Gratitude

I've been in this business for almost 12 years now. That means a few things. I'm a little unsure of where all the time has gone. I'm super proud of what I've accomplished in the past 5 years building Blade. And lastly and perhaps most importantly I've had the chance to meet some pretty amazing people within my own industry.

Owning your business poses some challenges every now and then and I've talked about them before. However when you quite literally fall to the ground with back spasms the morning of a huge job your business and everything you must do flashes before your eyes.

When the dizziness settles you realize, it's ok, I've got this. I've got some kick ass people in my corner. Talented designers who can pick up where you fall short, interpreting your design when you can't. They may have their own personal style, own point of view but this day they bring yours to life.

These peeps know who they are and I can't thank them enough for bringing it all to life on a day that I could not.

When I say they had my back, I mean it.

Much love to my crew.

"Baubles & Blooms" with Vicolo Mio

You are going to be sorry your missed it once you see the goodies Doreen from Vicolo Mio showcased at the "Baubles & Blooms" event last week. As if these beauties needed any help from me {they are beyond gorgeous} it was fun to add a few touches here and there to up the pretty factor just a bit.

 See that little turquoise/blue necklace in the upper right picture...yup, it came home with me along with a few others.

 There were pastel and bright hues for Spring...

 ...Emerald green took a front seat as Pantone's color of the year.

 Beachy and nautical themes for the summer.

 And one of my favorite looks, the neutral tones of browns, off white and mixed metals perfect for just about anytime of year.

If you see anything you must have, want to host your own party or to find out more about personal styling contact Vicolo Mio here.

Interested in learning more about Blade's styling services? 

Contact me directly:

anne@bladenyc.com

Baubles & Blooms

I'm excited to be working with Doreen from Vicolo Mio again on her next event, "Baubles & Blooms". 

Whether you need to style yourself, your bridal party or just want to give your jewelry collection a little pick me up for Spring now is your chance. Don't miss it!

 

Look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

Small Business and Taking the Leap

I like to fill most of my posts with beautiful flowers and work that I'm proud of but in the midst of all the prettiness I'm in fact running a small business. There is constant conversation about small business and truth be told I wonder what most people consider a "small business". Is it made up of 100 employees, less than 50 or can it be just one person? 

For me it's the latter. I'm a solo entrepreneur, individual business owner, founder, creative director or one of the many other titles you can assume when you start your own business. I welcome them all and change my title throughout the course of my day depending on the task at hand. It's something to keep in mind when considering "taking the leap" into the business of small business. Forging out on your own to make your way. It takes courage, careful planning and perseverance. Some days will be better than others and as Paper & Stitch put it "Rough days will make the good ones even better." {This is just one of many great points in their series, Secrets to Success, check out all 10 tips here.}

I've come across some other great posts/series over the last few days about starting and/or running your own business whether it be something you started as a hobby or a brand new idea that is sure to change the world. One consistent theme I've found throughout them all is that you must be prepared to fail, to be disappointed and something I feel like is so important to remember, you can't compare yourself to others. 

You should know your competition, have a thorough understanding of your industry and particular market. But you shouldn't live and die by it, it doesn't matter what everyone else is doing...it matters what YOU are doing. And the reality is (which I often count on friends and colleagues to remind me) is that you don't truly know what someone else is doing, you only know what they say they are doing. Liene Stevens put it best in her post regarding "Fame" and Success.

Find your own success, your own balance. Figure out what is most important for your life and your business. Create the business that you want and be less concerned with what you think it is supposed to be because you are judging yourself by standards set by someone else. Lauren Grove from Every Last Detail rid herself of these concerns in her recent post.

I'm the first person to encourage someone to take the leap. So if you are thinking about going out on your own, do your research, make your plans and JUMP!

 Orange poppy flower, photo courtesy of me.

Oscar Fashions and Wedding Flower Trends

There has been much conversation about the fashions from Oscar night, the hits and misses and of course everyone has chosen their favorite.

All this talk has me wondering how it will influence wedding trends, particularly with flowers. While in my opinion no style is ever "out" there can always be a fresh spin and slightly different interpretation.

A few keys looks that translate beautifully into floral decor are the Art Deco inspired fashions of Halle Berry and Stacy Keebler. The sophisticated gunmetal and black combination work perfectly for a black tie wedding. Black glass, mirrors and steel accents would be a stunning combo along with sleek white blooms; calla lilies, french tulips or orchids are just a few choices.

The ultra feminine and romantic look worn by Amy Adams is for the couple wanting a luxe, lush, overflowing design style using a soft and subtle pastel color palette. All time favorites for this look would be peonies, garden roses, hydrangea, sweet pea and orchids. Soft silhouettes for vases and candlelight would be key to the design. There are amazing linen options that would further enhance this look; ruffles and voluminous fabrics in similar pastel tones would be the perfect compliment.

Who wore your favorite look and how can you translate that feeling into your wedding decor?

(Images: Merit/Getty)

Real Wedding: Alex & Val at Bridgehampton Surf & Tennis Club

I loved working on this wedding! It was the perfect combination of a super sweet couple (with the most lovely families), a perfect backdrop for an elegant beach wedding and the expert planning skills of Jennifer of JZ Events.

The inspiration for this wedding was a combination of the beautiful beach dunes of the Hamptons along with simple elegance of any fabulous dinner party. The color palette was a muted combination of blues and green for the cocktail hour and soft pink and ivory tones for the reception. The bride wanted to have the decor for the cocktail hour more casual and something slightly more formal for the reception while still in keeping with the beautiful backdrop of the ocean and beach.
Personal touches were used throughout from the sweet pea bouquet requested by the mother of the bride to the hand painted table numbers and menu designed by the father of the bride. Accents of lavender were important to the bride and were used to decorate the ceremony aisle and scattered by the flower girls as they walked down the aisle. Lavender and rosemary sachets were used at every place setting, herbs being an important element to the family as restaurant owners in New York City.

 
Raquel Reis captured the feeling of the day beautifully through her images and they speak for themselves.

 

  

 

  

All photos courtesy of Raquel Reis Photography

Small Business: Making Room for Baby

Proud to be a part of the "Making Room for Baby" series by Adelaide Lancaster of In Good Company on Forbes.com. Check out the full article here.

There has been a lot of focus on the idea of Mompreneurs, moms who have created a business after becoming a mother. I'm a huge supporter of these moms who have often started a business in response to something they have found lacking in their new world of motherhood and child care. They have created so many amazing products and services to make our lives as mothers easier and sometimes just a little more fun.

There is not quite as much discussion about those of us who may have recently started a business and in the midst of growing and nurturing our first "baby" have found that we are expecting. It creates turns and twists that you may not have planned for and you will to adjust to stay on course.

Adelaide posed some questions that I hadn't given much thought to as one often fails to do while they are trying to stay the course and "make it happen". It was interesting to look back over the last 5 1/2 years I've been in business and the nearly 3 years that I've been a mother.

Be sure to check out the other installments on "Making Room for Baby" on Forbes.com or on In Good Company's blog.