I was truly touched not by what the judges said, but by the courage Chris Rene faced in his 15 years of of addiction that could have killed him. Although I've never been addicted to drugs I've seen how it can affect a person and there are not many survivors like Chris out there who can live to tell. I wish Chris all the best and I hope his son can look up to him and grow up to be a wise man and to those who still have hope to not give up. I seriously couldn't help being teary each time I watched this...

Recently my son was sick with a major nasty virus. Usually I wouldn't think too much about it because kids tend to grow stronger after fighting a cold. This virus however was something I've never encountered before. Having 2 kiddy parties on the same day two weeks ago lead to 1 week of misery for my poor boy. He's asthmatic when he's sick and is always a good eater, but the virus caused him to vomit till he had nothing left ... for 4 days... Painful to watch, but he was a really good sport through it all. Poor guy would wake up in the middle of the night crying... because he was hungry. Thank God for prayers and for Pedialyte that helped him store some nutrients back into his system. Our doctor was funny to say it's OK if a kid doesn't eat for 2 days. A peace of mind... perhaps... Thankfully he's finally eating again and he's back to his good spirits! A little bored because I want him to recover at home before the parties start again...

So the real story starts here... while my son was sick my cousin in law's work place needed to order flowers to be delivered to someone out in the West side which I thought I could handle. Unfortunately after saying yes I realized I couldn't do it with my son being sick and it being the weekend. Therefore I asked for permission to order from another flower shop. I chose a flower shop I actually admired, but after ordering from them I have second thoughts. I'm not going to say which flower shop. After ordering the flowers to be delivered on the same day I was not notified the recipient was not home therefore they "automatically" decided for me that it would be delivered until someone called them back. I phoned in to follow up the day I ordered and requested it be delivered the next day. The owner said, "oh, our last deliveries are done for the day". I said, "OK.. tomorrow should be fine, thanks." The next day came along. I emailed the owner at 3pm due to their "last" delivery schedule and requesting to know the status of my order. I received no response and by 6pm I called in to follow up-again. I presume it was a designer who answered the phone. She put me on hold for 5 mins and came back to tell me she didn't know where the order form was or if the flowers had been delivered or not. She said she'd call me back, I said I'll call back, but she said they are closed. I requested to have the owner email me back, but they ended up calling me back the next morning when I was not available and left me a message saying it would be delivered on the 3rd day of ordering the flowers. I phoned them back and the girl said, "oh, I left you a message maybe you didn't get it." I said, " I did get it, I'm calling to confirm it will be delivered today then?" Truthfully I was darn pissed because the customer service was poor and I also ordered from them because by google map they are 10 minutes away from the delivery location.

To add to my frustration... I requested a total of $50 including tax and delivery and I checked my bill today... they charged me $50.40... it's not even about the money... they are horrible and I will never recommend them to anyone!

I felt really bad because I chose to order from another florist and my cousin's company was asking if the flowers were delivered or not...

From this experience it just reminds me of why I had to start my own business. I have worked in a few flower shops and I can honestly tell you if I have the choice I don't want to go back - ever. No offense, but women boss's are the most difficult for me and this is why I chose not to open a flower shop. I don't want to be a "b" boss.

Truthfully no one knows how stressful it is working in a flower shop and the ugly that goes behind this industry. I find that florists sometimes get taken advantage of and work their butts off, but don't get enough pampering or rest. It's very labor intensive and hard on the body...

I started my business because I care about my customers, and I care what they receive and how they feel. I get giddy and excited when new projects arise. I want to give them not only quality, but a good impression. My mind doesn't go to rest when I have projects. It's my passion, but if I had a flower shop... I'd be a nasty boss with all the stress.... so I chose to specialize, and not be snobby about it...but keep being humble and thankful each day.

I seriously was disappointed dealing with another flower shop and I cannot tolerate people who think they are a good designer or whatever and belittle people. I truly hate it. Just because you are good, there is always someone better than you.

I was so mad I talked to my husband about it, and his response was... "it's hard to get good customer service these days. If you get someone good, it's a bonus". yes... we also had an issue with our internet company who decided to show up without notifying us... I didn't let him in to install, he handed me the gadgets, left and he had the nerve to say he completed his order - messing up our internet... Arrrrgghhh....

I seriously hate bad customer service!

So sorry for those who had to go through my pain of reading this... it's a place for me to be true to you.

Have a good night, day or afternoon.

My sister in law is very committed when teaching her piano students and I hope her students enjoyed this years big event recital. It's interesting to see familiar faces how they have grown and their (or parents) dedication playing piano. My son's music teacher and a counselor friend said music is truly a healing therapy. I think I'd literally die without music. It's how I got to know Jesus!

My son's friend turned 4 and we were invited to his birthday party today. It was like Toy land and the cupcakes were home made. So pretty! The vibrant colors remind me of Nicki Minaj!

Last night was the BC Professional Wedding Awards 2011. A big Congrats to Union Photographers for winning Best Portrait of the Bride & Groom Together. Well deserved "applaud"!
When it comes to long hours of wedding work, I seldom get to see my clients at their wedding, but thanks to Roger and Holly I can share my work with you. One thing I remember is Kat said Alvin was pretty handsome when she first met him. Pretty much love at first sight. How cute.

Kat & Alvin by Union Photographers

Kat & Alvin's Wedding from Union Photographers on Vimeo.

Wedding Flowers I did back in July for the happy go lucky couple. If you're wondering who does the wedding decor it is by a company called Km Wedding Group Amanda is really nice and she's good at what she does. Isn't Love Sweet :)

Photography by Union Photographers

My personal favorite photos are the ones with the umbrellas! Nice touch!

Gloria & Kevin's Horizons Restaurant Wedding from Union Photographers on Vimeo.

Simply Sweet Floral Designs

Simply Sweet Facebook

I was searching for Standing Chandeliers and came across a blog site called The Last Doll Standing May not be everyone's liking, but there were a lot of elements I loved. Warning! It's a little haunting...

I was delighted and honored to have the opportunity to make a few floral pieces for University Canada West Convocation again this year! (2010 Convocation Floral Pieces)

To find out more about University Canada West



A little behind the scenes photos as well and don't forget to check out my facebook page Simply Sweet Floral Designs








































































Hmm, why in the world do I have a straw in the spray bottle? Can you guess?





















Yes, I don't just do weddings and projects like these are just as fun and creative! However, I hope the bell boy/man doesn't chase us down next year while delivering :P


Notice how the lighting can change the feel and look of an arrangement. Not to mention I was happy to see Shilpa again!

It's 3am and I just finished some work for this coming weekend. I'm quite happy with this project and how it's turning out so far. Hopefully I can blog about it after if my little man gives me a break~ How can I not love him when he says "mama is his best friend"

I need good music to relax and both are good in my opinion~





Good night!

Just thought I'd share because it's so beautiful...

Fashion and flowers - love it! What do you think about the color blocking? Bit much?