It was a Friday night. The air felt cold on my skin, so I wore my grandmother's black cardigan with red embroidered flowers. I went to the store to buy myself some veggie chips. You know, for rowdy night home alone. I ended up picking up some coffee frozen yogurt & asparagus too. It's a strange combination, but the asparagus was on sale. I drove home & found a parking space a 1,000,000 miles away from the apartment.
I locked my car & heard the reassuring chirp chirp of the lock. As I'm walking with my reusable bags, keys, & phone in hand, I pass by the dumpster. I see something leaning against the trashcan. I get closer & turn on the light on my iPhone. It's a large flower arrangement. "Are they fake?" I wonder. I put down my bags & gently rub one of the petals with my thumb & forefinger. "They're real."
I take a better look with my lit iPhone. It's an enormous heart-shaped arrangement with real red roses & baby's breath (gypsophila). I squeal. I try to pick it up but it's too heavy to carry with my bags in hand. I literally run, or perhaps it was a sprint, to the apartment to drop off my groceries. I open the door & dump the bags on the floor. I promptly run back outside. I use my iPhone light again to look at the arrangement. One rose fell sadly on the ground.
I huff & I puff & I squat to lift the large bouquet. I bring it inside & gawk at the massive amount of roses in front of me. I count at least 100 of them. The roses are inserted into a green foam core with a cardboard basket to hold it all together. I couldn't believe someone would throw it out. It wasn't until I shared it on various social media channels that people started commenting things like "Maybe he cheated & didn't get his forgiveness."
That genuinely never crossed my mind. I thought it was because the arrangement was damaged. The pointed end of the heart was missing a flower or two. Fast forward to the next day, Saturday. My boyfriend went to run some errands & he calls me.
"There's another flower arrangement on the dumpster. If you want to go check it out," he tells me.
"What? Really? I'll go right now." We hang up. I put on my sandals & trek outside. I spot the flower arrangement he spoke of. It's radiant, outstanding, utterly gorgeous. I pick it up & take it with me inside. I'm standing there looking back & forth at the heart-shaped mass of roses & the lovely & large flower arrangement I just scooped up. Wow!
At the end of the day I'll never know the reason why they were thrown out. Were they from a memorial service? Perhaps the flowers were the victim of someone asking for forgiveness & someone not accepting it. Maybe there was a very floral open house. But I can't spend my life questioning the motives of someone who tosses out hundreds of dollars worth of flowers.
This world is full of unanswered questions. We may struggle for all of our lives to figure out the answers, but sometimes you just have to enjoy the ride. In the end, I went out to get some veggie chips, so I could watch The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants alone on a Friday night & ended up with a stunning arrangement of 100 remarkable red roses subsequently followed by another large bouquet on Saturday.
It's times like these that you can never schedule or foresee. It's times like these that give you a story to last a lifetime & leave you feeling a joy that you didn't know you were missing. I don't know what happened to make someone throw these flowers out, but it made me happy.
This is a true story!
What would you do if you found hundreds of dollars worth of flowers in the trash? Which of these arrangements is your favorite? :]
What would you do if you found hundreds of dollars worth of flowers in the trash? Which of these arrangements is your favorite? :]
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Wow, this is so cool and amazing. I love the stories you contrive, as they could all be the actual case.
ReplyDeleteSarah
SarahJaiheLee.com
These are beautiful! Whoever received those flowers clearly had a decent reason to throw them out. Seems very odd, but it makes for a great story! I don't even know where I'd put those...can you hang the roses up on a wall?!
ReplyDeletewww.lindseyginge.com
Wow, this is crazy! They are beautiful too!
ReplyDeletexo, Lily
Beauty With Lily
Those roses are so beautiful! Wow, what an amazing find!
ReplyDeleteElainea
toast the girl almighty
Wow what a bizarre and beautiful thing to find in the dumpster! They must have been from a memorial service perhaps? It seems like such a waste to throw them out -- glad you gave them a forever life through the photos in your post!
ReplyDeleteXoxo,
Ashley || Sed Bona
Can't believe you found those arrangements in the trash! They're stunning!
ReplyDeletestay styled,
Lindsey
IG: stay_styled
BLOG: http://staystyledblog.com/
Oh my goodness! This put's a whole new spin on one (wo)man's trash being another's treasure! I'm glad that these flowers got a second chance of making someone happy!
