Sending Smiles ~

I guess most people would think that all the flowers for a wedding come in on Friday and get delivered on Saturday. There could be nothing further from the truth. Luckily for us, flowers take time to hydrate and open but also the process of designing is a much longer and labor intense one than most people would realize. The flowers above have just arrived for our bride Erin, who gets married this Saturday. Stock, delphinium, roses, hypericum berries and hydrangea will all be masterfully arranged into her bouquets and centerpieces! A team effort is definitely necessary and most weddings take about 2 or 3 days to create from start to finish! With three or four weddings each weekend, it's necessary to plan our time efficiently! Designer Rocio is doing the next step to the centerpieces which is adding the lovely assortment of greens such as seeded euc, geranium, ruscus and mint. These centerpieces are already gorgeous before even on single flower gets added! Working in assembly line ...

I hear that all the time! "Someday, when I retire, I want to work in a flower shop and be a floral designer". Well, you won't hear anything bad come from me because I love my career and my heart goes out to anyone who does not truly love what they do for a living. That being said, right now we are have two floral design interns at the shop. Both are learning the art of floral design for different, personal reasons but both appear to be learning because of their love of the flowers. I hope they continue to feel that way as their journey of the industry progresses. Our internship is a 4 week program that runs one day per week for 4 weeks. Each week covers the basics: how to prep flowers, correct greening, creative floral insertion and touches on aspects of being a designer, from a business point of view. I'm very excited to be hosting these interns because I feel that it's a vital part of keeping interest in our industry. Going to college for Floral Design is time ...

Friday night some friends invited us to a restaurant for a Clam Bake followed by a concert. All took place at Rats and Grounds for Sculpture, two of my favorite places. The food was fantastic and we got to make some new friends. We even got to see Christopher who recommends our shop to brides and party planners. After dinner we all walked thru the Sculpture Gardens to the Concert and right away, I heard the group and loved them! They are called the "Alice Project" and their lead singer is, of course, Alice! Our friend Dave told us she was originally from Princeton and when he was a radio DJ, he played her often on his station. Anyway, I absolutely loved the music, her voice, her song writing. So to the title of this blog - Invisible Man. One of her songs was inspired by a visit to a restaurant where she sat and noticed that ever single person around her was quickly served except for her. Talk about feeling invisible! We've all had this experience, and I'm sure, some ...

As I've said before, I'm a Jersey girl. This coming from a flower shop owner who has a fish named Bruce at one shop and Springsteen in the other. Kevin and I live in Hopewell, NJ and have our shops in Princeton and Yardley Pa but we both grew up closer to the Jersey Shore. We both have very fond memories of Asbury Park, especially Kevin who used to drive the "circuit" in his old Chevelle! Over the years time has been hard on Asbury Park but those of us who love the city have always had faith that the people would come back and so it seems they have! Today were able to drive the coast and ended up at Asbury. We were so happy to see all the new business including the kiddie water park, the many restaurants and gift shops not to mention the gorgeous beach and ocean. If you live anywhere near the Jersey Shore, show your support by walking their lovely boardwalk and spending a few dollars in Asbury!! A view of an un-restored building lovingly known as the Casino. Is t...

Congratulations to the Trenton Thunder Ball Team who hosted the All-Star Games yesterday! Our very capable balloon team of David and Kevin created this huge balloon arch to welcome patrons to the ballpark! Over 100 feet in length, it officially the largest balloon arch we have ever created! Great job boys!! To learn more about the Trenton Thunder Ball Team visit their website at http://www.trentonthunder.com/

You can't read a business publication without them telling you how important it is to join in on the "Social Networking" craze. I must admit, that both Facebook and Myspace are still a bit of a mystery to me! And Twitter, now that one is really challenging but I keep plugging away! What I'm really enjoying about the Internet is hooking up with other florists from around the world. It's fun to look at the pictures of their creations, especially wedding designs. In this business it's important to constantly be learning new things not to mention being up on the latest trends! Sometimes after a hard day I may post something that only another florist can relate to. It's so reassuring to have them respond, especially when they post kind things about our work. So for those of your out there, doing the whole "Social Networking" thing. Look me up on the following sites. I'd love to be your Cyber Friend!! http://www.myspace.com/mondaymorningflowe...

When I met bride Beth and her lovely mother, I knew I would have an incredible time helping them plan a romantic wedding. I think these pictures tell the story. Thanks to Pete Malone at 217 Photography for the amazing photos. We created all the floral designs for Pete and Dawns wedding just last year!! Enjoy!! A wedding day without gorgeous flowers? Unthinkable!! Beautiful Beth her gorgeous bouquet of pink, peach and cream roses accents with pink waxflowers. Simple and romantic, just like her! Proud Papa! The handsome grooms is all smiles. His simple cream colored rose looks amazing on his classic suit! A wonderful shot by photography by 217 Photography! Bubbles anyone? Beth and Keith, the perfect pair.