Crystal had been to one of the showers I had done in the last year and she was touched and wanted the same idea for the women at her church.  To bless the women with a special time to kick off their year of ministry with not having to bring a potluck style lunch.  They wanted something a little extra special.  Not that potlucks are bad, just that there's work involved and once in a while it's ok to bless ladies with not having to work.  

Specialty drinks, and desserts were also part of the lunch.  The tables were adorned with fresh flowers and each place setting carefully laid out for every woman to feel blessed by small touches to remind them they are loved by God.  

Table Centerpieces, Bouquets for the Bride and the Bridal Party, Boutonnieres, Sweetheart Table, and various decorations throughout the venue to work on and it all came together beautifully.  Luke, my husband was my helper this time and he did a fabulous job helping me get all this done in 2 hours.  Then we changed and were able to attend the wedding!  It was quite a warm day, with a few sprinkles, but that quickly ended and the rest of the night was so much fun for this family!  I just love weddings!

Dear Kaley and Mac, thank you for allowing me to help you on this very special day.  May God bless you and may He continue to show you how very much He loves you both!  Everything was just beautiful!  

It was a gorgeous day to have a wedding!  Kate and I arrived and quickly went to work on all the touches Ashley asked for.  White and Black were the theme and the venue was gorgeous and the people were wonderful to work with.  La Bella Vista in Waterbury is where this wedding was held and it surely didn't disappoint.  

Dear Ashley and Ian, thank you for trusting me with your flowers for this day that begins your life together in marriage.  May God bless you both with a long, healthy and happy life together.  I thoroughly enjoyed creating your vision come to life.  Both for the rehearsal and the wedding.    

This weekend was so beautiful, and my new backyard was so pretty, that I was able to work outside doing all the centerpieces.  Totally cool, just needed to keep my chickens from pecking the flowers!  Erin asked for bright and summery centerpieces to be set up at Vyne restaurant in Middlebury, CT.  

Setting up for this type of event is fairly simple.  The centerpieces are already made so it's all about executing the plan and making it ready for the arrival of the family.  Erin's friend came and helped me so it went smoothly!  

Christina went on to Word of Life for 2 years after high school and then went to do an intern at a church in Florida leading youth group and getting involved in CEF of Florida.  She would then go on to become an employee of CEF in Florida and we couldn't be more proud of her service work to the Lord.  In 2023, she decided to stay in Florida after her internship for 2 reasons....she met her future husband down there and for some odd reason, she LOVES the Florida heat.  Then in 2023, her whole family moved down there too!  John and Michelle are great friends of ours and have been in small groups together over the years, not to mention all the cars John has fixed for us and helped innumerable times with various things.  He's that kind of friend that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.  Those are the best kind of friends!

Dear Christina and Jonathan, may your life be blessed with all the things that make you smile!  May God shine His light down upon you as you both serve the Lord in your special and unique ways.  Jonathan, may your business thrive and provide all you need to raise your family!  

Dear John and Michelle, thank you for all your trust in me for this very special day and for your help in making it most affordable for us to be there.  It was an honor to watch your sweet daughter get married!  We miss you but know we are happy for you to be doing so well in Florida!

Dear Sarah and Joseph, May the God of all creation bless your marriage and lives together.  Thank you for being such sweethearts to work with and I hope you felt blessed on your big day!

Dear Gail, thank you for trusting me with the flowers on this big day!  Your encouragement of me and what I'm doing is priceless!  May your family continue to grow and may the Lord bless and keep you and yours!

Rachel and Sam met at Word of Life Bible Institute.  A place special in my heart since our kids both attended there and Luke jr. met his bride there too.  We love Word of Life!  So this is a special union between these 2 that I am blessed to be a part of!

When you plan an outdoor wedding, you must have an alternate plan in case of potential rain or even heat!  The day was originally planned to be outdoors and the reception under the new pavilion built at the Nazarene Church.  Planning sessions took place ahead of time with how I would decorate and make it a bit more wedding looking than a typical picnic.  We were all ready to make that happen when the day before a call had to be made with potential rain coming and a heat wave to boot.  So indoors it was.  Friday was a full day of decorating and arranging the fellowship hall to accommodate 150 people.  By 3:00 we were done making the hall beautiful and the sanctuary complete as well.  

