Back in December I'd lost my nineteen and a half year old cat Meeko to renal failure. We were going to have guests with a child the next weekend and I pushed myself to make our home festive for her. I was so out of it I picked a tree I could tell wasn't super fresh, and they didn't even give it a fresh cut before putting it on the car. It was definitely my fault for not asking. At any rate, the tree was dried up within a week and shedding needles like crazy. Out of spite I refused to buy another tree. I busted out the Felco pruners, trimmed off the small branches and stripped the remaining needles by hand. Then I spray painted it white and gilded gold. It had a bit of a Nightmare Before Christmas feel to it, which works for me. It's my first year in Cali so something less cold weather felt pretty good. I ended up loving it.

So maybe do shop for a tree while distraught. You know. If you're ok with doing an insane amount of work.

For the last two years I've thought about being my own boss and how to make that a reality. For the past ten I'd been working as a fashion designer in New York for companies like DKNY Jeans International, Tommy Hilfiger and Kohl's, but I wasn't passionate about it like other designers. Designers who'd go home and read about fashion, blog about style or work on their own lines. They were living their dreams. I'd go home and tend to my plants, hang out with my critters and perform comedy.

Periodically throughout my life I'd work at garden centers. I love plants, and especially loved the holidays when I'd create custom holiday wreaths. Sadly I couldn't earn a sustainable living doing that work, especially in such an expensive place. After ten years I knew I needed a change.

I traded the busy sidewalks of NYC for the busy freeways of Los Angeles. Surrounded by so much nature and beauty, all I could think about was plants, flowers, and growing things. My initial idea back in Brooklyn was to open up my own garden shop/florist, but I had no money and did not want to go into debt. Maybe it's the time I took to think about it, or the laid back pace of SoCal, but I realized I could start small. So here I am, bringing the flowers to you. In time I hope to see how things grow.

I chose hellebores as my namesake plant because each Winter I ache for Spring. Hellebores are one of the first flowers to emerge. They are adaptable, tough, beautiful and long lasting. They symbolize a new beginning. Exactly what I was looking for.

Cheers!