First Come Flowers

How to Boost Your Morning Moods With Flowers

"What I find interesting is that by starting the day in a more positive mood, you are likely to transfer those happier feelings to others... And the kitchen is the place where families tend to gather in the morning - imagine how big a difference a better morning mood can make," Nancy Etcoff, Phd.

 

A Harvard study called, "Flowers and Morning Moods" confirmed that people who looked at flowers early in the morning felt happier and more energetic.

 

So how can you make your mornings happier?

• Put  fresh flowers in the kitchen where they can be seen by everyone in the family.
• Place a single flower or small bunch in bedrooms and bathrooms or wherever people will see them first thing in the morning.
• Don't get fancy. No professionally arranged flowers are needed.
• Just put a flower or a few flowers in a small glass or vase and call it a day. 
• Use a favorite flower or color to make it extra special.

 

I love seeing flowers in the morning! When I walk into our flower shop I am transformed by the presence of flowers. But luckily you don't need quite as many flowers as we have. 

How do you respond to seeing flowers first thing in the morning?

Mimi

  

Images:   via Apartment Therapy   Maison Decor 8

Top 5 November Floral Arrangements

1)  Image:   Fly Me To The Moon Florists

 

2)  Image:   Planet Flowers

 

3)  Image:   Jen Huang - Poppies & Posies

 

4)  Image:   Quatre Coeur

 

 

 5)  Image:   Rosenow

 

I know. I should have done the deep reds, oranges and other fall colors. But, I chose not to for two reasons:

1) Not everyone lives in NYC where we get the four distinct seasons with the obligatory floral colors.

2) I think people should have access to whatever color flowers they want no matter the season.  

Just because my flower wholesalers don't get lilac chrysanthemums all year long, doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to see them now. They're not in any of these pictures, but my heart pines for them anyway.

So which of these floral arrangements would you like delivered to you today regardless of where you live?

Mimi

Only The Freshest Flowers Will Do

Green Flower Arrangement - Fly Me To The Moon Florist

 

I made this flower arrangement 3 weeks ago for one of our weekly flower contracts.

Would you believe, with a few minor substitutions, it is still sitting on display in our flower shop. 

Each week we deliver a fresh arrangement and bring back the old one. Sometimes they still look so good I keep them in the shop for display.

At the crack of dawn every Monday and Wednesday, you can find me in the Chelsea Flower Market in New York City.

The flowers arrive at the New York airports at 2:00 am. I try to get there as soon as the wholesalers take the blooms and foliage out of the boxes.

I take the freshest and most interesting flowers to Fly Me To The Moon Florist where they are handled with tender loving care.

Guess that's why this one lasted so long!

 

How long would you like your fresh flowers to last?

Mimi

 

 

 

 

Watch Flowers Bloom On This Cool Video

 

 
Image: Fall Flower Arrangement -  Fly Me To The Moon Florists

"As long as we are persistent in our pursuit of our deepest destiny,we willl continue to grow.We cannot choose the day or time when we will fully bloom. It happens in its own time." Denis Waitley

 

I came across this really cool video showing flowers in bloom.This time lapse video is amazing!  

It's called "The Life of Flowers" by Vorobyoff Productions.

 

Please watch it and let me know what you think.

Mimi

How To Make Flower Arrangements in Silver Tea or Coffee Pots

Want to add a little elegance to your daily life? Why not put some fresh flowers in that silver teapot you never use!

Image:  via Gypsy Purple Home

When I renewed my vows, I had a fancy, intimate wedding reception. We made each of the centerpieces. I collected various types of silver and silver plate pieces from local thrift shops.

My sisters and I put those beautiful, though fake, there I said it! Fake flower arrangements together days before the event. I was not a florist then. But I had the very best deep red and purple fake flowers money could buy. Most people thought they were real.

Though I don't condone it, because I am a florist. LOL! You might be able to pull something like this off too if you read my post called, "How To Fool People With Fake Flowers." But don't expect to save a lot of money. Good fake flowers aren't cheap!

 

Image:  Wedding Bee

I used a lot of low silver teapots and serving dishes for my wedding flower arrangements. Unfortunately, I do not have a single picture of them. 

It was before blogging, digital cameras and picture-taking cellphones. And no one was focused on the flowers anyway. We were all too busy having big fun!

 

Image:  Shop Talk Buzz

How To Get The Look:

• Select attractive silver vessels. I wanted a time-worn, vintage look to my flower arrangements. So I didn't care if they were slightly battered or discolored.
• Clean your silver vessels unless you want the tarnished look. Here's Martha's DIY silver polish recipe. 
• Place a plastic liner, cup or something to hold the water or floral foam. The flowers will go inside of this. This prevents the metal and water from re-acting to each other which might damage your flowers.

