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Florist Friday Recap 11/24 – 11/30: Winter Is Coming

You can very obviously see how close we are to winter through today’s Friday Recap. It’s almost split down the middle: half winter designs and half fall arrangements. Most people have started putting up their Christmas and holiday decor already, and the first day of winter isn’t even until December 21st! I don’t know about you, but I’ve got my tree up! Now, let’s get on with the pictures…

Winter Flowers

Holiday Bling by Crossroads Florist, Mahwah NJ

Holiday Bling by Crossroads Florist, Mahwah NJ

““Holiday Bling” Red satin covered cylinders are adorned with diamond wrap and hanging crystals and support arrangements of spider mums, lilies and ostrich feathers.”

Holiday Delivery by The Lady Bug Studio, Olds AB CA

‘Holiday Delivery’ by The Lady Bug Studio, Olds AB CA

“‘Holiday Delivery’ Outdoor Planter”

[Read more…]

Celebrating the Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice Floral Design

Bring out the Yule Log… it’s time to celebrate the winter solstice! What? You don’t celebrate the winter solstice? You’re not alone. In our modern lives, we’ve moved past celebrating holidays that are closely attached to harvest time.

The Winter Solstice The Sun will appear at its lowest altitude above the horizon at noon and it is the shortest day and longest night of the year. After the solstice, the nights will become shorter and shorter as the warmth of the sun returns.

Winter Solstice Sun CelebrationWhile this may not seem significant today, in the past it was of the utmost importance. People relied on the sun in every aspect of their lives. This holiday has been observed, in someway, by almost every culture in every part of the globe for as far back as we have recorded. You’ve heard of Stonehenge? It was created as a calendar to mark the summer and winter solstices.

(Do you know how your ancestors traditionally celebrated the solstice? Might be a fun project to look up!)

In more recent traditions, the winter solstice is celebrated much like Christmas. Homes were decorated with a Yule Tree (Christmas tree), Yule log, Yule wreath, boughs and garland and cozy fires. If it sounds a lot like Christmas, well, it’s probably where many of our holiday traditions come from.

Get back to your roots, check out this post for ideas on celebrating the winter solstice:
Holiday Celebrations Ideas From The Past: The Winter Solstice

Your local florists would love to help you create some very unique and festive decorations for your winter solstice celebration. Check out the article linked above for some very great ideas you can use in your own home to pay homage to your hard-working harvester ancestors.

10 Easy New Years & Winter Marketing Ideas For Florists

The holiday season is a very busy time for florists. However, there are a few quick and easy things you can do that will make a big impact on your last sales of the year. Keep these tips in mind as 2013 draws near.

  • Winter Flowers1. Let customers know about special holiday hours by using your website/Facebook

If you’re closing early or will be closed during normal business hours, it’s a good idea to let customers know by doing more than taping a note to the door.

 

  • 2. Use holiday-themed profile pictures

The branding of your business is important, but if you’ve got time, add a Santa hat or snowflake to your logo to make it more festive for winter. Don’t forget to change it back when it’s time to!

  • 3. Host a photo contest with giveaways

Consider hosting a sunshine-themed art or photo contest to chase away the winter chill. Your customers can bring entries by your store or share them with you online. 1st Place gets a cozy winter-themed arrangement.

[Read more…]

Bright Hues Cure Winter Blues

Cure the winter blues with colorful flowers

There’s something about the winter that makes us a little blue. It could be the shorter days, the chill in the air, or maybe the end of the year that get’s us down. This is why it’s so easy and so important to chase off the winter blues before they get you down.

Did you know flowers have healing powers? While not strong enough to cure acute illnesses, they can help boost your spirits and lift you up out of the dreary winter funk. How is this possible, you ask? Think of it this way:

Light is a nutrient to living things, just like food. Our bodies need light (the sunshine vitamin), just like plants need sunshine to grow. Well, we all know light is energy, but did you know color is light? That’s right! Color is simply light vibrating at different frequencies. So, if light is energy, and color is light, than that means color = energy!

There is growing evidence that humans respond, both physiologically, mentally and emotionally to different colors. Simply seeing these different colors can be therapeutic, also known as chromotherapy. Read more about chromotheropy.

So you can see, a colorful bouquet of flowers for yourself or a friend is a great way to cure those winter blues! Think about having them on your desk in your office, or some other place at work where you would see them often. Maybe in the kitchen to get you through making all the holiday meals this year. Put flowers wherever you need to feel a little pick-me-up.

Click here for more great ideas for get well flowers!

Florist Friday Recap 11/17 – 11/23: Floral Thanks

It’s Friday! Boy was this a busy and short week for florists, just like the rest of us. Not nearly as many photos shared with us as our usual Friday recaps, but still very beautiful fall arrangements that deserve your attention. Very colorful and beautiful designs this week – mostly Thanksgiving themed, so check it out!

