“Live life passionately, love deeply, dream bigger, worry less, dance in the rain, enjoy the cool breeze before a storm hits, open your heart to the world by being an open book. Don’t ever apologize for being yourself. Sometimes I think it’s okay to break to rules, to go against the grain, to just do what you feel in your heart is right. This world needs passionate and artistic people — otherwise it would be dull and boring!…don’t ever ask for permission, ask for forgiveness!” – me 

My Professional Journey

While battling depression in my adolescent days, I felt lost as a right brained, out-spoken and artistic dreamer. I was not properly channeling my artistic, passionate energy in a positive direction and instead was on a path to self destruction. I was consequently expelled from high school. Soon after, I was able to focus my passions, graduate and set out intending to be an interior designer. I went to design school fully motivated to become just that. On the road to that goal, as a way to pay the bills I worked as a florist, learning from some amazingly talented floral artists. In 2009 I graduated with honors from JMU [go Dukes!] with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Art and Art History in Interior Design [architectural design, NOT decorating!]. After designing weddings for family and friends, I quickly became a full fledged event florist without ever planning to become one. A few years and many accolades later, I am loving what I do and glad God stuck with me and guided me to His chosen path. Throughout my journey, my husband was my friend and was by my side as my cheerleader. Ten years later, we married in October 2011 in Disney World :D

My Artistic Goal

Regardless of the ultimate ‘tangible’ or professional goal, I hope to one day inspire others as other great leaders and dreamers have done for me. I hope to continuously find inspiration in things that push me to be a better person and a better artist. I find inspiration in the strangest of places, and I hope to continue to do so. Things that sadden me, push me. Things that wow me, trigger ideas. I hope to never lose my passionate spirit. I have a very dramatic and passionate personality — I hope I never become dull. My passions are my fuel, and I’m relentless when I’m fueled!

My Inspirations

• My dream wedding or event theme: A dramatic, rich toned, opulent Tim Burton/Alexander McQueen-esque theme
• Johnny Depp’s artistic genius: his approach to the world, the way he expresses his thoughts and feelings in a confident and unconstrained manner
• The dreams that Walt Disney chased and realized, inspires my business goals

A few of my favorite things

• heading southbound on I-95! My husband is from South Carolina, and we love to vacation anywhere south of Virginia!
• The best thing I ever ate was called Brachiosaurus Bruschetta
• I can draw with charcoal better than a pencil
• My favorite vacation is a Walt Disney World/Polynesian Resort one with my husband
• Swarovski anything
• A fabulous pair of wedges or pumps
• I don’t have a a single favorite color, I love all colors! Some of my favorites this year: violet, ruby red & eggplant
• I often construct new words and give them definitions. For example: ANTHOMANIC :D