Wow… that sounds like a loaded title, right?! Long story short it is! Are you thinking to yourself… what could these two things possibly have in common? Let me fill you in!
First let me introduce myself. My name is Casey and I am the owner and designer of Paper & Petals Collection, a company that specializes in handcrafted and meticulously designed paper flower backdrop walls. The walls we design and construct are a perfect backdrop for any event… truly. They can turn the most mundane space into a showstopper.
This business all started with my sister-in-law’s baby shower. When you’re trying to host a baby shower in the early stages of a pandemic and keep all guests safe at the same time you decide to move it outdoors. With that decision comes any event planner or hosts nightmare… how can I transform this space into something magical vs just a courtyard at a hotel?! That was my thought at least because with me it’s all in the details. Insert the OG flower wall to Paper & Petals Collection we like to now call The Rose. What would become 1 of many flower walls (we just didn’t know that at the time)!
The idea was to create a large backdrop that served multiple purposes. 1. Spruce up the space and really elevate it into something beautiful. 2. Make a statement and focal point… a WOW piece. 3. Create an area for guests to snap pictures with the gorgeous mommy-to-be. 4. Ensure that every picture, whether posed or candid, was perfect and having the floral backdrop helped solidify just that!
It took FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!! The end project was totally worth it but how it got me to where I currently am still makes me smile. It was like a lightbulb that day. Hotel guests and passersby were wanting to take pictures with the wall, some asked where we rented it, some asked if they could buy it, and just like that a business idea was born!
Fast forward to present day and we’ve circled back to what the title of this post was ever really about… glue gun burns and Golden Girls. `As you can imagine, making a hand cut, hand curled, and hand-crafted paper flower isn’t the easiest project. Then, add 80-99 more of them and BAM! you have a wall. In the process of many trial and errors I discovered that glue gun burns seriously HURT!!!!!! It isn’t even just the initial burn that matters. Once that tiny bead of fiery glue hits your skin it’s like a little piece of hell just got a little piece of you! I mean you scream and want to drop the entire flower but you don’t because you also don’t want to start over so instead you just let it buuuuurn.
After the initial burn comes the lasting pain where the tiniest bit of heat makes you want to squeal. Literally! Once you can actually let go of the petal because you’re sure it’s now set you look down to realize that you’ve lost another patch of skin and the worst part… that’s just the first of many burns to come! I know there’s gloves to help prevent this sort of thing but I’m stubborn and hate them and would rather just torture myself apparently with the little glue gun from hell! The good news is that once you’ve put your fingers through enough burns and pain you can’t even feel it anymore. It’s like you’ve won! Totally numb to it! You look down at your finger pads and they are just blood red begging you to stop! My mother and I laugh because we figure by the time we’re done with this we will be fingerprintless and able to get away with any crime! BWA HA HA (in my evilest voice). Funny thing is…. If you know me at all you know that I am terrified of being in trouble… even at the age of 35! Through it all my mom, Janice, is basically my partner in crime… fingerprintless and all!
Now you understand the glue gun burns reference but what in the actual heck does that have to do with Golden Girls?! Well, to sum it up, if we didn’t have the Golden Girls each late night to get us by we probably would have quit a long time ago.
Seriously. They are the funniest 4 women EVER! Back in the Golden Girls days nothing was off limits. It should have been but it wasn’t. It started with us needing a show that we could laugh at without really concentrating on or watching and they are exactly that and so much more. It’s like I can’t even imagine working on flowers without them now! Not only do they keep us laughing in times of insanity when we’ve worked a full day and have to burn the midnight oil til 1am to get anything done with this side business but they are our literal work clock. We know it’s time to call it a night when the Golden Girls reruns end and Frasier begins. I mean… watching Frasier would be the true torture… worse than any glue gun burn.
In all seriousness… this has been the biggest blessing. Not only do I get to create something so delicate and beautiful that brings happiness and elegance to any event but I LOVE doing it. Better than that even is that I get to spend so much quality time with my mom (who helps cut, and curl the petals) and my dad (who helps construct the frames and legs) that I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It takes a village. Without the help of them and my wonderful husband who is always willing to go along with me to deliver and set up these walls… even when it’s in the middle of his favorite sporting events… (now that’s love) … I wouldn’t be on the path I am today with this business. I love that we get to show our beautiful daughter what it means to work hard, to dive in and trust the process, to give it 110%, and to trust your big ideas and dreams!
I can’t wait to take you all on this journey with me. My goal for this blog is to not only share some of the pictures and process of making our creations with you and the events they end up at but to also dig into other things…. maybe random at time… that can give you a glimpse of not only my world but others around me. I want to bring awareness to topics and charities that are important to me, to spotlight other local vendors in the wedding/event industry and showcase their talents, and share cool finds along the way! I hope you’ll join me and I can’t thank you all enough for your love and support!
♥ – Casey!