My life has recently gone through some major changes…and we all know that sometimes it is hard to adjust to change, particularly if you are of Colson descent (my sister Dawn can attest to this). In June, I said good-bye (or adios) to my friends and co-workers at Centerton Nursery, where I was the Propagation Manager for 3 years, and I said hello to my first born, Lee. I chose not to return to the greenhouse ( I do miss those beautiful mornings there though), but instead chose to focus on my business and my baby. I was a little nervous and a lot excited about the new path my life was taking, and with 6 months under my belt, I am now beginning to realize it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I no longer have one title, but many: I am a full time floral designer, mother and wife and loving every diaper and dahlia-filled day of it! I decided to share with you a few of the reasons (in no particular order) why I love my new job so much:
1. I meet so many great people!
While many people in the wedding industry complain about bridezillas (I have met one or two), I have found that 99% of brides are just happy, glowing women who want to have a magical day! They are giddy and full of excitement, and it is contagious. If I didn’t want to share in their happiness, I wouldn’t be in this industry. I love all my brides!
A stunning bride and a stunning sunflower bouquet
2. I work with my best friend!
I know, I know, I hear it all the time, “”Beware of owning a business with your family”. Well, I am willing to take the risk. My sister, Dawn, and I really are best friends. We talk EVERY SINGLE DAY and usually at least 3 times a day (my apologies to her adorable husband), there is a lot of business (or gossip) to discuss in a day! When we have to work late finishing a wedding masterpiece, it doesn’t even feel like work! We are just working in our shop, listening to Mariah, laughing about our kids, teasing our husbands, brainstorming business ideas, and maybe having a glass of wine. Could our working conditions get any better?
Sisterly Love
3. I get to be creative. EVERY. DAY.
I meet with brides every week that are in need of some inspiration, and I am so honored to be that source! They come through my door with a theme of “Green” (which isn’t a theme at all, but that would be another blog), and leave with a gardeny, natural, whimsical theme filled with ferns and flora abound! We toss around ideas like hot potatoes and our creative juices combine to make one fine wedding cocktail. It makes every day and every wedding exciting and different, you can’t say that for every job!
White hydrangea spheres in branches and of course, crystals!
4. I have the best little helper!
I am home all day with my 6 month old son AND running my business, which makes for a busy day! Our schedule is a little bit like this: get up early, giggle at Mommy, breakfast of champions, email check, diaper change and phone calls (this is tricky), play time, paper work, read/eat a book, nap time, Mommy frantically gets a million emails sent and phone calls made during these 90 minutes, diaper change, lunch, tickle time, diaper change, nap time (he is a good napper!), afternoon office field day, diaper change while on the phone, cook dinner, welcome Daddy home, clean up the house, Daddy play time, Lee’s nightcap, our nightly peak-a-boo session, tuck Lee into bed at 8, one last email check, at least one terrible tv show with the hubby, then collapse. repeat again. Doesn’t this sound fun? It really is, Lee adds so much life to my life…the expression, “My kids are sucking the life out of me” does not apply, it is the opposite! True, I don’t get as much done as I did before and yes I am exhausted at the end of the day, but our little farmhouse is full of happiness and love. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Lee, you are a too cute for your own good. See www.tinajayphotography.com for more pics!
5. A Garden Party’s success is MY responsibility.
I am the kind of person that works well under pressure, which is a great trait for an entrepreneur to have! I put a lot of pressure on myself to establish the kind of business that I can be proud of, and I hope that I am one step closer with every wedding that we complete. I am constantly challenging myself to be more creative, more productive with my time and energy, and more focused on A Garden Party’s future. If I fail, it falls on me. But if I succeed, there is not a sweeter feeling in the world. It makes it all seem worth it.
Proud Owner of A Garden Party
I have always been a big believer that you should fill your life only with things that bring you joy, and your job should be one of them. So if you are lucky enough to have a job that you love (or at least some parts of it), please share it with me! I want to hear about it!
If you are interested in our floral design services in South Jersey, the greater Philadelphia area or Northern Delaware please contact Mary by filling out the form below:
[contact-form] [contact-field label="Hi! My name is..." type="name" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Let's chat! Email me back about my event here..." type="email" required="true" /] [contact-field label="The magical day is..." type="url" required="true" /] [contact-field label="We picked the perfect location at..." type="text" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Here is my cell phone #, just in case..." type="text" required="true" /] [/contact-form]
