Sending Smiles ~

Ok, don't tell Designer Norman this (because his ego is big enough) but folks who view his online photos and videos just love him. One fan said "When I see his smile, I can't help but smile with him". So yes, I'm a sucker for Norman too because when I'm not wanting to choke him, he makes me laugh. If you have never seen one of his videos, you are in for a treat. All it takes is Shop Coordinator Sheryl prompting him and off he goes as you can see from the videos below. If you want a chuckle, they are worth a look!

You can't teach an old dog new tricks... well, I'm not sure I fall into the category of being an old dog, but I certainly can learn new tricks. Kevin and I just got back from the Retail Success Summit put on by Bob and Susan Negan at WhizBang Training. Bob and Susan are 2 of our favorite business people and we've been learning from them for over 5 years now. Running through the heart of the conference was putting the customer first while giving them an amazing shopping experience. As you can see from the photo above, I had my coffee and I was ready to put my customer first and improve my business. The conference took place in Grand Rapids, Michigan (what a lovely city, not that we saw much but from what we did see, it was super nice) and with over 500 Independent Retailers in attendance. Marketing stategies, customer service, social media and personal improvement were all on the agenda and Kevin and I took page after page of notes and came up with many action items t...

Every week we have been ordering in a different variety of Dutch Hydrangea and this weeks is amazing! It's so much fun being a florist.  This is Magical Amethyst Hydrangea, produces giant spherical flower heads that open lime green that change to pink then back to soft green with pink edges. All we can say is WOW! What do you think? To see these beauties in person, come visit our shop in Princeton, NJ or Yardley, PA or better yet, send some to a friend.

 Ring, ring, ring - Us: "Hello, Monday Morning Flowers, how can I help you?" Customer: "We need 30 floral centerpieces in 2 hours, can you help us?" Us: "Of course, we'll deliver them for you in 2 hours!" Customer: "It's my anniversary today and I need something sent our fast. What should I send to my wife?" Us: "How about a dozen of our Premium roses made by designer Norman? She'll love it" We have fun at the shop and we all work hard to be able to say Yes to our customers. To see more of our custom designs or learn more about our shop visit our website at www.sendingsmiles.com

 The weekend of June 15th and 16th had us doing three full sized weddings and what fun we had working on 3. Ah, how can you go wrong with sunny yellow in June? Imagine the brides maids carrying these as they walk down the aisle at the Molly Pitcher in out on the water in Red Bank. The bouquet above was made using bright yellow gerbera daisies, Gelosia roses, cream hydrangea, white and yellow daisy pom poms and yellow craspedia (billy balls - hehehe). How bright and vibrant they are and we can't wait to see the professional shots of bride Amy's brides maids carrying these adorable bouquets. A nautical themed wedding, accents of blue were added to the centerpieces, place card and altar decor but for the bouquets we simply added a navy and white striped ribbon for the nautical touch. Below is the bridal bouquet of white roses, and white mini gerbera daisies accented with those round yellow Craspedia. A touch of lime green make it all pop and give a very fresh and natural ...

 Flowers, flowers, and more flowers. I'm such a sucker for flowers and no matter where I am, if I have a camera, I have to take a picture. Like the photo above. While walking through Dublin last summer with the hubby, we came up on these amazing (wow, they were huge) planters filled with petunias (or at least that's what I think they are). It must be the climate there (a bit rainy and cool) that allows these to get so big because here in New Jersey and Pennsylvania I envision them burning up before they ever get this large. Below is a photo of a tiny flower I spied while walking back to my room at the hotel in Palm Springs when I was there in September at the Society of American Florist Conference.  Here at the shop we often deal in cut flowers and not the "planted, garden" variety but we love them all, just the same. Do you love taking pictures of flowers while on vacation as much as we do? If so, we'd love to see some of your photos so feel free to share t...

