Sending Smiles ~

Well, I'm about a month away from my 45th birthday and my loving husband has yet again surprised me with a trip away in honor of my special day. He told me about it in advance because it's got to be squeeked in between the weddings we do and our employees vacations. A birthday card in March or April (being my birthday is in early July) usually is a sign of a birthday trip!! Last trip was a romantic journey through Italy and Austria, complete with flowers at each stop. It was a wonderful 40th birthday that just seemed to go on and on. This time it's off to the Florida keys, never been there and have always wanted to go. Being a Cancerian and now finding out that the Keys are located in the tropic of Cancer, what else could a little crab want? Isn't it funny how much we look forward to vacation but how amazingly good it feels to get back home? I think going away to far (and not so far) away lands is always a wonderful reminder of how important it is to appreciate what we ...

We've all heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and boy if that isn't the truth, I don't know what it. Being in the business of floral design puts me in the center of this truism just about every day. We've all had this happen. Someone in your life gives you this gift for your birthday or maybe Christmas. They watch you intently as you open the package, bit by bit. They have this look on their face that says "she's gonna love it, I hope she loves it" and of course, you really want to love this gift you are opening. You have all these preconceived notions of what this gift could be. Is it those cool jeans you saw in American Eagle or maybe one of those soft and fuzzy terry cloth robes you saw at Victoria Secrets. The tension mounts. Them looking at you and you intently digging inside the gift box and then it happens.... you unfold the ugliest blouse you have ever seen in your life. You look up into the eyes of the person who's obviously excite...

Why, you might ask, would a florist who has worked 90 hours this week, be taking the time to write a blog? Surely, I deserve a rest! I must confess, that a glass of wine and a warm bubble bath sounds wonderful right about now. The truth is that Mother's Day is an emotional day for me. With no time to really process my feelings and being responsible for helping to make other peoples mother's happy, my thoughts constantly turn towards my own mother. I've noticed over the years that Mother's Day is a very emotional holiday. It's amazing the look on a woman's face when you hand her those flowers! It's what inspires me most in this business. But with all the good and honorable feelings, sometimes negative and discouraging feelings arise. I remember about 6 years ago a woman called me late on Sunday afternoon and wanted me to know that she was most displeased with the flowers she had received from her daughter. I was, of course, very upset and offered to redelive...