Tropical Pineapple Patio Party!

Helping Gerry Toh, AIFD in Denver AIFD Symposium

What might you ask did I help with? Of all the tasks to be done, mine was quite the challenge. At 7:30 at night in the Downtown Sheraton banquet room where Gerry Toh parked himself for almost a week, I finally got the chance to do whatever I was asked by him. After some cart pushing of large oasis soaked foam and some other menial tasks such as putting votive candles on 40 tables, I received a challenge from Gerry that I will never forget. See the piles of leftover styrofoam from the shapes that were cut out for the reception centerpieces? Well, we are going to create art by gluing these shapes in random patterns to look like it was all planned out exactly how you see it. And by the way we only have 5 glue sticks left to save our souls, so be very sparing. We have 20 three foot grates upon which to glue these shapes and almost no space in which to work. No matter, we are florists and we are creative. Once I got over the initial shock of my guts turning and wanting to exit rapidly from this mess (reminiscent of my shock of helping out for the Rose Bowl Parade in December in other words, floral concentration camp) I found my groove and away I went. There is something very serious about working with your hands, trying to find a pattern in which to work and to work as rapidly as you can. Even though I was not designing with flowers but instead with shapes and glue there was still a groove in which to get into. I wanted to help Gerry and I got more out of this experience than if everything was all set up, organized and free from constraints. And to top it all off when Gerry saw me at the finale dinner extraordinaire he gave me a hug and thanked me! What a sweet, humble, incredibly creative and talented designer.

Prom is The Bomb

Prom is The Bomb!
Organization is everything! http://youtu.be/QXXQkyPN56E

Creating Something Out of Nothing

A Day in The Life of a Florist:
Today was a miracle! I had no white roses for an 8am. Mon. funeral. Late Sat. I drive to Sam's Club and pick up their only dozen decent white roses that came in the day before (their retail is my wholesale cost LOL!) It's the day before Easter and we have run out of everything! Even greens. I have to make a $189 cross out of practically nothing! I sparingly insert the remainder of our Israeli Ruscus, hoping that the brown mâché is not too obvious. Next I strategically place the dozen white roses (including one extra broken one from last week left in the cooler) into the cross. I recycle one of our droopy Easter lilies, cutting off the best buds. I remember that Rene Van Rems taught us how to insert chenille stems into buds that are difficult to push into foam, and lo and behold it works perfectly. Wondering what to do next to make this cross turn out ok, I quickly see if it's for a male or female-"Grandfather", ok baby's breath is out. Then suddenly the white dendro's from last week barely holding on for dear life, call out to me! OH the texture, oh the lime color, oh the lovely surviving white blooms! Miracles of miracles, I cut the dendros in thirds and begin placing them here and there. Now this cross is getting interesting! It drips with opulence and intrigue. It looks like some floral artist carefully thought out and planned this piece to turn out like this. The best part is using up "what was in my wagon"!

Life Is Short, Let Me Live It As A Blond

No pink larkspur for the Standing Funeral Spray?, No Problem! Just like hair coloring (if you actually want to become a blond), there is the wonderful "Just For Flowers" paint that can change any flower to the color of  your choice. Florists also have the wonderful privilege of being creative in a pinch and not letting what you don't have get in the way of what you need to create, for the funeral for instance. The recipe from the internet order (which will be another blog for another day) called for pink larkspur (a "line" flower). And since day one of floral school we learned to "Sell What's In Your Wagon" when you have so many flowers already, why order something extra and end up having more in your wagon to sell before the flowers spoil? Necessity is the Mother of Creativity, so let's create that same look with a little paint and a filler flower that has the same look as a line flower. Voila! (and we sure need to use up that white calcynia from the wedding 2 weeks ago!)

Well, it's never to late to get on the blog wagon. It only took me about 8 months to remember how to get to this page. Good help is good to find and I am particularly blessed with two employees who have been at Mary's Flowers for over 12 years each. Just a couple of their recent bridal bouquets from last weekend are pictured here, Plus some from all of us in past falls and summers. Enjoy the wonderful world of wedding flowers!

My Morning Surprise.

On my way to deliver an early morning funeral before the shop opens and lo and behold what do I find on my front step as I am loading up to get to the wake on time with the flowers, BUT a large blue toilet! Plopped (no pun intended) right in front of my door where customers enter. I thought to myself hmmm... I wonder if someone was in a hurry and dropped it off to get flowers planted in it or something for the garden or a practical joke (perhaps a 50th birthday?) I had to just let it go and ponder on my way to the funeral because I didn't have time to research it. Hopefully anyone who might come to the shop while I'm gone is not offended. When I get back I see that there is a note scribbled on rolled up toilet paper. Almost afraid to unwrap it  for fear of what is inside, seeing that the shape was somewhat suspicious, I carefully unfold the note which reads "Open Me, Read Me"... Oh, I get it, open the lid of the toilet seat, which on it are painted the words "Hola, Me llamo Senor Juan Caca" and eyes, nose and mustache. Now I'm really getting nervous, reminiscent of my child hood days in L.A. where anything could happen anywhere~I carefully open the lid to see a fresh white roll of toilet paper with more instructions written on it...... Well not being able to lift it off the front step without help, I must wait another hour when the first employee shows up to help me, in the meantime, must find something to cover up this toilet with. A lovely afghan from the basement serves this purpose, so that people feel welcome this morning to enter our lovely flower shop.