And the last piece to this wedding came somewhat late to the game.  When the caterer for the appetizers didn't work out, I asked Stephanie what she thought of a table of cheese and crackers, hummus plates, chips and salso and fruit.  She was on board so that was assembled as well on Saturday.  Grateful, my sister-in-law, Kate joined me on Saturday to get all the finishing touches done.  

However, he has a desire to move closer to more of his family out west and has decided to put his house on the market.  He asked me if I would be willing to work with him to update the decor in his home for the photographer from the realtor and showing the home.  Yes!  This is another example of helping a freind out!  Also, I should add he is also helping us out with designing and helping us replace our existing deck.  It's a beautiful trade!  Using our gifts to help each other in the things we need.  So the following photos are the arrangements I either made or purchased as is to add a colorful touch, modernizing his gorgeous home.  Can't wait to show pics of our deck later this spring/summer.

I am grateful for the opportunity to help in this way.  Hopefully it's added warm and inviting touches for perspective buyers.  His home is already beautiful, so it was an easy task.  Thank you Ken, and blessings through the sale process and I pray the Lord looks favorably on you and your endeavors!  

I had never met Francie, only heard about her through my sister in law, Kate.  But when I did, I knew this was going to be a fun shower to help with!  Kate and Francie work together and are good friends.  I met with Francie and Lauren, another daughter and was very excited to work with them!  Each party has its own unique plan.  This one the menu was mostly planned out by Francie and Lauren, with the idea of Chicken and Waffles, with Mac and Cheese and a toppings bar.  Caesar Salad, Waldorf Salad, a yogurt bar and Tiramisu for dessert and the rest of the accoutrements could be whatever I'd like.  Someone once told me a party is "A Party" if there is Shrimp Cocktail, so now that's my addition if it's not asked for.  

It came time for Alyssa to put together the Shrimp Cocktail.  Where is the cocktail sauce?  My fridge!  🥹 A quick search found Aldi 3 minutes away!  Dear sweet Alyssa grabbed my keys and off she went, came back in perfect timing to fill all 50 cups and we finished before the guests began to arrive.  I have never claimed to be perfect, in fact I am far from it and I feel no need to hide that fact.  But I am committed and determined to carry out what I promised to do.  Thank you Alyssa for so much, for working with me to serve a few people we don't know, for having a joyful heart the entire time, for rescuing me with a trip to Aldi and for donating your time and your dollars for that cocktail sauce.  😂 I believe God was glorified through our efforts.  

Dear Jessica, thank you for trusting me with your beautiful daughters shower.  Thank you for loving on your daughter and family to set them up for success as they begin a new journey together.

Dear Genesis, I hope and pray you felt loved and blessed through our efforts and the efforts of your beautiful family and ultimately know how much God loves you and that little one he has knit in your womb.  Psalm 139:13-16 tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made and speaks of being created by God.  Your little one, may he grow to be a strong, loving man who knows his creator well.

Dear Anna, may you feel loved by your family and friends and we all look forward to meeting Baby Dawson very soon!  You and Braydon will be great parents!  I'm so glad I get to be a part of your family!

Union Church, my home church is where Livie and Will decided to get married.  Will, who loves architecture was in awe of the 1800's church.  What excites me when working with families is knowing I have something to offer to help alleviate anything stressful for all involved.  Hard work is fulfilling.  Knowing I can do something to bring a smile to someone else is priceless.  A few days before the wedding, I spent some time with another church family clearing out the stage of all the typical music equipment and we transformed the stage to what would be the backdrop to beautiful vows before God and all the witnesses.  The flower towers you see there began with an image Livie sent me of what she would like.  They are 6 feet tall and hold $1500 worth of faux flowers(in case you're wondering what something like that would cost.) (p.s. that's not what I paid for them...I love sales!)  The cross was built by her dad several years back for a local, yearly fundraising effort called the Good Friday Walk.  A 20 mile walk on Good Friday and the youth group in their church carried this cross the 20 miles that day.  Powerful! Today, it served another purpose.  

