Let's Get Local - Floral Design

Morning lovelies....My apologies for the delay in todays post but we returned very late last night from our travels and I wanted to make sure todays  "let's get local" feature was nothing less then fabulous for you all to enjoy! I am beyond thrilled to share some serious pretty today with the talented gal behind the boutique floral design studio - The Little Flower Cottage. I have had the privilege of soaking up  Navya's beautiful works thanks to her stunning instagram and then finally getting to meet her at a Valentines DIY event earlier this month and she was just as wonderful as her work. So get comfy and check out the all the gorgeous details of her amazing floral designs and get to know the pretty lady behind the business just a little bit more!

Tell us a little about Navya, the gal behind the pretty flowers, i.e. where you grew up, what you like to do on your free time, personal style in fashion or home decor, guilty pleasures etc. 

I like to think that I’m a former city girl, living in the country! I was born and raised in the tri-state area but moved to Boston about ten years ago. After a fun-filled decade in bean-town, my husband Mike and I moved to the sweet little seaside community of Scituate. A lot of our spare time is spent working on our charming fixer-upper {a nantucket style antique cape} and getting to know the new town we call home! A perfect day usually involves hopping in our old sandy Jeep to head out for an adventure. Sometimes it’s just a long drive with a lovely view and sometimes it’s hitting my favorite local antique shops - which brings us to my guilty pleasure & home décor style! Think Anthropologie eclectic meets coastal charm. On the best of days these early morning excursions are followed up with days on the beach, soaking up the sun & sparkling ocean views. Is it Summer yet? 

What made you want to open up your own shop and what are some of the services you provide to your customers? 

I have long been obsessed with beautiful flowers but it wasn’t until planning my own wedding over three years ago that I was inspired to actually start my own business. I used to work long hours for a major financial corporation, but thanks largely in part to my sweet Husband’s encouragement, I took a chance and changed paths to pursue this dream. I knew from my personal experiences as a bride that I wanted to provide clients with a truly fun experience; a stress free moment in the journey of wedding planning. I can’t promise my bride’s that it won’t rain on their wedding day but I can promise them the flowers of their wedding dreams. The Little Flower Cottage primarily focuses on floral design for custom events like weddings & parties but, we’ve been branching out with personal orders for Holidays recently, and hope to see that side of our business grow. 

 Where do you get your inspiration for your incredible arrangements?

I am totally inspired by the beauty of nature. I try to work with as much locally sourced in-season product as possible which often gives my designs very distinct seasonal personality. I strive for each of my creations to feel fun, imaginative and a bit wild, almost as if they arrived straight from the garden!

images via Bring to Light Photography 

What accomplishment are you most proud of to date & or what's the best advice you received when starting your own business?

I hate to toot my own horn but, I am so proud of how far my business has come in the last year. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with many other talented creatives and seen my work published in a variety of respected media outlets -which is a dream come true. The advice I rely on most often came from my Father in Law {a successful entrepreneur himself} who told me that if your great at something and commit to it, you will succeed. It’s such a simple equation that I like thinking of during the moments of self doubt that come hand in hand with owning a business! 

Living & working near Boston/New England you must have some secret gems in our area. What are some of your favorite spots to dine shop or visit?

This is a toughie, because I adore New England and have so many favorites from The Vineyard to Bar Harbor. I do have to say that our little area on the coastal south shore boasts many beautiful spots and restaurants, so I am going to highlight some newfound gems that would collectively make for a perfect Summer day trip! 1. Duxbury Beach is a beautiful slice of sand (with public parking!) that will make you feel like you’re down the cape with half the traffic. 2. Enjoy drinks and music as you take a sunset sail around Scituate Harbor aboard an old fashioned wooden Schooner, The Lucky Finn. 3. If you love the Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston, see where it all started and book a tour to visit the Island Creek Farm! 4. Head over to Scituate for a fine dining experience. Restaurant ORO is run by former south end chefs Jill and Robin King, and they’re serving up creative cocktails and locally sourced seafood. 5. Afterwards head to Galley Kitchen & Bar , a new restaurant in town with a vibrant bar scene you will be surprised to find outside of the city! And sometimes, despite all the amazing options, my favorite thing to do is just pack a picnic and head to the beach, simplicity at its best!

Flower Potluck

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a fabulous event called The Flower Potluck at Boston's West Elm. It was hosted by three super talented local ladies in the wedding industry, Lauren of Lauren Wells Events, Krissy of Pollen Floral Design and Cambria of Cambria Grace Photography created an event portraying all their amazing talents and giving us a peak into their stylish world. The evening was chock full of pretty and an absolute blast! I wasn't sure what a flower potluck would entail but it wound up being a lovely night of mingling with other Boston bloggers, getting introduced to amazing new local vendors and even a little floral crown DIY.

Get comfy and check out all the swoon-worthy details below!

all the guests contributed to the selection of flowers by bringing a dozen of their favorite blooms to create the most beautiful variety for our selecting

before the flowers arrived

after

gilded garland by Pollen floral 

all the pretty paper goods were carefully executed with style by the super sweet Lauren Wells

I sipped the delicious orchard fizz by the mixologist behind Flask & Funnel and made with local ingredients from Downeast Cider House

snacked on a divine charcuterie selection

 nibbled on heavenly desserts from Mayflour Confections

the cutest milk bar with vintage glass bottles

decorated ourselves with tattly temporary tattoos

created the prettiest floral crowns for all the ladies to adorn their hair with

listened to an excellent string band 

and at the end of the night I made a colorful bouquet to bring home with some of the extra flowers

Thank you to the three beautiful hostesses for putting together such a fun evening - I look forward to seeing all your amazing talents being utilized in events around Boston!

DIY - Neon Planters

I have been on a bit of a neon bender lately. First there was this post featuring my favorite fluorescent color and this post showing how to decorate with these bright hues for a fun fiesta then I was shopping yesterday and picked up these sandals and this pair of denim to add some color into my wardrobe. Finally, I end my neon spree with a little DIY.  While I was doing some grocery shopping spotted the most adorable cacti in my local Whole Foods and knew I needed to do something easy but fun with them and their natural colors led me right back into the world of neon.

All supplies purchased at Michaels for $10. Cacti were $5 each at Whole Foods.

pick a trio of colors you love, I selected three that coordinated with the colorful cacti

tape out the area you want to paint neon
{I ran out of painters tape & had to use duct tape}

spray paint the exposed area white to help make the neon really pop

paint the dried white areas your neon colors and let dry

as you can see mine didn't come out as straight lined as they should have be - damn masking tape but I sorta dig the less perfect look!



Have a great day!

Subtle Floral

Wearing something in the floral trend doesn't always have to mean you need to look like you just took a roll in the garden and be covered in head to toe flower patterns. I personally like testing a trend by selecting a piece that isn't so obvious or in your face. The postage stamp mini below is the perfect example of this. I specifically chose an ensemble that was all J.Crew as they are having an incredible sale right now and who doesn't like saving some dough??? I chose two necklaces because I love layering them with one another and those silver cap toe shoes are seriously calling my name!

How do you like to wear floral???

sweater // skirt // necklace // necklace // clutch // shoes

Check out more floral fabulousness over at Long Distance Loving!