Happiness Is Always In Bloom

You know that feeling you get when someone gives you flowers? That rush of endorphins that just brightens up the moment...You can give this to yourself!  Buy yourself some flowers every week. If this doesn't fit in your budget, buy some every two weeks, or at least once a month. If you see some beautiful wildflowers and there's no law preventing you from helping yourself- pick some of those. Put them in a vase, a jar, an old wine bottle, a cup, it doesn't matter. Flowers act like a light in your home, brightening up the darkest spaces. They are a symbol of beauty and growth.

I love orchids, tulips, ranunculus, even affordable Gerbera daisies (see above), and ubiquitous carnations. And, even though I find them kind of boring, sometimes I receive the perfect rose:

When I get flowers, I always trim the stems on a diagonal and add the plant food packet that comes with the bouquet into the vase water. Don't forget you can personalize an arrangement you bought or received as a gift: Trim the stems to make the flowers the most flattering length(s) for your container. Also, you can remove any blooms that you're not fond of. Sometimes I have to just throw them away but usually I'll turn one big bouquet into two or three smaller bouquets (try putting flowers of the same color in each container) and put one on the dining table, one in my room and one in my daughter's room!