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Today Florists Celebrate their Day!

Mar26

 

"Today Florists Celebrate their Day!"Really, it is “Make up Your Own Holiday Day,” so I decided to call today March 26, Florists Day!

How can you celebrate?  By calling up your favorite florist and saying HI!  And thanking her or him for taking such good care of your business.

You can send a card, postcard, a screensaver, an email greeting (or a check – *SMILE) if that feels right.

How about a virtual flower to your favorite florist? You can even build your own flower garden.

The other 364 days of the year are Customer Appreciation Days (and so is today) so you may be hearing from us

Have a happy Florists Day,

Heidi & Staff – Eden Florist & Gift Baskets (in lovely downtown Miramar)

Daffodils – The Principle of Becoming

Apr4

There’s a new book in town and it is amazing! It is calledThe Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self by my good friend Lynn Serafinn ~ Personal Transformation Coach

Here’s an excerpt from her book: Daffodils – The Principle of Becoming

We all associate springtime with new beginnings. After a long, barren winter of hiding under the earth, the flowers begin to emerge one at a time. Here in the UK, the first flower of spring is the daffodil. This week, I took two lovely long walks in different parts of town here in Bedford—one along the River Great Ouse, and the other through Bedford Park, a beautiful Victorian park that is much loved by us Bedfordians. Daffodils were bursting with bright yellow everywhere I walked, especially in one wooded section of the Park, which was actually the inspiration for the setting of one of the stories in my upcoming book, The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self. And when these brilliant flowers make an appearance, they really make an appearance. Never satisfied with being just a flower or two here and there, daffodils usually come in the hundreds when you find them. And what a glorious site they are. Their yellow colour and their unique shape makes you feel just as if the sun itself had decided to incarnate right there in the woods and burst into a thousand tiny suns. It is the true announcement that spring has come, and that new life is brewing all around us.

In my book, I use the daffodil as the symbol for “The Principle of Becoming”. “Becoming” means all that is continually evolving, growing and changing within us. Many of us fear change, but we all inwardly know that without change in our lives, we stagnate and die. Change is where innovation, imagination and creativity are born. It is the source of spontaneity, laughter and, ultimately, joy. “Becoming” therefore is the principle of regeneration and rebirth. No rebirth is able to take place without letting go of something else. In the case of the daffodils, they release themselves from the hidden safety of the earth, to take their chances in the open air of the late winter in the barren world above, before any of the other flowers dare attempt to poke their heads out. They do not wait to see if other flowers survive the ordeal first. They may look like light and cheerful flowers, and indeed they are; but in my view, they are also the most courageous.

We can learn from the daffodils by seeing that their glory lies in the fact that they took that bold chance, and are protected from harm, even when an unseasonable snowfall comes along. Like them, we can learn how to make courageous decisions in our lives by sensing when the time is right, and trusting the universe to carry us safely to our destination. It is when we procrastinate due to fear—of the unknown, of failure, of the judgement of others, or so many other things—that we often miss the opportunity the world is offering us. If the daffodil does not bloom in the spring, it has to wait until another year rolls around. Fear is inevitable in life. But fear itself is not our obstacle; it is merely an emotion. The real obstacle comes when we allow that fear to paralyse our own ability to grow. To master “The Principle of Becoming”, which is the lesson of the daffodil, we have to learn how to be comfortable with our own fears, and simply fall backwards into trust, for the greater purpose of feeling fully alive and bringing joy to the world.

This spring, when you see the daffodils, learn this vital lesson from them. Your glory in life begins the moment you hear the call of your own awakening and decide to take the chance to blossom, even in the face of your own fears. It is then when you too will take on the beauty of a thousand suns.

You can learn more about the lessons from the four flowers when you purchase my book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self. It’s coming to Amazon on Tuesday 7 April 2009. AND if you join the “launch countdown”, you can find out how to receive 25 beautiful mind-body-spirit gifts donated by over 20 of my friends and colleagues, just for buying the book the day of the launch. Visit http://tinyurl.com/lynn-bonus for complete information. And be sure to keep an eye out for daffodils this week.

 

Today is Saint David’s Day

Mar1

"Happy Saint David's Day"
Saint David was recognized as a Catholic saint in 1120 as the patron saint of Wales. After the Protestant Reformation, Saint David’s birthday, today, March 1, became a national festival. It is celebrated by schools and cultural societies throughout Wales. One of the customs during Saint David’s Day is to wear a leek or a daffodil (two of their national emblems).

It Pays to Network

Aug2

babylaughIn July on my Redhead Marketing Blog (article Catalog Marketing Successes and Challenges) I mentioned the Florida Direct Marketing Association luncheon I attended and the two women who spoke.  Leslie Linevsky, Co-Founder of Catalogs.com and Bonnie Levengood, Director of Marketing with 1-800-PetMeds were the speakers.

I introduced myself to both speakers, gave my card and went to work.  Later that week decided to send them flowers to again thank them for their presentations as I really learned alot from them. And Leslie mentioned her company may be needing flowers for an event soon.  Last week Leslie wrote a post called Flower Power on her blog about her experience with the event and also the flowers Eden Florist sent her . 

