Flowers & Friends : Episode 05 | Anna Barger

So, have you done this before? I haven't. You haven't? I've never, no. Oh wow. And like lion's heads. Or sunflowers. Yes. Or is that what they're called? Teddy bear sunflowers. Teddy bear, not lion's heads. Yeah, lion's heads. We'll start with greenery. Pull it apart. So this one stem can probably cover this whole vase. So you started in network? I worked at the Rachel Ray Show and Drew Barrymore's pilot show before it launched. I sometimes think it has to be perfect, but it really does. I think the perfectly imperfect is the best way to do flowers. And mixing weird things that don't necessarily go together, that's sort of our philosophy at Papa. I was at the Tonight Show for nine months, and then I had the, I'm 23, oh my gosh, what am I doing with my life? I don't know if I'm passionate about production, and so that's when I was in my era of having a bunch of different jobs. I was a yoga instructor. Okay, love that. I babysat. I worked on different production sets. I worked at Equinox as a lifeguard. Yeah, I think the period of being quote unquote lost was what got me to where I am today. It's formative to be lost, broke, trying to survive. Hustling in New York. Hustling. I think about my period of life of that all the time. I actually said it recently, I'm like, I would go back for one week, not in my current state. I want to go back in time for one week and be a total disaster and trying to keep it together, because it just makes you appreciate where you are now. And being okay with being lost was the key to me figuring out what I want to do, actually, instead of just pretending. I think we can kind of build them around the base, and then we'll start adding in all these little fun. And then you just recently moved. I did, yes. Are you loving your new apartment? I love it. This is my first time living in New York alone, so it's so fun. My makeup and my purses are all in my kitchen. Is it a work in progress? It's still a work in progress. I don't have anything on my walls. So I lived alone when I was in Paris for three months. That was a trial run of living alone. And that's really brave, because do you know a lot of people there? I have one best friend that lives there, but other than that, I didn't know anyone. You seem like an in the moment girl. Yes. Yeah, New York is so inspiring, I'm sure for your work as well. There's so many creatives here. How are we looking from this side? It's beautiful. So another thing I always say to do is kind of get eye level with it. So let's add one big guy right there. Maybe one of these, actually. This looks like the back of your head when you don't have a back mirror. You know what? I never know what the back of my head looks like, and that's none of my business. Do you want to take this home with you? Oh my god, yes. I'm so excited. No, I'm going to sell it, actually. What is that? This? Yeah. So this is a poppy. You want to add a little poppy in. Yep, perfect. So we're lighting the flower on fire. We're lighting it on fire. We want her to peek out, so you'll cut at an angle. And with these, the sap is flammable. The sap is not flammable. But it's poisonous, so if you put this in with the rest of your flowers, it creates bacteria in the water. So it kills all the other flowers? Yes. I mean, it's a little dramatic. I'm not really sure. This is just what they teach us to do, whoever they are. But you have to basically burn. That vodka, a little shot of vodka, makes tulips break up. Is that true? So do you do that? That's a true, like... Oh, wow. See, I learned that from TikTok. So I never really know. There are, like, TikTok trends that sometimes I'm like, hmm, that's a good one. And there's just, like, you can do a penny, you can do vodka, you can do, like, a little bit of bleach. I love how furry it is. I know. And it's also... Like, this is, like, the patch of hair that I miss when I shave my legs. Yes, exactly. This is called reflexing, which we do with roses, but we do with tulips, too. And you basically are going to, like, gently peel the petals back. And it's going to look like a completely different flower. So when you buy, like, tulips at the bodega, this is how you stuff them up. What would be your perfect day in New York? A workout. Yes. A matcha and a cute coffee shop situation. Get dressed, go to a park, meet up with a friend, picnic. You pack your own food for the picnic, or do you, like, gather things along the way? Usually stop by the grocery store and pick up some things for a picnic. And then at night, there's so many different options. Yeah. Comedy show, or if I have a friend in town, they always want to go to a Broadway, or some sort of cute bar. Where do you draw inspiration from? Fashion influencers in Europe, whether that's Lisbon or Amsterdam. And some of them are my girlfriends, but they have the coolest style. Right. It just, like, looks effortless. It does. They've got on flip-flops, and then they get on their bikes, and they've got, like, flowers in their bikes. It's not for the look. It's just, like, for life. That's just what they do. That's just their vibe. So, what do you want to say with your flowers? I think I want to say, I love you, because you can't say I love you enough. You cannot.