Big Love

I'm not telling you to make the world better, because I don't think that progress is necessarily part of the package. I'm just telling you to live in it. Not just to endure it, not just to suffer it, not just to pass through it, but to live in it. To look at it. To try and get the picture. To live recklessly. To take chances. To make your own work and take pride in it. To seize the moment. And if you ask me why you should bother to do that, I could tell you that the grave's a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace. Nor do they sing there, or write, or argue, or see the tidal bore on the Amazon, or touch their children. And that's what there is to do and get it while you can and good luck at it. ~ joan didion

sidebar : // yesterday was one of those magical days as a floral designer. i witnessed the spirit and beauty of true love and a warm intimate embrace of family. thank you cristina and ollie and mila and uma for allowing me to be such a small part of such big love and celebration of life.

it was a pleasure. xx

_joanna concejo

Spring and Things

Happy May day friends. the season is in full swing by the looks of the cherry blossoms around town and we've had some spectacular days this past week. things are definitely starting to pick up and this month will be keeping me busy. 

My trip to Austin to work with the talented crew at the nouveau romantics proved to be the perfect run up to the flowering season and it also reminded me that my body still needs some serious maintenance as the wedding train kicks up. I was impressed with Texas and it's vast sprawling landscape. the temps climbed into the nineties and my body despite the initial shock, regulated rather quickly. There were flowers for days and lots of fruit smoothies and caffeinated beverages on hand. I had my share of breakfast tacos, bbq and donuts with all the toppings. From the flowers to the food the 'go big or leave texas' mantra was no joke. Needless to say, when i arrived home, i promptly hit the juice bar and the yoga mat. i'm still working out that donut belly.

One of the highlights of the intense work weekend was a finale trip to the brick and mortar Spartan shop, one of my favorite online haunts. let's just say i bought a birthday gift for a friend and it's entirely possible i might have left with something for myself as well. it seems browsing without shopping is not part of my constitution. it's all or nothing.

I have a few exciting projects on hand. one of which includes landscaping my parent's backyard. they just had some new brick laid and so it looks like i'll be toiling in dirt and planting while i'm not cutting and making bouquets. sounds like a pretty good deal. I am also working on a potential design idea that is in it's early stages but will hopefully become a creative spin off of the CocoRosie brand or perhaps just stand on it's own. not entirely sure yet but the wheels are turning.

some sneak peek pics of the Texas shindig can be found on the Flickr. 

/ / xx

It's hard convincing yourself that where you are at the moment is your home, and it's not

always where your heart is. Sometimes I win and sometimes not. ~ Jonathan Carroll

1.2.4._pinterest

3._browndresswithwhitedots

LIGHT OF DAYS

so i've been away from this blogging bit for a while. two months have passed since i last posted. i'd like to say the time flew by but the days moved steadily, slothing forward. winter's last blast was especially tough this year. i was going to casually skip over the winter doll drums and move right into spring and all its glory but then i would be denying a whole well of emotions that rose and fell during this time. every year, the post holiday sludge through april seems to create a gulf greater than the last. i can attempt to ascribe this particularly hollow period to aging or a joint sensitivity to cold or perhaps it has something to do with the off season of a working florist.

the truth is for as long as i can remember i was always prone to melancholy particularly around this time of year.

i can't say that i haven't been busy though. i've done a great amount of reading and writing, journal entries mostly and taking notes. i am taking a course in buddhist philosophy and contemplative psychology much to the amusement of a childhood friend who knows me well and is always protesting 'doth thinks you think too much'. interestingly enough the experience has been a game changer for me.

more on that later.

i've done a great deal of meditation, yoga and walking, spending time with my beloved four legged companion. he kept me going on some dark days. i made time for some close friends and tended to family as always but for the most part i enjoyed the solitude of my own home. i finally took up knitting again and maybe i'll finish that scarf by this time next year. cooked delicious meals and enjoyed a mega marathon of homeland and yes, GIRLS on cable. i'm a fan of both. TV can be cathartic. all in all i had some creative success' and was surpisingly productive despite the low season. and herein lies the paradox.

a few positive takeaways. i learned to live with less. a lot less. to be more resourceful. to seek out the company of those that lift my spirits. to be more present and mindful. to persevere when faced with a mountain of worry. to give generously of myself and lastly, i'm fairly certain another winter without a vacation will prove fatal.

all of this makes spring worth its weight in gold. it makes the promise of the sunny and warm days ahead feel like magic. it's the opportunity to shed the litany of layers and make peace with the past. suddenly the days get longer and lighter and life looks a bit kinder.

so thanks for indulging me and all the inner reflection this time out. more on Cocorosie and what's on the horizon. there will be flowers food, film and fashion and my usual waxing poetic. i want to address my increasing ambivalence on the social media front and of course brain mapping.

til then.


