Blessings, Curses And Buck

It's the last Sunday before the end of the year. It's a natural time to take stock of the year gone by, a time to celebrate our wins and take a critical look at the situations that didn't go our way in order to apply the lessons learned in the new year.
Most of that accounting is pretty straightforward. Another year of waking up next to the woman I love - blessing. Another year unencumbered by the pitfalls of materialism and the idle trappings of wealth - big curse.

And then there's Buck.


We call Maggie "The Queen" but this unbalanced fowl who might be all of 2 pounds (I say "might" because I'm as likely to farm the soil of Neptune as I am to hold Buck when he's healthy) is the unquestioned master of all he surveys. You can tell whether Buck is in the front yard or the back yard because our cats will only go out which ever door he's farthest from. I've heard our youngest daughter, now 22, cry out for an escort from the shop out of fear of the crazed bird. Even Satchel, our ten year old lab mix, must heroically endure the unchecked aggression of this young frail, and yet foolishly cocky...cock.
I should like for the sake of balance to point out Buck's redeeming qualities...could I but think of one. His first crowing seems entirely unrelated to the rising of the sun, occurring as it does anywhere from three in the morning to noon and randomly throughout his waking hours. He makes us nervous when family, guests and brides come to visit because we know first hand the unwelcome surprise of an attack by the deranged fowl when we are caught preoccupied or unaware. We would like to credit him with the attributes that anyone hopes to see in those under their care. But if we're really honest, then as with the Raven in the poem by Edgar Allen Poe, we have to admit to the possibility that he's just pure evil.

And yet we love Buck. We've saved him from hawks. We worry when we don't see him. We give him cookies when we have them and he makes the sweetest sounds when he gets his treats or just the time and attention that he craves. I look froward to the sound of his crowing and running to the front of the house if I get home before the sun is too far down. I enjoy his company and curious, oddly social if slightly distrustful nature when I have a few minutes to spare with him. He doesn't want to be touched, but he likes having us close.

For all his irascibility, we like having him to close, too.

So as we look back on the year that passed and count up our wins and losses, let's give special consideration to our "mixed blessings". Maybe how we find the value in them actually helps define we are.

Here's to Mixed blessings!

And a blessed and happy New Year to all!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

...if you Christmas in Beunos Aires.

This week has been unbelievable. On Tuesday I saw butterflies at a property we take care of - butterflies, two weeks before Christmas!

The knock out roses are knockin' it out all over the place.

As lovely as these blooms are, they scare the hell out of me.

I know that a warm snap here or there does not a crisis make. But maybe the worst drought in the region's recorded history followed four years later by the worst drought in the region's recorded history is cause for some concern.

We've all heard the old joke, "Everyone complains about the weather but nobody ever does anything about it." I think we have to do something about it.

It's A Fine Day For A Wiggs Wedding!

Centerpiece in Private Dining Room at CCNC

"It's a fine day to start again!"
Billy Idol from "White Wedding"
OK, I'm guessing that the obscure Billy Idol reference might be lost on our newlyweds but it's not altogether inappropriate. The Wiggs first dated in Greensboro some time ago ago but their paths separated and they went on with their lives eventually marrying other people before finding each other again and discovering in a wealth of common interest and experience more fertile ground for love to thrive and bloom.
Here's wishing the best to the Wiggs in their new endeavour!

Bridal bouquet and Maid of Honor bouquet

Cake!

Bridal bouquet (Not the actual bride)

Wine Tasting at CCNC

(Chef's Assistant at Asian cuisine table.)

On Saturday, November 17th, the Country Club of North Carolina presented a wine tasting for its members in the club ballroom. The eveining featured local wines and wines from all over the world. Chef Joe Diprima prepared food tables featuring cuisine from Italy and Asia.

(Flowers for Italian Table)

The Todd/Lynch Wedding

On the weekend of September 29th the Village of Pinehurst surrendered to the wedding party for Amanda Claire Todd and Remmington Barclay Lynch. Festivities included a golf tournament, rehearsal dinner, after dinner drinks, a bridesmaid's luncheon and a Sunday brunch...and, oh yeah, and somewhere in all that two people got married.

