Hi! My name is Tessa Reams and I’m the owner of Keepsake Flowers & More (KeepsakesbyTessa.com). Along with my husband-to-be, Steven, this adventure has taken us from hobbyists to enthusiasts, and finally, entrepreneurs. Our story began in January of 2015, when I lost my adoptive mother/biological grandmother. At her bedside was a single pink carnation that remained from a Christmas bouquet I had given her. In case you’re not an expert on flower symbolism, a quick Google search reveals the pink carnation’s meaning to be “a mother’s undying love.” I immediately realized I HAD to keep this flower but knew literally nothing about preserving them. The advice I received was to simply press it or hang it upside down, but that seemed too risky – what if I ruined it?? THIS flower was too important to lose, so I dove headfirst into learning as much as I could about floral preservation. This is also where I learned how expensive it is to pay someone else to save my precious flower. Between the various expenses that come with losing a loved one and the time taken off work, I simply didn’t have the expendable cash right now. The other commodity I didn’t have was the time to save up for it (a flower can only stay refrigerated for so long.) This is the reason behind my compassionate approach to doing business.