AND FOR MORE : TALK and LISTEN


peace  xx



// all images via pinterest

In the Yellow Haze of the Sun

Palm Springs. Please. is what i tweeted just the other day. wondering if just the sheer typing of the words would land me in the middle of the desert. wishful thinking i suppose.

these are the days where most of us, at least flowering folk, especially those of us in the northeast, patiently await the ground to thaw and look for any sign of spring that may suddenly reveal itself.

looks like we've still got a while.

in the meantime let's gather around the fire and sing some songs. here's a little something to rock out to live from the desert floor.



love and light // xx


another peek -- the mighty MM and friends

all images -- william claxton

two zero one three

PLANS_
so odds are pretty good that something amazing will happen this year. over the last week i've been closely following my astrological readings more specifically the chinese zodiac* so far early predictions look good and in general the signs seem pretty spot on. i've never been one for new year's resolutions. setting some definitive personal goals seems like a much better plan.

ROOTS_
so what seems to interest me more these days is intention more than profession. what i commit myself to, will hopefully be reflected in my work. my desire to look at things askew, to uncover the little mysteries that lie beneath the surface, bewildered suspension, the element of surprise, flipping the lid. i have less room for leading or following. or lagging behind. to remain true to myself and my art and the people i love is where i choose to set my sights. look to my roots and continue to cultivate the talents i've been given. share them generously and be grateful in return. this will be my greatest triumph if i should be so lucky.

CHALLENGES_

there is a funny {sad} line in the movie Beginners, "you make me laugh but it's not funny." i can totally relate to this bit of personal melancholy. a kind of nostalgia for an easier time. this nostalgia sticks to me like glue. two challenges that forever plague me are looking back and holding on. so i ask you two zero one three please release me to that place where i can run wild and be free. the place where i meant to be.

which leads me to...

TRUTHS_
Don't settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon. You are still going to live a long time...and it would be a shame if you did not take the opportunity to revolutionize your life and move into an entirely new realm of experience.

You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living.

My point is that you do not need me or anyone else around to bring this new kind of light in your life. It is simply waiting out there for you to grasp it, and all you have to do is reach for it. The only person you are fighting is yourself and your stubbornness to engage in new circumstances. ~J. Krakauer



FRUITS_
i''ll do my best to keep you posted. my heartfelt thanks to all you lovers out there.
light, love and laughter.  / / xx

on an unrelated fairly insignificant side note. every year i treat my self to a new moleskin. so this year i've chosen the color GREEN to chart my path. it just seemed natural.

*2013 is the year of the black Snake and begins on February 10th shortly after the New moon in Aquarius, the humanitarian of the zodiac.


 // all magical botanical images azumamakoto

LET'S DANCE

well hello, two zero one three.


and happy birthday to me

and J. D....

Keep me up till five because all your stars are out, and for no other reason…Trust your heart. It would never betray you. Good night. I’m feeling very much over-excited now, and a little dramatic, but I think I’d give almost anything on earth to see you writing a something, an anything, a poem, a tree, that was really and truly after your own heart.


