Sending Smiles ~

"I've always wanted to work at a flower shop!!" We hear that so often we've probably lost count! But working at a flower shop can be a lot of fun so we could not agree more. How many jobs allow you to work with your hands, creating little objects of beauty that will bring smiles to the person who receive it? There are not many jobs like that! I thought it would be fun to whip out the camera and take a few shots of the staff in the midst of their day. As you can tell, it took a lot of coaxing to get them to pose - NOT!! Pictured above are Reina, Rocio, Dianne, Kristie, Tina, Heena and Yarrow.

Boy, there is just no way around it, I love color!! Take these bouquets for example. These were just delivered yesterday to our bride Jennifer for her wedding. Roses, mini callas, viking poms, stock, fall toned leaves and berries, what a stunning combination! I can't wait to see a picture of these colors up against the chocolate brown of the brides maids dresses!! Now take a look at these bouquets. How stunning are these! My bride Stephanie just loves peacock feathers. Purples and greens and peacock feather what a memorable, artistic combination for her wedding flowers. I'm sure everyone will remember her flowers! I had a bride in with her mom and they both expressed a dislike for green and green flowers. I couldn't disagree more! There are so many flowers that are naturally green. I love incorporating them in with other colors and even by themselves. I anticipate green being a popular color for years to come! Well that's my two cents on colors. My suggestion is use it...

Well, you can't turn on the TV or the radio without hearing about the state of our economy. It's all a bit scary to be sure. As a business owner, it's even a bit more scary than usual (being in business for oneself is always scary, trust me on that). You want to invest in your company, buy new product, hire new people but there's that little bit of nagging doubt in the back of your mind that says "hold off, wait and see what happens". Over the last 20 years, I've been through quite a few economic downturns. One thing that I have noticed is that if you stay the course and don't roll over and play dead, you come out on the backside stronger than when you went in. I've also noticed that my industry seems to do well when money gets tight. You might wonder why that it is but it's actually pretty simple. Flowers make people feel good and all things considered, they are pretty inexpensive. When people can't buy that new refrigerator or that new c...

Have you ever noticed just how much there is to learn? I sure have. Every where I turn there's something new that I don't know, something that I should know, something that I'm not even sure I'm smart enough to know. And so, the story of my life, always feeling like I'm behind and have to play catch up. I often wonder if other people feel this way and I've been told no. I've been told no by very reliable and credible sources but still, even knowing that I'm not normal in this regards, makes me feel like I need to learn something. In this case, it could be that I need to learn to "Let It Go". Let go of feeling like I'm playing catch up. Let go of the feeling that things aren't exactly perfect. Let go of the feeling that I have to learn everything. Ah, I can pick things to learn and let others go? This is a novel idea. Why am I on this topic? This past weekend I went to a Floral Conference. I know what you are thinking, "how lovely...

Anyone that knows me knows that I consider my employees part of my extended family. To be honest, I probably know more about them and they about me than some of my very own family members. I guess this can be a fact of life when you own a business. Anyway, I recently added a section onto my Monday Morning Flowers website called "Meet the Staff". I asked each employee to tell me a little bit about themselves, their background and what they would like our customers to know about them. I, in turn, added a bit of fluff and my own observations of these great people. I have yet to get all my employees to do it (although I have been known to do a bit of arm twisting to get what I want) but I'm really happy with the positive response we have gotten so far. I think the thing that has been the most shocking to me is how handsome a group they are!! Gorgeous flowers, beautiful employees, what more can a business owner ask for. Check it out at http://www.sendingsmiles.com/info.asp?i...

Every now and then, in the middle of a busy, stressful, yet rewarding work week you have to step back and look around you. It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day stuff that you forget to look people in the eye, to really see those around you. I notice that sometimes when I'm working with a customer, I can get so caught up in getting their flowers or ringing up their sale, that I forget to look at them. You know, make long, meaningful eye contact. I notice that as outgoing as I am, I can sometimes be shy. It seems so intimate to make eye contact that I look here and there but not always directly at them. It's a habit I'm looking to break because the act goes both ways. They can't see the real me until I not only show them the smile in my voice but also the smile in my eyes. So, what brought me to this blog today? I was sitting here at my desk, trying to get hyped up to start working on some wedding proposals, which are sometimes the equivalent of homework fo...

The publishers of "How to Open and Operate a Successful Florist and Floral Business Both Online and Off" have included our shop in their latest edition. A case study that includes both my personal background and my shop history are predominately featured. I am really honored to have been asked to participate! I've always had a great love of both the creative and business side of running a flower shop and being interviewed for this book allowed me to show both sides. It's always fun to talk about my business from a positve as well as realistic point of view. Self-employment can be very rewarding but many people considering starting their own business are not always prepared for the amount of time, money and dedication needed to succeed. For anyone out there interested in the Floral Field, the book is chock full of wonderful information and can be found on-line at target.com and at many other book sellers.