Sunflower Blooms

22/02/2024

Finally getting things on the move 🙌🏼

Please could you give my new journey a follow - it would mean so much & it’s a bit difficult to celebrate love with no one there! ❤️✨

Thank you so much xx

https://www.facebook.com/theleopardprintcelebrantuk

Hi, it’s me, I’m Em - The Leopard Print Celebrant & I would LOVE to tell your story…

03/11/2023

✨🤍✨

Firstly, I’d just like to say THANK YOU for the overwhelming lovely comments & messages I received following my last post ❤️ Honestly, some of them made me cry. I finally feel like the brain fog is lifting slightly so I’ll definitely be getting back to everyone over the weekend 😘

On Wednesday, we said farewell to my Nana & finally got chance to pay tribute to my beautiful Mumma almost 4 years on. It was so special to celebrate these wonderful women on the same day - as emotional as it was.

It was so lovely to be able to share memories of such special ladies and to hear friends & family share their own tributes to them too.

Trying to pay tribute to my mum was never going to be easy & I already feel like I didn’t say enough to do her justice but I wrote a little poem to try & sum up what I wanted to say.

Days like that really make you realise what’s important.

No one will remember how thin you were; how much you earned; what car you drove etc - that’s all bo****ks that society tries to make us think is important.

People instead will remember how special you made them feel; how kind you were; your sense of humour; how your smile could light up a room.

Life is fu***ng short. And whether you get 87 years like my Nana, or 58 years like my mum, make them count & try not to let regret get in the way.

I don’t believe life is about the big achievements: it’s in the smaller, everyday things that matter. It’s in how hard you loved; how loud you laughed; how comfortable you are just being you when the world is always telling us we’re not enough.

So take the photos & grab the moment because one day, photographs & memories will be all that’s left to cherish 🤍✨

20/10/2023

✨❤️Click through for a ramble❤️✨

Thank you so much for the wonderful messages of love & support following my last post ✨
Every one has meant so much & I appreciate you taking time out of your lives to send some love my way.

But things are changing round here.

I’ve decided that this little flower business is going to have to pause for a while because this way of working is no longer working for me, my health and more importantly, my family.

I hate not being able to give 100% to things & I just can’t manage to give 100% to motherhood & 100% to Sunflower Blooms at the same time.

And now feels like the right time to pursue something I’ve always wanted to - to become a Wedding & Life Celebrant ✨

So here goes…

06/10/2023

✨When life gets a bit too much✨

I just want to apologise for being s**t contact wise again - both personally and business wise.

Truth is, I feel like I’m drowning under to do lists & life admin at the moment & I just don’t seem to have the time to even think let alone know where to begin. Every time I manage to tick one thing off, another 3 seem to get added & it’s just a LOT.

The past 14 weeks since Ted’s arrival have been the most hectic & intense we’ve had for a while & that’s saying something! Adjusting to having 3 little ones, who are all still so young, has been a much bigger challenge than I was expecting & although he’s lush, the first 10 weeks with him were the hardest I’ve had with any of them.

Meanwhile the house renovation is still going on, the cost of living is fu***ng ridiculous so it’s hello evening job, the car failed it’s MOT today & is basically a write off, I’ve got some strange health things going on, Wilf is apparently allergic to sleep this week & we also lost my Nana last month too ❤️

This isn’t a woe is me post: I’m so bloody lucky to have what I have & I genuinely feel grateful everyday ✨
Some days can just make it very hard to feel like you’re coping. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like this.
Everybody is struggling more than we know so always BE KIND ✨🤍

So once again, I’m sorry for being s**t.

Business wise, if you’re waiting on a response from me, I’ll do my best to get back to you over the weekend.
I’m also aware that it’s that time of year again & wreath workshops need organising so I’ll try & get details out about those too but do let me know if you’re interested in holding a private one in the meantime please 😘

On a personal note, I’m so sorry if I haven’t messaged you back or sent a card/gift for a recent occasion like I should’ve. I do care & it’s not because I don’t give a s**t. I just don’t seem to be able to keep up recently. But I’ll try & catch up and over the next few weeks & hopefully do better.

Thank you for still being here ❤️

Em x

17/09/2023

🌿🤍 Green & whites but make it jazzy 🤍🌿

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07/09/2023

🌈🌿🌸 Not quite ready to say goodbye to summer blooms just yet 🌸🌈🌿

10/08/2023

🤍🤍🤍

Never been happier to be back at home with all the tiny hands after what has been a ridiculous 10 days.

Flowering two weddings with a five week old Ted attached has been an experience - and then there was the 5 day stay in hospital to treat him for a virus & suspected meningitis sandwiched in the middle 🤦🏼‍♀️🤍
It’s been emotional - and the juggle was real 😂

I’m not very good at asking for help but these past few days have made me so incredibly grateful for the wonderful people we are lucky enough to have in our lives.
They ignored my protests that everything was fine & instead delivered care packages of food & massive pants to the hospital, opened up their homes for me to be able to create wedding flowers, came to help set up at venues, fed me, babysat Ted, gave me lifts & wrapped the pair of us in love & hugs when we needed it most 🥰

Luckily he’s now on the mend & we’re back home to the chaos of toddler life but I will never be able to say thank you enough to everyone for getting us through such a mad & scary time.

