Thank you to all who helped celebrate our 1 year anniversary May 1st. It is always so much fun to see all of our different friends coming together to share food, fun and laughter. While the past year has been a huge learning experience and we have all been through many changes, I am continually amazed by the people who come into our lives every week.
Happy 1st Birthday Apartment 46!
We’ve made it a full year! Granted, not one step of it has been easy but EVERY step of it has been blessed. Thank you to all of my wonderful clients/friends who have made it so incredibly worthwhile. It seems impossible that I could have met so many wonderful people just by collecting things I love but I’m so grateful for it!
The Bold and the Beautiful
Last week I got an email from a woman in San Luis Obispo asking if I could do some flowers for her boyfriend, who lives nearby, “just because”. When I asked how she had heard of me she mentioned that she had been in my shop when she was in the area and remembered me. How cool is that? I was happy to be a part of surprising him and hoped to meet her request of designing a tall, elegant, but not feminine arrangement.
Inspirations
A lot of things inspire me. In fact, I have the “shiny red ball” syndrome when it comes to creativity. I can be traveling down a path when suddenly, OH! A shiny red ball! And I’m off in another direction. It makes for some interesting chaos but in the end it all comes together quite beautifully.
Rainy Days and Escapades
First, I want to thank all of my wonderful customers for continuing to support and love Apartment 46. For those of you that don’t get the eNewsletter, I had to take a full time job to keep afloat during these unsteady times. The desire to provide a beautiful, comfortable and interesting shop is so important to me that I’ll do what it takes to keep the doors open. Valentine’s Day was outstanding! I was caught up in such a flurry of bouquet-making that I didn’t actually have time to photograph the flowers!
In With the New
You know me, I’m always open about what’s going on at the shop. Everywhere I look another business is closing its doors – from nationwide franchises to locally owned small shops. It’s hard not to feel despair. I feel as if I’m standing on the dock, waiting for the rescue ferry to come and it just hasn’t gotten to me yet. I’m still here and as of this moment I’m still in business.
New Bouquets
The past couple of weeks have been really rewarding and exciting for me as a floral designer. I’ve had the opportunity to finish a number of very different floral arrangements – from dramatic to laid back summer dinner party – and with each new arrangement comes a new opportunity to learn and grow.
It’s Wedding Season!
Although I am always saying that I am not a florist, I enjoy providing special occasion flowers and creating something beautiful. I was extremely honored to be asked to put together something very small and meaningful for a couple that is getting married today in San Francisco.
One of a kind treasures
One of the greatest things about Apartment 46 (and of course I am terribly biased!) is the unique nature of every item in the shop. I do carry a few vendor lines, but they have met stringent criteria and are both beautiful and natural.
I am often asked where I get all of the things I have on offer. They come from all over the place – from outdoor markets in Amsterdam to highest bidder estate sales in Hillsborough. I am constantly on the hunt for cool new items to share with my clients.
Color and Texture – Experimenting With Flowers
I am definitely not a traditional florist. In fact, I don’t consider myself a florist at all. I consider my shop a design lab. Ordering flowers from me might seem like a visit to a circus psychic (I ask a lot of questions about the receiver), but I strive to design unique and amazing arrangements that stand out from the regular fare. Twice a week I visit the San Francisco Flower Mart in the wee hours of the morning (before 7am to be exact) to see what interesting things the vendors might be selling.