Horticulture, specifically floral design. Exterior landscape design courses are also helpful, as are art history courses, color theory, and especially interior plantscaping. It would be extremely beneficial to get some actual work experience in a floral shop, as reputation is everything. Initially this is not a high-paying field, so do your homework, and create a niche with a product/service mix that is in demand in your area. Good luck!

Caution: downer comments ahead Was cooking supper Saturday evening and blasted a big ol blister on my fingers while trying to drain the liquid off a green bean concoction I threw together just for the heck of it... frozen green beans, sun dried tomatoes, walnuts, and some odd variety of spices that I just grabbed out of the cabinet without looking. In any case, I will try to use the word "I" here just so I don't hurt feelings or make people mad... While I was doctoring up my blistered fingers (two), this post occurred to me and I got to thinking... Am I ever the selfish one for complaining that I can't pick out my own groceries or have to depend on others for my grocery and other (minimal) shopping needs during these spooky and pandemic times? On the one hand and I've mentioned this before, I have three major health issues that would preclude me from popping into a store, any store on the spur of the moment just because I needed one or two ingredients. While my wonderful wife is also somewhat house bound because on MY health issues, she does it by choice to protect me even though I've urged her to take part in some of her favorite activities where there is not an abundance of people and certain precautions are typically observed. The issue that crossed my mind is this... I'm grousing about not being about to go to the store for say... a loaf of fresh bread, meat or some vegetables that I probably/might have in the freezer already. In any case, with what already exists in the tiny freezer in the frig or in my pantry, we're probably not going to starve or even be hungry for the foreseeable future although certain meal combinations might be somewhat odd after a bit. Which makes me think... ...of those around the world, at home and in my own neighborhood who do not have a full pantry, any pantry other than a part of some multi-use cabinet OR a tiny freezer to make odd meals out of. Or even meals, nutritionally sound or not... or if you get right down to it, enough food to feed their family on any given day. Like everyone else, I see the lines for food supplies/offerings on the evening news and from local churches/food banks and try to contemplate how the rest of the world survives on so little and with so little choice. There are those that say if you grow up with it or are used to it then you're probably used to being hungry or having limited food options but really, is that so true that it hardens myself to those and especially those children that have little say in what or how much they're offered each new day? It shouldn't I know but I'm working hard on trying to change my attitude of unconsciously looking the other way when I see these images. And although I've really never thought much about it since then, I can remember a time in my life when my two sons and I ate Kraft spaghetti dinners probably 4 nights out of 7 simply because that's all I could afford at the time due to a combination of circumstances. Of course, as 'dad' the kids ate first and if there was any left over then I got to eat too. The kids didn't care because they liked Kraft spaghetti dinners and if we had a little meat of some sort to put in it, so much the better. Hamburger, sausage, Spam, whatever... I however, felt bad because I couldn't do better... but then, there wasn't much to make better with. So, am "I" spoiled because I can't go to a fully stocked grocery and get nearly anything I want for supper? Plus whatever I might want for tomorrow's meal... and maybe even the next day's ? I'd say yes I am. And THAT is what makes me think of the rest of the world who cannot go to the store and pick and choose or in fact, have no store to go to at all. Sorry to post this but it's been on my mind of late and I just had to get it out. Would have told the dog or the cat if we still had one or two but alas, no pets at present. I know they don't really care but they do look at you like they do... Not looking for a response necessarily, just had to unburden some thoughts as it were. And certainly not trying to bounce on anyone else's bubble or make anyone feel bad. Thanks for reading.

I've bought three English watercolors off of eBay this year. Two from England and one from the U.S. Two are approx. 100 years old and one is 26 years old. The 26 year old watercolor is by an English artist named Lesley Holmes. I first learned about her in a Victoria magazine article from the 90's. I kept that article. I decided to check on eBay and found one of her paintings listed. I made an offer which was accepted and I bought it. I went on to buy two other English watercolors, both seacapes. I've also bought three Scottish Caithness paperweights off of eBay. And I've bought a couple of Talbots blouses off of eBay and some jewelry. i've bought used books off of eBay. One was out of print and the others were fiction books that I didn't plan to keep and didn't need a new copy. I do try to buy books that are listed in "very good" condition. I've bought a few things from Poshmark, too. Mostly jewelry. My first Poshmark experience was bad. The girl never shipped the bracelet despite emails telling me that she shipped it. Poshmark actually canceled the order before I did. I have found that some people list an item on both eBay and Poshmark. It is sometimes cheaper on eBay because the seller can set the shipping price whereas on Poshmark I think they are tied in to Poshmark's shipping price.

Funky, this might be helpful in identifying some new-to-you resources. I've tried to be more mindful as I rebuild my wardrobe after losing weight last year (I did buy some t-shirts at Old Navy as stopgaps on my journey, and I do wear them often), both to save money and to buy just what I would wear frequently, and a few months ago I discovered a fashion stylist on Twitter, Lakyn Carlton, https://www.lakyn.style and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/OgLakyn who writes a lot about sustainable fashion, including thrifting and avoiding fast fashion, and inclusive sizes. She has a great list of women's clothing sources, Where 2 Shop: Womenswear, which is available as a Google Doc, for $1.99 US. She updates it often, and there are a number of businesses that do ship to Canada, which was a concern for me (there are also some Canadian shops, others overseas). https://www.lakyn.style/shop She has the stores broken down into the following categories, which I find helpful: Alternative, Athleisure/Lounge/Undies/Swim, Boho/Vintage-Inspired, Classics/Basics, Eclectic/Colorful, Feminine/Sexy, Formal/Bridal, Minimalist/Androgynous, Multi-Brand Retailers, Secondhand/Vintage, Accessories, Bags/Purses. Best $1.99 I've spent in a long time : ) .