The 2 days prior to the wedding my living room was overtaken by the most amazing aroma from so many roses and eucalytpus, it was heavenly.  I sent this photo to my daughter which I think fully explained why I had to tell her and my son in law that we could not watch their 6 month old Doberman prior to the wedding.....there was just no room!  I mean if he came in the front door quietly and walked over to his bed and laid down, maybe, but he comes barreling in excited to see us and has no traction on our floor, so all I could see was all this getting knocked over and my day ending in tears.  Thank God for friends like Paul and Sierra to take our big grand baby!

I waited till Friday night to do Livie's bouquet.  I wanted hers done last to be the freshest it could be.  I had ordered 4 bouquet holders knowing I only needed 3, however God knew I would need that 4th one.  9:00 Friday night, I had realized these holders were not of high quality and the bouquet was just too heavy for it....a little panic came over me but I do not give up.  Luke, to my rescue.  I said Luke, here's my problem, how do I secure the weight?  He took the 4th holder, reinforced it for me and I quickly rebuilt the bouquet onto the new holder.  Thank you Lord for that last holder I wouldn't have ever known I needed.  Ahh, the struggles of a novice.  With each event I learn new things to which I am grateful for.  

The head table was adorned with eucalyptus and little vases on the tables and the above centerpiece.  Behind the head table was a large space where I put various glass bud vases with just a couple flowers and this is where the bridal party put their roses and bouquets.  

If you've read any of my other events, you might have learned that I am notorious for not getting good photos of things I do.  So it's good for me to share with you that for this event, I had my favorite sister in law and my husband as my helpers for the reception(wish I had gotten a photo of the 3 of us.)  You see, the wedding was at noon and the reception place only allowed us to decorate from noon to 2 as the reception would begin at 2.  Luke and I, unfortunately missed the wedding.  To ensure we would be done on time, adorning 15 tables, a head table and other various decorations, Kate and Luke joined me in "Do Good" and in an hour and 45 minutes we were done and by 2, Luke and I were in our wedding clothes and bidding Kate farewell as she drove off with a smile on her face.  There is no greater feeling to me than serving my fellow man.  

Dear Will and Olivia, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day.  I will forever have beautiful memories of that day!  And to Kristi and Eric, thank you for trusting me with all the flowers, for the freedom to choose and create with a few photos as inspiration and to share in the love that day.  I am humbled and honored.  Praise God!

Parents provided the desserts and Lisa wanted the dance this year to be a little extra special than just pizza as in years past.  She wanted easy finger foods that could be contained individually so it would be an easy grab and go type of table.  Chips and Salsa, fruit cups, Goldfish cups and boxed sandwiches in addition to pizza!  From what I hear the kids really were overjoyed with the food this year, so that warms the heart.  I love knowing that I can help in small ways and behind the scenes for people to have big impacts.  Lisa got this done!  

Dear Lisa and Trey, you are both special to me and I hope all the people in attendance felt loved by your generous spirit to make it extra special this year!

From Ecuador to my door.  I learned about Petal Jet from Anna, an online ordering company that delivers straight to your door on the day you ask for.  I've used Global Rose in the past but Petal Jet had the taupe roses we were looking for.  The greens are from Trader Joes!  The flowers were delivered Tuesday and I wish I took a photo of what they look like when they arrive, but I forgot....typical.  They come all bundled up, secured and thirsty for water.  Once in my buckets though with their flower food, they perk right up and spend the next 2 days opening their blooms.  I had 6 arrangements to make.  5 Centerpieces and an entry way table to adorn!  Erin was looking for a golden vintage romantic theme.  You'll notice on the entry table an antique framed mirror.  I had the antique frame at home and a broken piece of mirror, my friend Carl does stained glass so I asked him if he would cut the broken mirror to fit the frame.  He graciously did that for me.  Now I have a mirror for any future events as well!  I also found several of the vases the centerpieces are in at thrift shops, or marketplace.  One was a gawdy yellow, I spray painted it gold and you couldn't even tell.  One was a cake stand I already had and one was a wooden old nasty thing that I cleaned up and spray painted gold.  The gold chargers on the table I picked up for a very good price from marketplace from another bride.  

