Sending Smiles ~

We are super excited for our next in-store event, a cupcake tasting and photography lesson!  Join us for a night out and indulge in (alcohol infused!!) cupcakes, paired with dessert wines and refreshments.  Sweetly Spirited Cupcakes  will be here with us in the shop to offer a variety of cupcake flavors to treat your palate to! Don't they look amazing?!  They taste that good too!  Along with amazing treats and a night out with local ladies, professional photographer Deirdre Ryan will be here to teach how to take great close-ups with your camera and photos in general.  Our in-store events have become an great chance to learn a little something, get out for a night and meet new people.  Visit our website to sign up online today and see other upcoming in-store events, or call the shop at 609-520-2005.

Well, probably not much but that is not stopping us from combining them into one fun filled class in February. Join us on February 20th from 6:00 - 8:30 pm to enjoy both flowers and yummy cupcakes at our Princeton Forrestal Village location.  Join us for a fabulous in-store event featuring photos and sweets. Photographer Deirdre Ryan will be here to teach you how to take clear close-ups and great pictures in general. We will be hosting this event with Cheryl Ojeda - creator of Sweetly Spirited Cupcakes. Taste test her incredible (Alcohol infused) cupcake creations while you learn hot perfect your picture taking skills. Of course, light snacks and beverages will also be served. This event is only $25, so call 609-520-2005 to reserve your spot today.  You can also sign up for this Class  by going to our website . We'd love for you to join us! 

This past weekend the hubby and I were out and about with a family function, so of course, I had my camera. I just can't walk anywhere without taking a picture of any flower I see. This one above was a single gladiolus stalk that was in front of a restaurant in Hamilton, NJ. This single bloom was gorgeous and as you can see against the blue sky, the color was very striking. I personal love this flower but sadly many of our customers won't let us use them in our design work. :(  Now, this is obviously some kind of daisy and was found in my Mother-in-Laws garden. I especially loved the pods, which I think is the left over center of the daisy once the petals fall off. Sadly, I don't know much about growing flowers but love designing with them. If I could buy these for the shop, I would but they are most likely just a garden variety meant to be enjoyed like this and not a flora culture variety meant for cutting. :( Once again, we are back at the restaurant and this...

 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...

Did you even know there was such a thing? I didn't but I know now that August 1st - August 7th is Farmer's Market week. How fun is that? What a wonderful reminder that during the summer months to take advantage of all the fresh fruits, veggies and even flowers being sold at local stands! My husband and I especially love the Trenton Farmers Market. What fun it is buying a bit of this and that and seeing face to face the farmers that grew these amazing crops. I know I look a bit strange arriving with my huge camera in tow but hey, it's worth it when I get great shots, like this one. Support your local community by buying local to where you live. Your local farmers and businesses will thank you for it!!

Howell Living Farm , originally uploaded by Georgianne at Monday Morning Flowers . I thought I'd share a photo I took yesterday while out and about with the hubby. It's not often we both have the day off and unable to sleep in late, we were up and out early! It was a steamy, hot day but we really wanted to get out into some fresh air. After a walk through our favorite flea market we ended up at Howell Living Farm in Lambertville, NJ. Because of the holiday no activities were scheduled but we just enjoyed walking around the farm with our self guided map in hand. I especially love this shot that I got of just an open field. 15 minutes away from where we live and we had never been there! The perfect place to take the kids to show them what life was like 200 years ago on a farm. Sheep, ducks, horses and many elegant and swooping birds over head, it's truly a must see. My only complaint? No flower garden!! :o)

There's a few things I'm learning about myself as the years roll on. One is that I'm not liking getting old, but hey, who does! I'm also learning that I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Hm, my husband says in my line of work it's a good thing but I think my poor employees would say other wise. But, onto the point of this blog... I'm noticing that I look at everything around me as if I were taking a picture. What's the lighting? What are the colors and how do they look together? What's the composition? Is there something in the way of making my "picture" perfect? I remember one time when my Event Coordinator David came back from setting up a wedding and proudly showed me the pictures he took. Now, mind you, this is on a tiny screen, not on a big computer. I did my usual, "These are great David, wonderful shots, except there's an exit sign in this one, this one is too back lit, the angle makes the flowers looks crooked and this one... loo...