That part actually took part at 5:00 on the afternoon of September 29th at the stately Village Chapel of Pinehurst. The Former Miss. Todd carried a bouquet of white orchid sprays and gardenia blooms.

The bridesmaids dressed suspiciously like the lovely woman above (either a bridesmaid or the best wedding crasher I've ever seen) carried bouquets of white parrot tulips, esperance roses, white nerine lilies, freesia and boxwood.

Here's a real courtesy for a destination wedding. Guests leaving the wedding and unsure of how to get to the reception needed only to follow the sound of bagpipes.

The reception was held at The Country Club of North Carolina. Maggie provided centerpieces and floral accents that were a feast for the eyes. Betty Ferguson, The Cake Lady, and Chef Joseph Diprima provided...well, a feast.

It would seem like a lot to do the all floral design and to coordinate a weekend with so many events and so much activity - and it might be for a mere mortal. For me it was a joy to watch Maggie doing what she loves...and for people she was happy to be doing it for. Our best wishes go out to Amanda and Barclay and our sincerest thanks to Joanie Todd and Becky Lynch for allowing us to help.

Tom McCall photographed the wedding so you can see real photographs here.

More of our images from the event can be found at our portfolio page.

Dinner For The Nasher Museum

On the rainy evening of September 20th (remember rain?) Marilyn Arthur hosted a party to introduce local people to The Nasher Museum on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC. The event was held at Mrs. Arthur's lovely Pinehurst home and Margaret was happy to help with planning and coordination as well as providing flowers. Chef Joseph DiPrima and his staff from The Country Club of North Carolina served a creative hors doeuvres to prospective patrons to the museum.

We encourage you to learn more about The Nasher Museum of Art by visiting their website here.

Why Be Uncoordinated?

Weddings are a big deal. They're half pageant and half party. They're a production in which things need to proceed in a timely fashion. There are venues, chefs or caterers, florists, entertainers, photographers, videographers, transportation, rentals, bridesmaids, groomsmen two families and friends to contend with.

Maybe you you thrive under that kind of pressure but is that really the best use of your time? Because it's true that weddings are pageants, parties and productions, but most of all, they're celebrations. They celebrate the joining of two lives, two destinies, two families and the creation of a new family. Whether you're bride or the mother of the bride, you should be a celebrant. Better by far to let a professional, someone who's helped with hundreds of weddings, sweat the details.

Maggie and her assistants were happy to provide that service for the wedding of Jolin Elise Henry to Mathew Scott Conine on September 15th. They were married at The Cypress Presbyterian Church In Vass, NC and the Reception was held at the clubhouse in Woodlake.

More recently, Maggie's Farm was pleased to assist with the wedding of Constance Louise Flemming and Andrew McNaughton Wright. The Ceremony was held at Community Presbyterian Church in Pinehurst, NC at 5:30 on the afternoon of October 13th.

The reception was held at The Country Club of North Carolina and featured music by the Black and Blue Band.

Maggie's Farm was built on Margaret's original floral designs and we continue to take great pride in that, but we've always been about service as well. Even if you choose another florist, we'll still put that same pride, professionalism and experience into making your wedding or event the absolute best it can be.

Pollworth/Rector at Country Club of North Carolina

The Terrace of The Country Club of North Carolina proved and ideal backdrop for the wedding of Lani Pollworth to Dustin Rector on the afternoon of September 22nd. This was a destination for the young couple who hail from Minnetonka, Minnesota. Maggie was happy to provide flowers for the event.

More images from the Pollworth/Rector wedding are available at our portfolio page.

Long Time Gone

It has been almost two months since I've updated this blog and that is inexcusable. The whole idea behind current events is to keep current, to give clients a quick recap of events that are important to them. I apologize for not getting that done.

