Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Newberry.
Hi Leslie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always had a deep love for flowers, the beauty they bring and the happiness they spark. While I’ve managed to keep a few hardy plants alive for a while, most eventually didn’t make it.
In 2020, while searching for home decor, I stumbled across sola wood flowers. I was instantly intrigued by their uniqueness and the endless creative possibilities they offered, plus, they never wilt or die! Curious and inspired, I purchased some wood flowers and started crafting pieces for my home. I quickly fell in love with the process. Each arrangement felt like its own little work of art, and I loved how they could last forever without any watering or maintenance. What started as a personal hobby soon grew into something more. I began gifting my creations to friends and family, and their reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Before long, people began requesting custom order, and that’s how Always N Bloom LLC began.
I started by creating pieces from home and selling them on social media, as well as participating in local market days in Kenedy, Falls City, Poth, and even at the Vintage Market Days of Greater San Antonio. My passion later expanded into wedding florals, where I began designing bridal bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, and more.
By 2022, my little business had outgrown my home, so my husband and I decided to restore a small dairy barn that’s been in his family since the 1950s. After years of sitting empty, we gave it new life and transformed it into my creative haven, the “Always N Bloom Flower Barn.” Today, I still attend local markets when I can, and I also open the Flower Barn for special shopping days, holidays, or by just by appointment.
This May marks five wonderful years of creating with sola wood flowers. To celebrate both my business anniversary and Mother’s Day, I’m hosting a special pop-up event at the Always N Bloom Flower Barn on Saturday, May 10, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Creating with wood flowers over the past five years has brought me so much joy. It’s incredibly fulfilling to design something beautiful, whether it’s a bridal bouquet or a home decor piece, that my customers can treasure for a lifetime.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting my business has been an incredibly rewarding journey, but it hasn’t come without its challenges. One of the biggest obstacles I’ve faced has been learning how to actually operate and manage a small business. Before starting Always N Bloom, I spent several years teaching kindergarten. I hold a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, but I had no formal education in business. So I had to do my research, figuring out how to form an LLC, stay compliant with state sales tax regulations, and manage the financial responsibilities that come with owning a business, especially during tax season.
Another challenge has been creating a healthy work-life balance. I genuinely love what I do, and in the beginning, I wanted to create all the time! If I could find a way to incorporate a wood flower into something, anything, I was all in.
But I’m also a wife of 20 years to my husband Joey, and a mom to two amazing boys, ages 16 and 13. My family is the absolute joy of my life, and with the boys involved in numerous sports and extracurricular activities, our schedule stays full. That meant I had to learn when I could pour myself into creating, and when I needed to be fully present for my family. Balancing a busy family life with the demands of launching and growing a small business has definitely taken time and intentional effort.
Lastly, one of the biggest hurdles has been that I am a one-woman show. Working with wood flowers is incredibly time-intensive. Even using the natural colors, the cream and bark, it can take hours, or even days, to build a single bouquet, arrangement, or centerpiece. If I hand-paint, airbrush, or dip-dye the flowers, that timeline stretches even further. Painted flowers can take 24 to 48 hours just to dry before I can begin arranging. And when it comes to large wedding orders, it often takes months to complete them, which means I have to pause work on other projects during that time.
I don’t share any of this to complain, I truly love what I do, but rather to acknowledge the dedication and perseverance it takes to run a creative business solo. Every challenge has been a lesson, and each one has helped shape Always N Bloom into what it is today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Always N Bloom isn’t just a wood flower business, it’s a heartfelt journey rooted in creativity, resilience, and an unwavering love for beauty that lasts. I pour countless hours into painting, arranging, and perfecting each piece by hand. Creating these wood flower pieces allows for endless creativity, customization, and, best of all, permanence. Every arrangement is a handcrafted labor of love, designed to be treasured for years, not days. It is not just about flowers for me, it’s about bringing joy, telling stories, and creating lasting beauty. It’s the kind of small business where every order has a story, every customer is remembered, and every flower holds a little piece of my heart.
How do you think about luck?
Luck may have nudged me toward discovering wood flowers at just the right moment, and perhaps I stumbled upon opportunities that helped my business bloom. But luck alone didn’t build Always N Bloom. It took an eye for beauty, a drive to learn, and the passion to turn a simple hobby into something more.
Luck may have planted the seed, but love, grit, and hard work made it grow.
Pricing:
- Prices vary with each piece depending on size, amount of greenery, and quantity of flowers.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alwaysnbloom.leslie?igsh=eGszNjc2YW5jZjNy&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063615461537&mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
