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Showing posts from February, 2010

To Pin or Not To Pin, That is the Question

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Brides sometimes ask me if the men in weddings have to wear a boutonniere. I usually tell them, of course not, but it is nice. Same goes for Proms. If the fellow does not want one, don't force it but isn't it nice during special occasions to wear a flower. Call me old fashioned but I still remember the flower I purchased for my Junior Prom date. A blue carnation. I know, I know but dyed flowers are making a come back!! Anyway, I know that sometimes putting on the boutonniere can be a bit of a lesson in coordination but it doesn't need to be difficult. Feel free to watch my Youtube video that show where and how to correctly place on a boutonniere. Monday Morning Flowers - YouTube

My Home, My Business(es)

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Have you ever had someone walk into your house and say something nice about it? Doesn't that make you all warm and fuzzy? Personally, I'm a homebody. To me my house is my castle, my sanctuary but if truth be told, so are both my shops. When someone walks in and says something nice about them, I'm so happy. Yesterday I met with a bride and she was so complimentary about my Bridal Showroom. It just gave me the warm and fuzzies inside! Well, today it's snowing - again. I love the snow but I especially love the way both my shops look in the snow. First off, our new Yardley location is off the "quaint" meter in the snow and the picture above proves it !! Our Princeton shop with it's lovely woodwork and big open windows, is also a charmer. Today is the third major snow fall we've had, not good for business but honestly, don't my shops look adorable in the snow? To the left is my house. It also looks amazing in a snow storm. Nice to be inside, all wa

And then there was one...

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Do you have trouble deciding what flowers to send to your mom? Can't decide on what type of flowers to use in your bridal bouquet or in the floral centerpieces for your corporate function? Looking to make your floral purchase seem more grand for the dollars being spent? Sometimes the simple way is the best way! Simple means one or maybe two types of flowers and one color. What better way to showcase a gorgeous bloom by multiplying it by 10 or even 20? Creating bouquets that are all one flower, really allow the shape and texture of the flower being used to stand out. If you love a particular flower by itself, chances are you'll love it if many of the same bloom are grouped together. Keep it to one color and it really makes a strong statement! Do you love the softness of hydrangea? Hydrangea is the perfect flower to stand alone in large groupings of 10 or 20 blooms. What drama unfolds as they burst out like little pink, blue or lavender clouds! What about using a single flo

Simple White...

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When you were a little girl and dreamed of your wedding day, there's a good chance that you dreamed of wearing a long white gown while you carried a gorgeous bridal bouquet of white flowers Classic and elegant, creams and white flowers complement your gown without competing. Worried that a white bouquet is boring? Never! Create texture and drama by using flowers in various shades of white and cream. Flowers of different shapes and sizes also add dimensions. The bouquet to the left is lightly accented with pearl studded stephanotis and lisianthus buds give this bouquet softness. What about the simple bouquet to the right? The bouquet was the perfect complement to bride Jennifer's gorgeous gown. Tiny rhinestones along her bodice were the perfect inspiration for her pretty bracelet and rhinestone studded stephanotis. Cream colored roses created depth and a light collar of white ostrich feathers soften and the bouquet and looked fantastic against her soft tulle skirt. The

Stop Thinking and Listen to Your Heart!

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That almost sounds like a song but it's what I tell my brides when they are having trouble deciding on their wedding flowers. Those of us that love flowers might find it hard to believe that others don't share our enthusiasm but if the truth was told, some brides find choosing their wedding flowers to be stressful. That's when I tell them, don't think with your head, think with your heart!! When you look at a flower or color and it makes you all giddy, that's a good thing. Look for flowers that make you get butterflies. The ones that make you smile. Whenever I'm showing brides pictures of our work and they say "Well, that would be ok", I'm quick to say "I don't want you say it's ok, I want you to say you love it"! Sometimes we get caught up in trying to please those around us or we feel pressure to do whatever is expected, so much so that we loose touch with our creative side. We loose touch with our own feelings and if we can&#

Do I Have to Order Flowers for Valentine's Day?

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No, of course not, no one is forcing you to!! That being said we sincerely hope that you include flowers in your life as a gift giving option. Valentine's Day (or week, as we like to call it) is one of the busiest floral holidays of the year and rightly so. Few gifts are as emotional as flowers and few holidays are more personal than Valentine's Day! Perhaps the real beginning of flower giving as we know it today was in the Middle Ages, where flowers where given as tokens of affection by lovers. In a conservative society giving particular flowers in the flower delivery could act as a secret message from the giver to the recipient. Flower delivery was an early form of the text message, then, with perhaps a little more subtlety and a lot more beauty! Of course, red roses have always been viewed as the most romantic flowers to express love but with an endless assortment to choose from, the possibilities are endless! But as with all supply and demand, when the demand goes up, sup

I May Be Hard to Keep Up With But I'm Already Behind!!

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Oh boy, that makes me laugh when I say it but in business it’s so true. A few years back, I was having a talk with a trusted employee who was a bit frustrated with me. His complaint was that he was feeling a bit off balance. “Every time I think I know what you want me to do, you ask me to do more or do it better. You are impossible to keep up with”! My response was, “I may be hard to keep up with, but I’m always behind”. He looked at me thoughtfully and told me that he had no idea what I was talking about. As a business owner, how much stuff are we hit with day in and day out? I don’t know about you but I’m not only stimulated, but I’m over stimulated with things I have to do, things I should do and things I have no idea how to do but need to learn. It’s great to do what you’ve done before. You know how to do it and you can guess what the results will be. For most of us this includes the purchasing and designing side of our business. Face it, as florists we all love buying flowers and

Finally!! It's Ready!

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It's been a long month of cleaning out the old and into the new but alas, maybe not so new! Our Yardley shop has finally been relocated and has opened at our new address of 45 East Afton Ave in a 240 year old building!  For those of you unfamiliar with Yardley it's just up the street and around the corner and it promises to be worth the wait. Three cozy rooms, 2 with fireplaces and a huge parking lot make the trip worth the effort. Cards, plants, gifts, stuffed animals, wreaths and of course, flowers galore await our customers. You know the saying "It's meant to be". That's how I feel about finding this new location. Right off the bat, I was drawn to the space. To put it mildly, before I even had the building owner show me inside, I wanted this as my new store. "Don't be too excited when you meet the landlord", said my husband. You can't appear too eager. Well, Max is a wonderful man but I'm not sure if he noticed the gleem in my eye. My