Sending Smiles ~

 Here are just few flowers that came in this past week that made us happy, happy, happy. How can you not look at this Blue Peppermint Hydrangea (above) and Sunset Mini callas (below) and not just say - aaahhhh. It's fun getting in new varieties of flowers coming through the Dutch market and these were 2 of our favorites. I'm sure we'll order them in again real soon!  Now moving on to some fun plants, we just got in these elegant anthurium plants. Don't you just love these waxy little heart shaped flowers. These plants had tons and tons of blooms and I doubt they will hang around long once our customers see them.

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.

Flowers like this make me dreamy. I can imagine rolling up between the petals and falling off to dreamland in a fluffy cloud as soft as heaven. Ah, but I can fly away from myself into the world of floral fantasy. How gorgeous is this deep purple lisianthus? A flower often confused with a rose, each long stem has multiple bloomed flowers and "yet to open" buds. The stem is rather narrow and weak but is surprising strong giving how much weight is positioned at the tippy top. With multiple blooms and buds, the stem tends to arch and drape rather than stand straight up, again, part of it's subtle beauty that says "take me as I am, I'm not perfect but I'm lovely. I'm not weak but resilient."  Yes, yes, I know, you are wondering, "what the heck is Georgianne on today" but truly, when I look at flowers as gorgeous as this one, it's how I talk to myself. Soft mind full whispers of joy bounce around my head reminding me of why I love flowers,

  We all love fresh cut flowers! Well, you do, don't you? I love talking about flowers, writing about flowers, educating folks about flowers - all things floral - yup that's me. This week, we were excited when one of our photos was used in a National Floral Blog written by Flower Shop Network. To see that blog follow this LINK and thanks to them, I'm sharing a tidbit of information on how best to care for your fresh cut flowers.  Tips for Extending The Life of Your Flowers Avoid Extremes. Keep fresh flowers away from drafts and extreme temperatures, which can quickly dry out the flowers and cause wilting. Avoid The Sun. Avoid placing flower arrangements in windowsills and other areas with full sun where flowers can wilt due to overheating. Keep Cool. Most flowers will last longer under cool conditions. Keep it Filled. All flower and foliage stems should be submerged. Flowers stay fresher, longer when they can get a drink! Remove Wilted Flowers. Immediat

Have you ever wondered about those cool Echeveria Plants you are seeing all over these days? We love designing with these little guys. Sometimes we use them as a "cut" flower like this one which is left to float on a sea of polished river stones while other times we buy them as an actual plant that is still in soil. They are such a great addition to any floral arrangement or a bridal bouquet. Natural and long lasting, these tiny drought resistance plants come in all different sizes and shapes and some even have slight color variations like this one that has pink tips. In the cactus family, they don't need much water so they make an ideal compliment for your desk at work or coffee table at home. It feels wonderful to have fresh, living things in our environment so why not these adorable little succulent plants! To see these and other natural product we have for sale in the shop, why not visit our website at www.sendingsmiles.com or our facebook page at www.facebook.c

Isn't January the perfect time to Reorganize and Refresh? If you are in retail, it really is! This January has been no exception for us. This year, right after new years, we did a complete reorganization of our Floral Design area. Not only was it our chance to really do a good cleaning but also look to at our space from a production point of view. We've always had space for 6 designers to work at one time but it was a bit more disjointed than I would have liked. Moving our storage units and flipping the design benches, now all 6 designers can work near each other, sharing flowers, design recipe books and other materials in a more efficient manner. Now the designers are all only steps away from the flower cooler, the sinks and everything else they need to complete their designs quickly. Did you know that at our Princeton location that we have 2 large coolers - one that measures 12 feet by 15 feet and another that is 12 feet by 9 feet? Having the flowers stored and orga

Those times, they are a changin'. Is that a song? I can hear the melody in my head but I don't remember the exact words. But wow, if that is not the truth these days, I don't know what is. Years ago, if you owned a retail floral shop, you prepped your flowers, made them into pretty arrangements in your display coolers and lined up buckets and buckets of loose flowers for customers to choose from. The phone rang and you talked to customers about their needs and hung up by telling them you'd make  pretty arrangement and have it delivered in a jiffy. Then supermarkets started adding floral departments, making it less likely that you'd pick up flowers for your home at your local florist. Need flowers delivered? Yup, the florist is the best for that as most supermarkets don't deliver and so you started to gravitate towards floral services and retailers that had websites. It was important to be able to shop online and see what you were sending.   Computers are

