I love farmers’ markets…LOVE THEM. You will often find me at my local farmers market with my Irish doodle Lieutenant Dani (LT). I love to travel making a visit to a local farmers market is always on my to-do list... I love meeting the farmers and learning about what they are growing. Souring local ingredients is like a chef sourcing what is in season and creating a recipe with fresh local ingredients. I have been using locally sourced florals since I started this journey and continue to this day. Living in Reno/Tahoe area can make it a challenge to locally source year-round but over the last 5 years, we now have so many local flower farms owned and run by AMAZING women! I have lived in this area for 30 years attending Sierra Nevada University and finding a love for wildflowers in the Sierras and the many natural woodsy ingredients that I often forge for my designs. If you see a crazy flower lady with her dog in the forest or a field forging ingredient it is probably me.

How did this flower journey start? I grew up in Southern California in the coastal town of Corona Del Mar. My childhood was filled with days at the beach surrounded by some of the most beautiful gardens, including both of my grandmother’s. One of my favorite things to do as a child (and still is when I visit home) is a trip to Rogers Gardens in Corona Del Mar, CA. Another favorite thing to do and still is to this day is to design with florals only now, I am not picking them out of my neighbor’s yard (well maybe if I have permission). I started my floral journey professionally five years ago, calling myself a flower therapist. For the last 30 years, my career has been working with children in the mental health field, which can be emotionally draining like so many things in life. One thing I always do for self-care is to buy myself flowers. Sometimes I get lost designing with flowers, decorating my home or office with florals and locally forged materials taking my mind to a peaceful place, and then enjoying the beauty in my surroundings. I wanted to bring this experience to everyone and anyone who needs or wants this. I offer custom in-home or community classes/parties and workshops for adults as well as children. While starting out, I did a lot of these and started getting inquiries about bigger events and weddings; thus, my journey started. I started working with a local florist and taking various floral classes.