Tweaking and customizing and changing.

Is there such a thing as catching up on paperwork?  Sometimes I finish everything in my pile, and for about 7 to 10 hours I hear nothing.  I sleep on those nights.  Finishing up the paperwork tomorrow, because I am one of those morning people.  We’ve been wondering a lot about what’s going to happen with the Nato Summit this weekend.  Thankfully none of our projects are downtown.

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You NEED to look at the entire shoot, and you can do that right HERE because it was featured on Ruffled!!!

Thank you so much to an amazing team of vendors who made this so.very.good!

After a friendly chat with a florist, I explained in very broken french that I was a florist in Chicago.  We briefly talked biz, and then I picked out my blooms.  When I was finished he grabbed a bunch of lilac for me as a gift!  I was so touched by his generosity and greatly enjoyed walking back to our apartment carrying the large bundle of blooms.  When you carry flowers like this in Paris, everyone smiles at you.  To be honest, everyone smiles at you all the time.  Especially if you are the first to send them a big ol’ grin.  The entire stroll back home I pretended I lived there.

Earlier that day we had walked past a different boutique and in the window I noticed a pair of pruners unlike any I had seen before.  They were made from Oak that fell during a storm in Versailles.  The sheers themselves handmade and sharpened.  An heirloom pair for anyone with a subtle true love for blooms.  Using them for the first time, I was surprised by how special it felt.

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May Day was our last full day in the city.  Florists and street vendors sold lily of the valley on every corner and the city was alive and vibrant.  Not wanting our blooms to fade away, we brought them down the street, to some friends we made, in honor of their holiday.  We sipped champagne and watched the sky change color on our 9th evening before we headed home to pack.

(P.S.  Happy Derby Day & Cinco de Mayo, today!)

Truffle Truffle provided the most amazing sweets!  They provide some of the most beautiful and unique wedding sweets tables and gift favors.  Oh, their s’mores!!! And beer truffles!  Marshmallows!!!

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The Curry Cruiser came along and created some custom deliciousness in the form of curry tacos for the party!!!  This super-fantastic Indian street food will soon be coming to a store near you!!

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(Above photo from Jaclyn Simpson)

And to wash it all down, we had Three Floyd’s Pride & Joy!

(Above & remaining photos below from Jaclyn Simpson)

Even Kitty came out for the event!

Thank you again, for making this party and the last 10 years and incredible as they have been.  The future is very exciting, with a lot in store.

xoxox

]]> http://www.fleurchicago.com/blog/2012/04/lets-party-part-2/feed/ 1 http://www.fleurchicago.com/blog/2012/04/if-you-are-planning-for-a-decade-plant-trees-part-1/ http://www.fleurchicago.com/blog/2012/04/if-you-are-planning-for-a-decade-plant-trees-part-1/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:49:55 +0000 Fleur Inc http://www.fleurchicago.com/blog/?p=2469 Ten years ago, a little flower shop opened in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.  My heart tightens as I remember the first day.  Indeed, I still remember that very first day.  A lot has changed.  A move, good decisions, bad decisions, a learning process or two.  Years of growth, years of stagnancy, this little flower shop is packed full of so much.  To be honest, I tend to feel empty for words when I think about the last ten years.  A decade is a really, really long time.

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One week ago we threw a party to celebrate.  Jaclyn Simpson took the photos (thank you!!!).  So many people attended.  And those who couldn’t make it sent the most amazing messages our way.  I just don’t even know how to thank everyone for the support, the strength, well everything, really.  Thank you for your high standards of creativity and love and devotion.  Thank you for allowing Fleur to become all it has.  Thank you for respecting our creativity.  I owe all of you a lot.  And I think about all of you a lot.  There are big plans ahead for Fleur that are only in their infancy.  In the meantime, thank you for everything.  Please enjoy these photos (part 1).

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More photos soon of our friends who helped us throw this amazing party, and all the good people who attended.
xoxo

A long time ago she and I decided to make an apple-whiskey pie.  We (I) added too much whiskey, and it was a bit of a mess.  We also baked cardamon cookies for the holidays one year.  And we shared many moments over bubbles and cheese fries.  That’s how classy girls do.  Sometimes months would pass and we wouldn’t see one another, or talk even.  Mostly because we were busy sorting out our lives, working hard, falling in love, suffering heartbreak and just being.  When time finally allowed us an afternoon of french food in fancy restaurants downtown, we caught up so quickly as though only a few days had gone by.

I wish I could call her tonight and make plans for yoga class tomorrow evening (I don’t even like yoga, although I did give it my best shot).  Jess is one of those friends who is so understanding.  So thoughtful and so kind.  She’s a dreamer and romantic, a photographer and a dear friend.  I had a clear head out there.  Friendship, the ocean and salt water air wear well on me.

On an unrelated note, this last image reminds me a lot of Jaws.  Love blue & yellow.

(Thanks Caleb, this bouquet is gorgeous!!)

Lula has once again expanded.  The space is even more beautiful than before, and they have a new bar.  So I asked about the old one.  Now, it’s in Fleur.

We have been making a lot.  And moving furniture, rearranging, organizing, overall just feeling really happy and productive.  Speaking of, I need to finish some proposals and updates, so these are for you to enjoy for the moment.

I wish I had more time to write.  It would be wonderful to tell you about the muscari in my flower box, and how I have to breath in its scent each morning before I leave for work.  About how I hear my neighbors laughing outside, and how much I love that sound.  Of joy and smiles and crinkled eyes.  It would be nice to tell you about the moon the other night.  So full and bright, it actually lit up Chicago’s skyline.

I’ll tell you one thing.  We have a beautiful year planned.

Join us April 12th from 4-8pm.

We have savory nibbles from The Curry Cruiser, delicious sweets from Truffle Truffle and there will be beer from 3Floyds* to wash it all down.  Can’t wait to see you.  We’ve painted and remodeled in honor of this, so come on by to take a peek.

xoxox

Thank you so much for believing in us for 10 amazing years.

*with id, kids!

I want to send a little thank you out to the following, who made this such a fun shoot! Elizabeth Anne Designs, SQN Events, Simply Jessie Photography, Courtney Callahan Paper, Truffle Truffle & Femme du Coupe.  You are all such an incredibly talented group, and I am so tickled and honored to have you all in my life!!
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Now, enjoy the photos, and bottom’s up!

All these photos are by Simply Jessie!

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You can see the rest of the post right HERE!!!