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Recent Personal Private Flower Lessons

Private Flowering design lessons offer a great opportunity for many things. Not only is the class educational, but it’s extremely enjoyable for everyone involved, myself included. I love getting to meet new people who share the same passion for flowers as I do, even if they don’t have much experience at all- because that’s where I come in. I love working with people and watching the progress that they can make in one night, one week, and the incredible differences a year after. I’ve hosted in plenty of places.

I recently gave great private flower lessons at the enchanting Chatwal Hotel in New York City for a group of 25 women from around the metro area as well as upstate New York.  We even had some Ralph Lauren models in the class and an Italian fashion blogger Gregory DelliCarpini (@pinijr) stopped in.  The dynamic between the students, the flowers, and I is always an engaging one and even with 25 people, it feels like such a small group.

In one night, you can learn more about flowers in our flower stylish design classes than you would spending time weeding out or planting your garden. I can do lessons for anyone if I am in your area or can even travel to you if you have a sizable amount of people. If you are interested in a private flower lessons class for you or your friends give me a call or see my website for more about my private classes.

Macy’s Flower Show is stupendous

Don’t miss Mr. Michael Gaffney at the Macy’s Flower Show in Herald Square March 27th, 2015! This year the Macy’s Flower Show is being held in NYC March 22nd-April 4th and Michael will be there doing flower design demonstrations, hosting a free book give away and plenty of flowers, flowers, flowers for all to see!

For two weeks, the clothing and accessories at Macy’s won’t be the only colorful items on display by the iconic department store. Outside in Broadway Plaza, beautifully bright floral arrangements will announce this year’s Macy’s Flower Show. Special events including live music, kids’ activities and seminars will take place throughout the show. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit macys.com.

We hope to see you there!!

The Valentine’s Day Flowers Scoop 

Well Ladies and Gentlemen,  that special day is upon us….the day of L-O-V-E!  Many people can be stumped on why the cost of flowers sky rocket during this most lovely of holidays…so I will be taking some time in this article to educate on why that is, as well as giving you some helpful tips to getting the Valentine’s Day flowers arrangement that you want and try to save some $$ in the process.

The average American does not realize that there are several factors that come into play when it comes to shipping and receiving the massive amounts of product for the holiday. Here are a few factors as to why we, (Florists included), all pay more for Valentine’s Day flowers:

1.  Growers use manual labor for product development.
2. Transportation of the product costs more.
3. The demand for flowers increases.
4. Economy Factors come into play.
5. Paying for an expert to design the flowers.

After taking a look at these factors, I would suggest the following this Valentine’s Day as some money saving tips:

1. Take a look at the alternatives to the dozen roses vased.  There are many other beautiful Valentine’s Day flowers available this time of year that are equally appealing, but may not be as expensive.
2. Request different colors such as pink, lavendar, purple, white or a combination of color.  Red often is higher priced due to the high demand, etc.
3. Request a delivery date before the actual holiday itself.  Some florists offer incentives for pre-order and different delivery dates.

Buying Local

Now, lets talk about buying LOCAL!!! Support your local florist this holiday.  I cannot tell you how I cringe every time I see the commercials screaming at me from the TV…you know the ones, “ONLY $19.99 for 1 dozen red roses vased!” The truth is, the photos of those arrangements are manipulated to make the public think that they will be receiving a nice big full arrangement for the price listed. But unfortunately, that is not always the case.  To get a big beautiful arrangement of roses in a vase, you will have to pay a reasonable amount.  Remember the saying, “If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.”  This rings true for Valentine’s Day flowers as well.  I would suggest calling your local florist and placing an order with them directly so that you know exactly what you will be sending… and you never know, they may be offering some additional perks & incentives to buy!

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day flowers and remember to thank your florist!  Many sacrifice time with their own loved ones and ‘special night out’ so that you can enjoy yours!

Holiday Flower Designs on a Dime

During the holiday season is when we like to ‘wow’ our guests with beautiful holiday flower designs in centerpieces during parties and for hostess gifts as well. This can be a bit tricky, especially when working on a budget. The following are our tips and tricks for what we call ‘designing on a dime’:

Your guide to cheap holiday flower designs:

1. During this time of year everyone loves their evergreen foliage in the holiday flower designs, so this is our greenery of choice when starting our arrangements. Don’t spend tons of money buying greenery when you can either trim some from your yard or (with permission) from the yard of a neighbor. Some people do not know that Home Depot also gives away their Christmas tree trimmings for free. (There is usually a big bin in the tree lot area that the staff throws the clippings in)…So why buy when you can get it for free!
2. Evergreens last a long time especially when it is cool, so you will want to pick items that will last as long as your greenery when thinking about the color/theme of your arrangement. We would suggest going to your local Dollar Tree, Family Dollar or 99 Cent Store. Use holiday flower designs accessories ornaments, glittery sticks, berry picks, candles and the like to incorporate into your design. You can also re-use these items year after year. Don’t forget that you can use seasonal fruit & pine cones too, it doesn’t always have to be holiday flowers as the ‘point of interest’ or ‘focal point’!
3. Container Choices….if you would like to use a nice decorative container for your holiday flower designs arrangement, you can also find a variety at the stores listed above, but don’t forget your local Goodwill or Salvation Army. You can buy a container and help a local charity all at the same time! Also, keep in mind that you can use a plastic dish or plate to place your floral foam on and ‘build’ your arrangement so that you cannot see the container at all. This is another affordable option.

Sometimes it just takes a little bit of ‘thinking outside the box’ to get those creative juices flowing…you get the picture. It doesn’t have to break the bank to decorate your home with holiday flower designs for the holidays! (and there’s no harm in letting your friends think that you did…what they don’t know won’t hurt them) ;0)