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we had at the shop. Over 100 floral arrangements and centerpieces were delivered the day before the holiday and everyone seemed quite pleased with their fresh flowers. Now, with December 1st  just around the corner, how thoughts turn towards the holiday. Don't let the 60 degree temps fool you, it definitely time for Christmas cheer and gift shopping.  This year we added a new balloon bouquet to our offerings. This bouquet of 6 helium filled mylar balloons is super festive and a fun gift for kids of all ages only $34.95.  When you walk in the front door of our Princeton shop you are greeted by our Christmas tree that is loaded with tiny stuffed animals, lolly pops and many different styles of Christmas ornaments. Each and everything on the tree is for sale, of course and many make great stocking stuffer's.  Winter Welcome, this slate hanging sign is so pretty and can be displayed for years to come, only $14.95. What  In a rush and

Ok, ok, I know what you thinking. Why do you have Christmas product displayed at the shops already?? Right, come on, you were thinking it. I could hear you through my computer but honestly it's because people seem to want to buy it. Take these pretty ornaments that just came in. The first day we displayed them, someone came in and bought 2 right off the bat!   Another cute product to arrive are the funny, little pillows and matching coffee mug - nice until proven naughy, the nice list is over-rated. How cute! How could we not put them out when they make us laugh just reading them.    Above and below is some of our fall products. Every year at this time we bring back our peanut brittle - yum and our fall and winter scented candles from Yankee Candles.  Don't forget about our $5 Friday specials. Each Friday we have a special floral deal for only $15. Last week we had mixed bouquets that normally would sell for $15 for only $5 bucks. You can't beat that!  Popcorn, popcorn

It's time for pumpkins, leaves and wheat being added to our fresh arrangements. It's also time for Corporate Meetings like this one. What's more depressing then a schedule of all day meetings just as the summer is ending. With our minds remembering summer vacations, time with family in the backyard cooking hamburgers and hot summer nights, do we really want to be inside? I suspect not but life goes on and this company knows it. What better way to ease your staff into meetings, seminars and brain storming sessions but by including fresh flower arrangements? Perhaps they heard that Harvard, Rutgers and others have done studies that show that having flowers in the work environment help to stimulate creating thinking!! As found on the "About Flowers" Website: The behavioral research, conducted by a team at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, identifies the factors most likely to impact 21st century employee well being, commitment and productivity.

We love creating flowers for special events, especially ones that take place in the home. What fun it is to match the colors and style of a room. Today we set up flowers for one of our bridal families. Because they are expecting many guests at the home starting tonight and all through the wedding weekend, they thought it would be a nice touch to add flowers in various parts of the house. This piece was created for the dining room table and matches the decor and colors of the room. This next arrangement greeted guests as they entered the home. We used flowers such as chocolate anthiurum, free spirit roses, safari sunset and pincushion protea, curly willow branches along with seeded eucalyptus and bronze colored cushion mums. The flowers add a cozy feel to an already lovely home, don't you think? 

Anyone that knows me knows that I just love Social Media. I'm a social person at heart but generally speaking my "career" really keeps me from getting out much. I meet brides and spend tons of time with my employees as well as husband (as he works here too) but that can be the extent of my days, weeks and months. And so, my social media has been a way for me to stay in touch with friends, family, past brides, customers and other florists. I love posting photos. Pics of the shops, the staff, our wedding flowers but I also have a fascination with taking photos of food. It always cracks me up to think that I might post a picture of an exquisite bridal bouquet and get a thumbs up or 2 and maybe a comment here or there but when I post photos of what I have made for Kevin and I for dinner, it's shocking what happens! The photo above left was Cod Loin from just this past Saturday and I guess it looked so good to some that they asked for my recipe. The photo above right, is

At both of our flower shops, we pride ourselves on always have sweet, funky, fresh and fun floral arrangemens ready to go for our walk in customers. This pretty basket was created by Designer Holly (who happens to also manage our Design Team). Shocking lilies (yes, that is their name) and matching roses accented with a sweet orange butterfly - well who could ask for more! Imagine presenting this to someone for their birthday or bringing it with you on a get well hospital visit. I can't imagine their face doing anything other than smiling - can you? To see more of our floral designs be sure to visit our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/localflorist or our website at http://www.sendingsmiles.com/

