Ode to Debbie

I had an interesting experience during the week of Mother's Day. I was able to work in a floral shop that was a little short handed.

**Looks around to see if any shop florists are near by**

I didn't like it.

The lady in charge seemed so stressed and loathing of everything, every flower, every day, and every arrangement. It wasn't fun for her. She's been doing this for 20 years, and she doesn't seem to love flowers, love learning new things, or love her job.

I don't want that.

It made me even so much more grateful to be able to work with my friend Debbie Chase.

We do special events and weddings, get to pick and chose who and when we work, and we keep our love of flowers alive! Every wedding is a learning experience. Whether or not we try to find new ways of getting arrangement precariously from her house to the wedding site, or discovering that iris’s make for delicate boutonnières.

It’s a lot of fun working with Debbie. She’s much more then just a friend to me, she’s seriously my role model. She works 40+ hours a week, and still comes home and works in her garden, feeds all her animals (cows, chickens, and goats) and her dream is to expound and work on her farm and to find something that ‘makes her heart sing.’

You would never know she’s in jeans and rubber boots covered in mud on the weekends, up to her elbows in dirt.

She’s cares so much about her work and her reputation. She is open minded to every one and everything, I know I could ask her advice about any problem I have, and she would understand completely how I’m feeling and totally put my mind at ease.

I tease her all the time about being glamorous. (Cause she really is, she just denies it)

But she’s more than that. Debbie has taught me that you can do everything, and anything you want and love. The nicest person I’ve ever met, and I’m so lucky to call her my friend!

Here are some pictures of Debbie’s work! I say Debbie’s work cause honest to goodness, she does the designing, I clip and clean and hand off and make the boutonnieres and corsages, but when it comes to the heavy lifting, Debbie takes the wheel. I’m mostly there for comedic stress relief.

  

 

Numbers

105: Minutes long the movie "Letters to Juliet" was. It was cute, predictable, but awesome scenery. I totally want to go to Europe.

40: Current number of "people like this" on the Chase Your Dreams Floral Design Fan page I made on facebook, if you haven't yet, like it here!

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-OR/Chase-Your-Dreams-Floral-Design/121842691170114?ref=ts

20: Days since I've blogged. Sorry. 


16: Probably the number of times I've played mario kart since we borrowed it from my parents.

13: Boutonnieres I'll be making this weekend for this huge, awesome, beautiful wedding Debbie and I are doing this weekend!


15: Minutes early I was to work on Friday (that was a freaking miracle)


10: Toes that need a pedicure!


9: Days till my birthday!


7: Nights (within in the last 20) that I've had vivid crazy dreams. 2 which involved me driving a car off a cliff or bridge and free falling. Creepy. I lived both times though. Which is good.


6: Loads of laundry I did today. (yeah, that's right SIX)


5: I think the number of times it rained while Debbie and I tried (and eventually succeeded) planting pumpkin seeds on Saturday. It was super fun! I haven't gardened or played/worked in the mud and dirt for a long time. It was kind of invigorating.


4: muddy paws I had to rinse off because a certain favorite k9 of mine was LOVING running around in the mud while Debbie and I worked outside.


3: how many bouquets Debbie made on Thursday/Friday that were Tuscan themed and absolutely gorgeous

2: Days I worked last week.


1: Beloved family member lost this week, Kevin Wecker, (Ryan's Cousin) survived cancer last year, and was seemingly cancer free at Christmas. He was the life of the party, so fun, so caring and genuine. He loves acting, and making people laugh! He was a complete joy to have around. Unfortunately, in mid February, they discovered he had cancer once again, in his throat, and jaw. I was able to go with Ryan's siblings and father to bring his family a meal, and say goodbye. Ryan had to be at a districts track meet, and sadly couldn't go. Sunday evening, around 3, we received a phone call from Ken, saying Kevin had passed away a few hours ago. Kevin has a wonderful, strong, amazing wife and 3 beautiful children. Please, keep the Wecker Family in your  prayers.

Having a moment of wanting to "carpe diem." Life is short and there's still so many things I and counting on doing in my life, on my own for myself, and with Ryan. 


I count on being happy, going on adventures, having countless romantic evenings with Ryan, and a billion moments of laughter and fun, and probably even more pictures taken.


