- Don't Trade Your Authenticity For Approval -
NEVER BE AFRAID TO STOP TRAFFIC! -IRIS APFEL
Human fingerprints are detailed, nearly unique, difficult to alter, and durable over the life of an individual, making them suitable as long-term markers of human identity. Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming! #TRUTH
Be bold enough to use your voice. Brave enough to listen to your heart. Strong enough to live the life you've always imagined. No-one is YOU at that is your power. Like a fingerprint be yourself; everyone else is already taken! Never forgetting that our fingerprints CANNOT be erased from the lives of those we have touched, or what we have touched, created, designed, or this beautiful life we have created (and WILL continue to create) for oneself!
For anyone that knows me, knows that I am an open book. I like to surround myself investing in people that invest in me. A four way stop really and I submerge myself at the intersection of Fashion, Interior Design, & Art! There is no "Magic Mirror" on my wall, though I do find myself finding light, love, and affirmation within one. Often telling myself, "I've liked you since I met you!" Whatever you are in life, be a good one. That's pretty much how I live and view my life. My journey. The author and publisher of my own book.
WILL... RUN UNTIL YOU FLY!
WELL... After all these years... I've come to realize that "the saying," is true! Love yourself FIRST, because that's who you'll be spending the rest of your life with! Becoming a priority in my own life and allowing the rest to fall into place. Self-Awareness. You attract the right things when you have a sense of who you are! Will . I . AM: Loud, Bold, Eccentric, Charismatic, Magnetic, Comedic, Loving, Passionate, Compassionate, Generous, Rebellious, Interesting, Devoted, Quirky, Talented, Controversial, Articulate, Genuine, Vibrant, Unique, With Integrity, Family First, Original, Professional, Thoughtful, OCD, Warm, Ambitious, Sensitive, Personable, Uniquely Independent: BASICALLY A BADASS! This is the part where you find out who I am, who I surround myself with, what brings me love, what I love, ALL of me really!
wake up. be brave. be kind. be you. love thy partner. thy family. thy cat. repeat.
If you're reading this you've played a part of making my dream a reality and I'm so grateful. Without your support none of this would be possible. It is often said we are shaped by our environment. Having been born on the lush and flower-rich Hawaiian island of Oahu, that statement could not be more accurate. From those first breaths of flower-scented air 32 years ago, flowers were in my blood. The path towards realizing and fulfilling my dream of opening my own flower shop was not always straight (or never straight in my case *wink, wink*), but it was always driven by my unwavering passion for flowers and love of the outdoors. That journey began after graduating from my hometown high school in Mountain Home, Idaho, obtaining my college degree, and leaving behind my childhood nickname Billy in the process. The next logical step was a career with Idaho Fish and Game, which spanned 10 years and allowed me to hang out in the great outdoors and kick it with nature. And while I loved that opportunity, I found myself more passionate about the side jobs I took creating beautiful flowers for weddings and events. The flowers were calling and I finally decided to listen.
I worked for a year and a half at a flower shop, honing my skills and developing my talent. Each time I crafted a new arrangement, I saw new beauty. I was moved by not only the pieces I was creating, but the profound affect they seemed to have on the recipients. I knew I had found my life’s calling. Pulling strength and inspiration from the bold, daring nature of the flowers I was working with daily, I took a leap of faith and opened my own flower shop. While some might question my reason for not heading back to school to obtain a Floral Design degree, I don’t believe flowers can be taught. My shop is my classroom. My designs are my assignments. My heart and passion are my books. Each finished product is made with purpose. I pour my heart and soul into each arrangement I create. A diploma could never prove that. Flowers speak powerful words when given a voice. I believe I gave them that voice on September 1, 2012 when Flowers at Will opened its doors and like a volcano: HUGE explosions, A multitude of different jobs and requests, A brick and mortar floral shop, Retail beyond measure, FIVE YEARS of monumental success and moments captured ever so perfectly!
FAM·I·LY [ˈfam(ə)lē/] (NOUN): 1. A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household. 2. All the descendants of a common ancestor. 3. Life's greatest blessing. A group that dream's, laughs, plays, and loves together. Those whom you can always count on. ALWAYS present not only in the good times. The most precious gift. When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind. The older I get, the more I realize the value of privacy, of cultivating your circle and only letting certain people in. You can be one, honest, and real while still understanding not everyone deserves a seat at the table of your/my life!
