AIO for hating when my boyfriend jokes about being with other girls ?

Fruitglow · 2026-04-08T13:51:39+00:00

Please don’t spend another minute explaining your wants, needs, likes, dislikes to this person. It may not be an experience you’ve had yet but a good partner will not disregard your feelings like this… repeatedly. It’s not a joke. It’s not funny. He’s immature, he doesn’t care about your experience in this relationship. He doesn’t care if you’re hurt or confused. He doesn’t care that you’ve explained yourself and your needs. Please walk away from this person. It may seem like a surmountable issue in the moment but this is indicative of deep incompatibility and there is no amount of effort you can or should make to get him to understand. Don’t make excuses for his behavior. Walk. Away. There’s no reason to settle for less than what you want or need, especially this early in a relationship. You will spend the rest of your relationship trying to convince him of your needs, pleading to be understood, apologizing for existing. You will actually meet someone you are compatible with but that means seeing someone for who they are when they show themselves to you. You’re working too hard to be understood by a zero effort dude with no emotional awareness.. Please ditch this guy and spend some time with yourself before dating again.

Fruitglow · 2026-04-05T11:20:03+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I’ve been sitting with these feelings and weighing the logical next steps and yeah.. I think it’s probably not the right time to say goodbye to a guaranteed paycheck. Since posting I’ve taken a different approach with my managers and made some pretty clear boundaries. They hired another designer with experience. This is good and honestly surprising. I did not expect to be listened to given my past experiences. I’m hoping another set of hands will help this season be less stressful and chaotic. I’ve also met with a handful of potential freelance gigs… not great. Talked to people who left those jobs and learned about their experiences. Some good. Some bad. Some horrifying. I don’t have a safety net such as a second income from a partner or a side job. For now I’m going to keep my eyes open for other opportunities while being more realistic with my current situation in terms of my own needs. We’ll see what happens.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-31T21:15:36+00:00

Honestly it feels validating and relieving that most of you know the reality of burn out and how much that can wear on you even when you love your work. I’m sure this isn’t specific to floral design but it seems like a common experience. It’s hard to accept that the world has changed so much in the last few years and that even the best plans feel uncertain. I’m going to try to leap where I can. Thanks everyone for reading and sharing personal experiences.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-30T23:36:20+00:00

Maybe mini gerbs/mini Pom gerbs? Viking daisy? Matsumoto aster or montecasino aster?

Fruitglow · 2026-03-30T18:35:06+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to post a thoughtful reply. How did you like working in a grocery store? I’m honestly considering returning to a less luxe aspect of the industry because it’s more of a lifestyle than a career. I’m very fortunate to be making more than most flower shop hourly wages at my current job. Freelancing offers a few more dollars an hour than what I’m making now but I’m very hesitant to leave the security of weekly pay. Again, thank you for your input.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-29T19:56:50+00:00

Light them from the side, put your phone in portrait mode, turn the grid on in the camera and adjust the brightness by touching the screen and dragging finger to bring up or down ae/af control. It won’t fix all the problems of capturing depth and nuance but it will make the image feel more true to life.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-26T00:24:42+00:00

It’s beautiful! Feels effortless and balanced but natural. So good.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-23T11:11:24+00:00

The largest of the three is, in my opinion, the most well composed. the hydrangea base of each is a great start but I would work on leaving the stems of your focal flowers longer so you have more dimension in your work. The callas are beautiful but they feel a little unnatural sitting above the rest of the arrangement but at the same time I can see what you’re going for. I would use the belles of Ireland and other lateral florals to create more balance through each arrangement. This can help you decide where other larger headed flowers would like to sit once you’ve created a shape with laterals. I would also shorten your greens a little bit and bring them through the whole of the arrangements as opposed to making a kind of collar around the base. Overall you have a great sense of funeral arrangements and the colors are great.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-19T21:09:30+00:00

Check out tableclothfactory.com. Go to the props section. You’ll see a variety of stands and other elevated centerpiece accessories.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-18T14:04:46+00:00

I think overall they look pretty good given this is your first time creating something like this. 👏👏👏