The time I would ordinarily have put into the blog went into rebuilding the website, http://www.maggiesfarm4flowers.com/. Margaret always thought the old site was too big and hard to navigate. I didn't like that the gallery section was slow and I didn't care for the magnification and scrolling versus simply enlarging. Finally, as much as we might have enjoyed the music, there was no guarantee that you would. Maggie thought the music player wasn't intuitive enough. On the new site you have to click on the music player on the top right of the site to play music and you have your choice of three songs.

Anyhow, I think we've corrected the problems and streamlined the site. We're happy with it. We hope it will be useful to you, as well.

Kristin Kuhn and Chad Gilligan

Ms. Kristin Kuhn became Mrs. Chad Gilligan at The Sir Walter Raleigh Gardens on the campus of Sandhills Community College at 5:30 yesterday on an afternoon that might be described as...well, just a little warm.



Kristin's bouquet

Attendant's bouquet
Family section marker at the gardens



We know Kristin well. She handles events at The Country Club of North Carolina and Margaret has had the distinct pleasure of working closely with Kristin on a lot of receptions. None of them meant more to Kristin or to Maggie than this one. We were pleased and honored to be a part of her most special day.

Table setting at CCNC.

Candy table at reception at CCNC.

Our groom, Chad Gilligan is a golf pro at Pinehurst #7. We hadn't met Chad until recently but our landscape clients who are members at #7 can't stop singing his praises. Our encounters with him have only served to reinforce the positive impressions of people who have known him longer.

Best of luck for a long and happy marriage to two very special people!

More images from Kristin and Chad's special day can be found here.

A Celebration of the Gruenhagen/ Giorgi Wedding

I thought I'd change up the font a little for this one just to emphasize a point which is, I love color. I mean I can appreciate the elegant understated beauty of a white wedding. I can appreciate the passion of classic red roses. Give me clolor. Color says clebrate.

If a white bouquet is a waltz and a red bouquet is modern dance, this bouquet is a lambada!

The very lovely Mary Ayres Gruenhagen became Mrs. James Marcus Giorgi in a ceremony at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Southern Pines at a little after five thirty yesterday. Maggie was proud to serve as both florist and , with very professional assistance from our good friend Debbie Beard, event coordinator.

All weddings are part pageant and part celebration. A lot of weddings attempt to balance those aspects. This one was unabashedly a celebration. The bouquets, the altar flowers, even the flower girl's baskets...

and pew markers suggested that this was the start of a very good time.
I happened to be outside the church taking down the church rail decorations when the bride and her entourage emerged from having portraits done. My first instinct was to jump and grab my camera (which was only a few feet away) because I almost never get a shot of a bride with a bouquet. But the newly minted Mrs. Giorgi was striding so purposefully towards the waiting limousine that I knew she had better things to do than wait for another picture. I've no doubt that Mary will cherish the pageant portion of her wedding for all of her days, but I am equally sure that at the moment I happened to catch her she was done with that part and ready for the celebration.

I left my camera where it was and kept working.

When Mary and James arrived at the reception at Little river farms, they found every table in the lobby decorated with colorful arrangements lie this one. The rail toppers on the staircase going up to the ballroom were like miniature reproductions of her bouquet.

The centerpieces were a celebration of color on sheer gold and white striped tablecloths with gold underlays that Maggie had ordered for the event.

The band "Egypt" entertained revelers until late into the night. To say that it was a lovely event is not to do it justice. It was a party. It was a celebration.

My hope for Mary and James is that in the uneven progression that is life, that their marriage will always be a celebration of the possibilities and of the joy to be had in seeing life through with the one that you love.

More images from this wedding can soon be found on our galleries page.

Bridal Fair 2007

Yesterday was the day for the second annual Bridal Fair at National Golf Club in Pinehurst. Intrepid brides and brides to be from around the Sandhills braved the swelter of another afternoon of what's sure to be the hottest August on record in order to see and sample the wares of local vendors in the wedding industry. We were happy to once again make our case from a space near the center of National's beautiful ballroom.



