So much to offer....

So another week has passed and I can't believe it! You can always determine a good job or activity by how fast the time flies and this internship is zooming by. This week has been great. I got the opportunity to join the crew that goes to the Mirage everyday. MGM/Mirage company owns marjority of the strip so working at Bellagio Floriculture we not only take care of the Bellagio flowers but the Mirage and Treasure Island flowers as well. It has been a pleasure to see the Mirage and enjoy the company of the people that take care of it :) The main lady that I tagged along with is great. Her name is Kim and she really pushes my creativity and I love it. She challenges me with different designs and never doubts my abilities. Since I started there I have done everything from small simple designs to large inticate ones :) Here are a fews pics...

I have learned through working with Kim that in many cases the vase can make the arrangement. In this case it is simple white dendrobium orchids and curly willow but between the vase and the flowers it is beautiful :)

This is what Kim calls a dry enviorment...simply meaning what is sounds like. There is no water. The statment "you learn something new everyday" definitely applies to my internship. I learned that Callas can survive without water for up to a week and sometimes longer. In this arrangement we simply wired the callas to the pussy willow to make cool lines :)

This in one of the few designs that I was given a vase and told to do whatever I felt like...and I love it. I feel like watching some of the experienced designers I work with has taught me so much already and definitely inspired me a lot....and again how fun is that vase?

With Kim it is always an adventure! I love her because she isn't afraid of anything. She doesn't let vases, size or flowers intimidate her and she isn't afraid of letting her creativity run wild. Even when it doesn't turn out the way you expect it to it can certainly be a pleasant and interesting surprise :)

Designing with Kim is a pleasure. This is one of the tables that greets the VIP guests as they walk through the Villa hallways to their rooms. The two smaller designs are mine. I have learned that not only to vases make an arrangment but a simple design can but just as stunning as an intricate one.

Hydrangea and dendrobium orchids...simple and yet beautiful :)

There is Kim in all her glory...she has so much to offer :)

This is one of the first things that Kim challenged me with. And it was a challenge for sure. But she had faith in me and look what I came up with. This is in the womens spa at the Mirage for all the guests to enjoy.

This was my second challenge and a much smaller one at that. Callas have become one of my favorite flowers to design with because they will do whatever you tell them to do.

My contribution to Villa 2 table. Don't you love the vases character?

Well I think that is a pretty good over view of the week. I feel like I have grown leaps and bounds this week and I can't wait for the next. For those of you who love doing creative things whether it be floral design, photography, painting etc...don't be afraid of what you can do and where your creativity can take you. Simply let go and see where you end up...who knows it may be your best work ever :)

Another week in flower heaven...

So another week has passed and I am still loving every second of my internship. This week I was sent on rounds again in all of the luxourious restaurants within Bellagio and on Friday I had the pleasure of going in rounds to Treasure Island which was beatiful as well. I have loved doing rounds and being out in the hotel. And I finally got my hands on a camera and got a few shots of some designs I have been a part of and the gorgeous restaurants I have been visiting each day.

This is the monkey arrangment that greets the guests who dine at Le Cirque...a five diamond restaurant...and I designed it :)

This is one of my favorite arrangements in a restaurant call Circo that I got the pleasure of designing as well.

And this is a restaurant called Jasmines. Isn't it beautiful, it is Japanese food and the theme in the restaurant is butterflies. Those windows look out over the lovely Bellagio Lake giving guests the pleasure of watching the famous water show while they dine. :)

I am still learning a lot and look forward to work each day. This has been an amazing experience so far and consider myself very lucky. Life is great :)

A florist dream....

So I am sad to say that I lost my camera charger so I will not be able to post new pictures until I find it. but I have had lots going on so I thought that I should updated regardless.

Things have been going great with the Bellagio. They have been keeping me busy in retail doing basically the same things (dozens, 1/2 dozens, small mixed arrangemants etc.) until today. Today I got to expereince the joy of going on "rounds" and I actually really enjoyed it. Rounds basically consists of going around the hotel(s) and watering arrangements, changing out dead flowers etc. On my first day in rounds I joined the lady who does the rounds for all of the high end resturaunt at the Bellagio from Picaso to Olives. Since I will never be eating at these places that can cost anywhere between $200 and $1000 for two people to dine it was so great to get to see them, they are absolutely beautiful. We also visited Tiffany's and a few other shops around the hotel simply replacing and watering. Overall it was a great experience and I am excited to do it again :)

So as time has passed and I have talked a lot with the designers that I work with I have decided that working for the Bellagio is every designers dream job! Who wouldn't want to go to work everyday and get paid (a lot of money) to play with beautiful flowers. Not only do they get to play with flowers but they don't have to worry for one second about the money that they are wasting when they throw out a flower that isn't perfect. Where as if you own the shop that money comes straight out of your pocket....not to mention the fact that there isn't a carnation or daisy mum in sight. (Nothing against them) But they get to design with nothing but the most beautiful flowers from orchids and cala lilies to every variation of rose you can think of. They have freedom to design as they please for the most part and they have great benefits. When it all boils down I think that it is an amazing job that I wouldn't mind coming back to someday...We'll have to wait and see what a certain someone has to say about planting it in Vegas...:) well thats all for now. Until next time....remember to stop and smell the roses...literally.

Let the fun Begin...

This week has been a bit crazy as I ventured out to start a new chapter in my life. I have been blessed enough to land an amazing internship doing flowers in the Horticulutre department at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. It was with much luck and the right contact information that I got this internship and I consider myself very lucky to have such an opportunity. :)

So after a long but very informative orientation I started work on Friday and I think that it is going to be a wonderful learning experience and a fun summer. During my orientation I learned some fun interesting facts about the resort that we all know...the Bellagio. So I thought I would share a few of them with you....

When did the Bellagio first open?

-October of 1998

How many rooms are in the Bellagio?

-3,421 Deluxe guest rooms and 512 Suites

How many properties does MGM/Mirage own on the Las Vegas Strip?

-10 properties on the strip including Bellagio, Circus Cirus, Luxor, Excalibur, Monte Carlo, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, New York New York, The Mirage and Treasure Island.

Here are some pics from my first official day...

Here is the ware house full of flowers for the beautiful conservatory at the Bellagio. If you haven't seen you are missing out :)

This is where I will be working the majority of my internsip. That huge rose arrangment on the right is mine...see picture below.

This was my first arrangent on the job. It was two dozen latin lady roses for a VIP guest at the Bellagio :) I don't know what happened to the bottom of the picture...sad day

This was a dozen rose arrangment that I did in one of the signature vases with a "B" engraved on the front.

And lastly...this was just part of a three part arragement that we made for a banquet at the Mirage. Pretty huh?

I learned a lot in my first day. These are only a few of the arrangements that I did....We will just say that by the end of the day I was pro at dozen rose arragements :) There is lots more to learn about the Bellagio and flowers so I will make sure to keep you posted as I venture on this exciting journey :)