// xx

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY

wink away your tears // yoshitomo nara


I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. 
I see your beauty. I hear your need. 
I feel your feelings. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

~xx



Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week. -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

WE'LL INHERIT THE EARTH

say • o • na • ra november.

what a volatile month. the tragic aftermath of sandy. its innocent victims. ravaged landscape. a city in darkness. no gas.

the election !!!

the crazy work schedule. the puppy puncture wounds. the animal hospital. and the bill. my left foot.* the mysterious disappearance of my contact list {again}. email and server issues. challenges big and small and some pretty insignificant.

explanation : apparently mercury was in retrograde for those of you who did not know. 

although i'm not buying it. maybe it was a wake up call to sit up and slow down. to be more aware. to re-examine. to take action! who knows what the universe is up to at any given time and what it has in store but we are truly vulnerable to the unpredictable force of nature. respect yourself, respect your neighbor, respect the fallen tree in your front yard. respect LIFE.

november did end on a positive note. there was thanksgiving, with my family, who i was blessed to have with me. they are the only constant presence in my life and for that i'm eternally grateful. i was particularly moved by the fragility of this precious perch we find ourselves, as we raised a glass to all those who are less fortunate. all those suffering. all those gone. i was blessed with another year surrounded by those i love. what more can one ask for.

there was also good news on the flower front. CocoRosie was featured on Style Me Pretty and Unusually Fine last month. a nice way to top off the year. thank you to all who continue to support me in my wild and at times crazy pursuits.

here's to a dazzling december !

/ / xx

Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~ ancient indian proverb

all pre and post sandy photos of Prospect Park // Brooklyn Waterfront // I heart New York were taken with the iphone 645 pro app.

as for my left foot, it's been giving me trouble. with all the physical work this business demands

i'm not surprised the body is feeling a bit worse for wear by this time of year. so looking forward to putting my feet up for just a spell.  

we'll inherit the earth

MORE ON ADVENTURE

i forgot to include Scotland in my last post.

 i was reminded of this today, as i continued to loop these two brilliant wedding videos by We Are the Parsons. they captured the wedding of Jonas Peterson, who was married in Gotland Scotland. if you don't know of him or his work, you can witness his extraordinary talent here.

i do scan a handful of wedding blogs and every once in a blue you happen upon something extra special. these are a work of art -- intimate, moving, inspiring -- full of warmth and love. and definitely worth sharing.

--> the teaser

and the

--> the wedding day

you can also scan the scores of still photographs from this lovely affair at WEARETHEBLOGGERS

enjoy the evening, supper and your loved ones~

// xx

all images ~ wearetheparsons

IT'S ALL IN THE LEAVES

this post comes to you a lot later than planned. in fact it was originally entitled Blue Moon and Summer's Last Dance, but so much time has passed. in any event i'll tell it to you anyway, the way i intended before autumn took hold and i lost my blog swagger. at the time i was writing this, the kale was simmering in the yellow pot and i was seasoning the basa in the pyrex. a leftover bottle of bordeaux from sunday's meatballs and gravy kept me company as did the pup. sundays are for football now and i usually spend them by the stove with silas while the BF visits his pops. i've started really cooking again. there was not much time for it in summer. i've realized i feel most at home in the kitchen and i've discovered wherever i am creating i feel most at ease. 

there is a chill in the air and i've been swaddled in scarves for days. anyone that knows me well knows i have a penchant for scarves, two at a time preferably. i love the crisp mornings when the pup's ears are cool and soft to the touch and when i smother him with kisses and he snuggles up to me for extra warmth. it is october, {the month of his birth, one year ago}, and this makes me happy.

on the flip side, not so sad to see summer go really. it was a lot of working weekends and not a whole lot of sun bathing and frolicking in the ocean. while it was a fruitful and productive few months and i was lucky enough to be surrounded by miles of nature's bounty. and though truly thankful for the work and all a bit wiser about this whole flowering bit, i have a feeling, next year, i'll be doing things differently.

i've learned a few things...

I like gin. i'm really proficient when it comes to reading maps. my bird's nest of hair needs more attention and a mane of gray roots begs to be dyed a lot more often. I am slower. {at thinking. walking. reading. cooking... at almost everything it seems}. i'd like to believe this has nothing to do with brain function and everything to do with choice. recognition and choice. these are two things i'll be talking about more.

i like that they call me Miss Coco in the market these days and i am wild about virgin's bower. 

i spend more time with my pup than i do with anyone else {and that's fine by me}. 

i missed the sound of the school run in the morning. so did silas. he loves kids and so do i. it's our morning ritual to greet the little ones and mr. handsome is quite the show stopper.

every girl should have a mountain man in her life, or at least know one, or the dream of one. check this dude out. i've been following his blog for a while now and i am hell bent on making his nettle pesto. 

