Sharing the power of flowers with the Bay Area & beyond. Full service event florals & DIY.
Operating as usual
a perfect fall day for taylor & brett 10.22.21 🌿
florals: Ida Blooms
photos: Sun and Life Photography
planner: _blissful_events_
hmu: Eliza Desch Makeup and Hair
calligraphy: Better Together Calligraphy & Designs
rentals: Encore Events Rentals
hi :) I know that it’s been a long time since we chatted. Here’s what’s been going on: for all my big talk on mental health, I didn’t raise my hand when I needed help. Postpartum depression & anxiety hit me like a freight train. I stumbled through an identity crisis. I used motherhood as an excuse for everything. I hid behind my new responsibilities & I got really lost.
I needed some time to work it all out and reorient. & in that time, I packed up my San Francisco flower studio, picked up my family, & moved to a tiny cottage in Alameda (east bay). I white washed the back garage & put a three door flower fridge inside. I finished out the weddings I had booked before Henry was born & then... I was still. I stayed home. I did not take any calls. I did not do any marketing. I did not even look at this instagram account.
I watched Henry grow. & I grew, too: as a mother & a human. & that brings us to now: January, 2022. There are still ups & downs. But, overall, things are good. We’re in a groove. I’m feeling more like myself. & I’m ready.
So, all that is to say: hi! I sure did miss you & I’m excited to see ya around.. real soon.
Flowers for Taylor, 10.22.21 🌿
Photographer: Sun and Life Photography
Florals: Ida Blooms
Planner: Blissful Events
Big news! The Ida Blooms team is gaining it's tiniest new member this summer. More here, if you're interested 🌾💙
It has been such a whirlwind of a few months. I started Ida Blooms in 2018, from Jake and my’s one bedroom apartment in Nob Hill. In 2019, I opened the studio ( Narrowest Shop SF ) and increased my wedding work by 5x. Then, just days after my last wedding of the year (lookin atchyu Kelsey and Kost
I think beauty can be created. I guess that's pretty obvious, considering my line of work, but I'm not just talking about flowers. Beauty is created when you gather a small group of friends for wine night. Beauty is created when you hug your partner a little tighter in the morning. Beauty is created when you smile at the cashier, as he rings you up and bags your groceries. Beauty is a choice. & every time you choose to create beauty, you're doing a good deed for your own soul.
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Just some ramblings here, the Thursday before Christmas. S/O to my college bestie's mom, who sent me this quote last week (love ya @emilyrodak, @carolerodak & the rest of our housemates 😘).
I've been seeing this trend toward sustainability in recent and upcoming weddings, aka incorporating reusable aspects (bridesmaid bouquets that double as bar decor, potted plants, alter pieces that can transport to the sweetheart table) and I liiiiiike it. Anyone else feel me??
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Couple: Maddie and Jake
Photo: Kindred Wedding Storytellers
Planning: Cotton and Oak
Flowers: Ida Blooms 🙋🏻♀️
Venue: Straus Home Ranch
Had the pleasure of chatting with Jenni, founder of Fink Development, all about Ida Blooms. We cover why I quit my job in marketing, what its really like in the studio on wedding weeks, and a little advice for people considering a big career shift.
When I imagine the role of a floral designer, I see my days spent in a light-filled studio, surrounded by a plethora of exotic flowers (that somehow magically got there), with countless hours to perfect my craft while designing masterpieces for the people I love. That’s often how it goes when we.....
If this isn't hygge, idk what is. ⠀
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Couple: Kelsey & Kostya
Photos: @onthetimesphoto⠀
Venue: @juliamorganballroom⠀
Flowers: @idablooms 🙋🏻♀️⠀
Coordinator: @aboutjoy_events
Here's to the guys who want to be part of wedding planning. 98% of the time, I speak directly & only to the bride. & that's fiiiiiine. I love my girls. & getting our two schedules to align for an intro call is tough enough... getting three schedules? Insanity.
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But, every once in a while, I'll get a groom on the line, or at a walk through, or request access to the honey book portal & I love that, too.
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I'm not here to say one is better than the other, because its not. I'm just giving a little shout out to the guys who want to talk about flowers with me. Y'all are pretty rad.
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Couple: Kelsey and Kostya
Photos: On the Times
Venue: Julia Morgan Ballroom
Flowers: ida blooms 🙋🏻♀️
Tux: @generationtux
Coordinator: @aboutjoy_events
Is this quote talking about flowers or people? Truly. It seems to be the perfect reminder for me today, while I'm feeling a bit worn out and depleted. No matter how small in size we are, no matter how quick our actions... we each have a lasting impact on someone, somewhere.
