I know, New Year’s Resolutions are predictable and overdone to some, but I have a confession to make:  I absolutely love making them. The truth is, goal setting and dreaming about what “could be” with a little hard work, a lot of prayer, and a dash of fresh vision makes me giddy.  I never want to be so complacent about my life that I feel as though I could never change, improve, or GROW.  I always want to be growing.  I want to love life.  To live fully, experience the moment, and to live by my passions and values!   So after some hearty self/business examination, I have come up with a few resolutions for Cori Cook Floral Design in 2010 that I feel will foster growth in my business and personal life:

• In 2010, I am committing to only doing one wedding per weekend.  No exceptions.  I realize this makes me very unique as a floral designer.  Instead of trying to stack the weekend with 3 or 4 weddings, I will be funneling my passion and creativity toward one bride, one wedding, and one gorgeous set of wedding flowers.  Since one of my favorite parts of this job is working with brides, it is my joy to get to know that bride and create a personalized boutique floral design experience that will make her beam on her big day.  

• In 2010, I am committing to only booking 40 weddings.  While this may seem like a lot or a little to some, I am already a quarter of the way there!  The other 13 weekends of 2010, you will find me traveling, spending quality time with my husband, family, and friends, camping, curled up in a chair with a good book, trying out new recipes, and just enjoying this precious gift of life.  What I also love about this new little resolution, is that as I learn more about myself, I have come to realize that time off spent doing nothing and doing non-work-things-that-I-love keeps me creative, passionate, and joyful.  And no, I will not be blogging, or tweeting on those precious weekends (:

• In 2010, I am committing to upping my game.  I will not be content with the status quo.  I will always be looking for a better way to do things.   A way to stand out.   A more personalized experience for brides.  A more unique bouquet.  A better design.  I commit to being excellent!

Of course I have set all the regular resolutions too, like kicking soda for good, loosing that pesky 10 pounds, and running a half-marathon.  This year is about fresh starts, new beginnings, and a beautifully blank canvas…what do you want yours to say?!

Happy New Year! 

Warmly,

Cori Cook

I cannot say enough thanks to David Gaston of Gaston Photography for taking these photos.  He and Sarah, from Hotel Monoco, assured me I needed to put a pic of myself up on my website.  So we scheduled a date to do a quick photoshoot, got rained out once (so Colorado as I am learning!), rescheduled, and finally got er' done (: Tex even got some of the photo-shoot in action!

Thanks, David, for the great pics!  

In one weekend, one of my best friends flew in from Cali to visit, I did my first bridal show, and my first nephew was born!  It was a crazy weekend, but a great one!  When I found out my sister's due date was 10 days before my bridal show, I had a little feeling that with my luck, she would have him on the day of the bridal show!  And she almost did!  Grant Lawson Powell was born the on April 25, 2009, a healthy and beautiful baby (And I am convinced he is smarter, better, and more handsome than any baby I know)!  

The next day, with the help of one of my most dearest friends, Morgan, (who flew in from Cali to help me with the bridal show!) and my amazing husband, we did the Rocky Mountain Bridal Show.  But having a booth at the show of course was not enough, so we also did all the bouquets for the runway show (:  So our style!  Anyway, the show was an absolute blast for several reasons.  

1.  Morgan is one of my favorite people in the world.  But beyond that, she is incredibly creative, talented, and gifted.  She helped me design my booth and of course all the flowers.  I loved designing with her because it reminds me of the good ol' days when I would con her into helping me do weddings and events and it would be a crazy furry of flowers and fun!  We always have fun when we do this stuff and she always makes everything better.

2.  My husband was and is always a gift.  When I wanted to peek in on the runway show, of course he was there when I got back, faithfully talking to brides about peonies and ranunculus.  And of course the brides loved him because, well, who doesn't?

3.  I got to meet a lot of great vendors.  Some favorite booths were Pink Dahlia Designs (a new friend and fabulous florist), The Curtis Hotel, and JS Design Custom (an amazing invitation and paper business).

Below are some pics from the show and of my handsome new nephew.  Enjoy (: