No FAIR...and the TRUTH

Thanks to all of you who humored me in my feeble attempt to make a game out of "real or fake". YOU guys are GOOD!! As many of you know I love weddings...I help out with a type of wedding ministry my friend and I started a few years back...you can read about it in my archives...I'm not sure which month...and I stink at figuring out how to post that link....sorry...Suffice it to say...one of my favorite parts; besides meeting some really sweet, sweet girls and their families...are the flowers...trying to keep up with the latest trends and keeping it way under budget is not only fun for me...but you could almost say I LIVE for it...it's just too fun and I love getting to be the florist for these weddings...I love it so much I have decided to take some more classes on florals and I've even offered to "help" out with a couple of florist I know...I told them...If they would just let me hang out with them for a day or so before a big wedding...I would not get in the way...I would even help if needed...AND I would PAY them for the pleasure!! Yes, I could be a bit crazy!

The flowers I mentioned and showed in the previous post...
YES...these beauties...were INDEED FAKE...just like Pamela's silicone eye-catchers! I wasn't counting on all you clever gals ENLARGING the pictures...silly me...but I am going to have to cry "foul" or "no fair"...b/c I really didn't think all of them looked that fake in the posted size ( I realize the ranaculas certainly did...but the roses were pretty darn good...even some of you thought they were real!)...but I will concede...it was pretty obvious once they were enlarged...that they were indeed fake!! Again...kind of like Pamela's hoo-ha's. I knew you gals were clever...I should have known you would outsmart me...I can't get anything past you guys!

I made that particular bouquet out of silk flowers...because this lovely girl...
was having her bridals taken in Austin Texas two weekends ago...she is using real roses, ranaculas and stephonotis for the ceremony...so-oooo we (my friend and I...she is a friend of our families) decided that white flowers may not last out in the HOT Texas sun for 4 to 6hours during the almost day long shoot...so I made this little diddy up for her to use for the day of the shoot, knowing it wouldn't turn brown or wilt away...I think they turned out pretty well...in her professional pictures you really can't tell the difference...I don't think????...maybe if you enlarge them...but all in all I think they worked for the intended purpose. I am a true LOVER of using REAL flowers...not that I have anything against silks...but to me REAL flowers for a wedding just adds to the romance of the day. I have a love affair I suppose with flowers...I just NEVER tire of them...I'm always trying out new things...even for just around the house and using fresh flowers is my favorite thing to add to a room! It doesn't even have to be flowers...right now I have some wheat grass on my dining table...that looks so cool...makes me want to take my shoes off and dance around in it...but I don't think that's what dining tables are made for! I'll tell the story of the wheat grass...soon!

I think this bride is gorgeous...
as I do all the brides I have worked with...and I LOVE her dress...AND the fact that she had many of her pictures taken in front of historical Texas landmarks...such as the capitol...The Bob Bullock Library and the UT campus...she's a real Texas gal...loves Austin...and her wedding is going to be in one of the coolest (not climate wise) places a Texas girl could imagine...more on that when I get the pictures from her wedding in August.

I am off to do another wedding this weekend in Fort Worth, Texas at the Bass Performance Hall (been working on the logistics of this wedding for a few months, now)...the bride is just an absolute angel gal...and is so pretty...I can't wait to see her in her dress and see her reaction to the flowers (that's usually my favorite part...how happy they look...makes me feel like I know what I'm doing!) She has helped so much with the concept of this wedding and has lots of really cool ideas. It has been so helpful that she is very clear on what she loves...plus she is open to many ideas! She is also doing this on a budget and has been very mindful of that throughout the process...what a blessing that has been for her family...I am sure! I'll give you a hint about the wedding...think romantic vintage...we are using pearls...candles...cut glass...sterling silver (the kind that has a bit of tarnish) and beautiful white and cream flowers! Her bouquet...which I will make on Friday...will consists of peonies (one of my favs and very romantic), vendala roses, and white freesia...her bridesmaids will also carry all whites and creams, hydrangeas and vendala roses and spray roses....she is the only one carrying peonies...I can't wait to get started...hopefully, I'll remember to take some pics...and share those later...Till then...again...Thanks for playing...YOU gals are just too smart for me! Have an awesome week and I'll check back in when the wedding is over...and I've taken a NAP on Sunday!!

Real or Fake...you tell me...

Well, it's wedding season...and I am in full swing with a couple of weddings I am working on for the next couple of months. I have a question...and you can help by answering...I need input.
Are these real or fake??? Ha! Gotcha...just wanted to get your attention...and I must say these are "real" or "fake" attention getter's!! Don't get me started on this abundance of silicone...I mean...I'm all for enhancement if that is your desire...but this is beyond natural enhancement!!...sadly, I think P.A. is a very cute gal...but seriously..."these" just pain me to look at.!!!

But, on to what I am really asking here...and to get back to the very important subject at hand...WEDDINGS....Do you think these are real or fake???? This is a bouquet I made for a bride a while back...and I was just wondering....what you think of these... ARE these real or fake??? OR could they be a mixture of both??? uh huh!...something that is becoming more and more popular with the influx of outdoor weddings this time of year. Good trick when trying to make the flowers last the entire wedding day especially when dealing with white blooms. I have done and have seen mixtures of both...so is this the case here????...you may already know the answer...b/c I know I'm dealing with some rather crafty and talented folks out there...but seriously, let me know...I look forward to your input and will posts the results and the absolute truth behind these flowers...along with the story behind them!! Thanks for playing..."REAL or FAKE"...just think of it as a Late Show with David Letterman type scenario...kind of like the one "Will it sink or float"....sorry, I don't have any gals with grinders and metal wear to contribute to the game!

