work

So I started my new job a week ago tomorrow. It's been a whirlwind. Our biggest event of the year is on July 3rd and myself and the new event coordinator have been scrambling to get everything together. We came in when it was part way planned and we're trying to learn a LOT in a really short period of time. I'm exhausted but I think I love it.
I know that when we pull the event off, all the stress will be worth it because we will have made this event that thousands of people will enjoy.

Oh and PS, The Oregon Garden is...wait for it...a garden. And it's beautiful. I took a walk at lunch today and took these pictures. I got a couple of the early peonies but there are TONS more just waiting to bloom. So excited.









As you can see, it was overcast today. But warm, and not raining. I'll take it.

Inspiration Boards

Sweet miss Michelle posted a couple of idea boards I made on Oh, Mishka today. You can take a look here.

A case of the Mondays

Things that made this Monday more bearable than most (even though I didn't get president's day off...womp womp)

-Free parking downtown because of the holiday. Score!

-Starbucks meeting with our September Bride to meet her mom and discuss details. Three great things about this. 1. got me out of the office for an hour and a half. 2. I got to show the bride some inspiration boards I spent a lot of time on and I think they were at least a little helpful. yay!
3. Grande soy latte with vanilla.

-There was nobody in the office so I got to catch up on Lauren and Michelle's blogs(not all day! just a little. I did work. a little.). My favorites. Look how stinking cute Lauren's latest outfit post is.

-Also, got to talk to Michelle a bit tonight which was double awesome.
She was my first friend in college and the only person I know who really shares my interest in all things pretty/bloggy/bridal/styled.

-While I was at work my dad posted a bunch of great photos like this one of Joseph at the dog park.


-My valentine's flowers are still kickin. The tulips gave up on me this weekend but I re-worked the rest a little and they still look quite pretty. My branches are even growing little leaves!



-Sorta related, went through the first pictures I took with my new ($40 from BigLots!) camera and there are several drunken/silly photos of Pat and I that are enjoyable even if not necessarily attractive. For example,


-The drive home was a breeeeeeze because of the people who had the day off. Beautiful sunset and it only took me 40 minutes. If only that could happen every day.

-My parents made really delicious brussel sprouts for dinner.

-And now, I know that I get to sleep past 5am tomorrow because I don't have to be in the city till 9 for an Administrative Assistant Conference. Which means although I don't have the day off, I will not be in my office. So, that's a perk.

I hope this sets the tone for the rest of the week. It is waaay past my bed time. Happy Monday!

Sweet Dreams/Bravo Show

I'm in wedding mode lately. Been doing lots of work with and lots of thinking about Sweet Dreams, the wedding planning company I intern/work as an assistant for. I hadn't really done a post about them (I don't think. I forget things) so I thought while I'm knee-deep in wedding things I might as well do that.

The ladies I work for, Lisa and Tilly, are seriously amazing. I adore them.
They adore me too. But that goes without saying.

Obviously being very professional and testing out local photo booth vendors.

Brides Against Breast Cancer show. Selling dresses for healthy knockers.

They authorized me to do a friends and family promotion. SO, I don't know if anyone who reads this is engaged or soon-to-be engaged but if you book an appointment for a free consultation and tell them I sent you, it's $250 off our day-of services or $500 off our full-service package. You can check out the website to read about our services and look at some photos. These ladies are top notch. And not just because I work with them. They really are amazing at what they do. Every bride should have a planner. I believed it before and now having worked several weddings of different sizes and styles I believe it even more. If anyone has any questions about planning/what we do please ask me. My email is mridderb@gmail.com. Or you can always ask Lisa and Tilly at info@sweetdreamsbridal.com.

Now onto the show...

We just did the Bravo show downtown at the Embassy Suites. It's a really fantastic show where you get paired up with several vendors and then collaborate to design a room that showcases everyone's talents. We were working with Royce's Prop Shop and Event Floral to design the room.(our other vendors were JaCiva's, Simply Thyme Catering, The Oregon Garden, and Alyssa Jul Photography) The show is such a creative opportunity and I really loved being able to help create our room and looking at what other people had come up with.

The Bravo Site will most likely post pictures and video from the show but here are a couple (crappy phone) pictures of our room. The theme was Spring Garden Romance. Everyone else went elaborate and over the top. Ours was romantic and pretty. Amazing drippy spring flower arrangements everywhere!

I'm not generally into the sashes on chairs...but most weddings have something similar. If there has to be a sash, I enjoy the side tie with the small votive arrangement. Simple and pretty.

