A Springtime in Paris Open House Revisited

I started this blog a little more than three years ago, quite naively, with a post about the "Springtime in Paris Open House" I hosted at my home. I didn't know anything about blogging at that time.  Nothing!  I was encouraged to start a blog by my daughter and, somewhat on a lark, I began my blogging journey. My progress has been slow but, I continue to learn new things everyday and feel I am growing through the process, which is very gratifying to me.

I wanted to share this special (to me) Open House again with you because it was the kick-off to the start of launching my event planning/floral design business. I was a nervous wreck about putting myself out there and having to "sell myself", something that continues to be difficult for me to do.  But with a limited budget, I put everything I had into the Springtime in Paris Open House.  I wanted to make a good first impression for myself and my business.



 First things first, I sent out invitations.  They were specifically made for the occasion by an Etsy shop for me.  It was a fun and creative process.  I would wholeheartedly recommend using Etsy for this kind of thing.  There are all sorts of shops to choose from and you can usually get just what you want.

As I have said, while I was planning my event I decided I wanted to make the best impression I could.  I wanted to use my venue as a platform for what I was hoping to offer in the way of services to others through my new start-up business.

  Trying to put my best foot forward, I started with  the entry of my home.  I wanted it to look like a Parisian Flower Market as people came to visit.  I made these mirror image silk flower door hangings to decorate my dual front doors...

and added the "flower cart" to the left side of the front landing.

Luckily, I received help from many special people in my life.  My daughter, Brittany, made this cute "Les Fleurs" banner to hang on the flower cart.

As you may know, if you follow my blog, Brittany is a very creative person and is one of my constant encouragers.

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This was the display as guests entered my front hall.  I wasn't sure I was going to show it to you because I really do not like this photo.  I decided I would share it because, as they say, "It is what it is!"  I probably would have done something different if I were to do it again today but, I was working with what I had at the time.

I made many fresh floral arrangements to decorate my home for the open house.  I am amazed at how much I have learned over the years since then in terms of floral design and photography.  The photos in this post are not the best but, hopefully, you will get a sense of what the atmosphere of that day was all about..  (I still need to take a photography course to be honest.  That is on my To-Do List.)  To be fair, taking pictures on the fly is much different than from staging them and having everything perfectly set.  I have learned that in the last few years, as well.

The buffet was decorated with various sweets; some purchased, some homemade.

Brittany made these cupcakes.  I told you she was creative!!

These Eiffel Tower cookies were donated by a fledgling baker in a near-by town, which was awesome of her.  I, of course, gave her credit and displayed her business cards to thank her for her generosity.  Unfortunately, she is not in business anymore but, the cookies were delicious and so pretty. 

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I played around with all sorts of floral designs trying to show people that I had some range as a floral designer :).

I also incorporated fresh and silk flowers together.  This was a cost saving measure on my part.  Also, this event preceeded my joining access to the flower market in Boston.  I would learn later about the beautiful florals you could puchase there!  That one thing changed everything for me.  I was a real floral designer and business owner with that new collaboration!

I found these free "Merci" printables on the Celebrate Magazine website...

and sent everyone home with a party favor.

Here is another one of my floral designs~~  It's too bad I didn't get a picture of the whole arrangement.  It was made in a cute wrought iron bicycle.  I need to find that wrought iron bicycle and use it again.  Such a nice prop!

I love to decorate this set of shelves my husband built for me.  They never seem to photograph very well, however.  I still love them nonetheless.

I also liked making tissue paper flowers and decided to decorate above my kitchen window this way.  Not sure I would do that again but, it did look festive.

The buffet table was filled with any kind of French treat I could think of, as well as some regular treats from the grocery store bakery.  With all the floral designing, decorating and cleaning, I really did not have time to bake.  That really isn't my forte anyway :).  My sister-in-law, daughters and daughter-in-law helped me with the set-up and serving.  They were great!

  Another local bakery donated some macaroons for the event also.  THAT bakery has since moved out of town.  Bakeries do not seem to last in my area for some reason :-/. Owning a small business, I have found, is very hard and being flexible is often necessary.

As you can see, there was a full spread that day. 

And, finally at end the day of the last, a door prize was given away.  It was a small succulant terrarium garden.  I have forgotten who won it.  I wonder if it is still alive :).

By the way, after I hosted my Springtime in Paris Open House, my very good friend, Carolyn, asked me to do the flowers for her daughter's wedding.  You can see it here, if you would like. With mother and daughter encouragement, I was able to launch a different service line to my business; one I had not planned.  See, with small business, you do have to be flexible. As it turns out, I now have many weddings to my credit!!  Funny world!

Well, I hope you don't mind me going down Memory Lane one more time ;).

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