Welcome 2013, welcome.

Happy New Year everyone!  I've allowed myself a holiday hiatus this past week and a half to wrap up any end-of-the-year missions which is why things have been pretty quiet over here lately.  The holidays are over and it's time for a fresh start.  One thing I didn't plan on though....a beginning of the year cold.    Not exactly how I wanted to start things off, but at least it allows me to lay on my couch and reach out to you.
While many have been reminiscing about 2012, I am wanting to dive into this new year.  I have so many new things lined up that I am just dying to share with you...

#1 on the list...my new website.  In between writing this post and blowing my nose, I am putting the final touches on my new and improved site.  Stay tuned for a special announcement by the end of the week!

#2-  Have you been on the Reenie Rose Facebook page today?  From now until December 31st, we will be featuring a "Bouquet a Day" from all the admired florals we come across.  I hope you'll enjoy getting to know these talented artists and share them!

Bouquet by Hello Darling

#3-  I have soooo many new paintings on my roster, that this year is starting out feeling pretty good.  Even though I am working on the healthy part of "a happy, healthy new year", I couldn't be happier with the clients I already have in front of me.  There's lots of new art on the way, so get ready for greatness!!!

Composition for my next painting!

I wish you all the best this year and hope that you too make 2013 your best year yet!

Sharing the Blog-o-sphere

Hi everyone!

This past week, I researched wedding gift ideas and came across "The Top 5 Wedding Gifts" and one of the five ideas caught my eye: GET PERSONAL.

Giving a personal gift to the bride or groom can mean more than any of the other gifts they received. The bride and groom will appreciate the thoughtful idea you have come up with to symbolize the start of their life together. Whether you buy such a wedding gift on your own or you organize other guests to chip in, you'll all be creating a memory the bride and groom will never forget.

Everywhere I look, I can see how Loreen's paintings fit perfectly in the "GET PERSONAL" category for wedding ideas. Whether it's a gift from the bridesmaids or a keepsake the bride and groom invest in after the ceremony, it's a perfect idea that can create a meaningful, lifetime memory.

In other news, Loreen finished a gorgeous oil painting of Abra's bouquet and it is easily one of my favorites! Reenie Rose was mentioned by Hello Darling in their recent post comparing the incredible oil painting versus the original wedding bouquet side by side. The comparison of the two is incredible; It's nearly impossible to tell them apart!  A big thank you to the ladies at H.D. for sharing some Reenie Rose with their viewers.

See for yourself the unbelievable work created by Loreen!

Loreen's artistic creations always find a way to leave me in awe!

~ Geena

To Have and to BHLDN

 Any amount of time spent at Chicago's BHLDN store is such a special treat.  I seriously would like to just campout there for a nice long week to take in all of the pretty little details that I scour over when I visit.  For now I will just have to accept small doses since I would likely be kicked out if someone saw me curled up in one of their luxurious dressing rooms.
Last night I had a fix at the Everygirl launch party hosted by BHLDN.  I felt like I was at a big girls tea party complete with dress up.  Ok, so there wasn't any tea, but a fabulous cocktail by Femme du Coupe and no dress up bins, but fanciful frocks were all around (all of the employees were wearing signature BHLDN dresses).

Revae of Femme du Coupe serving up deliciousness!

My FORM co-hostess, Kristine, and her co-worker, Jamie, all dressed up in BHLDN

BHLDN was dabbled with flowers by none other than the fabulous Hello Darling

Cupcakes provided by Sprinkles.  I'll admit...I had 2.

Heaven?

Loving these dresses for summer

I definitely think this is the entrance to heaven...see the light at the end of the tunnel?

     Ah, a beautiful evening.  Luckily, I will be returning to this retreat on Sunday for a cute Mother's Day event from 12-6pm.  Stop by and see mom and me doing our thing.  I'll be working on this number there as well...

Who Needs Sleep?

I am just coming off a whirlwind weekend and trying to get all of my ducks in a row.  There are emails galore to send out, follow up calls to be made and a painting to start, but I really must share this weekend with you first.

It all started out with Indie Wed on Saturday.  What an amazing day filled with wonderful people walking through, inspiration all around, tasty treats and good music.  Looking back, I wish I would have taken pictures of all the fabulous vendors I admire...but when I think about the quantity of images I would have to post, it's probably best that I remain selfish and stick to just me.  There were so many great things going on!

Here's a look at my booth:

I was so lucky to have several pieces on loan from my clients along with 3 bouquets recreated for me by 3 talented florists.  Larkspur was paired up with Katie and Patrick's painting....

Exquisite Designs made a bouquet to compliment Sarah and Ernest's painting....

And finally, Natalie at Hello Darling recreated her original bouquet for her painting....

Thank you to such a wonderful group of ladies for all of your help in making my booth so beautiful.  For more photos from this event, visit the Reenie Rose Facebook page.

So, 10 days before Indie Wed, I received an email from the Lovely Bride Blog stating I had won tickets to a bridal event....in New York.  Yes, I know, who enters a contest to win tickets in NY the day after a big event, especially when that said person lives in Chicago....well, I do.  And, yes, as luck would have it, I won.  Thank goodness for frequent flier miles, Hotwire and a nice mom.  In no time flat, everything was booked and we were going to be off to New York.

With a 7:30am flight on Sunday, we arrived in NY to attend The Wedding Party New York with Martha Stewart Weddings just in time to see Darcy Miller (Senior Vice President and Weddings Editorial  Director for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia) speak about her own wedding inspiration.