Have you ever noticed how a color can affect you? I've noticed that what is pleasing to one person could be a total downer for another. For example, I love the colors in this bouquet. When I see them they make me feel happy and calm and everything warm and fuzzy. Recently I was helping a family to choose some sympathy flowers and they really wanted lots of color. When discussing what exact colors they liked together, when I mentioned blues or purples, they expressed that they did not want any purple or blue because to them, they were very morose. Wow, what a strong, negative word for a color that makes me happy. It just goes to prove a point. A color that would be seen as positive for one could be seen as a negative to another. When buying flowers for yourself, choose flowers in colors that make you happy and remind you of fond memories. When buying flowers as a gift take clues from what color car they drive or clothes they wear. Let's face it, colors have played important r

Last month I was given an assignment - show flowers in the home. Well, that's just perfect for me being I love taking photos and I love flowers. I was put to the task by a wonderful person at Society of American Florists, Jenny Scala who is the Director of Consumer Marketing. Seems that they were updating their blog site known as Flower Factor. Having fun with my new duty, I took home several floral arrangements made by our designer Rocio and went to work taking pictures. I especially loved this arrangement in a cube because even though the flowers are mostly common, it's just so sweet and vibrant. I also loved the ribbon treatment Rocio did, making the flowers look like a fresh, natural present. The perfect gift, don't you think? For floral inspiration, visit them at http://www.aboutflowersblog.com/ and be on the look out for more photos of flowers in my house!   To see more of our design work visit our website at http://www.sendingsmiles.com/ and our wedding design

Don't you just love these orchid plants that just arrived today? They are almost 3 feet tall came in the most amazing colors. These lovely plants are locally grown down in in South Jersey in a brand new green house. How about sending one as a house warming present or to say congrats on the new job? To see more of our plant selection visit our website at http://www.sendingsmiles.com/

•Do I have to give red roses on Valentine's Day? NO! People love receiving flowers such as tulips, daisies, gerbers and orchids, not to mention roses in other colors. Mixed spring bouquets are the next most popular choice to send on Valentine's Day from our shop. •Does my flower gift have to be a huge bouquet of flowers and cost a lot? Of course not! A single bloom you picked out by hand at your local florist will mean just as much as a whole dozen of roses. Your flower purchase should be relative to what you feel is comfortable for you to spend. There are many options to choose from. Save some real dough by checking out our promotion codes at the bottom of this e-mail! •Why do red flowers seem to cost more during the holiday? Simple supply and demand. Not enough supply and high demand.Go with the crowd and send red flowers or stand out by being creative and most likely, you'll save some money. •What are some other great gift ideas for the holiday? We sells

Have you ever noticed how many birthdays there are in December? In our business, we certainly see the ebbs and flows of life events such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and sympathies. In addition to Christmas and Hanukkah, December is always busy for us with folks needing to send thoughts of comfort and sympathy. What a terrible time of year to loose a loved one. We take great pride in providing beautiful floral arrangements for viewings and services, just like Holly is doing for this recent service. A spring like mixture of flowers in shades of pinks and creams using roses, gerber, snaps and orchids. To see more of our sympathy work visit our sympathy website at http://www.sendingsympathy.com/ and for happier occasions shop us at http://www.sendingsmiles.com/

Did you know our Princeton shop is located in the Princeton Forrestal Village? Yes we are and we are just up from the Westin Hotel and are located between Exquisite Brides (how convenient to be located next to that) and Tre Piani and Tre Bar (again, how convenient is that?)! We've actually been in the Village for just over 12 years and we really love it. We moved out of downtown Princeton when we lost our lease and needed more space. People often ask if anyone finds us in this mixture of corporate and retail and the answer is yes they do. We actually do a very brisk walk in and thanks to customer deciding to shop local and the recession lightening up it's grip a bit, our walk in is up this year very nicely. We make speedy delivery into down town Princeton, the whole Route 1 corridor, all of Mercer County, parts of Middlesex and Somerset, not to mention Lower Buck, each and every day. Offering delivery to over 70 zip codes keeps our 3 to 5 delivery trucks busy all day long,