Blooming with Confidence

08.11.24 05:31 PM By Allison Kwasniak

Showcasing In Bloom Flowers and Gifts

When you own a small, local business, you want to make sure your branding and professional headshots are nothing short of the best so you can feel confident about standing out in the community! So when Kendra Bills, owner of In Bloom Flowers and Gifts, needed updated headshots for herself and her team, she turned to AK Makeup Artistry and Colbis Photo! I had the pleasure of meeting Kendra and her team at their storefront in uptown Maumee where I was able to provide makeup on site before they headed out for their pictures. All three ladies wanted simple, natural makeup that allowed them to shine through in the pictures. Afterall, they were set in a flower field of their local supplier, Forget Me Not Farms. I stuck to earth tones and Ardell Natural Lashes to give just a touch of added elegance. We also kept their lips neutral with simple glosses that had just a hint of color creating the perfect finishing touch! When asked about the experience, Kendra said, "I enjoyed seeing the finished result of the makeup session of each of my designers and myself.  You captured each of us and our desire to be the best version of ourselves by enhancing the beauty you saw there, not by trying to make us look like someone we're not, but by working to make us feel beautiful in our own skin.  You were so kind and professional and I appreciate all of your efforts to be there for us that day!"

 It was my honor to meet each of them and I loved getting to know more about their shop and what they do! 



Kendra opened the flower shop with her best friend 15 years ago.  They both loved being creative! Kendra shared, "She had a background in the floral business, starting out at Glendale Flowers processing flowers and then moving up to be a designer.  I had always been creative and done more with silk flowers, but always said someday I'd have my own gift shop.  We worked on several events together and she thought I could also design with fresh flowers. so we combined our love of flowers and gifts and dreamed of having our own shop one day.  My husband believed in our dream and helped us purchase a flower shop in Erie, MI.  We spent the first year and a half there and then decided to move the business closer to home and found a great spot in Maumee, OH where it still resides in historic Uptown Maumee today."
The business has grown so much since then, changing and becoming a part of the Maumee community.  Kendra's daughter, Emily, has been added to the team, first in marketing and then designing.  "I'm so proud of her and her accomplishments in such a short amount of time.  She won first place in a contest with Florist Review Magazine for wearable flowers, a fresh floral head piece (her first ever), and we also won an honorable mention for a fall wedding we submitted as well."  To say that they are proud of our work is an understatement, they truly LOVE what they do! and it is evident in the high quality work and superior customer service they deliver! 
Kendra said her favorite part of what she does "is helping people connect with each other through flowers.  Whether it's to celebrate a special occasion, just because, get married or grieve the loss of a loved one, flowers are there.  They help to communicate so many emotions, without even saying a word.  Flowers are there on our best days and on our worst, they speak in a language all their own.  I feel very honored to design with gorgeous flowers and be a part of that in some way." 

You can check out In Bloom Flower and Gifts out for yourself at their annual Holiday Open House this Sunday, November 10th from 12:00 - 4:00 pm. 

Allison Kwasniak