For today's profile we head to Logan Square to meet Kelly of Fleur Inc. Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2!
Kelly is wonderful. You know I have an obsession with all things natural, green, and blooming and well, her boutique has all of that and more! Needless to say Kelly and I had lots and lots to chat about. We enjoyed a delicious brunch, shared our journeys, and compared favorite Midwest getaways. We are both in the wedding industry and eager to hear and learn from one another. Kelly has been working her magic for eight years in her Logan Square boutique. It is ridiculously adorable and filled to the brim with accessories, vintage details, and blooms available by the stem.
We not only talked of work and exchanged accountant's numbers, but shared about the ups and downs of what we do. I watched her select and put together a B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. bridal bouquet that she gave to me!! And yes I squealed with delight when she handed it over. ( you'll be seeing all of that tomorrow!) Needless to say, I hope we get to work many wonderful weddings together as well as share a few good glasses of wine.
Meet Kelly.
Who are you? What do you do? How long have you been doing this?
Hi! My name is Kelly Marie Uss and I own Fleur, a floral and special event boutique. The storefront has been open for eight years, although I've worked with flowers for the past 12 years. It actually feels incredibly weird to admit to that amount of time, because it doesn't seem as if has actually been that long!
Walk us through one of your typical work days. Your 9a.m.-5p.m.
Early weekday mornings are incredibly pleasant and possibly my favorite time of the day. Around 8:30am I arrive at the flower market to select blooms and blossoms for the storefront. I've noticed that I unconsciously work in color palettes each week. Some days I am feeling blush and sage, other days are ruby and lavender, and there is always so much inspiration flowing at this time of day because the selection sometimes feels endless. These flowers are available for our walk-in guests and delivery orders. I arrive to the shop around 9:30am where staff and I process all the blooms, de-thorning roses, plumping peonies and cleaning extra foliage around wildflower stems. From there the day is really a peppering of all things at once!
My "to-do" list includes ordering handmade soaps and cards, inventory, emailing and updating proposals, assisting walk-in customers, clerical work, designing centerpieces and more. Somedays I am on the computer for 8 hours without stopping. Fridays are even more busy because we work on the wedding flowers for that weekend. The phone is always ringing, the emails are always coming through and we're always creating! Weekends are filled with the last details of a wedding.., the final boutonniere, wrapping the bridal bouquet and packing up all the centerpieces for delivery. Then I'm off to arrange the wedding on site. It is a very long day, but the end result is always very worth it.
What is the thing you enjoy most about your job?
There truly are so many wonderful things! Flowers still amaze me! I'm still touched by the delicacy of a peony in bloom or the fragrance from lily of the valley. So many blooms have such short seasons that each and every day we see new varieties that continue to leave me in awe of their beauty. The intricacies of Queen Anne's lace, the frills of a garden rose, the layers of ranunculus and the fragility of poppies. They're all amazing! And when we pass along this beauty to our storefront guests and brides & grooms, it is just pure delight!
Fleur is located on 3149 W. Logan Blvd, Chicago and has a wonderful blog of their own! Click here to check out their portfolio. You can also find them on Twitter here!
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Stay tuned for more of Kelly from Fleur Inc. tomorrow!