It's all in the details when you have accent colors like black and teal. Our bride Linzee wanted just touches in her white bouquet to pick up on her super cool color theme. After much searching for something fun but elegant, I decided on these wired black beads over the top of the teal ribbon wrapping the stems. I can't wait to see the photos her photographer gets. There are also black and teal accents among the mini callas in her bouquet but until it's delivered tomorrow that remains under wraps! I'll be sure to post after it's been delivered and the bride herself has the pleasure of seeing her amazing bridal bouquet - and it is amazing!! To see this and other of our floral design, visit our website at www.perfectweddingflowers.com or our main website at www.sendingsmiles.com

Ah, that is the question. Those who know me, know that I would answer that question with a resounding yes. Why? I love being Social. I love getting to know people and having them get to know me and my company. I was born to be a Social Media person but mostly what I love about it, is the fact that without having to leave my business, I can get to know others and they can get to know me. Years ago business was done by folks go out into a local business, seeing the owner, their staff, learning about what they had to offer. Years later, there was the phone and then next came website - a bit impersonal but still a wonderful addition. Did you know that on our website, the most often read page after the Homepage is our About Us page? That's because folks want to know more about us - know who we are on a personal level so they can determine if they wish to business with us. As a small retailer we've had great success in gaining new customers through social media such as blog...

I have to admit, I like flowers of all kinds, even ones that have gotten a little help from mankind such as these blue dyed dendrobium orchids. When you visit European countries, you'll notice that they love colorful flowers and have no issue with giving mother nature a leg up on both color and glitter - Yes, I said glitter. I especially love dyed daises and even these rainbow roses below. If you are thinking they are inexpensive because they are dyed, think again, these flowers come at a premium cost, not the other way around. Although, not for everyone, these dyed flowers can be fun and kwirky and depending how they are used can really start a conversation. We've even used them for weddings like this one for our bride Megan and few years back. Whether or not you love blue dyed orchids or roses or rainbow daisies or roses, you have to admit, they sure are different and if you love unexpected color, these little dyed beauties might be worth a second look! ...

Guest Blog By: Our very own - Kevin Vinicombe Most people aren’t aware of the significant Helium shortage currently in the United States until they try to purchase Helium filled Balloons from their local Party Shop or Florist.   Some retailers that use Helium for decorating or resale are finding it increasingly difficult to secure a supply; some vendors are rationing or completely cutting off retailers. Unfortunately the shortage as been creeping up on us for a long time, some experts say it began in the 1996 when the US Government starting selling their reserves to private refiners as part of the Helium Privatization Act.   This made helium a plentiful resource for years, until recently. Helium is extracted during the same process with Natural Gas and since we’ve experienced a mild Winter the extraction of Natural Gas has been minimized even though there is plenty of Gas available.   It boils down to basic Economics of Supply/Demand and Cost/Benefit for the comp...

 I love giving helpful tips to save money when you need to decorate for wedding or other party. Here are a few of my favorites. The big, tall cylinder vases filled simply with river stones and three huge gerbers really make a big show on a table. Use them alone or pair off with other vase creations for more drama. Prices starting at $30 at our shop!  Who says a centerpiece has to be huge and have lots of flowers? These cute compotes have moss, berries, ivy and just 3 roses. Super simple but elegant, don't you think? Only $40 each.  How about starting with a vintage or quaint container like this pitcher? Add a single huge hydrangea and some greenery for a casual centerpiece . $28 each.  Have a large space to fill? How about huge vases (rentals of course) with gems, underwater lights and floating candles. What a simple way to fill in a large space and adding lighting at the same time. Expect to pay $18 to $25 per vase.  Our tri candle holders ...

 Last week I had the priviledge of being interviewed by Helen Burton (pictured below) on the Princeton Community Television. How cool it was to drive over to the TV Studio with butterflies in my tummy but full of excitement. For those of you that don't know... my first year of college was spent as a Communications major with the dream of becoming a TV Camera"man" someday. Back in those days, I loved being behind the scenes and even tried my hand at directing, which is just about the scariest thing I ever did! My buddy Mary and I would roam our College campus looking for folks to interview - her out in front of the camera and me behind. Well, this was certainly a change for me and a scary one at that! Being interviewed about what it takes to be in business was super fun and after a few minutes of staring at my hostess Helen, I began to relax and give my honest view points on what it's like to be the "Boss".  The program is called Skyrock Your Business a...