SEASON AT SEASONS, NYC

On a trip to visit my mother in early March of 2020, New York City was suddenly locked down due to the COVID pandemic. Flights were cancelled, people were not allowed to go outdoors, sirens were heard all over the city. June came about and some restrictions were flagged down and some stores slowly opened up. I found myself walking along 8th Avenue in front of a beautiful flower shop. Out of curiosity I peaked at the glass window to see how the store looked inside. I saw a man Daniel who gladly waved me and invited me to come in. After a long conversation, Daniel asked me to come back and meet Gerald, his business partner for over 30 years.

Gerald was a wonderful man. He was Season’s main floral designer.. Daniel handled most of the operational aspect of the business and made sure that all the flowers are processed well so that they can be ready for sale. Daniel would jump in every now and then to make some stunning floral designs but he also was the “wrapping guru”. Oh, how he whips those beautiful arrangements and wraps them in a style only a seasoned designer can make. Buyers were always in awe and felt very special with Gerald and Daniel.

Gerald and Daniel took me in as one of their floral designers and as they always say, the rest was history. I was sad to leave as I also had to go back to Los Angeles, but the experience and lessons I learned at Seasons was very inspiring. My heart goes out to Gerald and Daniel and the rest of the Seasons crew- Edwin, Hana-el, Miko, etc. My friends commented that since my stint at Seasons, my designs have “leveled up”. lol. THANK YOU SEASONS!

FINDING RELIEF WITH FLOWERS DURING A PANDEMIC

As we were crossing out events in our April 2020 calendar due to the COVID-19 nightmare, we felt a strong urge to cry. We thought of our brides and grooms who have been looking forward to their special day. They must be even more devastated than we were.. What with all invitations already sent out, caterers already booked, photographers, DJ’s, and song lists given. It must be heart wrenching for everyone. It was the same to us as well. But when you love what you do, you stand firm and hope this pandemic will be over soon and we can go back to our normal.

Meanwhile, we find ourselves looking for some diversion to ease our minds. In our case we sought relief in perfecting our styles with flowers bought directly from the supermarket like these purple roses, lizzy’s, blue irises and more.. Elaine, on the other hand, learned to sew and has been sewing her way through the lockdown.

SPRING, A NEW BEGINNING

Spring comes around and we get in the mood to entertain friends and family at home - to celebrate fresh new beginnings. This year spring finds me thousands of miles away from home but closer to the dream of further exploring my passion for flowers in the Big Apple New York City. My friend and photographer Hydee Ursolino of Studio 1003 graciously took these pictures of me working on a centerpiece for a small get-together with friends before I left home. Thank you Hydee. You are the best.

PHILDEV FUNDRAISER IN THE VINEYARD

PhilDev is a nonprofit, innovation organization that accelerates science and technology for national development through initiatives, programs and partnerships.

PhilDev brings together government organizations, the academe and private industry in harnessing science and technology for sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the Philippines.

For future generations having equal access to opportunities, PhilDev commits to eradicating poverty by removing obstacles to paths forward and creating possibilities where there were none.

Phildev helps to build a robust science and technology environment that values creativity, curiosity and daring through channeling significant investments in STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics), innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Whiteflower Events & Flowers is honored to have joined hands with Phildev and their founder Diosdado “Dado” Banatao by providing event design services during their recent fundraiser held in a vineyard in Orange County.

GREEN & HATS WITH CLAIRE NAVARRO ESPINA & FRIENDS

We turned green on St. Patrick’s Day as we celebrate Claire Navarro Espina and her friends. Everything green - from the lush tables cape, delicious green tea sandwiches, to the cool and refreshing cucumber juice. Capped with a hat decorating class, everyone had a blast.

RUBEN & JANET NEPALES DINNER & CLASS

My heart beats as I share this post on Facebook from Janet Rodriguez Nepales of the Hollywood Foreign Press/ Golden Globes

Dinner with friends hosted by Elaine Quadra

Everything that Elaine Quadra touches turns magical! I already knew this the first time I met her and she did the floral arrangement for a Filipino event. So when my daughter Bianca Nicole Nepales got married, we had no second thoughts of getting her to do Bianca's wedding floral arrangements from church to reception, from bridal bouquet to the Maid of Honor.

Elaine realized one of her dreams come true when she started White Flower Events & Flowers (a one-stop events planning, events design, floral, interior design, landscape design, videography, photography place) at 22153 Sherman Way, West Hills, CA 91303 .

