Saying Goodbye…

Siena Marie will be born in a few months, and now that the last wedding of 2010 is completed, I’ve been busy working on the nursery.  It’s pretty much ready to go, we just need a baby in there!

Photo by Trista Lerit

But as I look forward to my new life with baby, I’m sad to announce the end of my “other baby”, The Treasured Petal. When I started TPetal 4 years ago, I knew I wanted to be a stay at home mommy one day, so it’s not like I didn’t see this coming.  Here’s the honest truth:  I long to be the kind of mom who has time to make my own baby food, exercise, be my husband’s hot girlfriend, cook healthy dinners, socialize, and run my family with the same intensity and drive as I ran my business- with a real budget, real goals… a PLAN.

I do love the flower business, but those 4 am flower mart trips and late late nights drawing up proposals on the computer will not be as enjoyable to me with a baby on my hip.  Plus, I think it’s about time to trade in my cargo van for a mini van.  JK!  I’m not quite ready for that yet.

I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this topic!  I have so many friends who have been able to balance mommyhood and entrepreneurship beautifully. More power to them!  But I know myself well, and I have a pretty one track mind.  There was a time when The Treasured Petal was truly my baby, and I needed to devote all my energy, time, and creativity to making it work.  Sometimes during the really busy seasons, housework and time with hubby was compromised.  We ate lots of takeout.  I drank too much coffee and had plenty of knots in my back.  I also should have showered more 🙂 The hard work and sacrifice did pay off, and I’m so so proud of all I’ve achieved through TPetal! But a business is not a baby, not even close.

At my last wedding a few weeks ago, I did cry a little.  And I got extremely nostalgic as I cruised the flower mart for the “last time” (I’ve actually been back 2 times since then to pick up random flowers for friends/clients.)  There is so much I will miss.  So I want to say THANK YOU to the following peeps.  Without you, TPetal would never have gotten off the ground.

1.  My incredible husband Joe, whose constant cheerleading kept me going when things got tough.

2.  My best friend Angel Swanson, who helped me book my first wedding ever.  Since then, we’ve probably done at least 40 weddings together!  But our friendship is sooo much deeper than a business relationship.  She really is like a sister, and someone who I admire in so many ways.

3.  My favorite flower vendors– Felipe at Holland Flowers,  Ed from California Flowers, and Nick from Floral Supply Syndicate.  I’m notoriously picky about my flowers, and they always treated me like a princess.

4.  My sister Jennylyn, who gave me pep talks early on when I thought I was way over my head. She told me that I had to be willing to fail in order to be a business woman.  As a perfectionist, this was a hard lesson to learn.

5.  Janie from The Bride’s Cafe, who was the first ever “big blog” to publish my work.  Her post about me opened up many more opportunities for my little company.  She’s continued to reach out and support me throughout the years. I hope to meet her in person in a few months when she comes out to the West Coast.

6.  My main assistants, Montita and Shana, who pretty much rock in every way.  I’m so blessed to have found such hard-working, talented designers.

7.  The many friends I’ve met in the industry!  I’m sure I’ll get a little jealous when I see all the amazing projects you’re working on.   Maybe I can assist you on weddings once in a while, just to keep my pulse on the industry 🙂

8.  My loyal blog readers, whose sweet comments bring a smile to my face and have given me comfort during hard times.  It’s been fun!

9.  Last but not least, my amazing, stylish couples who trusted me enough to make their weddings beautiful! Not a bridezilla in the bunch 🙂  A few groomzillas though.  I kid!

So yes, I’m saying goodbye to The Treasured Petal for now, but I still have a wonderful creative outlet with my accessory boutique  Petal and Thorn. I’ve been busy creating some gorgeous new products, soon to be listed.  You can continue to keep up with my life and my crafts on my new blog, Petal and Thorn Handmades.  I hope to include lots of DIY instructions and house-wifey stuff on there, too.  Plus, oddly enough, I still have a bunch of 2010 weddings to blog!  Update your RSS feeds! Don’t let this be our last goodbye!!!

And to entice you to make the leap:

If you want to see the rest of my big belly pics, taken by my lovely friend Trista Lerit, go to the Petal and Thorn blog!!!  See you there in 5 seconds!