Jesse took me to the largest corn maze in America. Ten minutes in, we knew it wasn't for us, and since we could still hear and faintly see civilization we decided to quit. We made it to the 2012.
Thankfully, there were redeeming parts about this farm adventure. The pumpkin patch and being with my buddy (toes pictured below).
Sapiua was in Virginia last weekend. Sarah and company throw quite the flower-making party. I got to go. It was awesome.
I touched a million roses and have a scratch on every finger to prove it. I learned "closed toe" means wear a steel-toed boot so when your clippers drop you don't take a toe or tendon off. I watched the super-talented Nicolette style a bouquet. Then I did it. And did it again and again. I realized I should add a ladder, a mop, a broom, trash-bags, paper-towels and red lipstick to my tool-kit. I helped make a massive archway covered in olive branches and flowers (which I failed to photograph, so I keep checking Jose's blog for footage). I bore witness to the construction of the most gentle, yet commanding works of art — ever. There aren't words to describe it. So again, I check Jose's blog for footage. I ate peanut butter and jelly and a lot of chocolate-covered almonds. There were walkie-talkies and velvet and silk everywhere.
I loved it.
Sarah & Nicolette are the girls who made me fall in love with flowers, so working along-side them was really special.
A day or so after the wedding, I cleaned out a box of magazine clippings in an effort to go paperless, and I found a Martha Stewart article on bouquets I saved a few years ago. I've always loved it, and as I was re-reading it, I realized it was Sarah's work. I'm not surprised, and gosh, who knew I'd make bouquets with her on October 6?! The Lord did.
"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, Oh God. They are innumerable! I can't even count them. They outnumber the grains of sand. And when I wake up in the morning you are still with me." (Psalm 139:16-18)
Have you ever been somewhere that is so special and beautiful that you'll never forget the first time you went? Places like that are almost magical, and they live on in your heart forever! Pharsalia is one of those places.
The estate is nestled at the foot of dePriest Mountain in Nelson County, Virginia. It is warm, so charming and completely breathtaking — beauty everywhere you look. You must read more about it here. It's everything they say and more.
The house and the VIEW!
I happened upon Pharsalia thanks to my good friend Paul at the LBDC. He told me about Saunders (which I promptly visited with Ericka - Read "Serious Saturdays" to hear the full report). Then I heard someone from Saunders was doing a talk on fall planting, and I love learning, so I signed up. I had no idea what I had gotten into and no idea how good what I had gotten into was! The class was great and super-informative, but Pharsalia -- Gaaaah! It's so pretty.
While I was at the fall planting class, I learned about a flower-arranging class that was taking place the next day. Mind you, it was my kind of flower-arranging class -- totally inspired by the seasons. And they were making loose, wild arrangements using the bounty of local gardens. This probably goes without saying, but I came back the next morning.
Oh, and I found a feather on the front steps. Those of you who were at the "Event Planning, Floral Design & Entrepreneurship" class I did last week know what this means! For the rest of you - someday I'll tell.
I have quite the collection going!
The drive home and back again was gorgeous. I passed enormous fields of pumpkins. I drank a pumpkin-spice latte. I sang the whole way. I embraced the moment and it felt good.
The drive
Pumpkin fields
You know what else felt good? Meeting new friends who love flowers as much as I do. Meg taught us how to make cornucopia and we all shared amazing, seasonal food from her book. Meg is great and the class was wonderful! I'll be back.
Yep. There's a swimming pool too.
More on Philosophy Flower School and the Charlottesville wedding soon!