Not in attendance at this year's show was The Queen herself, Maggie. She was busy with flowers and coordination for the Gruenhagen/Giorgi wedding. In her stead we had a doctor and a princess. Pictured above are our good friend Joella Hardee, DMP (Doctor of Manicure and Pedicure) at The Nail Boutique, and The Queen's younger daughter (and therefore a princess), Kalie Hairston.

Brides who stopped by were able to check out a variety of bouquets, like the traditional red rose bouquet that this bride is holding,...

see a photo album of Maggie's work,...
and take home a cd slideshow of some of the best of Maggie's wedding work.

I knew that a crowded ballroom would be a tough place to get good images so I kidnapped a couple of Maggie's Bridal Fair bouquets early yesterday morning and shot them at a fountain.

Pictured above is the bouquet Kalie is holding in the photo at the top of the page and just below is the bouquet Jo Ella was holding.

Below is a colorful design with a simple tropical centerpiece, tropical colored linens, a lovely and colorful bouquet and our lovely and colorful daughter standing next to it all.

Below is a less traditional take on a bouquet. Maggie used bright red roses and red protea wrapped in red ribbon with a large beautiful jeweled broach on the wrapping.

Always original, always beautiful, always just for you...designs by Margaret Smith at Maggie's Farm.

More from the Bridal show soon at the gallery page.

Beach Bum Bouquet

We made it to the beach...finally!
Everybody needs a change of scenery once in a while and The Queen (Maggie) and I have been looking at the same scenery for a long, long time. So Friday night we finished our deliveries and headed east to Wilmington to visit my sister and enjoy a little sun and fun, some food and a little shopping.
But the first thing we did Saturday morning was to go to the beach to take some pictures that I had been thinking about for a while. I had asked Maggie to do a bouquet I could shoot on the beach and she is always so kind to indulge me.

I caught three breaks on Saturday morning.

First, the rain stopped. Friday night Wilmington was getting all the rainfall the rest of the state so desperately needs. I had thought I would shoot at sunrise but at 5:00 a.m. the thunder was still banging so I didn't rush. By seven, the rain had seemed to pass so by 7:30 we were on our way to the beach.
Second, Maggie came with me. It's not unusual for me to take the camera out early in the morning when we're on vacation, but usually The Queen sleeps in. I was delighted when she came along. I thought I had some good ideas about what I wanted to shoot but Maggie did for me the same thing she does for her clients, she makes your good ideas better.
Third, I ran into this little girl.

I'd had an idea that an photo of a little girl holding a bouquet under her chin might make for an interesting image of Maggie's work. I really wasn't expecting to do that, though, on this particular morning because it was still overcast and we were going to the least crowded part of the beach. But we had no sooner parked the van and tried to pay at the parking kiosk, than this young family - a big red headed guy, his petite wife, a very young son and their daughter, a pretty little girl with flaming red hair - walked up behind us. The little girl couldn't have been more perfect for the shot I'd had in mind. I walked up to the father, gave him one of Maggie's cards and told him who we were and what we had in mind to do and asked him if it would be OK. He said he thought so and checked with his wife, who was also OK with the idea.

About thirty feet away was a spot where the dunes and sea oats kind of framed the shot nicely so we all walked over there and I took three snaps. To their credit, Maggie, the mom and the dad tried valiantly to get the young girl to smile, but to no avail. I actually think that worked out for the best. It made the shots look less like something off a greeting card. It made the young girl look enigmatic. It made the shot more interesting.

I never asked the family's name but they were so nice and I really appreciate their help. I'm very happy with the shots. I hope they will be, too.

I only took three shots of the little girl but I took about thirty shots altogether. I mentioned before about Maggie taking your ideas and making them better. I had the idea of the bouquet and champagne bottle and glasses at the edge of the water. Maggie took it a step further and actually put them in the surf which made for a much more interesting photo.