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Happy Friday, friends! I have a wreath workshop in San Mateo tonight, then my first weekend off in eight weeks 🙃🌿
WOW. HI! It's been a crazy month & I cannot believe the holiday season is half way through. Over the past few days I've made wreaths with MORE THAN 100 people! It's been busy and exciting and festive, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm ready to chill out and get my almond nog + hallmark movie on.
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I know some of you reading this are new friends from my winter workshop marathon (👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻). How are your wreaths? Are you misting them? & everyone else... what are you doing? Have you DIYed any holiday decor? I'm ready to finish the decorations in our apartment and looking for ideas, please and thank you!
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Photo by Lyola Rowe for a Chairish collab last winter.
Coming into Thursday with a smile as big as Richard's, the day he married Addy. Idk if it's the holiday szn, the five wreath workshops I'm teaching this week, or all of the extra coffee... but I'm feeling very in love with the flowers I get to call my work.
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Photo: Meg's Marvels - Photography
Bout: Ida Blooms
If you're only gonna read part of this (bc let's be real, its longggg) have it be this: SF Flower Hours are tonight (Tuesday)! We're making holiday swags and mason jar arrangements for $25 each. Grab some wine and come hang!
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Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...
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WHAT. A. WEEK. I have never loved my job so much, or been so behind on my workload. Such is life as an entrepreneur I suppose 🤷🏻♀️
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All of last Wednesday & Thursday, I was preparing for Kelsey and Kostya's wedding. It was SO GOOD, you guys. Definitely the most intense event I've flowered, so far. Not because of the design pieces... I was very comfortable executing everything... but with the sheer volume of flowers we were delivering, timing. was. tight. Jake and I started loading the good ole altima at 10am Friday and finished our last unload at 2:45am the next morning.... (as a side note: you all know, Jake is my unpaid volunteer/moral-emotional-support/husband. After Friday I am more grateful than ever for his constant cheerleading of my dream.)
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We spent all of Saturday and Sunday with our family, who was visiting from St Louis and New York for Thanksgiving. & yesterday, I delved back into the studio... which was a messy DiSaSteR. I finished cleaning just in time to host my second wreath workshop of the year in the cozy light of
Narrowest Shop SF 🌿
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& now, at last, I've turned off my OOO autoreply, and am working through 133 emails + hopefully finishing up delayed proposals for 6 very patient 2020 brides.
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I often forget the limits of my own body/time & have a bad habit of taking on a little more than I can comfortably manage. It's because I'm just so excited to share flowers with all of you. & as I slowly cross things off my to do list today and tomorrow, I just want to say thank you. For your patience. For your support. For your love. & for always wanting to flower with me. See you tonight at #sfflowerhours!!!!
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xx
WHO'S READY FOR THANKSGIVING TOMORROW?! I'm staying local to the bay area this year & celebrating with the Heath side of my fam. I also have the biggest wedding of my career in a few days. So, my Thanksgiving will be less feasting & more flowering... but I'm so utterly grateful to have the opportunity for both. So, whether you're working hard this week, or hardly working, wishing you many cheers & much love.
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Photo by buena lane photography for an event last month with @redbreastwhiskeyus.
Thanksgiving 2016: I was freshly engaged, and after two glasses of wine, I bought a wedding dress online for a "really good deal" (read: scam). I had just decided to DIY our wedding flowers. & I was grateful. For the family I was gaining, the family I already had, and an exciting year ahead.
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Thanksgiving 2017: I was freshly married, and worked at a job I didn't love. & still, I was grateful. Because, after DIYing our wedding flowers, I had uncovered a passion. I was at the @sfflowermart every weekend, & two of my friends had just hired me to design for their Friendsgiving -- my first gig ever.
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Thanksgiving 2018: I was a fresh entrepreneur, five months into self employment. I had 4 weddings under my belt. & i was grateful. For all the clients who had taken a chance on me, all those early brides who trusted my art, all the mentors who selflessly gave their time, & all the friends who shared their talents to help start my business.
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Thanksgiving 2019: I'm getting ready for my 33 wedding, and my 23-31st workshops (busy December!!). & I am grateful. For all that has been & all that is yet to come. For all my failures & all my success. For my friends, my family, and my tribe. &, of course, for all the flowers.
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xo
Alameda, CA
941501
The 27 Muni stops right in front of my store!
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There are so many emotional benefits to flower arranging. My goal with Ida Blooms is to make flowers an accessible, casual, affordable way for you to communicate and build relationships - with others and yourself. In addition to full service florals, I offer a series of DIY wedding packages, and private or corporate flower workshops.
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