Sending Smiles ~

. I love taking photos of the arrangements in our cooler and I especially love these pretty heart wreaths we create for funerals. How could anyone not have their spirits lifted when they see these sunny flowers. Sent to a father by his children both the form and the color speak volumes of how they felt about him. Designer Holly created this wreath using fresh, white lilies, spray and tea roses, viking and daisy poms, cream colored stock and accents of fresh ruscus foliage. This wreath, also going to the same service was created using garden, tea and spray roses, carnations, waxflowers, hydrangea and peony blooms. To see more of our sympathy designs visit our website at www.sendingsympathy.com

Check out our newest video showing scenes from both of our shops. What fun it is to work in a flower shop - Enjoy!! http://animoto.com/s/kQOb3f4gbj4EhM0dTergQQ

Just a quickie blog to say Happy Holidays to all our customer, family, friends and "Blog" readers. We wish for you health, happiness and a prosperous 2011 from all of us at Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Co!

What is the flower? Can you guess? I'll bet you think it's a rose? Nope, it's actually a form of ornamental kale that we use in floral arrangements. This variety is hands down our favorite and it's called "Red Crane" and comes through the dutch market and is grown in Holland green houses. Apparently, it's edible but we've never tried it and I'm thinking we probably won't! Long lasting yet fun and fancy, our designers love "Kale Season". If you order a flower arrangement from our shop, you just might find it among the other blooms. It's especially nice used in Thanksgiving centerpieces and the green and white variety are spectacular during Christmas! Take advantage of Kale Season and ask for this awesome flower when you place your order! To see more of our floral creations be sure to check out our website at http://www.sendingsmiles.com/ and if you are planning a wedding our designs can be seen at http://www.perfectweddingflow

Anyone that knows me knows that I can be quick with the camera. I'm sort of a frustrated photographer of sorts, I really have no idea how to correctly use the lovely Nikon D40 Camera that I bought over a year ago. I have no patience for reading a manual and I rarely stop long enough to figure out what all the different setting mean and do. Regardless, I do take some photos that while a photographer might see the flaws, I think they look pretty darn nice. So was born, my line of blank greeting cards. Take this card for example. I took this photo while at a local winery (Silver Decoy in Robbinsville, NJ) while at a friends birthday party. The perfect photo for a flower shop greeting card, don't you think? So far I've created about 8 different greeting cards that range from pictures of garden variety flowers, flowers in the shop right up to bridal bouquet close ups. They seem to sell well and I'm proud of them. If you're ever at the shop, let me know what you think.

Ok, don't laugh! Yes, there is a holiday known as Boss's Day. According to Wikipedia  Boss's Day (also known as Bosses Day or National Boss Day) is a secular holiday celebrated on October 16 in the United States. It has traditionally been a day for employees to thank their boss for being kind and fair throughout the year. The history of Boss's Day is that Patricia Bays Haroski registered "National Boss' Day" with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958. She was working as a secretary for State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Illinois at the time and chose October 16 because she forgot that the birthday of her boss, who was her father, was actually on the 16th. Four years later in 1962, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner backed Haroski's registration and officially proclaimed the day. National Boss' Day has become an international celebration in recent years and now is observed in countries such as Australia, India and South Africa and very recen

Recently one of our brides posted this photo on her Facebook and I have to confess, I took it for myself. As I mentioned to the bride Krista, what I love about this photo is that it not only shows the table flowers (which look very cool, I think) but it shows everyone having an amazing time. Rarely, do we get to see our table arrangements "in action" and this one screams - party! What fun and how rewarding for us to know that we helped set the tone for this very important day. By the way, in case you spy the gorgeous views out the window, this wedding took place this past summer at the pretty Lambertville Inn which is situated on the Delaware River, just across from New Hope, PA. To see more of their beautiful Inn visit their site at http://www.lambertvillestation.com/ !

