Ofttimes when someone learns I’m a florist, their response is “oh, you get to play with pretty flowers all the time!”. Which is a partial truth, but much, much more than designing goes into owning (or working in) a floral shop. I design much less now than when I worked in various shops. Time is most often spent tracking costs, overhead, processing payments, calculating estimates, sending invoices, responding to emails or DMs, managing social media, washing buckets, sanitizing vases, and processing flowers. Much of the paperwork happens during nap time. Jordan helps as much as he can. While we were dating, he stayed up till early hours of the morning processing flowers for my sisters wedding even though he’s allergic to pollen. My husband is the real MVP. Baby carriers, the dishwasher, play centers, and family have also been lifesavers in allowing me to get work done. Don’t get me wrong, I love it! I absolutely love being a mom and having a floral business. Multiple adjustments have been made for me to be successful in motherhood and with Sweet Ginesta as Noah continues to grow. It has been a long, sometimes frustrating, ever-changing process.
I remember talking to my sister about how hard my first Valentines Day as a mom was. It was difficult at the time, but seems so easy in comparison to now. I was barely 6 weeks postpartum. I didn’t have a lot of energy and I was still getting used to being a mom. Noah would nurse for about a half hour to 45 minutes, I would burp him, change his diaper, then put him in a wrap. He quickly fell asleep while I worked for a couple hours until the next feed.
Noah was about 3 months old around the my brother passed away. Noah took long naps & was not too wiggly in a forward facing baby carrier—it was perfect! Designing while wearing him was fun because his face was fairly close to the blooms. Noah was memorized by all of the bright colors and textures. My mom and sister came for some of the time to hold him and entertain him.
By the next floral holiday, Noah learned he could reach out and touch things. Quickly followed by the discovery of grabbing anything within reach. He loved kicking and grabbing bright flowers with his fingers and toes. Thus ended the days of the forward facing baby wearing. Noah either played in an activity center, or I worked while he slept.
When I finally do get my hands on some fresh blooms, it currently goes something like this:
btw- I love my ring sling because it allows Noah to comfortably sit on my hip without help and it keeps him away from the blooms.