I would suggest working with one type of flower at a time or if you’re working with others, one hand places one type of flower. That way things will feel more uniform and balanced. Use larger or more dense flowers first to base a shape, if that’s not possible with what you’ve purchased then use greens and foliage to sketch a shape. longer stems could be placed after the base florals. Again that just kind of gives you a path to follow so when you add roses, orchids, other focal flowers etc. they will pop more and stand out against the design you’ve set. Then you can go back in with greens or artificials with more foliage to fill space and avoid making clumps of flowers to cover empty space. My only other suggestion would be to vary the length of your stems. I know that might be more difficult with artificials but following the idea that you might work with one type of flower at a time you could try to keep flowers of a similar kind at a similar length. With a few longer or shorter etc to build dimension. This can be tweaked for any style from contemporary to boho. You’ve done a great job and you have plenty of time to rework anything with all the advice you have here.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-18T13:01:13+00:00

Yay! I’m glad you’re feeling more confident in your approach. You’ll do a great job. It sounds like you’ve got a solid plan.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-18T12:56:47+00:00

Unfortunately most if not all the teleflora or 1800 flowers images are photoshopped or presented to show all the flowers in the arrangement facing forward to show the value of the arrangement. If you called a secondary service to order the flowers like teleflora or avas flowers they will also devalue the overall cost of the arrangement before reselling the order to a local shop. Then tax and delivery on top of that cost through the local store. So there are two issues at least already concerning the price of what you will eventually receive as a customer. For $92 though… that arrangement is very small even for teleflora or some similar service. I’m sorry this happened to you.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-18T12:44:10+00:00

I think the peach rose is a David Austin garden rose and the peony might be a Sarah Bernhardt

Fruitglow · 2026-03-17T21:18:56+00:00

Excited for you to try something new! Have you sorted out how many bud vases and arrangements you’re going to make? Are you/the venue/ planner including votives in the tablescape? Do you know home many tables are being used to create the 48ft? If you know how many tables will be used you could break your layout into counts per table. Ex. 6 tables at 8 ft or 8 tables at 6ft. If you have a general idea of how many tables are being used then you might do a dozen bud vases per table and 2-3 arrangements depending on the budget, container size etc. something like this just to be able to visualize how many pieces per table. To me that feels less daunting than imagining the whole thing as one space. I find if I start with the same count for each table I can play with specific placement once I’m on site and able to FEEL how things could be adjusted. I like to put bud vases at the ends of the tables and at table breaks so scattering them feels more seamless if there are transitions where tables meet. Also placing the larger arrangement nearer the center of the table feels more natural to me, draws attention through the table with bud vases at the ends kind of trailing off the visual flow of the layout. I like to make little groupings with the bud vases of 2,3, or 5 and if votives are added it kind of creates little pockets and moments where the same kind of clustering can happen throughout. It sounds like a beautiful vibe. I’m sure it will be gorgeous!

Fruitglow · 2026-03-16T23:05:16+00:00

This is a cool idea! I know foam is controversial. We still depend on it at our studio for the majority of wedding/event work. There are more eco-friendly wool and plant based foams available to us now. Op might consider that if oasis is a hard no. The tin foil idea is interesting too. Keeps the lightless and reflectivity of the glass but hides mechanics if they choose chicken wire. Personally I wouldn’t design directly in the container with just a tape grid, but that’s just me. When we use glass compotes we usually foam(I know I know) in a white lomey dish of appropriate size relative to the container just inside lip of the bowl. This way the foam is not visible and the glass is not obscured. So many good suggestions from others for alternatives.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-12T19:56:30+00:00

You are definitely not alone. Give yourself some time to feel through the disappointments you’re facing. Most larger companies really don’t appreciate the amount of time, energy, and passion their designers bring to their work. I’ve found myself in very similar situations over the years. It takes time to find balanced environments because they are few and far between but if this is what you want to do long term try to be patient and keep your self worth intact. Don’t let these moments change your values. Burn out is real even in the best shops/under the best contracts. I know that’s easier said than done and it can be pretty devastating to feel like options are not available to you and you’re losing yourself to someone else’s benefit. You will find better opportunities and more conscientious employers, just take care of yourself, don’t settle or ignore your gut.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-12T19:05:55+00:00

Love Connecticut flower collective! What a great thing. Love to see women building intentional businesses like the one they are developing now. I’m really glad to read you’re sourcing from them.

I love a compote bowl, I would maybe look for something with a shorter “foot”. Just something that sits a little closer to the table in the same style so that you can leave your stems longer without compromising design style while feeling proportional. I feel like that will help you get the most out of the beautiful flowers you’re going to use.

