Featured Articles

What is your first memory of flowers?

My first flower memory is picking lilacs from our lilac bush where I grew up in Toledo, Ohio. I must have been about 4 or 5 years old and loved that lilac bush! I would take them to the elderly neighbor’s house in the spring, ring the doorbell and hide to watch her open the door to find lilacs casually arranged in a little vase.

What experiences led to your interest in the floral industry?

I began my floral career during my first year of college at the age of 18 by unassumingly answering an ad for a floral designer. Making bud vases at Ken’s Flower Shop in Perrysburg, Ohio, was the first project of many that led me to working with flowers ever since!

What contributed most to your design education?

With a bachelor's degree in Fine Art Sculpture from Texas State University, designing in the third dimension is a love of mine. I continue to learn, while constantly striving to innovate with mechanics, while viewing floral design as an art form. Along the way, many mentors have influenced me creatively and in the business of flowers.

Where have you received your greatest industry support?

Countless colleagues in the industry have supported me, along with TSFA; my Mom and Dad; my husband, Jay; and my son, Sebastian.

What has been your favorite job in the floral industry?

Wow, that is a hard one! I have done so many things in the industry, from running a floral and event retail business to designing lavish events for dignitaries, traveling abroad to Asia, developing product for a silk flower and container manufacturer as well as managing a wholesaler in Houston. Each experience has contributed to who I am today.

What led to your Texas Cup and Mayesh Design Star wins?

I was inspired by my mentor, Coby Neal AIFD PFCI. He opened up a world of floristry that I never knew existed and encouraged me to be a sponge. Little did I know where those bud vases I learned how to make at 18 would lead me!

What was your most remembered floral experience?

I would have to say that the most exciting and fun experience that flowers led me to was competing in the HBO MAX floral show Full Bloom Season 1. The first task was to create a three-story replica of Van Gogh’s Poppies and Daisy. We won the team task and the finished floral art was amazing. Working with a team of designers that is in sync is an amazing feeling, but walking up to the project on the day we filmed and seeing a half million dollars worth of flowers waiting for us to create this masterpiece was unforgettable! God willing, I will be an old woman and look back at that day and remember what it felt like to experience flowers in such an epic way!

What intrigues you about the process?

I think competition is one of the greatest ways to push yourself and grow as a designer. Not only do you put yourself out there, but you learn how to be efficient, stretch your creativity and have fun doing it.

Describe your thought process that leads to a winning design.

The elements and principles are the foundation when thinking about a specific design. Competitive designing is different than designing for retail or making a pretty arrangement. I usually think about form and focal first. My sculpture background always comes into play and I love to design in ways where the mystery of the mechanics becomes part of the artistic statement. My “go to” starting point is usually creating some sort of armature and coming up with new mechanics that are exciting for the
judges and viewers.

The takeaway must be more than just the win. What did you learn from these competitive experiences? 

Competition is one way to grow. As a mom, these experiences have also helped me teach respect, sportsmanship, creativity and confidence to my son, Sebastian. We enjoy having little competitions at home for him to learn what it feels like to stand as a competitor. We have fun with flowers and learn life lessons along the way!