In love with the tall antiqued stand for the arrangement. And also, the arrangement. Swoon. It has sunset heather which is my favorite shade of pink and one of my favorite flowers. Not big into the diamonds. But my wedding planner ladies are all about the bling.
They're not terrible, I suppose.
(we don't always agree on decor. I like wildflowers and hay bales. They like crystals and orchids.)

You can just barely see the pretty bistro lights and tree in this one. The tree has lovely little votive arrangements hanging in it like the ones on the chairs.

Heart Day

We actually celebrated yesterday with sake and dessert followed by a wonderful vegetarian lentil loaf dinner at his place. We watched Strange Brew and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. And drank red wine. He gave me sweet framed photos of the two of us and I gave him a brewing book and handmade card.
I was so smitten with our day-early valentine's celebration and on top of it was surprised with flowers at work today. Wonderful, asymmetrical flowers.

A very thoughtful and lovely first Valentine's day. We realized that there are very few photos of us together when he gave me my gift. I went digging and found this on my cell phone. The quality is too poor to make it big enough to frame but I like it. It's pretty old, from probably last April or May.



Happy Love day to whomever reads this little blog. I hope your day was half as lovely as mine.

Flower Porn

I think I've mentioned ink & peat on here before. They are a florist/boutique whose floral design I found and fell in love with before I knew they were Portland-based. Then I loved them even more. I have a small dream of picking up a mystery arrangement from them every two weeks or so. Would be so wonderful to just see what they come up with. Their designs are just amazing. Would love love love to do one of their workshops.
Anyway, was feeling floral today and decided to peruse their portfolio and blog. Swoon.

Really big fan of the giant Dahlia and the unbalanced feel of this bouquet. Hands down the prettiest bridal bouquet I've ever seen.

Usually I don't love the really compact bridal bouquets (think round bunches of red roses. ick) but I really love this. It looks so soft.

Drippy. Whistful. Young. Sophisticated. Dreamy. Seductive. Man oh man. This arrangement kills me. It's my favorite.

Spectacular, no?

I have a thing for scabiosa. that's the feathery looking purple with a greenish center. They look like swinging in the rain feels.

I think this one looks like good sex. Is that a little graphic for a floral arrangement?

Dutch flower paintings

I was reading Frolic, one of my favorite (and also local!) blogs written by stylist Chelsea Fuss who I might be a little bit in love with and/or I want to be her. But anyway, she mentioned Dutch Flower Paintings. Yeah. Right. They're gorgeous. Amazing. I want them to cover my walls. Better yet, I want an entire wall painted in this style. A dutch flower painting mural.

the downside to my beautiful studio

Is that I don't have a yard. I miss gardening and having my very own flowers to pick/smell/admire. I have a moderate flower obsession that was only made worse during my brief stint as a floral designer/rose cleaner/ flower shop bitch. Also because of this experience, I generally hate the arrangements at the grocery store- which are the only flowers I can afford to buy for myself. My preference is to go to a florist and buy flowers by the stem and arrange them myself. Below are a few I did for funsies this last winter. I like asymmetrical, sorta wild looking arrangements, obviously.



I also have this fantasy of having Ink and Peat(my favorite florist) surprise me with an arrangement that I pick up on the weekly. However, this would probably cost me at least $30 per week and that's just not in the budget.
I am at this very moment considering, or lets be honest planning, an evening stroll around my neighborhood with scissors. That's right I'm going to steal other people's flowers. Mostly I'm planning on stealing some really beautiful peonies growing on the side of my building. I pay rent here, those peonies are practically mine. Right?

I want someone to love me and know me enough to send my best friend flowers when she is having a bad day

In love

with the flowers in this wedding. perfect.

flowers and learning.

floral arrangements from ink and peat in Portland. http://housemartin.typepad.com



"And introduce an element of cynicism and darkness into it and just realize that we're all vulnerable. We are humans. There is a finite end to this life and we're all going to face it and a little silliness can help."
Alan Thicke

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before."
Edgar Allan Poe

"I guess darkness serves a purpose: to show us that there is redemption through chaos. I believe in that. I think that's the basis of Greek mythology."
Brendan Fraser




"Would it be beautiful or just a beautiful disaster?"
Kelly Clarkson

"Falling in love-you should go with it, regardless of whether or not your heart gets smashed. You'll be a better person."
Sandra Bullock

"Falling out of love is very enlightening. For a short while you see the world with new eyes."
Iris Murdoch

"All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears - of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, or speaking before a Rotary Club, and of the words "Some Assembly Required” "
Dave Barry

flowers

These are photos of the flowers that are growing at our house right now. I'm still deciding if I am going to pull up the bulbs and take them with me. Photos to come of my garden at the new house!