and beauty tips. She’s one of the sweetest people I’m so lucky to call my friend, and I love her mom too. So, being featured on HLA is a win all around. : )

But before a feature is ever live, there’s a behind-the-scenes tale to tell. So, shall we?

When Alexandra asked me if I wanted to contribute a guest post while she was on vacation on Captiva Island, I knew I wanted to style a post around flowers. There’s absolutely no surprise there. However, what I quickly realized was I needed to conceptualize, photograph, write, and submit this post really, really quickly. …As in there was exactly one weekend day open, and I was thrilled Kathryn Croskey was available to photograph!

I’m always a little nervous on photo shoot days. However, I was particularly nervous for this shoot because I had never had anyone watch me shop for flowers or design a bouquet before. But, almost every worry was tossed aside once Kathryn and I stepped into Whole Foods. Whole Foods is the best if you’re searching for flowers that you might not find in a traditional grocery store (ranunculus!), and choosing flowers is one of the times I’m the happiest. I loved chatting with Kathryn as I shopped because the day quickly turned into a creative collaborative effort. #communityovercompetition PS: I used standard roses, ranunculus, mini green hydrangea, spray roses, and tulips.

In between shopping and designing, Kathryn and I chatted about life and business and being creative. Y’all, that was the biggest gift. Owning a business and constantly feeling as though you need to push yourself to be better and better is tiring, and it can become lonely very quickly without industry friends to turn to. So, before, during, and after designing, we were talking and laughing about just about everything. I love these pictures because they represent a bouquet how-to to gift to a friend and/or to keep for yourself. But, I love them even more for what they represent: seeing myself in photos knowing I was completely happy doing something I love; time spent chatting with a new friend who lifted my spirits; and remembering how I felt knowing Kathryn was leaving with the bouquet I made as a gift for her mother-in-law.

A peek at the flowers I used, materials I had on hand, and how the bouquet came together…welcome to my kitchen:

Photos by Kathryn Croskey Photography

If you haven’t clicked over already, make sure to check out the post on Heart Love Always!! It’s very detailed because details are the way to my heart, and I hope it helps you to design a bouquet of your own. Oh, and I talk about how to tie the perfect bow every time. If you’re not curious now, I don’t know what else to say except…FLOWERS! Go now! Huge, huge thanks to Alexandra for asking me to contribute. xo