Mother's Day - Florists are entering the home stretch. The final week of the spring holiday season is here. For many florists, this will be the busiest week of the entire year. If the sales trends continue as they have for 2012, this could be the biggest Mother's Day holiday in years!
A Wonderful Career - 2012 is proving to be quite a wonderful year for those of us in the flower business. At last, we are returning to better sales days. Looking back, the improving trend began in 2011. Thanksgiving and Christmas both brought increased sales to most florists. What a wonderful way to end the year!
Put On Your Happiness - "You must wake up every morning and choose to be happy. You gotta put on happiness like you put on your clothes." This from 14-year-old Khadim Diop. What wise words from a young soul. It sounds so easy but, we all know it takes effort to be happy. Often I hear, "If only...... then, I would be happy." Why wait? Let's choose happiness now!
Flower Festivals - Now that spring is really here... at least in some parts of the country, it is time to schedule time to stop and enjoy the flowers. Everywhere I look, both in real life and through the camera lens, the bright colors of spring are blooming. I have my favorite spots I visit every year and some that I vow to visit someday.
We Are Connected - The internet is providing so many incredible tools for the creative soul. Web Sites, Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Pinterest... where do you even begin? I have to say, as overwhelming as it seems at times, I love them all. It allows me to connect with Floral Design Institute Graduates and friends across the world.
Flower Collection Etiquette - I always have a knife in my purse..... You never know just when you are going to need it. It could be that interesting blooming Roadsidia or, that lovely bit of ivy on the fence. Maybe the neighbor’s hydrangea needs a bit of pruning or the roses a good dead heading… I’m always there to help.
Daphne is one of the most delightful spring flowers. The shiny variegated foliage with delicate pink blooms is beautiful and the fragrance is utterly intoxicating! As a young adult, the first very plant that I bought for my yard was a Daphne. I had spent hours wandering through the garden center looking for the perfect plant to begin the garden of my dreams.
Change Your Weather - As the winter wears on (and on and on and…) it seems that March 20, the first day of spring, is a very distant dream. The skies are gray with just an occasional hint of blue. The “sunshine” comes down from the sky in liquid form and the temperatures hover at a cool 50 degrees. The cute summer sandals and t-shirts will just have to wait....
Valentine's Day Recap - What a difference a week can make. Last Tuesday we were buried in flowers helping everyone "spread the love". 7 days later, we all are still in the recovery mode. Whew! Take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back. From all reports, this was a grand year for Valentine's Day sales.
Valentine's Day Memories - Thinking back (far too many years to admit) I remember my first Valentine's Day as a professional (using the term loosely) florist. Oh, my! No one ever understands what a day it is until they've been there. Thank goodness for youth and naivety! The two got me through the day in spite of my absolute ignorance.
Live for the Moment - As florists around the world prepare for the BIG day, it is easy to forget today. I know we must be good and look forward, planning and prepping for the "best Valentine’s Day ever" but, what about today? We each have a finite number of days on this earth. We certainly don't want to lose any of them.
Bridal Trends - January was a month filled with bridal shows. It seems like every event space, every hotel and every convention center hosted a show of their own. It was hard to make time to visit each and everyone. I can only imagine how overwhelmed the brides must feel. Thank goodness there were ample cake samples to keep me on a sugar high throughout each visit.
Valentine’s Day - Three Weeks and Counting! The big day is getting closer. How are you doing on the preparations? Last week we discussed preparing a theme for the day. Today, let's look at getting the pieces ready. What "pieces", you ask? Pieces are all the little things you know you need to complete your flower order.
Preparations - Valentine's Day is just a month away! Are you ready for the rush of big flower sales? This year Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday, traditionally a fabulous day for very strong sales. A mid-week holiday is too far from the weekend to allow dinner to replace flowers and recipients will be at work during the day, eager to receive and show to their co-workers just how much “they are loved”.
An Adventure Awaits - The air is bitter cold and the ground frozen. Walking through the neighborhood, the trees are bare and the world is asleep. I often wonder just why I am out walking on this cold January day. Shouldn’t I be inside where it is warm and cozy, candles lit, cocoa at my side and a good book at hand?
Walking - Yes, walking is the miracle drug, cure, exercise…it solves all the problems of the world. OK, I may exaggerate but, walking does make the world a better place. An early morning walk prepares me for work. A mid-day walk focuses the creative soul. An evening walk makes me feel healthy and the night time walk (often at 2:00 am when I can’t sleep and the mind is racing) clears the mind.
Planning for the New Year - Happy Holidays, Happy Solstice and almost Happy New Year. Now that the longest night of the year has past, it is time to celebrate the return of the light. Minute by minute, the days will lengthen. The process of the changing seasons is a gentle reminder that life is lived in minutes, not lifetimes. Tick-tock-tick-tock the time passes; sometimes with such speed that it is truly frightening!
Christmas Roses - As I write this, the world is beginning to slow. The frantic pace of flowering and bowing anything that stands still has ended. The fingers are tired, the feet are aching and the back is sagging. Oh, the life of the florist. At last, all the wreaths are hung, the final centerpiece is delivered, and the poinsettias are gone.
Christmas Countdown - The countdown has begun and time is speeding up. The theory of relativity has nothing on the Theory of Christmas. Days, hours and minutes are sucked into the holiday vortex. Over and over I think, “Where did the time go?”
The Warmth of Candlelight - The long, dark nights of winter make me long for evenings spent in front of the fire with a hot cup of cocoa. Alas, it is not to be! I have the cocoa but, the crackling flames are missing. Without a fireplace in my home, I make do with a “candle-place”.
Festive Christmas Wreath - Oh, how I love getting the house all dressed up for the holidays. The furniture is shifted to make room for the tree. Red throw pillows are on the sofa and holiday candles are ready to light. Once everything is set, the Christmas tree is decorated and a festive Christmas wreath is hung on the door. Now, I am ready for holiday entertaining!
Self-Care for a Happy Holiday - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, New Year’s Eve.....the days are racing by and it is easy to get caught up in the holiday frenzy. The season is supposed to be fun...happiness, love, friends and family. Unfortunately, it is also the season of "too"...too much fun, too much food and too much to do!
The Art of Living - Thanksgiving is a holiday that truly exemplifies the art of living. It is a day devoted to visiting and eating…the perfect opportunity to feed the body and the soul. How often we forget to relax and give thanks as we get caught up in the frenzy of life. Giving thanks for the simple pleasures of life; watching the sunrise, dancing in the living room, listening to the church bells chime...
Nature's Red Carpet - Today as I walked to the Learning Center Mother Nature rolled out a “red carpet” to mark my path. What a beautiful sight! The unexpected beauty stopped me in my tracks. Do I dare walk through? Should I carefully step around? And, of course, where is the camera?!?!
Buy Local - I’ve embraced the “locavore” movement. As best as I can, I search out locally grown food and locally owned restaurants. (Even better is a local restaurant serving local food…oh, yeah!) Add to that “locapour”. Yes I search out local wines made from Pacific Northwest grapes and I drink local tap water.