Just walking into the place and seeing Elaine's dinner setting, we knew tonight was not going to be an ordinary night. She even prepared the special menu of crab and corn soup, beet salad, pesto pasta, chicken and salmon, and cheesecake for dessert.

Wine was overflowing. The company was great! We had Reggie Lee, Brian Geli, Alan del Rosario, Kenneth Barlis, his mom Boots Barnes, Prosy dela Cruz, and my daughter Bianca Nicole Nepales. 

After a delicious dinner, Elaine brought us to the other room (her 153 Coffee and Bar area) where she surprised us by giving an impromptu floral arrangement class complete with aprons, scissors, flowers and leaves to arrange.

It was fun how everybody displayed their artistic talents and showed their personalities through their floral arrangements. We all had a great time learning from the floral guru.

But most of all, Elaine, the Lady with the Magic Touch, shared with us, not only her many talents, but her spirit, her love for creating, her joy for making people happy and better human beings. Thank you very much Elaine for a magical evening!

CHARMING SUCS

We used an assortment of succulents as the centerpiece for Lily & Noel’s wedding reception. It was like bringing the natural elements of the outdoors into the look and feel of their wedding. Charming, indeed.

RED, BLACK & WHITE

I take great strides doing what I do. My work is a special gift from my God. My early favorite is one I did for Bob’s birthday celebration...red floral centerpieces against a classic black and white setting and the view of the beautiful mountains of Bell Canyon.

BRING ON THE WOODS

This centerpiece is for a wedding outdoors. Three rustic scabiosa's, 2 wild forest twigs and a lovely magenta cattleya dance in an arrangement that includes striking red heart roses, long lasting red astromerias, plump red coffee
beans, wild greeneries and hunky magnolia leaves. Fitting for a place in the woods, this centerpiece sits on a vase covered with dried bark. Shh...a few sucs are trying to steal the scene.

NOW OPEN IN WEST HILLS, CALIFORNIA

FIRST STORE. When recession hit the US in 2008, I closed my first flower retail store in Van Nuys, CA. After 3 store break-ins, over a hundred flowers and events, I moved back to my garage and then to my dining room which eventually served as my home studio. At that time my children were in their teenage years and needed my attention even more. My eldest daughter graduated from college, moved to New York to find her future and my son stepped into senior high and learned to drive. Suddenly, I woke up to the reality that I now have to step aside and found consolation from my impending nesting by doing more flowers. A brief stint at Holy Spirit Retreat Center eventually led me back to working full time with flowers and styling events.

DREAM. Since I closed my first store, I have always wanted to open another store. At one time, I even dreamed about it - the way it looks and the elements that will be included. During one of my recent trips to New York to visit my daughter, she brought me to a store in her neighborhood in the Upper East Side. “Mom, you have to see this”, she said. The store was Plantshed. It was a flower shop and a coffee shop in one, with a big table in the middle for people to hang out, sip a cup of coffee, pick some flowers , and wait for them to be arranged. It was like the dream in my own two eyes!”.

MIRACLES HAPPEN. Recently, I have been posting about miracle moments in my life in order to lead you to this one big miracle that even I could not fathom- the opening of my dream studio/ showroom/ storefront on January 8, 2019 in the boundary of Canoga and West Hills in Los Angeles, CA. Follows is a post from my FB on my birthday last January 20.

“God sent angels Linda M. Crisostomo and my sister Celia Blancaflor to help me set this up. I originally planned to work in New York for a year and save money to be able to build my dream place. But it meant being away from my family and friends. Linda and I were also looking at cheap tickets to the Philippines to work on building a retreat center. 

I have been crying, kneeling, begging, praying for my God to give this to me...to be able to showcase and glorify Him through this special gift of floral and event design.

Tuesday, January 8, 2019, the doors of the studio was blessed by Father Mao and formally opened with over a hundred of my friends ( including my best friend of 35 years Mary Tan who flew in from the Philippines) and family. Cutting the ribbon were 3 of my beautiful brides Cassi Dobrawa, Jamie Hidalgo Armendariz, John S. Mina, Erlinda, and ace event planner Susan Armendariz who also helped paved the way to pursue my passion.

Today, I will be celebrating my 59th birthday, thankful and very blessed, and meeting with my first client at the studio. Please feel free to visit as well from 10 am to 7 pm...let’s have coffee or wine amidst some sweet smelling fresh flowers beautifully arranged by myself and our lovely house floral designer Liane Douglas. Our address 22153 Sherman Way 91303. Phone. no. 818-805-3825, contact@whiteflowerevents.com.”

Indeed, miracles do happen.