I am manning Store 518 today...also editing photos and trying to catch up on emails.
I love playing shop girl so much! I've eaten charlston chews and space ice creams all day, trying on dresses and helping ladies try on clothes. [I think we need to find a way to CINCH IT more at the waist] Is there a clothing boutique in Saipua? I'll have to lure my fashion consultant back to NYC first... Aaron would make a shop full of gold and green, pink cashmere and leopard print.

We've had a very productive weekend. That there is a picture of that iron urn I mentioned, full of flowers for a wedding at The Century Association. I want to do every wedding there. I actually want to be their exclusive florist. I'm just going to start saying what I want, right when I think it. I want to catch a flight to Florence in an hour. I want a book deal. I want a personal driver. I want a parrot on my shoulder and an apartment with a garden. I want a flower farm [shit, this is fun] I want a 1972 copper colored Camaro. I want to not have eaten pizza for breakfast. I want a day off.. and that, my friends, I have today.

some of yesterday's deliveries

A few little deliveries from yesterday...with local ranunculus, local lilac (finally!!), sweet peas, geranium, jasmine, anemones, dusty miller, crabapple, etc.

The beautiful urn in the background is one of a sweet pair I recently picked up thanks to Russell's eagle eye. (He's got an amazing single green one now that also tempts me.) I can say that with these urns my life as a florist is now complete. I made a big arrangement in one of them last week - I have to get those photos out for you soon...

p.s. did you know that we deliver soaps along with flowers?

I have finished testing a theory I recently developed regarding the correlation of late night ice cream consumption and the likelihood of bad dreams. Last night, after a brief rendezvous with a pint of coffee heath bar crunch I dreamed my family's log cabin was sinking into Clear Lake, a creaky behemoth of a structure, the lights flickering out all Titanic-like. Good thing the family sold it in '05.

I also dreamed that I had a baby. I suppose I am 29 and regardless of how tough I like to think I am I have one of those clocks that ticks... ew gross. In the coffee shop the other day a woman came in with a little baby and I almost said out loud to her: "How old?" ... [WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME] [I also recently bought Kashi cereal. AND LIKED IT.] Anyway in the dream I had a baby and when I walked into the room it recognized me and smiled. Sort of like the way my dog does. Or, an evening martini.

While I'm in the spirit of divulging, I might as well come clean on the ice cream front and admit to you that when Eric and I were in Vermont, we may have driven 50 miles out of our way to visit the Ben and Jerry's plant. And we may have taken photos of each other in the Flavor Graveyard (a single tear shed for Rain Forest Crunch) and we may also have withstood a litany of unfortunate bovine jokes during the factory tour in order to get a free sample at the end. Mooooving right along...

We saw Greenberg last night. Ben Stiller gives an amazing performance. Have you seen it and what did you think?

Ok, I'm going to head out the door to walk this dog and post some more recent flower photos when I get back in order to bury this rambling post...

[As I have promised brides that I will make custom Mood Boards for them, I've been digging around in iphoto a lot lately, unearthing old pictures I never posted. Like that one of my greenhouse last summer. Just kidding, it's not my greenhouse, it's my mom's. Just kidding it's at Mount Holyoke, I mean Smith I think.]

more photos from the weekend, and internship

Here's a little more sweetness from the weekend. Of course you know Rifle, and you recognize Anna's brilliant illustrations on the menus, table numbers and programs.

So perhaps it was that we were overwhelmed this weekend, or maybe it's that we're hungry for new talent around here - either way Saipua is looking for a new intern. Ideally I'd love someone who is good at photoshop and can whiz their way around iPhoto...someone who does not mind getting dirty, washing buckets and who might occasionally perform tedious tasks like cleaning wax off 100 candlesticks. We all do these things around here, but with wedding season now there is just simply more to do. The internship is unpaid, but you will eat well on us, and take home flowers and soap each day you come. Looking for someone 1 or 2 days a week. Preferably Wednesday morning would be one of these days. To start immediately. Email sarah[at]saipua.com with the word INTERNSHIP in the subject line.

If you have any unusual talents or interests that we might be amused by, please include that in the email. Like do you make excellent puff pastry? Have an extensive record collection we can listen to? A brief resume is also helpful.

Thank you!

back from crazytown

Two beautiful brides; one got married at The Bowery Hotel, the other at the Montauk Club. I love both these places as wedding reception venues. I only have photos back from the Bowery Hotel - so that's what I'm posting today.

Also our staff for this weekend was top notch. We could not ask for a smarter, more talented, more stylish bunch of assistants: Joelle (who always makes the most delicious snacks for us - see the brown sugar shortbread below), Courtney, Asheley, Deanna and of course Amy who makes everything happen and keeps me collected. I feel so lucky today... and also like I got hit by a bus. I've got other photos to post soon, and some exciting Saipua announcements coming...in the meantime I'm going to tend to my houseplants, do a little gardening and gorge on italian cookies with Nea.

Things around here are so damn exciting I can't stand it.
I've got a topnotch troop of ladies who are about to march in here and arrange some
serious flowers with me for this weekend's big weddings. I've got a mix tape prepared
that features Mary J Blige, Barbara Steisand and Naughty by Nature. And I've got a brand
new camera to document. See you on the other side..

Lets get on with it - a quick Vermont run-down:
I love it there. There are maple trees; syrup. There are lots of covered bridges. Lots of gorges. And lots of general stores - my favorite, if you're ever driving through central Vermont is in the town of Warren - they make their own bread and you can get terrific sandwiches to take on your hike.

We stopped at every single salvation army thrift store and goodwill in the state. At the last one on the way home a car crashed into the front of the store a few feet from where I was browsing.

I'm working on a new camera purchase this week - test driving a Canon 50D today with a macro 55mm lense. It is throw-your-hands-in-the-air-out-of-control. Results soon..

a blur

We're back from a few days sneaking around in Vermont. Upon crossing the border after a brief stop in North Adams Mass, Eric began a little lesson in early American nomenclature. The word VERMONT is from the French vert (Green) and mont (Mountain). Not much is green there now, because it's mud season. And unfortunately our trip there is a big blur to me now after 2 intense days back in the studio.

I'll reconvene tomorrow with photos.

In the meantime, let me introduce you to Muffy, my new obsession.

flowers and soap, soap and flowers

There are things that I write here sometimes, publish, and then go back and delete. Every one of three posts usually has ghost text. It's weird how I don't feel like writing anything anymore.

I've been sick all week, but finally better. Just a cold. For those of you monitoring my tick bite (and I love you for it) you'll be glad to know I sent the little sucka off to be tested. A tick in a zippy bag in a box through the mail. Such a strange trajectory for our little ectoparisite.

Lately I've been quietly fed up with the wedding industry in NYC. Amy and I delivered a small wedding yesterday that I hope to share with you soon here - lots of daffodils - anyway...this couple did things on their own and I think it was a pretty fun time. I probably just need a vacation - and OH SNAP - taking one Son!! Eric and I are off all of next week. What should we do?

Tulips (two stages) in my room last week.