MENU
Testing Alt August 22, 2016 Secret Places   From “First Poems,” Rainer Maria Rilke Understand, I’ll slip quietly Away from the noisy crowd When I see the pale Stars rising, blooming over the oaks I’ll pursue solitary pathways Through the pale twilit meadows, With only this one dream: You come too. In art as in life, I am drawn to undiscovered places. ... August 24, 2016 Poem of the Week Often I am Permitted to Return to a Meadow as if it were a scene made-up by the mind, that is not mine, but is a made place, that is mine, it is so near to the heart, an eternal pasture folded in all thought so that there is a hall therein that is a made place, created by light wherefrom the shadows that are forms fall. ... September 1, 2016 Persian Love Cake: A Recipe from Manger Anyone who knows me well knows that I enamored with the French countryside. ‘Enamored’ doesn’t really even cut it. On quiet evenings, I’ll look at photographs of French villages (St. Estèphe is my current obsession—a little village overlooking the banks of the Gironde estuary. It’s known for its wines, but I love to imagine the tin ... September 12, 2016 Storyboard: Boozy Palettes September is a weird month. Any attraction to the Indian Summer has faded. Still, Fall is nothing more than a dreamland in Vogue magazine. I get restless during this transition. This is especially true sartorially speaking: like everyone else, I’m itching for moto jackets and trench coats, knit dresses, velvet sneaks & boots. I ... January 31, 2017 Apartment Tour When I was nine or ten years old, I wanted to live in the house with the painted flowers. It was a Swedish-style cottage nestled in a mountain town; a place that looked like it was lifted straight from a storybook, with three stories, pale yellow shutters, and flowers & vines painted on its exterior. Perfect, cheery baskets of ... February 21, 2017 Music for the Studio When I play music in a dance studio, my body knows naturally what to do. It comes from years of serious training as a dancer first, then an ice dancer. Good technique was something I had to truly work for, but I had—I have-- an innate ability to express music. We all have a gift, and when it comes to dance, musicality is mine. When ... February 26, 2017 Storyboard: My Garden I grow & tend flowers on one tiny acre, which in the spring comes alive with rows of sweet peas, dahlias, heirloom roses, cosmos, and a kitchen garden. There's a leaning redbud tree, right in the heart of everything-- an inconvenience I have to work around, and a quirk I love. This space, it's something between a very large cut ... April 19, 2017 False Spring "In those days, though, the spring always came finally but it was frightening that it had nearly failed."- Hemingway Spring came, finally. But did anything change? It's childish to believe that a change of seasons can change one's life, but still I do. My floristry work keeps me tethered to the seasons, connected to even the ... July 21, 2017 Becoming Wandering around Hill Country, looking for meadows. Resting in a newfound sense of freedom. When these photos were taken, I was on a kind of sabbatical. I was resting, deeply, in the season and place God had brought me. But with deep rest came the desire for more; and in this moment, I had never before looked so far beyond mysel ... September 1, 2017 Foraged Late summer, and I’m foraging and gleaning dahlias from my flower farm, cosmos, zinnias, cutting garden roses, wild grape vine, indecipherable weeds I find pretty. Lady of Shallott, a heady apricot rose, makes me feel some kind of way. I like and want things in some shade of honey, something that feels languorous like the Indian su ... September 9, 2017 Beauty More Than Bread I’m trying to write to you about the blessings and benefits of seasonal ingredients. I want to write a simple story of a simple, everyday table that reflects the changing of the seasons. Stone fruits & root vegetables for fall, winter citrus & pomegranate; a spring of radishes, peas, strawberries, arugula; a summer of plums ... September 12, 2017 Honey "Dusk: a blade of honey between our shadows, draining." -Ocean Vuoung, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous   Nearly autumn, with honeyed traces of the Indian summer. Everything is in between, in transition; only I feel present. Feel unencumbered by the past, and feel future opportunities surround the present momen ... November 10, 2017 On Gratitude November days, gray and calm but full of roses. I am astounded the roses are still here. Mornings, I go to the garden to look, half expecting them to have vanished overnight. They have not left me yet. A paradox of nature—roses in full flush when they should already be winter-buried. A few