 

 

Image:  via Kavelle

 

• Prep your fresh flowers. Learn how here.
• Moisten your floral foam with water and begin inserting your flowers. If arranging the flowers in water, put water into the cup.
• Cut the flowers so no stems are showing. Be careful not to cut them too short from the start though.

 

Image:  Well-Fed Newlywed

 

• Arrange the flowers attractively being sure to let the flowers sort of hang over the edge of your vessels. You'll need a lot of flowers and foliage, if you decide to use it, to pull this look off. 
• You're going for a lush, not skimpy look here. 
• Use flowers that are open. Fill in with other flowers within a tight color range. Shoot for 2-3 colors to keep it elegant. Roses are great for flower arrangements in silver tea or coffee pots
• Read, "5 Secrets for Making A Designer Flower Arrangement."

 

If you decide to make this arrangement for your personal pleasure.  Or if you don't want the arrangement to look too "done." Just use a few mums, big roses, your favorite flowers or whatever looks good at Trader Joe's.

You deserve to have pretty flowers around to inspire you. So try it! It's a lot easier than you think!

You can make a nice flower arrangement in a silver vessel for your Thanksgiving table using these tips. If you have a long table consider making several in different vessels. Then line them up down the center of your table.

Where would you place an arrangement like this?

Mimi

 

Linking To:

Frugalicious Friday

French Country Cottage

The Shabby Nest

Chic On A Shoestring

At The Picket Fence

Top 5 November Wedding Bouquets

 Here are some beautiful and unusual bridal bouquets!

 

1) Image:  Angie Silvy

 

2) Image:  Lauryllane

 

3) Image:  Floret Cadet

 

4) Image:  Finnrose Photography

 

5) Image:  Inspired Floral Design

 Which one do you think is most unusual? 

Mimi

 

How Do You Feel About Flowers?

 

I'm doing some research for a project I'm working on. I could really use your help.

You've been so generous with your responses to my posts. Your input really helps to inform the posts I write and my work at the shop.

So if you have just a few moments...

Please answer this simple question:

How do you feel about flowers?

As always, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I love hearing from you. Your comments are always greatly appreciated!

Mimi

 

Images: Marion Melbourne

How to Make Small Basket Flower Arrangements

 

Small Basket Flower Arrangements

Be unique! Why not try placing small basket flower arrangements on your table instead of one giant one in the center?  

Small flower arrangements are like little jewels. You can achieve a designer look in small doses without using tons of expensive flowers.

How To Get The Look:

Get some small, plain baskets. Fight the urge to get those with little embellishments and handles. Trust me on this. Designer flower arrangements get their looks from being understated. Let your flowers do the talking. If you find little cheap baskets with corny details. Go ahead and buy them as long as the details can be removed.

Try to get baskets with plastic liners. If not, you'll need to line the basket yourself with a small plastic cup or a piece of a thick plastic bag.

Buy some flowers. None of the flowers should be bigger than a rose. I suggest buying several types of flowers and foliage that have different textures.

You don't have to make the exact same arrangement in each basket. But do use the same flowers to give the overall look continuity. I might use: roses, pom poms, alstroemeria, lemon leaf, solidago.  

The small basket flower arrangement pictured above has only roses, hypericum berries and foliage. I like the look of it a lot.

Don't go hogwild with color. There is a way to use reds, purples and greens with a touch of yellow to make a beautiful arrangement.

But there's a very thin line between a multi-colored flower arrangement that looks beautiful and one that looks plain cheap and ugly. Do you know what I mean?

Check out "5 Floral Design Blogs and Websites" to see what I'm talking about.

Create a mini bouquet of flowers and drop it into the basket. Or cut and place wet floral foam into the lined basket. Then insert your flowers in an attractive manner. If you need help on this read, "5 Secrets For Making A Designer Flower Arrangement."

So that's how to create this arrangement. I can't tell you how many flowers to buy, because I don't know the size of the basket or flowers.

But I suggest you do a trial run. Pick up a mixed bouquet you like once you have the other materials. Cut the flowers and play with them. As long as you don't cut them to short, you'll be fine. 

If you're going to a florist to buy your flowers, ask for lemon leaf. It's better than leather leaf which is the standard cheap foliage they give you. Don't look at me. I don't carry it at Fly Me To The Moon Florists.

 

What colors would you use in a small basket flower arrangement?

Mimi

 

 Image:  BHG