Welcome Everyone, Welcome to the Blooming Wreath

I have worked in the Floral industry on and off for over some 30 years. I started in a plant shop "Plants by Barb' that carried silk flowers and live plants. I learned everything from the owner of the shop Barbara Miller. We never handled live flowers because we kept quite busy with the silks and plants. I did silk work for my home primarily and some close friends but never thought seriously about starting a business. I worked full time, was married, tending to my father who was a widower and also two kids. So..fast forward....2014. I made a large 36" wreath. I now have that very wreath on my business cards. I had a large function at my home in January for a family friend. I could have sold that wreath 4 times over and I am so thankful that I didn't for one I would have had to make another one and it just wouldn't be the same and two now its very sentimental for me. I also made the Birthday Girl who turned 80 a wreath that she just loves. I pondered how much joy I had making these wreaths and finally invested in converting my garage into a shop. I am still very close to Barbara as both my parents have now passed and we are a great team, friend, mother figure and keeps me grounded and basically from buying everything in sight! :) We have the connections of where to get good quality supplies and that makes it very reasonable, plus I have little overhead. I still work full time in corporate america and have a daughter who is 11. I retreat to the shop in the evenings and away I go.

We started out somewhat small in March, now that I am updating this story 9-12-14, we have added Marilyn a very close friend of Barbs and there are a total of three of us. Barb is my mentor, we all three have our expertise that we bring to the shop. Barb is methodical and a very traditional designer she loves the custom work. Marilyn and I want nothing to do with all that structure...ick! LOL We want wild and out of the box ideas. We put dead trees in halloween wreaths, that was fun, Elfs, Witches, Owls, anything we can find that is different! I do all the lantern swags and apple swags along with all the Bow making. Marilyn and I often collaborate on whimsical ideas of what can we come up with that is new, fresh and different. Barb sits on the other side of the work table saying I hear a lot of commotion and awwwing going on over there this better be good!

Barb and Marilyn work primarily on Weds and Thursdays in my home, I work all day at my corporate job then come home and am always delighted with what we have come up with. I design during the week as time permits and as orders are filled and taken etc. I do all the listing, packing and shipping, financing and under protest on weds day nights I rarely get to pick up the wire cutters unless to add my touch to something which is rare! Barb and Marilyn say they are slaves......laughing I say no no no....you are elves! !

We search the wholesale house high and low for hours on end picking each and very owl, elf, flower and whatever I think we can put on a wreath that you would like to make sure that everything is to our expectations.

Barb and Marilyn have since retired. I have new Designers and we have so much fun and keep pretty busy even with Covid.

Thank you!
TBW