It was an honor, once again to be a small part to a big day.  I pray their wedding day to be one of love and honor.  A time to cherish each other and see all their loved ones who come out to support their union before God.  In the book of Mark chapter 10, Jesus explains to people the concept of marriage that God designed.  A man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become one.  May Caleb and Emma experience the greatness God designed through marriage from this day forward!  

Olivia's Bridal Shower - October 2023

Faith and Thomas' Wedding - October 2023

When you get to participate in a wedding you are part of a very intimate time in two people's lives.  So it is special and an honor.  This one had a particular special meaning for me.  I met Faith a few years back when she danced with my daughter in Daughters of Zion. A few years later, Luke and I would attend the same church as Faith's parents. Lora and Steve.  We walked into their church at the time and they were warm and welcoming to us newcomers.  We didn't attend very long and that's a whole different story, but it was nice to see them each week while we did.  Around that time Steve was diagnosed with ALS.  Despite the prayers of many, Steve succumbed to this extremely debilitating disease only a few months before Faith's wedding.  Truly heartbreaking.  What I witnessed though was a beautiful family whose faith would carry them through this time and they continued to be a blessing to so many.  I had helped Lora with the decorations at Faith's shower a few months prior to the wedding (which i neglected to take photos of) and was blown away at how God held them up as Steve had just gone to be with the Lord a couple weeks prior to the shower.  I remember wanting the centerpieces to be just perfect so it would give Lora one small thing to smile at.  I was nervous the whole drive to the venue, wanting to make sure they stayed upright.  I will never forget the look on Lora's face as she turned the corner and saw the flowers for the first time.  Her face lit up, her eyes welled up and was so happy that she made me tear up.  Her first words were "Faith is going to love these," and that's the moment I saw Lora's heart for her daughter.  She wanted it to be just right for Faith.  A mother's love for her daughter is fierce and can mend a part of one's being like nothing else.  I would continue to see this each time we would talk and she would say how thankful she was that I made her daughter happy.  Praise God, this is why I do this!

To Faith: May your marriage be blessed by God and may His light shine through you both to everyone you meet! 

To Lora: Thank you for showing me your heart and for trusting me with your daughters wedding!

Tracie is Mike's mom who asked me if I would do the Dessert table.  I arrived to set up and things were all abuzz, decorations, food tables, and general set up.  It took me about an hour and a half to complete the dessert table.  I thought it came out so sweet!  Twinkie Corn Dogs, Chocolate pretzel baseball hats, Baseball hat bowls filled with pudding and graham cracker "dirt", baseball cupcakes and cotton candy ice cream cones!  How fun!  I thank Tracie for being a wonderful person to work with.  We stayed for the party and ended up winning a raffle basket!  We had quite a bit leftover so the remaining goodies were brought to the church for Sunday morning coffee hour!  Better on other peoples hips than ours.

I'd also love to tell you Mike and Amy have huge hearts as they have started a Vernon chapter for Special Olympics.  Their dedication to serving others with needs greater than their own is inspirational and encouraging in this world!

To Mike and Amy: May your wedding be a beautiful day blessed by God and for a lifetime of happiness and joy. Also, may the Vernon Special Olympics grow to be a blessing to the community and all your hard work be redeemed back to you in a joy that's beyond your expectations!

To Tracie: Thank you for reaching out to me about this opportunity and for being a trusting friend for many many years!

Bridal Shower for Emma - Sept 2023

Erin heard through her sister that I was doing these types of events so she reached out to me.  That was very special to know word of mouth was working.  It was an absolute treasure working with Erin.  She was trusting and wide open to help.  She is one of those women I have mentioned before that self proclaims this type of stuff is a stressor and where I could come in and ease her mind.  It was a blessing to know I was actually helping by using one of my gifts.  We had some new stuff for this event.  Pavlova with jam, shrimp cocktail, ham and cheese wraps, beets and goat cheese stacks with a balsamic glaze, cupcakes with edible flowers, and so much more!  90 minutes to set up and off I was.  Erin dropped off all my supplies afterward.  It sounded like it was all a hit. Praise God.

To Emma: May your wedding day be blessed by God and may He show His love to you both all the days of your lives!

To Erin: Thank you for trusting me with your families events.  May you be blessed knowing how much God loves you!