ReplyDeletehttps://haveheartsite.wordpress.com
This is seriously amazing. By the looks of the second one it seems like they may be from a memorial service, but you definitely gave them life again. How interesting and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWow this is so odd but the flowers are BEAUTIFUL! The heart shaped roses especially are amazing :O ♡ I would be so confused as well if I found these flowers in the trash and I would probably have done the same as you! They are too perfect to be thrown away just yet :) xx
ReplyDeleteJacqueline | Sail Away to Neverland ♡
Wow both of those are gorgeous! Definitely true that one man's trash is another man's treasure! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you shared this on your blog! I like how these flowers were able to make you happy! I am sure the flowers were also happy to find a new home rather than wilt away in some dumpster! I do wonder what the story behind these flowers were though. You made me super curious! If only the flowers could speak to us and tell us why they ended up in the dumpster!
ReplyDeleteI feel like you've inspired all of us to be more observant of our surroundings! You never know what wonderful suprise you may come across on a walk home!
~Crissy
www.whimsicalfawn.com
wow!! that's crazy and amazing at the same time at how you found these flowers! they are indeed very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteKierra | Lavishingg
Their previous purpose matters not. These flowers were intended for you.
ReplyDeletearoseisinbloom.blogspot.com
Who would throw such gorgeous flowers?! Okay, now I´m asking the same questions as you. But it boggles my min. Although I´d love to find some gorgeous flower just on the street myself. Fingers crossed you´ll find some more in the future. There is no easier and cheaper way to get gorgeous flowers, is there? :D
ReplyDeletexx Lisa | Following Lisa
This is incredible! I wonder what the reason was. My first thought was something like a florist throwing them out after the arrangement had been ordered but not picked up. But still, that's a lot to be throwing out. The flowers are in such good shape, though, I can't think of a reason! Oh well, I guess somethings we never understand. Either way, I'm glad you're getting enjoyment from them :)
ReplyDeleteI think my favourite is the second arrangement, but can you imagine receiving that heart as a gesture?
Erin
http://sexycardi.blogspot.ca
oh wow! these are sooo beautiful! their loss your gain!
ReplyDeletePam xo/ Pam Scalfi♥
They look so beautiful & fresh too! They really do look like a memorial service kind of flowers. I'm glad you found them & was able to enjoy the beauty of flowers. What a waste to just toss them.
ReplyDeleteThose flowers look so great, I'm glad you were able to get them! Someone trash is someone else's treasure!
ReplyDeleteIt's a true story. :]
ReplyDeleteThat's true. Someone threw them out for good reason. But...what was the reason? :]
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful. :]
ReplyDeleteI'm loving them! :]
ReplyDeleteBizarre & beautiful indeed. Still in awe of the whole thing. :]
ReplyDeleteI know! Too pretty. :]
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Their trash. My treasure. :]
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm thinking too. It makes the most sense. :]
ReplyDeleteIt was seriously such a strange ordeal, but at least I have a nice story! :]
ReplyDeleteOh yes. :]
ReplyDeleteI'm curious as well, but I guess I just have to move on. I always look on the ground for any little treasures. :]
ReplyDeleteIt's a good story to tell. :]
ReplyDeleteWell put. :]
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping you'll find a gorgeous, enormous flower arrangement very soon. :D
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Pam! :]
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought at first too, Erin. Some sort of damage or error. But...we'll never know (unless they see this post & leave a comment). :]
ReplyDeleteThey were very fresh. It must've been from that day. :]
ReplyDeleteI would have scooped the flowers up as well. They are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteWow these flowers are gorgeous and the story is great too, it was like reading a novel :) I would have done the same, it is sad that these flowers were thrown away but fortunately you were there to collect and enjoy them! :)
ReplyDeleteYiota
Pinkdaisyloves.blogspot.com.cy
They're starting to wilt & wither up now but still beautiful. :]
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one. :]
ReplyDeleteThanks Yiota. I was certainly trying to articulate the story as it unfolded for me. :]
ReplyDeleteLove the story telling that you have done in this post! Such a shame that these flowers in the bin but I'm glad you took them and made a good home for them! <3
ReplyDeleteThe Dazzle Guide
omg that is amazing! the bouquets are sooo beautiful, especially those red roses. lucky lucky you, I hope you enjoyed them! xo
ReplyDeletewww.aboutabeautifullife.com
Those flowers are so beautiful, that is such a lovely story!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a well deserved treat
What Raj Wants
I love this post! I would have definitely done the same as you x
ReplyDeleteLouise | helloteddy.co.uk
Free is good, right!? :]
ReplyDeleteYay, I love them so much. :]
ReplyDeleteThe roses were especially fancy. :]
ReplyDeleteMaybe the person who threw them out wanted somebody else to enjoy them. :]
ReplyDeleteThose flowers are beautiful and must cost a fortune!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting story Carmen, you are posting such an impressive story always, I like your blog indeed !Aebersold Florist
ReplyDelete