 After Darcy spoke, an allstar lineup joined her on stage for an open discussion panel.  Take a look at these heavy hitters:

 From left to right we have hostess Claudia Hanlin (Wedding Library), Darcy Miller (Martha Stewart Weddings), Amsale Aberra (Founder of Amsale), Mindy Weiss (Celebrity Event Planner), Matthew Robbins (Matthew Robbins Design), Sylvia Weinstock (Expert Cake Designer) and Peter Callahan of (Callahan Catering).
Awesome, right?!  Did I mention that we were sitting in the front row for the panel discussion....even more awesome.  Highlights of the day besides the front row....meeting Mindy Weiss and Matthew Robbins and having them both sign my book (Matthew Robbins' Inspired Weddings) and take my business card and spotting Martha Stewart pushing a stroller with a baby....

Darcy Miller and I after we chatted about my business for a bit.

Mom and Sylvia talking cake.

Besides the super star panel, there were some amazing vendors at the show as well....

Centerpiece by Blade Floral & Event Design.  Love these colors!

Awesome cakes with realistic flowers by Sugar Flower Cake Shop.

More artwork in cake form.  This beautifully intricate work is by Creme Delicious.  These henna inspired masterpieces have been featured in Oprah Magazine.

The end of the event featured a Kleinfeld fashion show with the owners of Kleinfeld, Mara Urshel and Ronnie Rothstein, introducing the line.

The final dress was a $32,000 Pnina Tornai dress.  It was a true showstopper.  Just amazing!

After this kind of whirlwind day, what else can you do but head over to the Waldorf Astoria and check out the swag bag goodies over some tasty martinis.  So, that's what we did....

More pics from this NY trip can also be viewed at the Reenie Rose Facebook page.

Hello Darling Painting Finished!

I just finished the bouquet painting for Hello Darling, and I couldn't wait till tomorrow to post it because it turned out so beautiful.  When I say things like this, I don't feel like I'm bragging....my process is a team effort.  This painting wouldn't be what it is without the artistic talent of Natalie, owner of Hello Darling.  She both created the bouquet and took the photograph with no composition cropping on my part.  I can't wait to see this piece in her lovely studio.  Before it heads there though, it will be on display tomorrow night (Friday, June 25th @ 6:30pm) at the Lemont Art Walk.  Please come out and see this piece in person...it's so much better in person.  Cheers to a finished painting and art walks in summer!

Which project first?

Summertime is just a burst of energy for creative projects.  There's spring cleaning that brings on remodeling updates, wedding season and this urge to think outside the box...fresh and new.  Thankfully, many of these ideas have come my way...all at once.  Between blog posts, I have been trying to organize all of my projects while visiting friends, enjoying the start of summer weather and, a must mention, the Blackhawks winning the Stanley cup (yay!). 

A couple of weekends ago, I took a trip up to Traverse City, MI to visit some old college friends of mine for a girls weekend.  To kill two birds with one stone, I also had a painting project going on.  You may remember my involvement in the TC Parade of Homes last year where my surfer mural and flower baby's room were featured.  This year I am graciously being included again by my good friends, Dean and Tricia Adams of Bay Area Contracting.  The room I worked on was somewhat of a different project for me since it involved a more mature approach while still getting creative.  The homeowner's 21 year old daughter wanted something unique for the wall behind her bed.  After tossing around different ideas about painting on the wall, it was decided to paint on canvases instead to bring some dimension to the wall.  Below is the final product.  I hope to be showing a fully decorated room shot in the future (I'll be back up in TC for another mural this summer!).

On going projects include the Hello Darling painting, Brandon and Karen's bouquet painting, and (new to the list) a portrait for Father's Day.  Stay tuned for full updates on these projects as they progress.

Time for Everything!

Do you ever feel like there is never enough time?  I know I'm not the only one out there that feels like time is never on one's side.  It's amazing that whether you're in the past, present or future, time is always flying by.  Time is the theme of this post.  I'll start with the future, and work my way back.....

For all of those future weddings I am going to book, I am continuing to work on the painting for Hello Darling.  I am approaching a section that I've not quite encountered with my other pieces before.  The succulent in the center has so much yummy texture that I will likely surprise myself with the process and result.  I love surprises!

On to the weddings of today....  This weekend I made another fabulous florist connection.  As luck would have it, I made this connection because of a new painting I will be creating for a family aquaintance.  It's a mother to a son gift, and I couldn't be happier with all of the pieces involved that go into making a Reenie Rose painting come to life.  First of all, let's go back to the fabulous florist. 
This past Friday, I drove all the way up to Lake in the Hills (in traffic) to find some fresh talent in the Northwest suburbs.  Grapevine Floral has newly relocated to a space that covers about 4,000 sq ft where the creativity has room to spread out and grow.  Trish was an absolute gem to work with, and I'm really looking forward to starting a working relationship with her and her clients.  I think this is the start to a beautiful friendship.
The other super great part of this wedding puzzle is the bouquet itself.  It is a gorgeous arrangement of COLOR!  No offense to the all white bouquet brides, but when I get a bouquet with some eye-popping color in it, it is a joyous occasion. 

And, finally...the past.  Today marks the day that my wonderful parents have been married for 35 years.  They are the people in my life that make all of this possible through their encouragement and constant support.  When you are working in the wedding industry, accomplishments like 35 years of marriage make any aspect of the business so much more worth it.  Thank you to my mom and dad for making everything so much more worth it.

Hello Painting!

I just started a painting for a wonderful florist I have mentioned at least once before....Hello Darling.  Natalie at Hello Darling has offered to house a painting of mine front and center in her studio.  One of the things that is going to be so special about this painting is that it is a bouquet she created and photographed.  It's really unique.

Here's a look at the painting started.

This painting will be the first thing you see when you walk into the Hello Darling studio.  It will be a great reflection of the beautiful work that Natlie creates...as well as the work that I do.

Stay tuned for additional updates , as well as, a May wedding coming up!