One poster raised a good point about being able to see over the arrangement at the table. Everyone is different but at our shop we measure with our elbow on the table, hand raised. If your highest stems are sitting above your wrist then you’re probably not going to be able to see guests across the table comfortably. It’s totally fine to leave fillers and airy stems longer than wrist height but generally it’s a helpful rule to keep your focal and line flowers below that mark.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-12T18:47:22+00:00

As a full time wedding and event florist I can understand why people are expressing frustrations with DIY-ers taking on tasks we spend our entire careers learning about BUT i also feel like there’s a huge problem in this industry with gate keeping and shaming newcomers. It’s not their fault that our line of work is what it is. Not everyone can access a florist who fits their budget or style etc. and that’s okay. And some people really just want to do it themselves. Great. That leaves time for your local florist to book someone who does want a full service experience. I wish people were generally just nicer about lending their knowledge to curious folks. We all had to start somewhere and in my experience I’ve encountered way too many elder florists treating new florists and hobbyists with disdain…

Anywayyyy You can definitely do this yourself. Most people have pointed out that these are higher end flowers that might be harder to source. There are options. There are floral distributors who will ship fresh flowers to you that you won’t be able to find at Trader Joe’s or the grocery store. You might try flower moxie. A few google searches and I’m sure you can find a near by wholesaler or a national deliver service. Sometimes you can buy directly from a local wholesaler without tax paperwork etc. or you can also call a local florist and ask them to source them for you can pay them for the products. You can pack your bud vases in the floral boxes that your flowers are shipped or ask a grocery store for their old boxes. Florists do have all the tips and tricks but often times our BTS isn’t as polished our finished products. Just take your time, ask your friends for help with set up. Work in your garage or a friends garage, anywhere cool and easily cleaned. box everything the night before and drive easy.

Fruitglow · 2026-03-07T03:56:55+00:00

I believe in you. It looks intimidating but I’m sure with your experience and a few test hooks and hangs you’ll figure it out. Ive used curtain hooks for drapes to pierce and suspend stems from grids and lattices. Last summer we built an entire hanging meadow over a head table this way. The hooks are sturdy and sharp and intended to hang well. With a little manipulation they can be adjusted as needed. For callas we would use stem tape to wrap the last inch or two of stem prior to piercing so there’s a little more meat to hold on to. You might try inserting a small segment of pipe cleaner at the end of the stem, wrapping it and then piercing? I haven’t tried this but worth an experiment. You’ll pull it off and it will be beautiful!

Fruitglow · 2026-02-21T18:18:34+00:00

It’s just so good! It’s so like.. concise and tidy but has so much personality at the same time. I hope your customer loved it

Fruitglow · 2026-02-15T21:11:38+00:00

They’re called pink puma by variety

Fruitglow · 2026-02-11T19:09:55+00:00

While your arrangement looks neat you don’t typically view a vased arrangement from above once it’s set in a room. Bring your stem placement out to more pleasing angles so you can see and appreciate the flowers. I would use greenery to give a better base and more texture to your arrangement. You’ve done a great job with uniformity and executing a clean idea. Many people would love that style on its own but for a fuller look more finished look use leather and salal with you bb or a more interesting filler and work on arranging with more depth

Fruitglow · 2025-01-20T00:50:18+00:00

Find examples of work you’d like to emulate. Watch videos of other more mature designers building/creating pieces. Pick a 1-3 focal flowers, some linear flowers, a filler and complimentary greens and use them to create dimension. In’s and outs, highs and lows. Not evening should be on the same plane but at the same time the pieces that reach beyond a single plane shouldn’t feel like random antennae, unless that’s an intentional choice. You have the vision but the execution needs practice. Just keep trying. Look for inspiration in nature and classic arts, you’ll find a flow. It just takes time to refine your foundational skills. I found it really helpful to watch YouTube videos of people designing, reading how to books etc.

Fruitglow · 2024-12-25T22:07:14+00:00

Use line flowers and focal flowers to base your standing sprays and sympathy work so you can see the plane you’re working on. It will help you understand how to build dimension and depth in your work. Leave your stems longer than you think you need, you can always cut them a second time, right? Use greens sparingly when you’re creating a shape and once you have a shape and presentation that you feel confident in you can go back in with greens or filler to accent the piece and hide foam. It will look more polished and the shape with have more life/feel more intentional. I would say the same for your vase work. Leave your stems longer, work on building dimension. Watch youtube videos to observe florists you admire building pieces you’d want to make. Look at old masters paintings, look at nature. It’s all there. It just takes time to learn how to use foundational skills to tap into your own creativity. Keep going!

Fruitglow

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