Turns out we do have a village. And it’s a bloody fantastic one at that ❤️

03/07/2023

💙🧸 New arrival 🧸💙

Last Tuesday saw the arrival of our little Teddy (Ted) Hayden who swiftly joined us weighing a diddy 6lb 15oz 💙
After a shakey start & over 48 hours on the Special Care Baby Unit, we are now home & trying to settle into the absolute chaos of having 3 little ones under 4 🤦🏼‍♀️❤️

Every member of staff who looked after us was absolutely wonderful & we’re feeling so very lucky to have our final little rainbow baby home safely with us 🌈❤️

However, I’m now struggling to find time to p*e let alone do anything else so I’m definitely going to be taking some time out for the foreseeable & will be returning very slowly to the admin side of things once I feel up to it & my brain can function.

For now though, I’m soaking up all the cuddles with my babies & enjoying being nap trapped far too often with Little Ted 🧸🌈

💛💛💛

23/06/2023

🌈✨365 days ago✨🌈

Can’t believe it’s been one whole year since our sparkly wedding in a field 🧡 I want to be back there so much!

This baby is due to arrive in a matter of days but I am still not ok with not being in my favourite place this year 😞

I’m officially signing out of emails etc today but should be back around mid-July depending on how things go. If I’m honest, I’m absolutely exhausted and just need some time to switch off for a while.

Hope you all have a lush few weeks & I’ll see you on the flipside 🩷🌈✨

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18/06/2023

🩷🌿 Final flowering for a while🌿🩷

Today I was lucky enough to spend a lush couple of hours hosting a Summer hand tied bouquet workshop

It’s always a pleasure to be back in this beautiful venue & everyone who attended was absolutely lovely 🧡

With this little baby due within the next couple of weeks, & ongoing house renovations, this was my last floral shindig for a while. I’ll be back flowering weddings a few weeks after his arrival but for now, I’m taking some time out to try & organise my life.

I may well try and post some floral goodness from our weddings so far this year but as we all know, I’m pretty s**t at social media so no promises!

Thank you, as always, for still sticking around & for your ongoing support - it really is appreciated 🌻💛

08/05/2023

🌿🤍Beautiful couple goals🤍🌿

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02/03/2023

🌿🧡 Still here, still flowering but shockingly s**t at social media posting 🧡🌿

24/10/2022

🌊🥰🔑

So this weekend we did a little thing & relocated ourselves to a little fishing town on the South Devon coast 🏠
I still can’t believe we live by the sea, it’s been the dream for as long as I can remember 🌊

Moving house with a toddler, baby and dog the size of a small horse is not easy & we are still living in chaos but we’re here & are feeling incredibly lucky to be starting our new chapter in such a beautiful place.

Sunflower Blooms will still be continuing & I’ll still be fulfilling all my weddings for next year & our Christmas Wreath Workshops this December 🎄 I’m just going to be taking some time out in between to work out the logistics of how to continue going forward & making sure it works for the business, me and my health but most of all, for our little family ❤️

After the s**t show of the past few years, it feels wonderful to finally be where we’ve dreamed of & to be excited to start living again ✨

03/10/2022

✅London Marathon 2022✅

Completed it mate.

Through absolute sheer mental determination, I managed to waddle my way along 26.2 miles yesterday and completed the London Marathon 2022 at 11 months postpartum.
And I am beyond bloody proud of myself.

It was fu***ng tough. Turns out just eating pasta and doing no training wasn’t the best of ideas 😂 By mile 6 I was with St John’s Ambulance having to have my feet dressed because my socks were filled with blood and the skin on the back of my feet was hanging off. By mile 9, the amazing lady dressed as giraffe found me shuffling along and crying and she took me under her wing. Turns out I was severely dehydrated and honestly think I would’ve been very ill if she hadn’t found me at that point. She looked after me, got me hydrated again and stayed with me for the whole further 15 miles because I refused to give up. And I didn’t.
I may’ve finished in the dark but a finish is still a finish and I’ve officially completed my second marathon and got my medal to prove it.

Thank you so so much to everyone who has sponsored me & helped me raise money for
I’ve still got £600 to go to hit my target so any other donations would be absolutely amazing please.
www.justgiving.com/Em-Francesca or the link is in my highlights.

The last photo is the grim reality of what my feet look like today plus the blisters all over my toes are savage. I’ll be wearing sandals until Christmas I think 🤦🏼‍♀️

Once again, thank you so so much. And an amazing well done to everyone else who attempted the let alone finished it. It’s far more than just “a long run” and it pushes you to your limits. The staff and volunteers who put so much into the event are incredible & offer so much support and encouragement at every stage ❤️

If you ever get the chance to take part, do it and you’ll never look back ❤️

25/09/2022

🍂🌹First bridal bouquet of Autumn & it was extra AF🌹🍂

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04/09/2022

🌸 always capturing the little details so beautifully 🌸

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24/08/2022

🌈🌸The most glorious and colourful of couples🌸🌈

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23/08/2022

🤍🌈These two are getting another spot on the grid because they are just too wonderful for words🌈🤍

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