Thanksgiving Flowers

Thanksgiving flowers by Libby’s Flowers & Gifts, Elberton GA

Thanksgiving flowers by Libby’s Flowers & Gifts, Elberton GA

“Flowers, feathers and turkey inside a wire pumpkin for a Thanksgiving table arrangement”

Cornucopia Design by Rittners School of Floral Design, Boston MA

Cornucopia Design by Rittners School of Floral Design, Boston MA

“It’s Thanksgiving… Cornucopia Rock!!”

(See more of their cornucopia designs here)

[Read more…]

Happy Thanksgiving From FSN!

The amazing FSN Pie!

We hope you all have a SAFE and happy Thanksgiving!

There is so much for us to be thankful this year. We hope you all count your blessings on this day of “Thanks!”

Last Minute Thanksgiving Centerpieces & Flowers

Bountiful CornucopiaWhether Grandma’s house is across town or across the country, thousands of faithful family members make the trek each and every year at this time. No matter how far the journey, don’t show up empty handed!

Your casserole may not hold up for the trip, so stop by the local florists’ for a lush bouquet of fall flowers. From a small centerpiece to a magnificent cornucopia, most local florists will have extras on hand even this close to Thanksgiving! Simply stop by and pick one up! Not only does Grandma get to enjoy them for Thanksgiving, she can keep them long after you and the family have headed back home.

(Learn the differences in Thanksgiving flower styles here.)

Need Help Finding A Florist?

If you are traveling to a town you are unfamiliar with, you can always use Flower Shop Network’s handy florist finder to find a real local florist anywhere in the US and Canada.

Above all else, have a wonderful and SAFE Thanksgiving holiday.


The Creative Process Of Local Florist – Blossom Shop

Blossom Shop, Strasburg COTake a peek inside the creative mind of a florist as they design something truly unique for a special someone. This is a story shared with us by Blossom Shop in Strasburg CO.

I got a wire order over the phone from another flower shop. I was pleasantly surprised to get a very good budget for a sympathy arrangement and no specifics other than they would like a nice fall arrangement if you can do that otherwise…

So I got to thinking, I wanted to do several matching pieces, something really large in a basket. I just knew I wanted it to be creative, but not something they might dislike being too interesting.

Getting Inspiration

Squre wreath example from Blossom ShopSo I took a tour of my shop a few times, front and back, to see what sizes and different containers that I might want to use.  Some of my best-liked arrangements come from me finding something I can’t seem to get rid of (container wise) and making it beautiful with flowers. So I found these square wreath forms that I’ve yet to sell; one, because they have structure in the middle for placing a picture or something of the like, and two, they are a big size. I have yet to convince anyone to let me customize the center or pay enough so I could do something “interesting”.

So I grabbed one on those bad boys and got the wheels spinning. I used the leaf-looking ribbon to cover the back. To make that interesting I wove 10 lengths of that ribbon and covered all that maché and the center structure. After soaking it I laid it flat to start my designing.

Bringing It All Together

I covered the center structure with fall-colored, preserved leaves. Then I did the four corners, each with a different type of green to add interest, and then filled in with beautiful fall flowers. [Read more…]

Thanksgiving Is Just Around The Corner…

If you haven’t decided what you’re bringing to the family or friends get-together… your local florist still has you covered!

Thanksgiving Centerpiece

Click to see more ideas for Thanksgiving centerpieces, arrangements, and cornucopias.

Thanksgiving is the time of year for making family memories. What do you remember from early Thanksgivings with family? Grandma’s dressing and desserts, or was it the hustle and bustle of family coming together to laugh and love with each other? Probably a good mixture of both. These memories we make during Thanksgiving last for a lifetime. Make sure your extended family takes away special memories of food, family and the beauty of the fall harvest.

Whether this Thanksgiving is at your home, or at a family or friends, you can help share the beauty of fall through flowers – always tasteful. Flowers make a wonderful hostess gift to bring.

Your fall decor is a tradition from long ago when our ancestors where still closely connected with the changing of seasons and a bountiful Thanksgiving meant security for the upcoming winter. Celebrate what you have to be thankful for; all of the bounty in your life.

Just remember, show your thanks to your community by shopping local this holiday.

 

Florist Friday Recap 11/10 – 11/16: Floral Romance

Fall romance is in the air this week as most of our florists’ contributions this week are of their beautiful wedding design work. For those of you who don’t follow our blog, every Friday we do a recap of all the beautiful flower arrangement photos shared with us on our Facebook page by local florists all across the US & Canada. Without further adieu, let’s get on with the pictures!

Wedding & Event Flower Pictures

Libby's Flowers & Gifts, Elberton GA

Wedding arch by Libby's Flowers & Gifts, Elberton GA

Outdoor wedding flowers by Libby’s Flowers & Gifts, Elberton GA

“Overhead Swag for wedding at Lake Lanier Islands.”

Wedding bouquet by Alma Blooms, Alma WI

Wedding bouquet by Alma Blooms, Alma WI

“Close up of a bridesmaid bouquet.”

[Read more…]