Sending Smiles ~

Every year we seem to sell more and more gifts and this spring is no exception. I had so much fun choosing some items to bring in for Easter, Mother's Day and Summer and I have to say, my favorite is this line of Zebra Print Gift Items. Stuffed animals, coffee mugs and even the cool tote bag all make great gifts for Mom or anyone having a birthday this summer. To see this and more of our new gifts check out our facebook page at www.facebook.com/localflorist

It's hard to believe that I became aware of  Homefront just about 20 years ago. My friend Ann was involved in the organization and told me all about it. It was perfect timing for me because I was helping my mother and father move from New Jersey to Virginia. My mom had 2 of just about everything in her kitchen and there was no way we could move it all. Ann told me I could donate all their  "perfectly good" extras to Homefront (then called the Exchange Club) and so she put me in touch with the founder, Connie Mercer. At that time, Connie and her band of volunteers were helping folks that were homeless and living in motels on Route 1 by getting them into "real" housing. Ever since then, we've been donating flowers and balloons for their clients and their special events. Fast forward to 2012 and my "visit" with Connie to Homefront this past Monday, I can't tell you how impressed I am with the amazing organi...

KISS - Keep It Simple Sweetie (Ok, so I changed that word) and this really tells that story. A brides maids bouquet made for yesterdays small wedding, this bouquet is made of Ocean Song Lavender roses and purple waxflowers accented with a tiny collar of fresh galax leaves. Posted onto my Monday Flowers Facebook page, with in a matter of hours we had over 45 "likes" by florists and non-florists alike. Sometimes you just have to keep the flower selection simple. To see this and other wedding designs feel free to visit our website at www.sendingsmiles.com or www.perfectweddingflowers.com

Every year we get a call from the White House Florist (yes, that White House)  ordering a memorial wreath for President Cleveland's Grave. He's buried in the historic Princeton Cemetery for those of you that did not know that! Each year they send a memorial wreath from the current President in honor of his birthday. This year was a huge event being it was his 175th! You may not know that he was President of the United States twice, at 2 different times. He was the 22nd and the 24th President. President Cleveland moved to Princeton, NJ in 1897 after his second term as President. He became a beloved member of the community. He died on June 24th, 1908 and was buried in Princeton Cemetery. Our local Princeton Packet newspaper always puts a photo of his ceremony on their front page. All deceased Presidents are honored this way and we are honored to be the local florist that creates this amazing wreath for our very own local President.

What I love most about going to Floral Expos and Conferences is the time I get to spend with other floral designers and shop owners. For the most part, I find them to be hard working, talented, thoughtful and extremely ethical.    Take weddings for example; there are many elements above and beyond the retail cost of a flower that we need to be compensated for. Spending time helping them with their floral selections, typing up proposals, visiting locations, ordering and designing the flowers not to mention delivering and set up of all floral elements. I've said it before and I'll say it again, wedding work is extremely rewarding but nothing takes longer than the wedding flower process.   We deal in a highly artistic, perishable product with both design and pricing largely left up to our interpretation. As for pricing, each owner has to operate their business in a way that not only covers their costs but allows them to reinvest in their staff, their equipment, t...

Have you ever wondered about those cool Echeveria Plants you are seeing all over these days? We love designing with these little guys. Sometimes we use them as a "cut" flower like this one which is left to float on a sea of polished river stones while other times we buy them as an actual plant that is still in soil. They are such a great addition to any floral arrangement or a bridal bouquet. Natural and long lasting, these tiny drought resistance plants come in all different sizes and shapes and some even have slight color variations like this one that has pink tips. In the cactus family, they don't need much water so they make an ideal compliment for your desk at work or coffee table at home. It feels wonderful to have fresh, living things in our environment so why not these adorable little succulent plants! To see these and other natural product we have for sale in the shop, why not visit our website at www.sendingsmiles.com or our facebook page at www.facebook.c...

Once again our schedule worked out to allow us to attend the Northeast Floral Conference and Expo last weekend. This year it was held in pretty Sturbridge, MA and the hotel there did a great job tending to all the crazy florists who blew in! As you can see, the expo volunteers did a great job leaving the floral mark every where you turned. the above arrangements we over 6 feet tall and really got us in the mood to meet, greet, learn and share with our floral peers.    The weekend was chock full of seminars, demonstration's, lectures and even a vendor fair. Below, J Schwanke AAF, AIFD PFCI instructs our design class in new and fun techniques for wearable flowers. J is always inspirational and entertaining! To see more of J's wonderful ideas check out www.UBloom.com Below Delaware Valley Wholesales very own Laurie Lemek AIFD also showed us new ideas for prom and wedding floral designs. No conference would be complete without a cocktail and dinner party...