Welcome to our new blog! We are super excited to have it up and running and look forward to sharing with all you fans. Stay tuned for pictures from our weddings, DIY tutorials for fun projects, info on upcoming trends and many other little goodies! To start things off, how about getting to know a little more about the ladies behind the bouquets?
First up – Travis Mills! She (yes, she) is the owner of Calyx Floral Design. She is a talented floral designer, creative and incredibly hard working! You don’t have to spend much time with her to realize her passion for flowers, and it shows in her work. Check out my mini interview with her below.
1. Share a little bit about yourself
I have 3 wonderful kids aged 7, 8 and 12…my 7 year old is already a budding florist himself! I have a bachelors degree in Botany from UBC in Vancouver and another in Education from Uof Calgary. Jobs I have loved…being a high school art teacher in Lacombe, working as a sous chef in Vancouver and of course, being a florist.
2. What was your journey like in becoming a florist?
My first job in a flower shop was in Grade 9! I was hired by Grower Direct to dress up in a clown costume and stand on the side of the highway to give out roses to passersby….needless to say, that job did not last long!
While in university in Vancouver I worked at Thomas Hobbs Florist for the amazing designer, Maureen Sullivan. After moving to calgary to persue my education, I again found myself working at a flower shop. This time at Kensington Florist. Here I found my love for wedding designing. about 5 years ago I began a small venture called Calyx Floral Design and now create amazing flowers for over 80 weddings a year!
3. How long have you been working in the floral industry?
19 years! WOW!! although only seriously for the last 12 years.
4. What do you love MOST about working with flowers?
I love the colors! My favorite part of every week is opening the boxes of flowers when they arrive. I am just like a kid in a candy store. I love the beauty of each indiviual bloom and how it is completely unique from all of the others and I love a bundle of flowers and all of the shades and tints of each color.
5. What is your favorite flower?
Viburnum…A stunning green textural bloom. I love travelling to the BC coast where it grows like wildfire in everyones garden!
6. What inspires you?
Nature and color. I love the nautral beauty of flowers and plants and try to capture a sense of that in each of the wedding bouquets I make.
7. What is your favorite design style or what style do you feel you naturally design best?
I love european design. Clustered flowers, compactly arranged with natural green foliage. I love to see the flowers make an impact
8. What is your proudest/most accomplished moment as a florist?
Years ago, while working at Thomas Hobbs in Vancouver I had the opportunity to create a small posy bouquet which was to be presented to the Queen as she toured through Vancouver. I don’t know if she ever recieved it or not, but knowing that I had the opportunity to create flowers for her was thrillling!
9. What upcoming trend for 2014 are you most excited for?
I love texture in flowers… and looking at the stunning embrodered and lace appliqued wedding dresses that are available for 2014 (Claire Pettibone’s especially), it looks like texture is in! Creating bouqets from peonies, garden roses and hydrangea which appear almost elthereal in quality with handle wraps of layered satin and lace accented by stronger elements such as pearls and brooches.
10. When you aren’t busy designing beautiful bouquets what do you love to do in your spare time?
Spare time… Ya right! …though I have very little extra time I do enjoy painting, acrylics are my favoritte and I am almost always painting nature. Right now I am working on large scale painting of multicolored beets from a photo I took while on holiday at the Saltpring Island farmers market last summer.
Thank you for stopping by to see the blog, we’ll see you next time!
Katrina