Maybe I should have called this the Blanche Dubois Bouquet because of the way it depended upon the kindness of strangers. We met another nice family on Johnny Mercer's Pier. The woman holding the bouquet couldn't have been more delightful. I know flowers bring out the best in people but I really don't think that woman had anything else, just the best.

Reminds me a little of someone else I know...

A couple more shots from this series can be found here. They're in the "Beaucoup Bouquets" section.

Bridal Fair at National Golf Club

We are pleased to be showing again at The Bridal Fair at The National Golf Club in Pinehurst on August 18th. Maggie will not be there as she has a wedding that day. Gracing the booth instead will be our good friend Valerie Stratta who owns Audley Enough, the dress boutique on Main Street in Southern Pines, and Maggie's youngest daughter, Kalie. We're looking forward to it.

I've had a hard time putting my hands on the cd with all the shots from last year's show but I did find these three.

I love this rich and colorful bouquet with the sunflowers and the roses with the chocolate colored wrap and the gold beading.
I also like this bridesmaid's bouquet, simple but vibrant.

This is another simple but lovely idea Maggie had, putting this green cymbidium nosegay in a black sequined purse.

You can get more information about the Bridal Fair at http://www.nationalgolfclub.com/Special_Events.htm

Towning/Miller Wedding - A Hero's Wedding

Today Maggie was pleased to do the floral work for the wedding of Joanna Clare Towning to Robert Michael Miller, III.

I'm personally grateful that Maggie had the opportunity to be involved.

As I listened to the news this week about athletes running afoul of the law, generals covering up friendly fire incidents and drunk astronauts going into outer space, it occurred to me that there are no heroes anymore. Who's left? Who do we look to to remind us that there's still hope - that there's still goodness and decency in the world?
It was fortuitous that I knocked on a door to get a business card from this week's wedding photographer and recognized the groom.

On the far right in the image above is your groom, Robert Michael Miller, III. "Mike", as I've known him, is a nurse. About eighteen months ago, I was in a bad spot. My father was in the hospital for the fifth time in a year and my mother was in need of a level of care that my sister and I were unqualified to provide and unable to sustain even if we we could. I was suddenly confronted with the necessity of making new living arrangements for the people who had given and done so much for me all of my life. Nothing matters more than family so nothing matters more than the people providing care for the people you love - and while you appreciate every one's efforts, a few are naturally going to stand out. Michael stood out.

Michael never failed to demonstrate the kindness to work effectively with a woman who was disoriented, frustrated and sometimes angry and combative. He instinctively showed the compassion that gave comfort to a successful military officer and businessman without injuring his dignity. I felt better about my parents when Michael was working with them.

My parents are doing well now. Dad is driving and self-sufficient and Mom is doing as well as she can. Michael has moved on from that facility. But I am so grateful that he was there for that critical transition period. I didn't ask where he had gone. Wherever it is, they got a good man.

I had to make sure I got a shot of Michael to show my Dad and Dad was excited for him. At least in that small way he is able to share the event with someone who had shown so much kindness to him and my mom.

I fret for the world we live in sometimes...OK, often. People make good livings by being confrontational. An "In your face" attitude is considered a virtue. We celebrate people who "tell it like it is" with little regard for whether what they're telling bears any resemblence to reality. It seems like folks want the instant intimacy of a label so they can know whether to shake your hand or throw rocks at you.

Michael is the antithesis of all that. Michael is kindness, decency and compassion. He was a hero for the people I care about when they needed it so much. He's a hero to me. It was good to run to him today. It's important to see and remember what's good and right in the world.

I do that a little bit every morning when I wake up next to the woman I love. I wish the same and more for Joanna and Michael.

The very top photo in this post was of the bridal bouquet. The image above is of a bridesmaid's bouquet and a mother's nosegay.

Pictured above are centerpieces from the bridal party table.

Here is a table setting from the reception at The Little River Resort and Golf Club.

More photos from the Towning/Miller wedding are available here, http://maggiesfarm.zenfolio.com/p363915185/.