Inspired by emotion.

As the great poet and activist, Maya Angelou, said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Long before I heard these wise words and now for years after, I have focused on the spaces we spend our time in for this very reason. I love to create environments, be they temporary or permanent, that fill people's cups by evoking certain feelings. Sometimes we need calm spaces, and sometimes excitement, amusement, or anticipation are called for.

I love to do this for parties and events, of course-- like the time I constructed cardboard saloon doors and converted my living room into a scene right out of the Wild West for a murder mystery party. The goal had been to create an atmosphere of levity and fun. Did I do that, mustaches, cap guns and all? You bet.

I also love to use a space or a prop to create engagement with kids-- like the afternoon when my then pre-school daughter arrived home to a full-scale cardboard replica of a USPS collection box, filled with mail from her favorite stuffed animals. Again I wanted to evoke fun, and this time I was trying to stir up some engagement around writing. This definitely did that; she and those stuffies wrote letters back and forth for many months to follow.

And of course sometimes one creates an environment with something more long-term in mind. At home, for example, I've delighted in making my outdoor space into somewhere that naturally helps people feel rested, restored, and peaceful. I hope that those who visit carry that feeling of calm with them after they leave.

This business, this venture, is a long-time dream, and I'm thrilled to be launching it with the Bloom Bar, which I know will enhance special events by evoking all kinds of feelings-- generosity, gratitude, joy, and creativity, to name a few.

If you'd like to greet your guests with an abundant display of flowers when they arrive, treat them to a delightful experience creating their own bouquet, and have them leave feeling special, I hope you'll consider including the Bloom Bar in your next gathering. We'd (I'd!) be delighted to be part of it. Sarah Shearer, owner