On the outside, it may not appear that Anchorage is a location offering a plethora of girls’ activities. Unless a group of gals is fixing to get away with a hike, fishing excursion, or something similar, there aren’t as many obvious girls’ events for an afternoon away as other cities offer. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a girls’ only hike from time to time– as long as the weather is perfect and there is some kind of reward at the end, like champagne. Yet as I grow progressively deeper into motherhood, I am more aware of just how vital time with the ladies is. Time with friends, especially sans children, is an extremely precious commodity. That is why I am constantly on the lookout for fun activities to do with the gals where we can escape from time to time and remember what it is like to be a woman and a friend first, everything else second, if only for a few hours.

When I learned my favorite florist in town, Bloomsbury Blooms (which you can read all about here) owned by Dallas Wildeve, offered flower arranging classes I knew it would be the perfect setting for an intimate girls’ day. Mimosas, snacks, good friends, and the opportunity to create something beautiful? Well, to me, it just doesn’t get any better. Although I’ve tried my best to recreate Dallas’ incomparable arrangements in the past, I felt I desperately needed her in-person tutelage to truly learn more about the craft of flower arranging. So, some ladies and I got together– which was no easy feat to schedule with three of us expecting and seven children between the four of us!– for the loveliest afternoon to chat, connect, snack, and learn. It was magical to lose ourselves in the activity and work with nature, albeit in the adorable Bloomsbury Blooms’ shop. The best part for a group of busy gals? Dallas took care of all of the details– set-up, the disastrous clean-up, food, and beverages. It couldn’t have been easier and that is always appreciated.

We all had the same materials and instructions to work with, yet all of our arrangements turned out incredibly different. I loved seeing how each person created something beautiful and unique from a similar blank slate. We had the opportunity to compare notes and provide feedback on each gal’s creation, which was one of the best parts since everyone was all compliments and celebratory of our distinctly different perception of beautiful arrangements. I was surprised at how long and thoughtful of a process it is to create a truly gorgeous floral display. Even if they seem haphazardly thrown together, an arrangement undoubtedly took hours to complete and careful consideration of a multitude of factors: greens, foraged items, seasonal flower options, vase size, and location where arrangement will display. Learning the minute details of the process through the workshop proved exceptionally valuable. Not only did we have a blast, but we all left having learned so much with the confidence to create our arrangements in the future. (However, Dallas’ creations still can’t really be beat so I may have to stick with my own arrangements for minor league events only!)

If you live in Alaska or are planning to visit this summer, I highly recommend you attend one of Bloomsbury Blooms’ floral workshops. Dallas offers classes for a variety of interests and skill levels, ranging from simple floral design to foraging and retreats for those looking to take their floral arranging skills to the next level. Also, in addition to the adorable shop in downtown Anchorage where we took our class, she also is starting to offer classes and workshops in Sutton, Alaska. Check out this gorgeous view one could gaze at while learning the art of floral arrangements!

Our finished products!

**Thanks so much to Grace of Grace Adams Photography for joining in on the fun and taking all of these gorgeous photos! Isn’t she amazing? And a big thanks to Dallas of Bloomsbury Blooms for putting on this private workshop for us.**