When I was in 8th grade, we took a test that recommended a career for us.  My results said I should be a florist.  I remember thinking, “What?! That’s not what I’m supposed to do! I’m supposed to go to college and have a powerful career!”

I did go to college.  I earned a degree in Music Education and had a successful 10-year teaching career that I loved.  When my second child was born, I decided to leave my teaching position.  I wanted more flexibility in my schedule and the opportunity to do more things with my children.  Being a full-time stay-at-home mom was not the right thing for me, though.  It is the right fit for many but I needed an outlet of my own.

My family moved back to our hometown in 2013.  My mother has been doing interior design and floral design as a side business for as long as I can remember.  She started doing wedding floral design after doing the flowers for my wedding in 2004.  She was designing wedding flowers for friend’s children and former students. (She was also a teacher.)  When I moved back to Evansville, I began to help her and decided to move this into a full-scale business.

I remember working with flowers with my mom and my grandmother as a kid.  I loved deadheading the geraniums on our back porch and going with my grandmother to pick flowers for the church altar.  From the time I was 15 to 20, I worked at a local garden center.  I was primarily a cashier but I also worked outside with the plants, in the gift shop during the holidays, and was chief foil-and-bow girl for the Christmas poinsettias.  I loved that job. (I even considered changing my major to landscape design at one point because of it.) Little did I know that my part-time job would have such a huge impact on my future career.

I have created beautiful landscaping in my homes that have ranged from potted plants on apartment balconies to extensive landscape projects.  I have enjoyed interior design since I was a kid, also.  I am always designing spaces in my mind and love the process of making things more beautiful.  Beautiful art, spaces, and flowers are a huge influence on me.

So, while I never thought I would become a floral designer, it makes sense.  My interests and experiences have led me here.

I love the creative process of working with flowers and designing events.  I greatly enjoyed teaching, as well.  I’m excited to start combining the two by offering monthly design classes starting in December.  Stay tuned for a wide variety of classes offered at several locations around the Evansville area.

And thank you, as always, for following along.

-Whitney