i live in a nice house on a lovely block in a beautiful neighborhood. i just need a change of scenery once in awhile. plainly put, i need a serious vacation and i miss travel. i'd like to live on a farm again. only this time for a bit longer than 3 months. i'd like to go to Iceland* but not before i go here and here {more on this at a later date}. 

i need to start knitting again and applying red lipstick and comb my hair every night before bed. i'd like to fit into a certain pair of corduroy jeans with a particular waist size by my next birthday and a bit of a heel would be nice once in a while. or even a fancy party to wear it to would be nicer.

my last big wedding was in Rhinebeck and we worked some flower magic. i'm waiting for the gorgeous picks. you can check out some of the instagram snaps here. as many of you can atest, i fail miserably on posting enough proper ones here.

a warm congratulations to all the newlyweds CocoRosie has fashioned with fresh blossoms and unwieldly branches and huge props to my rotating A team that made and continues to make all things possible. i wish you love.


not sure what the last of this year will bring but i hope the sun shines more than not and the shorter the days when darkness sets in early, allow for quieter cozier evenings. and please i know it's early yet but please winter go easy on us. this is always a tough season to muddle through.

well i think i've packed enough into one post. i apologize for running on longer than usual. i had it in me. thank you for also being patient while i continue to ponder what i want this blog to be. it's more than just flowers for me and that's ok. for now it is what it is.

i'll leave you with two thoughts for the week, gratitude and kindness. i plan on practicing both.

have a lovely.

// xx

“...it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness, to put a hand on its brow of the flower and retell it in words and in touch it is lovely until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing...”

~ Galway Kinnell

{all images ~ Kiki Smith}

LIGHT IN AUGUST* and a birthday wish

it's astonishing how time seems to move more rapidly the older one gets. i remember as a kid, the summer days stretching long and wide and when labor day and back to school seemed far out of reach. august always brought a warmer ocean and jelly fish up on the shore and even as the days were getting shorter it was the peak of the season. since we always took a family vacation at the end of the month there was still so much to look forward to. august also was a time for celebration for the only Leo in the family, my mom. i always thought it was super cool to have a summer birthday, as mine falls in the dead of winter on a fairly insignificant day submitting to the one before. for me new year's day is a not so subtle reminder that yes it is a new year and yes you are another year older. but something extraordinary happens as you watch your own parents navigate the golden years of their life. as you witness the fragility old age brings you tend to see everything in a much different light. life lessons you can't find in a book. and you suddenly realize that each birthday is a gift and you are blessed with an amazing life and it is your responsibility to live it as authentically as possible. {i'm still learning how}

in my current line of work, it is the flowers and plants and trees... that are a constant reminder of the life cycle and mark the change in seasons so vividly. nature's way of nudging us to make every moment of everyday count. last week i shared my passion for flowers with my mom who celebrated her seventy ninth birthday and begins her eightieth year. after all she is the one with the good genes and the green thumb. you should see her garden.

{ for Norma ~ happy birthday }

Morning Poem

Every morning

the world

is created. 

Under the orange 

sticks of the sun

the heaped

ashes of the night

turn into leaves again 

and fasten themselves to the high branches ---

and the ponds appear

like black cloth

on which are painted islands 

of summer lilies. 

If it is your nature

to be happy

you will swim away along the soft trails 

for hours, your imagination

alighting everywhere. 

And if your spirit

carries within it 

the thorn

that is heavier than lead ---

if it's all you can do

to keep on trudging --- 

there is still

somewhere deep within you

a beast shouting that the earth

is exactly what it wanted --- 

each pond with its blazing lilies

is a prayer heard and answered

lavishly, every morning, 

whether or not

you have ever dared to be happy, 

whether or not

you have ever dared to pray. 

~Mary Oliver


{ since i last posted the universe has lost a few artistic souls. some of my heroes. they shared so much while they were here... chavela vargas // anna piaggi // david rakoff }



*. . .in August in Mississippi there’s a few days somewhere about the middle of the month when suddenly there’s a foretaste of fall, it’s cool, there’s a lambence, a soft, a luminous quality to the light, as though it came not from just today but from back in the old classic times. ~ William Faulkner {Light in August}