Updates...galore...

This is a day for updates and a sweet little commentary about a new baby in my life...First...thank all of you that have prayed and sent best wishes out to Buddy Will. Buddy Will has gone to a caring and loving home and I have absolutely no qualms about where he is now residing. Thanks again...especially to my sweet friend Sandi...from "Holding Patterns"...you mean so much to me and Mr. Buddy Will.

Secondly, last night I was able to visit my friend in her home and get an update on their precious daughter...Stephanie. She has been in ICU since the accident on Thursday night of last week. While I was at their home...Stephanie's husband called and informed her parents that she was being moved to a private room....hallalejah...all the breathing tubes have been removed, she is sitting up some...and even walked to the bathroom and rode in a wheelchair to see her baby daughter very briefly in the ICU waiting room...isn't this just the best news. I am so thankful for their entire family...hopefully, Stephanie will be able to come home to her mom and dads to re-coop very soon! My friend is so thankful that her daughter was protected by God's hand last Thursday night...we all know she is recovering b/c of a miracle...while we know that Steph has a long road of recovery ahead of her...she has a lot to recover for...and she is grateful. I took over dinner and also downloaded one of the pictures my daughter had taken of them last Wednesday... I still can't believe it was just a week ago that we saw her and the baby...and Jackie was snapping pictures of them...laughing and playing. I put the picture in a sweet little frame for Steph's mom to take to her...so she can have Miss Brooklyn with her at all times...plus it was such a cute picture...I knew it would make her happy showing it off to all the hospital staff...I know she will love it...THANKS! Jackie...you did an awesome job with the pictures!

Now...for this picture...
I'm sure you are all wondering who this precious baby is...she is my little "formula" baby...Kezi...I know her through another friend of mine...actually her daughter is a Registered Nurse and is volunteering for one year in Sudan...she will be leaving her post in August...but she has graciously updated us on all the sweet babies and orphans that they treat at the school and in the clinic of the orphanage where she volunteers. This sweet young woman....Emily...has the biggest heart for the Lord and for helping those in need. She emailed her mom an urgent request about the babies outside the orphanage that for one reason or another did not have enough milk to survive. A lot of these babies lost their moms to Aids or in childbirth and are being raised by other family members...but b/c it is such an impoverished country they have very little food, water and shelter...not to mention very inadequate medications and supplies. She told us that the orphanage was going to have to start to turn away starving babies b/c they were running out of formula. Apparently formula is outrageously expensive and very difficult to come by. So through Harvesters International they set up an account specifically for "formula babies" these are babies that are not provided for by the orphanage but are from neighboring villages. Well, we know we can't send starving babies home w/o formula...so Emily started stretching what she had left in supply to its limits and then placed a "plea" out to many of her family and friends to see if we could help support these babies. Lots of folks really came through for this cause...the last I heard they had enough money in the formula bank to feed 10 babies for almost a year...I believe. So this is my baby...or I like to think she is...I send a monthly check to the baby formula plan at Harvesters and this is the picture Emily sent back of one of the babies Harversters Formula program has helped save. I am in love with all these kids she sends pictures of...even with nothing, these kids in the orphanage ALWAYS have a smile on their face...they are so grateful for anything they have...what a blessing for all of them to have had Emily there to care for them...but I think if you asked her she would tell you she is the one who has been blessed.


I know there are children starving and have needs in our country as well, I do not for one minute choose one child over another. I feel I have a very blessed life...so I do try my hardest to help wherever I can...I just want to encourage all of you to remember all of our children in this world...please remember them in your prayers...in your conversations with others...in your heart and if possible with any donation or extra time to whatever organization fits your personal beliefs. I love having children all over the world...and I know I will meet them all one day.


This is Emily with a baby she helped deliver out in the villages surrounding the orphanage. These people are so desperate for help and medical treatment that at times they will risk life and limb by going outside the safety of their own villages to "borrow" the nurses and aides from the orphanage to help with delivering babies and other medical emergencies. I believe if I remember correctly this baby was born under very dire circumstances, was delivered using very antiquated equipment...survived in spite of all of it...and to honor Emily...the babies parents named her Emily...awesome!

I think I am enamored by these children, their stories and those sweet faces...b/c when I was younger...I wanted to be the next Mother Teresa...REALLY...no kidding...kind of funny but I really did grow up thinking I was going to be a Missionary nun...I DO NOT know why...seriously, other than my grandfather used to tell me I would be a nun...I am so not the nun type...I mean I love the Lord, I love what the nuns do throughout our country...but I have a laywomans MOUTH...that at times could get a nun in trouble...yes, I 'm a bit sassy and have been known to throw out a word or two...not becoming a nun...to top it off...a tall muscular blond man came into my life..and WELL he drew me in with his gorgeous brown eyes...and becoming a nun went right out the window!! I decided I couldn't live without him, married the tall muscular blond and was blessed to raise our two wonderful children. But, now thankfully b/c of that tall muscular blond man...I can spread a little love throughout the places I so wanted to travel in my youth!

Blessings to all....thanks for all your prayers for all that has been happening around our little Ponderosa these days...it's been a whirlwind few days...hopefully, next week...I will be posting about fun stuff...I pray!