In Her Words with Bonni Taylor from Posey Floral

I met Bonni Taylor of Posey Floral over 13 years ago through mutual friends and, while I consider her one of my oldest friends in Austin, she has also been the creative MVP of every major milestone. From my 30th birthday party to my surprise engagement party the day after my husband proposed, to our Aspen elopement (which she flew up for and coordinated), to coming home from the hospital with our baby girl, to my recent 40th birthday party. Nearly every Mother’s Day and anniversary she gets a last minute call from my husband and comes through with something amazing. For me, there is no major life event without Bonni. - Katie

On Hosting

We have family and friends visit so much! My husband is from Istanbul, so we have his family stay with us for extended periods of time. It feels like a multigenerational household and it's definitely multi-cultural as well. Our kids love all the visitors and attention they get. 

Gathering has to be spontaneous for me, otherwise I fret and get anxious. ‘The more the merrier’ is my motto and the simpler the better when it comes to food! I love to throw together snack style dishes and have people graze instead of one big meal. It feels more social and casual. And cocktails! I love having a bar with a few signature drinks. My favorites include Campari Spritz (not Aperol!) and a Ranch Water and add Grand Marnier. 

When it comes to flowers at my house- the expectations are too high so I usually focus on one type of flower and do lots of them. I’m a sucker for tulips! I love to watch them change everyday- they can grow up to 2 inches per day once they are cut. Or honestly sometimes leftover flowers from the shop- it's the story of the cobbler's kids who have no shoes sometimes. However, I spend all my free time in my garden and it's magical, so most of the socializing happens outdoors amongst the landscape. 

I love to throw different groups of people together and have all my friends be friends. The interactions and budding friendships are so sweet to watch.

On Design

I’m loving the mix of flowers and vegetable tablescapes! I can't wait for someone to hire me to do this! At Posey we do so many really large scale events (which i love), but i’m a sucker for a good small gathering at someone's home. We can really hone in on the design and create something really intimate and special. 

I find a lot of inspiration on Instagram. I’m in such a visual industry and I love to see work from all over the world. I’m also inspired by my designers at Posey- they are the best and full of wonderful ideas. We send each other posts all the time of designs we are inspired by. 

The clients, my designers, and the fear of boredom keep me ever-evolving in my work. We have the best clients that let us be creative and explore, and my designers are always pushing me to the edge and to be my best self. I also could never do the same thing over and over like in a traditional delivery shop where someone orders off a website photo. 

My purpose is to fulfill my creative brain and also to spread happiness. Flowers celebrate moments– big or small– and I love being a part of them. I have a lot of clients of 10+ years and in a decade together you go through a lot - birthdays, weddings, deaths, babies, illness, relationships and it's magical to be a part of all of them in such a delicate, behind the scenes kind of way. —--- side note: Katie being one of these clients, too! —--

On Motherhood

I have two toddlers,  ages 2 and 3, so it's chaos all the time! They ground me and remind me to stop working and do simple things like puzzles and draw. (I would work 10+ hours a day if it wasn't for them). Those are special moments of just sitting on the floor spending time together.

I have the same conversation with my three year old almost every other day. He says mamma dont go to work, and i tell him i want to go to work because i like to go to work. He asks why I like work and I tell him because my flowers make people happy and making people feel happy feels good. I think it is so important for your kids to see you take pride in your work no matter what it is. And then he’s like, “Bye- go to work and bring me home a flower.” :)

On Travel

I love going somewhere familiar because your brain kind of decompresses and you notice more details each time you visit. I also love new places, too! I try to do a mix of destinations both old and new.

We travel to Kas, Turkey every summer - it's magic! Everything about it I love! We also go to Cappadocia and Istanbul at least once a year as well to see family but try to switch it up by staying in different neighborhoods. Istanbul is so big that a different neighborhood is like a whole different city. 

This summer we are heading to Edinburgh, Scotland, Gstaad, Switzerland,  Courmayeur, Italy, Antalya, Turkey (changing it up from Kas for the first time!) and then to London. It's our first trip this long with both the kids and we are excited to show them train travel, subways, new foods, languages, and escape some of the Texas heat with a week in the Alps. Wish us luck! 

If traveling without the kids, I 100% prefer a hotel. With the kids we usually rent a home to have room to relax. When we bring things back from our travels it’s usually a handmade piece of art for our bookshelves. Something handmade for sure, and small.

For me it’s Italy, always Italy, and anywhere in Italy. You can't beat the landscape, food, people, fashion, art, wine- it just doesn't get any better than Italy. I also really want to go to Washington and the Oregon Coast in the fall.

Photography by Katie Jameson