Join us each Thursday beginning on October 7th for wine tastings at our Yardley store. Located at 45 E. Afton Ave right between the Yardley Inn and the Continental Tavern, our shop will be open to browsers and wine lovers a like. Beginning at 4 pm until 7 pm, each week we will highlight a different wine from a local vineyard. October 7th's tasting will be a lovely wine from Hopewell Valley Vineyards (yum, my favorite local vineyard). Start the weekend early with a tasting, a bouquet of flowers (but no pressure to do so) and then perhaps venture down to one of our fabulous Yardley restaurants for dinner. Remember, shop and buy local!! For more information visit our Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/localflorist  or shop us online at http://www.sendingsmiles.com/ To find out more about the local businesses of Yardley, PA visit the Yardley Business Association website at www.yardleybusiness.com/  and for more information on Hopewell Valley Vineyards visit their site at www.h

Sorry, long time - no blog!! I had the honor of being included in a panel discussion at the SAF conference this past week in Orlando Florida. What fun and I sincerely hope that the florists in attendance enjoyed the discussion. My partners in crime were Rick from Exotic Flowers in Boston, Mass and Mandy from Hothouse Design Studio in Birmingham, Alabama. We spoke on the use of Social Media in the Floral Industry.   As you may know, I serve on the advisory committee for Floral Management Magazine and it was my opportunity to meet my fellow adviser's and all the writers and editors of the magazine.  Kevin and I especially enjoyed the Outstanding Varieties Display at the Conference. This room was filled with amazing flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors. It's wonderful to see all the new varieties being created! For my buddy Rick who had to actually judge these flowers, I have no idea how you could choose one over the other. They were all amazing! This new variety of red rose

Ah, the age old question - do you schedule wedding consultations on the weekends? Well, maybe it's not that old a question but for those of us who run small floral shops (yes, even though I have 20 employees, we are still small) it's always tough to be in two places at once. I love meeting with brides and I reserve that  job to me and only me. Why just me, the owner? First off, I love meeting the brides. Secondly, I feel that for all the things we do in the shop, weddings are an area that truly can make or break our reputation. You only get one chance to do a great job for a wedding and after 22 years in the business, I'm just not willing to delegate that job to anyone but me. My talent is reaching into a brides mind and extracting her floral taste, even if she does not know she has one. On her wedding day I want her to feel that I not only listened to her but that I became one with her and created exactly what she would love. Now back to the question. Yes, we do wedding

Not sure, what color to choose when sending flowers or even planning a party or wedding? It's so hard to decide but truth be told, classic white is always nice both because it can be clean and modern or traditional and elegant. We recently created these pretty wedding bouquets. They were so simple but they looked amazing for a summer time wedding. Need to send flowers for a sympathy? The color white symbolizes wholeness, openness, truth and kindness. The color of white in context of flowers means elements of innocence, humility, and reverence, white flowers evoke simple beauty. When asked, most people will tell you that white flowers are beautiful so why not send them for a get well, anniversary or a birthday? The next time you are in doubt of what color flowers to use or send, never forget the power of white! Would you like to see more examples of our wedding designs? Check out our wedding website at http://www.perfectweddingflowers.com/ or examples of our everyday floral desig

Who doesn't love chocolate? Well, all of us at the flower love sweets and these new chocolates are sure to be hit this holiday season in our gourmet and goodie baskets. People always love receiving gifts of foods and goodies. Add these vinegar and the gift flies off the "elegance" meter! Most of fruit and gourmet baskets are being sent for happy occasions but, of course, a food basket is always a thoughtful gift for sympathy. Have you seen our new cookie line? These cats and dogs are brand new and are so adorable. We also have many styles of flowers such as sunflowers and daisies. The grapes, bananas, apples and strawberries are so life like! Believe it or not we also have some in the shape of grapes, candy corn, leaves and pumpkins. Added to any food basket, they really bring a smile because they are not only funny but also taste good! Did you know that we always have pre-made arrangements ready to go in our coolers? Always fresh and always creative, they are perfect

I love arrangements made in pretty glass vases but I have to say that baskets appear to be making a come back recently. Just like this colorful mixture of flowers, the summer is a wonderful time to send flowers in a pretty wicker or natural grapevine basket. Perfect for a desk, kitchen island or even bedside, flowers in a basket make such a cute gift and would be much appreciated for just about any occasion.

