Sending Smiles ~

Can flowers be a symbol of success? I say a resounding YES! Have you ever been to a beautiful restaurant and noticed that they have fresh flowers on their front counter or even at every table? Those flowers need to be replaced at least once a week but each week that restaurants pays for them for their space. Why? Simple, people love flowers. Flowers are a symbol of freshness and success. Businesses having trouble paying their staff, rent or other bills don't  buy flowers. Let's be honest, all businesses would love to have fresh flowers in their lobby but not all can afford them. In that way, flowers are a sign of financial success. I remember reading a statement made by Carley Roney, Co-Founder of TheKnot.com which was "with flowers, you get what you pay for" and boy, that is so true. Case in point, this weekend we had 8 weddings and various other parties that we were hired to create floral centerpieces for. We had every price point from $30 to $125! Wow, what a di

I laugh at myself as I write that title but it's funny how every time I have a "grand" revelation (and I use that term loosely) I think - "Wow! I have to write a blog about that"! I'm sitting here wondering when did my life turn into a blog? And the bigger question is, does anyone care what I think? I'm not so sure but boy, I really do love putting down my thoughts knowing that someone just might read it. Last week, one of my employees commented on my writing because she really loves my blogs. She innocently asked me if I got good grades in school for my writing skills. I nearly laughed out loud but, of course, that would not be very Presidential of me. I very nicely told her no, I was never good at English or writing. I was completely honest and told her that I had to take Junior English twice, as I failed with a big fat F! I don't know the difference between a verb and a noun and thank goodness for spell check! I'm a florist for heaven sake, no

I'm back from the Philadelphia Flower Show and I have to say that I was not disappointed. The theme this year is Bella Italia and anyone that knows me knows that Italy is my favorite destination! This year I was lucky enough to have been asked to be a judge! I represented an award given out by the Society of American Florists, of which I am a member. Our judging began at 8:30 am sharp on the morning of the preview day and it was great fun to be able to see everything up close and with no crowds. My wonderful husband was kind enough to drive me in to the city and then keep himself busy for a few hours during the judging. Afterwards, he and I were able to spend about 1/2 hour walking the show. The final judging was happening but the show was not yet open for the preview afforded the members of the Horticultural Society. It was wonderful to try to take it all in before the crowds streamed in. One of my favorite displays was the one that represented Milan and was created by AIFD me