weeks ago, I may not have noticed them. ... December 15, 2017 Classic Springerle Cookies Winter. It’s the season of frost and greens, wreath-making and ice-skating, twined packages and candlelight services. It’s my season. I love winter’s particular magic, love winter fashion, and the look of things buried under snow. I surround myself with white flowers, because they feel hopeful and reverent, like December. Aromatic ... December 28, 2017 White as Snow If I could fill my studio with white flowers every day, I would. I love that effect—when you walk into a room full of white flowers. White flowers carry so many associations of innocence and joy-- the feeling of church bells and angel choirs; first snows and lit candles; of winter days with only happiness on the agenda. Lily of the ... January 25, 2018 The Creative Process: On Discipline, and Dreaming January. It’s a mostly disciplined month—I’ve been focusing on the, shall we say, less artistic components of my business. Creating systems, organizing all things financial, and fostering creative habits. I’m trying, also, to minimize distractions, and be pretty merciless about cutting out anything that deters me from producing my ... May 31, 2018 Meadow "Anonymous as cherubs Over the crib of God, White seeds are floating Out of my burst pod. What power had I Before I learned to yield? Shatter me, great mind; I shall possess the field." - From "Two Voices in a Meadow," by Richard Wilbur Meadow. The word, for me, is filled with personal meaning. I imagine and daydream about ... Garden Style Floral Arrangement June 22, 2018 L’été Summer. L’été. As someone who works with nature and the seasons, I am often thinking about the overall mood or essence of each season. Summer as a floral designer is generally frenzied, but as any other kind of person, it should feel indolent, social, languorous, and low maintenance. Every social opportunity should, ideally, be tin ... Lotusland inspired florals June 28, 2018 Lotusland Recently, I designed a collection of engagement party arrangements inspired by one of my favorite gardens, Lotusland. Located in Montecito, the estate once belonged to the late Madame Ganna Walska, an opera diva turned head gardener for the ages. Her gardens are her crown jewel, a beautiful expression of her artistry and her élan. ... July 14, 2018 Simple Rosé Cocktails If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know that I am captivated by the idea of hosting. I say ‘idea’ because that’s essentially what it is; I design events for a living, but rarely for myself. This is something I would very much like to change. When I envision my happiest self, it’s in a home of my own des ... Colorful garden style florals July 26, 2018 "Colors passing through us" "Colors passing through us," by Marge Piercy Purple as tulips in May, mauve into lush velvet, purple as the stain blackberries leave on the lips, on the hands, the purple of ripe grapes sunlit and warm as flesh.   Every day I will give you a color, like a new flower in a bud vase on your desk. Every day ... December 9, 2018 Advent "The First Advent of Christ began the reconciliation of all things — and that now begs our participation. And the Second Advent will be the consummation of all things — and that now begs our anticipation. Advent is about the practice of ardent participation in the Kingdom of God — and the ardent antic ... December 25, 2019 Advent Reflections “… joy of every longing heart.” Longing. It’s a feeling I live with, a feeling that has always colored my inner world. During this season of my life, a sense of longing seems to undergird everything I do. It’s sort of a pleasant pain—a pain tinged with the hope of something more—but sometimes it’s just plain painful. I long for ... December 26, 2019 Classic Christmas Gingerbread Cookies The smell of gingerbread belongs on my list of defining, signature, so-personal-they-feel-like-they-belong-to-me scents. I am a fragrance person; my favorite compliment to receive is that I smell good (and I do, thankyouverymuch) and I feel almost personally affronted when I find that someone else wears my signature scent. Sometime ... January 5, 2020 Dried Botanicals When I think of the florals I would truly want for myself—to fill my home, or an event of my own design—I think of dried florals. I imagine a canopy of lunaria, the shimmering seedpod, catching the light as beautifully as any crystal chandelier. I long for meadow grasses, bunny's tail- a grass as soft and whimsical as its name impl ... February 17, 2020 February "Morning. Strawberry sky dusted with white winter powder sugar sun. And no one to munch on it with." -Francesca Lia Block, from Missing Angel Juan February. Such a melancholy little