How did you become a florist? 

Chad and I never imagined we’d take the reigns of his family’s business! I got a bachelor’s in marketing in college, and started my career in a big medical organization as the marketing director. It was my dream job, and the first couple of years were great. But as the economy began to shift and reality set in I realized I wasn’t cut out for corporate management. I resigned from that position and took a job at a small ad agency doing sales and account management. I sucked at it. And I started to feel like I wasn’t going to be good at anything. Let’s just say my mid-twenties weren’t my finest hour.

When Chad’s mom started talking about retiring, we were both in a big fat career rut. I’ll never forget the day we sat in our home office and said, “Let’s do this.” I packed up all my pencil skirts and stilettos and traded them for flats and aprons. We were incredibly fortunate to have a well-laid foundation before we ever stepped foot into the business, but we’ve made a lot of changes to adapt to this unstable economy. There’s been a lot of sacrifice and blood, sweat and tears (literally, rose thorns are brutal!) but I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to run a successful business with my best friend and our family. Being surrounded by beautiful flowers all day isn’t too bad, either.

Where did you get that turquoise bag I spotted on Pinterest? 

My mom bought me this Dooney & Bourke Dillen II satchel a couple of years ago, shortly after Chad and I made the monumental decision to quit our jobs and take over his parents’ business. I was so stressed and haggard during that time, and she surprised me with it as a “just because we’re proud of you” gift. I’m sure she had no idea she’d spark a Pinterest sensation with her gift! ;-) It’s a seasonal color, so availability will depend on the time of year.

What kind of dog do you have? 

Doak is a Goldendoodle; that is, a Golden Retriever and Standard Poodle “hybrid” breed. He was born on Superbowl Sunday in 2009, and we brought him home when he was just 8 weeks old. He’s our baby, and comes to work with us at the flower shop most days!

Do you still sell clothes online?

No. When Chad and I moved the flower business to a smaller space, we closed the small consignment boutique we had within the store. I may sell things from my closet from time to time though, so stay tuned!

Any tips for blog design?

Whew, I’ve spent a lot of time over the years learning HTML and CSS, and my blog has been a constant evolution as I’ve picked up new tricks. One thing I’m guilty of is changing my design over and over (and over) which isn’t ideal for building a brand. Don’t do what I did!

There are tons of great free resources out there to help you whip your blog into shape. I’ve also made a couple of worthwhile investments over the last year to kick things up a notch. I started with RadLab to spice up my photography (a fantastic time saving resource for Photoshop users) and recently bought the Blog (Design) Love e-course from A Beautiful Mess. It’s helped me organize my thoughts to create a cohesive brand for APP, and make the blog more reader-friendly! It’s always a work in progress, but I think I’ve found a layout and design that I really love.

Other great resources:

• Pugly Pixel – amazing inspiration, easy-to-follow tutorials, and lots of cool freebies.
• http://icons.mysitemyway.com — where I found my social media buttons, and lots more.
• Kevin & Amanda – so many great design tutorials, especially for Blogger users.
• http://thecutestblogontheblock.com/