about me.
becoming
a dreamer
When I was a girl, I was afraid of the wildness in me. My emotions were so big, they scared me. So I trained myself to never cry or hope or dream too big. I wore pessimism like armor and called myself a realist. I chose practical paths and then wondered why I didn't feel fulfilled.
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The day I chose to become a florist was the day I started learning how to dream again. It opened my world up. I allowed myself to make choices, not because they were practical, but because they were exciting and joyful, even if they would be difficult.
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I started asking myself, "Why not me?"
Photo by Danielle Kemp Nelson
we don't do practical here.
My father, the master dreamer himself, is the one who essentially pushed me into this business of mine in 2021. After musing together about a mobile flower shop, like a food truck for flowers, he texted me one day in March, "your trailer is sitting in my driveway". An old 70s camper, purchased for $450.
We spent the rest of that year gutting and rebuilding it to the soundtrack of Miley Cyrus's Younger Now album. The flower wagon now acts as my shop where I can work, sell at farmers markets, and set up flower bars at parties and events.
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Being a florist is a dream job. Not because it is lovely all the time or easy or perfect. But because I had to be brave enough to step into something unpredictable and impractical. Because I had to dream a little to see it as possible.
Photo by Ashlyn French
this is living.
Vita Fiori means The Life Flowers. The phrases “The Life” and “This is Living” have become a soft melody in the back of my mind.
Because we only get one life to live, I believe in celebrating it. I'm a dreamer because there is not enough time to live small. I want it all.
So I believe in pouring yourself a glass of wine and lighting a candle on a regular Tuesday night. Taking yet another photo of your dog, because you are going to want to remember this day, this walk, and the way his red fur is the exact shade of the leaves crunching under his paws.
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I believe in parties and celebrations and treating yourself and taking time to say: "this moment is special".​
Photo by Danielle Kemp Nelson
the grace
of flowers
I don't believe that every moment is lovely or that we should be happy all the time. I do believe that it's all beautiful, every part of life, in its own way. As a flower sprouts and grows and dies, so we have cycles of growth and wilting.
I believe in patience with one's self, and radical self acceptance. I tell myself "It's okay, baby" over and over again to remind myself I am not doing anything wrong, I am not behind, I am not inadequate. The struggle, the lazy days, the wondering what the next step is, the joy, the loneliness, the wonder. This is all living.
And just like the nature around us, unapologetically living to its own rhythm and timing, I am not sorry.
Photo by Danielle Kemp Nelson
so let's celebrate.
Whether you are looking to celebrate a product launch or a new baby, your love story or the dear life of a passed friend, we are here.
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We want to shower these moments with flowers. We want to tell your story with our blooms. We want to help you mark this occasion as something special, important, the whole point of it all.
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Welcome to Vita Fiori. This is magic. This is romanticizing the small moments. This is celebrating the big ones. This is dreaming.
This is living.