month. Everyone (or maybe it's just me?) is so completely over winter. I dream of springtime, or maybe just what that season embodies-- fresh a ... May 22, 2020 Sanctuary “He will cover you with his feathers,    and under his wings you will find refuge” -Psalm 91:4 Sanctuary. It has always been my favorite word in English, and one of my favorite concepts. A word that embodies ultimate freedom, peace, and safety. When I think of the word, a little white chapel comes instantly to mind, tucked a ... May 29, 2020 Things I Almost Remember There’s something about dried flowers that feel, to me, like memories-in-the-making. Maybe it has to do with how fragile they are, their petals paper-thin and oh-so-delicate. It could be their color, muted and often shimmery, as though they’ve acquired a patina over time. Maybe instead dried flowers have this antique feeling to me ... August 14, 2020 Travel Guide: Charleston & Kiawah Island I have always dreamed of traveling to South Carolina. My travel list usually begins with a desire to experience something in the natural world. I’ll envision something specific—walking lavender fields at dusk, or setting out for wildflower meadows at dawn, a foraging basket and florist’s shears in tow. I’ve dreamed forever o ... October 30, 2020 5 Seriously Chic Sweater Dresses for Around $50 If I had to describe myself in terms of a fashion collection, I would undoubtedly be an Autumn/Winter. While the first flowers of spring make my heart rejoice, the first snow fills me with a hope I can't describe. I love cold weather that forces me indoors, inspiring nostalgia for the most blissful moments of my childhood: mornings ... November 5, 2020 Freedom to Move Forward If I could define my least favorite experience or feeling in life, it’s this: feeling stuck. I loathe the feeling of making no discernible progress—of having no great vision or hope propelling me forward. When my mind snags on a difficulty or my plans come to a halt, I tend to shut down completely. I’ve experienced stuck-ness in my ... November 13, 2020 15 Scriptures for Political Anxiety How could I describe the state of my heart this election season? It changes frequently, but mostly, I’ve shifted between feelings of grief, skepticism, deep concern, distress, academic vigilance, and surrender. I could explain my concerns at length—and I am very willing to, to defend my convictions with all of the grace, poise, dat ... November 19, 2020 7 Throwback Hairstyles Inspired by The Hills Given the year we’ve all experienced, it’s been nice to have a little guilty pleasure. For most of us, that’s meant a comforting, nostalgic series to watch. I’ll always advocate for mindfulness first, but sometimes we just need a little mindlessness. I’ve noticed that, when it comes to entertainment and design, nostalgia seems t ... March 22, 2021 Home Tour I have dreamed, for at least a decade now, of having a space that in every way reflects who I am. A space of my own, where I can write, pray, cook, dream, and rest. The more time passes, the more I embrace my homebody nature. I love to create a home, in the fullest sense of the word—a place that is beautiful, uplifting, artistic, a ... April 13, 2021 Spring Sweets Springtime, and the world is in flower again. All around me, the trees have undergone their transformation—one day, the natural world was stark and barren, the next, clothed in blossoms. Spring flowers are hopeful, angelic: the very picture of rejoicing. The miracle of spring never loses its power over the years. The heart needs th ... May 18, 2021 Pastel Mood Lately, in my floral design work, I’ve been enamored with pastels. Sorbet colors of peach, lemon, blush, mint green, mango, and frosted blue—I am so drawn to them. This is especially true of dried florals, which allow me to achieve colors that are otherwise unachievable in nature. I enjoy the expressive range and the freedom that c ... August 16, 2021 Waiting "For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." -Habakkuk 2:3 If there’s any spiritual discipline I feel that I am intimately acquainted with, it’s the discipline of waiting. For so many years, Go ...
PREV | NEXT

meadow: a creative journal

Welcome.

My name is McKenzie O’Grady, and I am a florist, stylist, and storyteller. I spend my days creating free-spirited floral designs for weddings, events, and for the everyday. In life as in art, I am a wildflower girl. I respond to nature, poetry, and movement—to all the things that free the soul. Whether I’m styling flowers, my home, or myself, I’m into unruly, romantic, and undone. I want to live vibrantly, creatively, and with a passion that transcends limitations. I don’t like to be restrained, suppressed, or silenced. -read more-

MENU