Excited, inspired and grateful about Holly!

So. It's time to blog again.
You must know that this blog is inspired by my good friend Nick Sheridan who writes a blog of the same title EVERYDAY!  Nick has changed my morning ritual of waking up and checking facebook, to waking up... reading a blog about being excited grateful and inspired, and then reflecting on all the things in my life that make me those things!
You can check out his blog here http://excitedinspiredandgrateful.blogspot.com.au/

Clarence is a BIG part of my life that goes under the reflection microscope daily.  I am grateful to have found a vessel for my creativity and really feel in my element right now.  I am inspired by what has been achieved and what more exciting projects are to come. BUT... You must know that a Bobilee can't be a Bobilee without a great team beside her (like ACE or my new YarraValley community).  My team is my staff, family and all the locals who offer endless support... one in particular, sticks out in my mind, and I absolutely would not have achieved even half of what I've done without her...

Let me tell you about Holly Deacon.
Those of you who know her know that she is the gorgeous girl in Clarence... greeting you with a smile and looking after things when I am not there (and when I am), making AMAZING flowers and having a laugh.

I was so blessed to have met her.  We often try to remember how we met. Holly recently asked me why I hired her and how she came to work at Clarence. We can't remember exactly what went down but this is my version that goes a little something like this...

ME: "Hi there, how are you guys going?"
Holly and Lucy: "Great thanks"
ME: "What are you up to today?"
Holly: "Just having a wander... I'm a bit jet lagged I just got back from Canada yesterday"
ME: "Oh yeah, what were you doing there?"
Holly: "I was working at a florist actually"
ME: "Really... want a job?"

THE END

Nah just kidding... She then told me how she always gets drawn back into this shop (formerly Bron Bron Janga), how she did work experience there as a teen and she doesn't know what she is doing yet but she might want a job.  I said cool... "Can you make me something?"

...AND SHE MADE ME THIS:

I'm pretty sure that this coincided with the exact day that Clarence threw out Gerberas, and discouraged any form of box arrangements.*  Come to think of it... That is absolutely true!  Locals will have noticed Clarence transform itself over the past few years and I attribute that to the fact that -

A) For the first 6 months I had no idea what I was doing (and no money to invest in what I liked)

B) I spent so much time doing what I thought I was meant to be doing rather than what I liked

C) I hadn't met Holly yet

It's so easy to forget the topic when finally sitting down to write a blog. You may have also noticed that the last time I did one was at Christmas so it's fair to say I have a lot to say. I want to keep it about Holly but it keeps slipping to Clarence's life story but I guess they go hand in hand. 

HOLLY encouraged me to stay true to our style and the people will come.  She inspired me to give her a job with that first vase arrangement because I liked IT!  And she made me LOVE flowers again (truth be known I was thinking of getting rid of them) I ditched teleflora and all "florist networks" (Sorry but their styles seriously give florists a bad name... Who wants to make to someone's bad picture??) AND we moved forward fairly quickly into a new phase... So thanks Holly!

She inspires me with her floral work everyday and it's amazing cause it just makes Clarences vibes go up and up... Here is some of her work - 

 

In small business one of the things all business owners complain about is finding staff.  I think it can be hard so if you find good ones you really need to celebrate them.  Work is meant to be fun - You spend half your life doing it! I am lucky to have quite a few good staff...

But more on them later... This post is a tribute to HOLLY!

Focus. Focus.

Holly is so clever and I am grateful every day for all of the hard work she does to keep Clarence amazeballs!  I love working with her because she is not afraid of dirty work and does everything with a smile -

She is a great wingman!

On her days off she would be found doing something like this...

...walking through a field of flowers...

Making a lucky friend a posie

After all... What else would someone with 2 flower names be doing?? Her name is Holly Iris - 

Holly... You are a flower! I love working with you... Holly and Bobilee, live together in perfect harmony - Like Ebony and Ivory  -

or Hairy and Ivory!

 I love how she just manages the forte when I have to do this - 

She then copies my face, turns it into a positive... and with joy in her eyes after 6 hrs gardening in the rain manages to look like this!

Holly... You are a star and I love you heaps and look forward to all the WONDERFUL Creative things we are going to do together - You can be my salt and I'll be your pepper!

Nick Sheridan - Thanks for reminding me to be excited, grateful and inspired.  If I was going to write a blog a day I would change it to beautiful, loved and blessed.  Prince wrote the cheesiest song with the same title and I LOVE IT!

Beautiful flowers made by Holly around me everyday!
Loved by me and all that enter Clarence!
and Blessed to have met you Holly Iris Deacon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh54Fh6DdNw

*Clarence can make beautiful box arrangements and will get you gerberas on request with 2 days notice - just don't get angry at us cos we don't have them in the shop!