This is the barn at Fearrington Village where it all began.  For my 35th birthday my Mother treated 5 friends and me to an all day flower arranging seminar led by Paul Bott, then owner of NYC flower shop Twigs.  He ingrained in us the practice of keeping our eyes wide open all the time, as inspiration surrounds us where ever we happen to venture.  We practiced looking at trees not just as trees, but as forms and possibilities for arrangements.  He emphasized thinking of flowers in their cut form, but also in their planted form.  He was the beginning of my zest for creating unique arrangements.  Perfect example below…I took my pups to the groomer today out in the country.  Along the way I saw these blooming Bradford Pear trees and immediately thought of cutting a few branches and putting them in an over-sized vase in the kitchen.  Alas, since they were on private property, I resisted the urge and found an image to illustrate my thought!  My Paul Bott experience was in the infancy of my fascination with wonderful arrangements.  Look for future posts on floral gurus such as Paula Pryke, Jeff Leatham, and my friends Jef and Ed Glenn, all who have had immense influence on the manner in which I celebrate special events in my life.