I'm doing another quote post (see past ones here and here); the topic for today is feminism. Enjoy these empowering quotations from women who have come before us!

from the Norton Anthology
about Margaret Fuller (1810-1850)
"At a time when no institutions of higher learning were open to women, her richly allusive writings displayed a knowledge of literary traditions, history, religion, and political and legal thought that one would associate with a university-educated scholar or teacher; and at a time when women were expected to remain within the domestic sphere—and never under any circumstances to compete with men—her activist public presence and confident persona troubled and fascinated her male friends. Devoted to Emerson's Transcendentalist philosophy of self-culture, which she insisted pertained as much to women as to men, Fuller educated herself widely, published in a variety of genres, participated in a range of cultural and political movements, and continually challenged herself to move in new directions." (736)

Lupita Nyong'o
"You can't eat beauty. It doesn't sustain you. What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion, for yourself and those around you. That kind of beauty enflames the heart and enchants the soul."

"I hope my presence on your screens and in the magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful on the inside."

There's so many more quotes, but today's a short post. Go find some on your own, if you like!

Madeline

This is the second letter I'm posting in this series, here's the first. I'm writing a little string of letters to one of my engaged friends for her to open when she needs encouragement. I labeled the envelope of this one "for perspective and inspiration".

Hey babe—
Here's two quotes I love, that I've connected to each other and to your life right now:
"She felt happy from her head to her toes, and she looked up at the sky with a feeling of gratitude that was almost a prayer."
"Prayer is the contemplation of life from the highest point of view."
The first one is from a fictional novel by Maud Hart Lovelace. I love the idea that it's okay—beautiful even—for our feelings to be almost, not fully, a prayer. That's just how it is sometimes! The quote on the right is from Emerson's Self-Reliance.
I like these together, because they express the validity and importance of two very different moments—very different types of moments I bet you're having a lot right now.
For the first—this is a happy time! Full of logistics and details and planning, but all about something beautiful! But when you aren't feeling this beauty, the second quote is best. Choose prayer, perspective, to look at things from the highest point of view.
But what I love about the two of them together is that they both point up. I will lift up my eyes to the hills, Psalm 121. The reason you can say no to stress is because your wedding isn't about all these details—flowers, food—it's about pointing up. Christ will be glorified, despite and through the details.
Love always,
maddieperkie

A few weekends ago, I walked into a tiny flower shop and said, "Hi. My name is Charlie. I'm a blogger, and I'm writing about florists in the Birmingham area. Can I take a few pictures of your space and ask you a few questions?"

Luckily for me, Faye was the lady behind this magical little storefront, and she treated me like a queen. Here's the low-down on what I learned!

Sprout has been around for about two years. It's located just down the street from Edgewood on Palisades Blvd. 

They get their flowers from all over the world. Although this makes sense, and I bet most florists do the same, I didn't realize that until I asked. Although they're small, they partner with many places around the community. They do bouquet classes at a candy store in Edgewood, they donate to fundraisers and charities, and they work with wedding photographers and planners to help brides find everything they need.

The space is just crowded enough to be certifiably cozy; I'm sure that brides have a blast sitting on their couches and dreaming up their wedding flowers.

Their walk-in flower fridge is accessible to the front of the store. Faye lets customers go in and choose their own stems any day of the week, and when they've done this, the customer can take them home to arrange themselves, or Sprout will do it for them.

The walk-in door by the seating area

Sprout does it all. I left impressed, knowing that they could handle any size order, yet also happy, knowing that they would know and care about me as an individual customer. I think this closeness is one of the perks of a smaller business. I wish Sprout all the best as they grow and expand, and they'll achieve this through the way their love of flowers matches their love of their customers. 

This love was evident as I spoke to Faye. When we began our interview (I'm calling it an interview to make myself feel fancy and official), she was telling her son goodbye, and their relationship was so sweet. As I asked her about beginning Sprout two years ago, she spoke with enchantment about her love of flowers. When we were in the walk-in, she leaned over, plucked one of the longest, most beautiful red rose stems I'd ever seen, and said, "For you."

This attitude is the defining quality of Sprout. Flowers, for you.