I feel like this post is a little scatterbrained, I have so many thoughts and don't know how to put them into words.


I'm so grateful for all I have, and I'm counting on having so much more to be thankful for in my future. But it's all up to me, to provide the numbers to add up.

What are you counting on?

Random Questions... Answered

What were you like when you were a kid? Hyper and physical

If you had a billion dollars, what would you do with it? See previous blog post haha.

If you could change something about yourself, what would it be & why? Biting my nails and patience

Where’s Waldo? Somewhere in her maybe? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_disappeared_mysteriously

Do you dream often? Yes. They’re psycho weird dreams too.

Describe your fighting style: drunken master or angry monkey? Probably more of a drunken monkey on sleeping pills

What last made you laugh? Ryan

Spontaneity or stability? both

Do you like kids? Yes.

Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Receiving.

What is your favorite word? sexy

What is your least favorite word? Crusty **shudder**

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Color, music, craft warehouse.

Have any nick names? If so, what? Aly, Al, Squirt, Leysie, Babe, Sweetie, Love, Darling, Littelfoot

Name a couple of T.V. shows you watch a lot? Castle, Glee, the office, white collar, lie to me & big bang theory

Name a movie or movies you can watch over and over? Dirty Dancing

What is/was your worst subject in school? Math. Ugh.

Do you like to dance? LOVE IT!!

Name your 2 favorite colors and why? Yellow, it’s a happy color. Pink, It’s a fun color.

Ever had an imaginary friend as a child? Yes, her name was Jessica, and she always wore her hair in a pony tail.

Did/Do you enjoy high school for the most part? I think the  only people who really enjoyed high school were the ones who made it miserable for the rest of us.

Name 5 of the most important things in your life? Ryan, Family, Happiness, safety, & Laughter

Do you have any phobias? Arachibutyrophobia (seriously ;) )

Favorite animal to have as a pet? If I could, I would totally have a squirrel, elephant, hippo, lion and a duck

Which is the song that makes you cry? Anything really powerful and beautiful, sometimes defying gravity if I’m feeling uber emotional.

What are your 3 favorite drinks? Cream soda, strawberry watermelon cremosa, strawberry kiwi langers juice

If you don't recognize the number on your caller ID, do you answer? YES it bugs the crap out of me when Ryan doesn’t. hello? Your phone is ringing, someone new is trying to talk to you, answer it!

What did you dress up as last Halloween? Nothing. We were lame. We wanted to be elephants, it didn’t work out.

What brand of shampoo and conditioner do you use?

Pantene Pro V

Who was the last person you said "I love you" to? Benson haha

Do you keep a journal or maintain a blog?

I need a fairy godmother to grant all my wants and wishes.

So my birthday is in less then a month, and I've been dreaming about what I would want if money 

or defying science was not a problem. Heh. Yeah... Right.

-Beautiful house

-Floral shop

-Flourishing floral and vegetable garden

-Recording studio for ryan

-Craft room for me

-White kitchen with red accessories

-A library-with tons of childrens’ books and American classic novels. Emilee would help me fill the shelves and organize them correctly ;)

-A Comforable pair of white heels ( I can’t find them ANYWHERE)

-A red kitchen aid mixer

-My wedding dress cleaned and put into one of those special boxes

-Every (good) Disney movie on DVD, including the pixar shorts.

-A puppy

-A new car

-A massage

-Real simple magazine subscription for the rest of my life

-$10,000 shopping spree

-Teleporting abilites

-A pink vespa, with an attatchable seat thing for benson to ride in

-A golf cart

-Ukuele

-Mac Desktop Computer

-Mac Laptop for Ryan

-Macbook for me

-A beach house

-Trip to Vegas

-one of those automatic cat litter box cleaners, or better yet, train Mally to use the toilet, like in meet the parents

-Glee CD's

-All of our wedding photos printed and put into a photo album

-A professional decorator to make my home look totally awesome, but totally us.

-A time machine

-endless supply of cream soda, and sweet tomatoes strawberry lemonade.

-vacation to italy

-buttons

-pool

-trampoline

-super mario brothers for Wii

-a guitar

-private jet for Ryan to fly us anywhere

-a magical fairy to do my dishes and clean my house

What's on your ultimate wish list?