Ok, it's a "had to share" moment. I love, love, love this bouquet that we have created for our bride Katie who is getting tomorrow! All white mini callas accented between with simple, cool white feathers. How sophisticated and striking with a slightly "Art Deco" feel. I'm truly loving it! I can imagine the guests faces when they see her enter the gardens at Prospect House on the campus of Princeton University. As she passes, they will be dazzled with a view her feathered headpiece. To be clear this is not for the our bride Katie getting married on Sunday! I'm giggling as I write this because I can picture Katie number 2's face drop if she reads this and thinks "where is my bouquet of creams and pinks of roses and orchids"! Ah, I love the summer wedding season.....

Wow, it's almost August and the tropical flowers are in demand. Orchids, Ginger, Bird of Paradise and even these huge Heliconia flowers are in the shop this week. Yup, that's me in this funny self portrait trying to show you how big this flower is. It's only fitting when the weather gets hot that we think about palm trees and island florals, right? Heliconia, how cool are they? Heliconia is named after Mount Helicon, the seat of the Muses, the nine goddesses of the arts and sciences in Greek mythology. Heliconia, also popularly known as lobster-claw, wild plantain or false bird-of-paradise, is a beautiful flower with multi-color bracts and varied flower structure.They have bracts are so large and colorful that they almost hide the flowers altogether. This keeps the flower's sweet nectar from other birds so that only specialized birds can get to it. Heliconia grow from 3 to 30 feet! Next time you are looking for a single bloom or two for a special vase, why not consi

I had to share this photo of my adorable niece Mary Ann who received this big bouquet of balloons this week for her 1st birthday. How cute is she!? Balloon bouquets are one of the product lines we offer. It's not until you become a delivery person responsible for ringing the door bell that you can appreciate how much fun they are to receive. Add a stuffed animal or a box of chocolates and we guarantee you'll be a hero!! To see more of our balloon selection visit our website at www.sendingsmiles.com

This particular arrangement was created for a wedding but can you imagine getting this arrangement for your birthday or because you were feeling a bit under the weather. I've written many blogs about the attributes of receiving flowers but can you honestly look at this sunny arrangement and not smile? Last year when I was in the hospital over night, my staff sent me the most lovely floral arrangement and I have to tell you how happy it made me feel. Not just to have those lovely flowers in view but also because of the card message, which let me know that my staff missed me. Don't ever under estimate the Power of Flowers!!

How cute is this picture? Taken almost 8 years ago when my husband and I went on a fantastic trip to the farms of Holland.Thanks to our wholesaler who offered the trip, we had an amazing time. This greenhouse was one of my favorites because I've always loved dutch Gerber Daisies. Almost the size of salad plates, this farm had Gerber's in just about every color your could imagine. I think sometimes we forget about the farmer and his crew that guide the flowers from seedlings to gorgeous blooms!

The knot , originally uploaded by Georgianne at Monday Morning Flowers . Well, our plaque just arrived and I have to say I'm tickled pink. It's so nice to know that our brides love us!

Well, it's Memorial Day and I'm at the shop waiting for Kevin to return from dropping off multiple flower and balloon decor for various events being held on Princeton's campus. Reunions and graduations at Princeton University always keeps up busy! To kill some time I love looking at the photos posted on The Trenton Thunder Ballparks website. Kevin and I don't get to go often but we love being a partner with the ballpark and supplying them with flowers and balloons all during the season. I have to admit, I get a kick out of seeing our 7 foot long banner in the stands too. It's funny how many people tell me they see our flowers in the ladies rooms (who expects to see flowers at the ballpark, right?) and we especially enjoyed sponsoring the events during the game on Mother's Day this year.  Every mother received a hot pink visor that included the Thunder logo along with ours and the other co-sponsor, Chauncey Conference Center. If you've never been out to a