Here’s an excerpt:

“Imagine my surprise a few days later when I received an exquisite arrangement of burnt orange colored roses at work … All I can say is, what a smart business move by a savvy entrepreneur to hopefully obtain a chance to bid on an upcoming function. Sometimes you have to go the extra mile past handing someone a business card. Take a cue from Heidi and flower future employers or customers with a little extra something that sets you apart from the rest.”

To read the rest of Leslie’s post, visit Confessions of a Shopaholic.

To order flowers visit our website at Eden Florist or call us at 954-981-5515 or 800-966-3336 TODAY!

Before You Plan Your Wedding, Read This

Apr3

…Book by my good friend Pam Archer.

It’s called 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before You Planned Your Wedding. And it’s the best! It is small, simple to read and filled with bite-sized tips to help you including Doing Your Homework, Budgetting, Who to Invite, Using a Wedding Planner, Using Professionals (instead of your friends and relatives – unless of course they take pictures, do video, do flowers, etc. for a living), Personalizing your wedding, Your Husband, and even some tips for “The Morning After” when you are actually married!

I may be a little partial to the book, because I contributed a small essay to one of the chapters about the question most often asked of a florist “will my bouquet be beautiful?”  My flip answer was “we charge extra for beautiful.” But seriously the real answer is when it truly reflects the brides taste and choice and is done to her specifications then of course it will be beautiful.  Even though beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, our ultimate goal with any wedding or event is to be a small part of making it the most beautiful day of a bride and groom’s life and that means, yes it will be beautiful!

Let’s face it, when you hire professionals to create the perfect wedding including your florist, then it is our job to do our job.  Create beautiful, professionally designed floral pieces that add to the overall event.  Of course, budgetting and seasonality are certainly things to consider when planning your floral decor.  We may not be able to make a $1,000 budget look like $10,000 but we can certainly help any bride get the most for their investment.

99 Things You Wish You Knew Before You Planned Your Wedding also includes A Budget Guide, A Flower Checklist and a Resource Section to help any budget concious, creative bride plan the perfect wedding!

And if you are planning a wedding in South Florida Give Eden Florist a Call at 800-966-3336 or 954-981-5515. We will be happy to work with you!

More Mothers Day Poetry to Inspire and Share

May4

Moms cannot be talked about enough. Here’s even more Mothers Day poetry to Inspire you and all the moms of the world.

When you need someone to stand beside you,
Mom is near …
When you need someone to hear your troubles,
She will hear …
When you need someone to share your burden,
She will share …
When you need to know that someone loves you,
Mom is there.

-Thomas J. Langley
A MOTHER’S LOVE

A Mothers’ Love is like an island
In life’s ocean vast and wide,
A peaceful quite shelter
From the restless, rising tide….

A Mothers’ Love is like fortress
And we seek protection there
When the waves of tribulation
Seem to drown us in despair.

A Mother’s Love a sanctuary
Where our souls can find sweet rest
From the struggle and tension
Of life’s fast and futile quest…

A Mother’s Love is like a tower
Rising far above the crowd,
And her smile is like the sunshine
Breaking through a threatening cloud…

A Mother’s Love is like a beacon
Burning bright with Faith and Prayer
And though the changing scenes of life
We can find a Haven There

For a Mother’s Love is fashioned
After God’s enduring love,
It is endless and unfailing
Like the love of HIM above…

* *

A MOTHER’S LOVE

A mother’s love is something
That no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
And sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
And enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
Or take that love away…
It is patient and forgiving
When all others forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
Even though the heart is breaking…
It believes beyond believing
When the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
Of the rarest brightest gems…
It is far beyond defining,
It defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
Like the mysteries of creation….

A many splendoured miracle
Man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
Of Gods’ tender guiding hand.
WHAT IS A MOTHER?

A mother is someone to shelter and guide us,
To love us, whatever we do,
With a warm understanding and infinite patience
And wonderful gentleness, too.
How often a mother means swift reassurance
In soothing our small, childish fears,
How tenderly mothers watch over their children
And treasure them all through the years!
The heart of a mother is full of forgiveness
For any mistake, big or small,
And generous always in helping her family,
Whose needs she has placed above all.
A mother can utter a word of compassion
And make all our cares fall away,
She can brighten a home with the sound of her laughter
And make life delightful and gay.
A mother possesses incredible wisdom
And wonderful insight and skill –
In each human heart is that one special corner
Which only a mother can fill!

Katherine Nelson Davis
THANK YOU MOM
I know how often I took you for granted
when I was growing up.
I always assumed you’d be there
when I needed you…
and you always were.
But I never really thought about what that meant
till I got older and began to realize
how often your time and energy were devoted to me.
so now, for all the times I didn’t say it before,
thank you, Mom…. I love you so very much!
– Author Unknown.
God’s Masterpiece Is Mother
God took the fragrance of a flower…
The majesty of a tree…
The gentleness of morning dew…
The calm of a quiet sea…
The beauty of the twilight hour…
The soul of a starry night…
The laughter of a rippling brook…
The grace of a bird in flight…
Then God fashioned from these things
A creation like no other,
And when his masterpiece was through
He called it simply – Mother.
– Herbert Farnham

A MOTHER’S LOVE
There are times when only a Mother’s love
Can understand our tears,
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.
There are times when only a Mother’s love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we’ve dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.
There are times when only a Mother’s faith
Can help us on life’s way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.
For a Mother’s heart and a Mother’s faith
And a Mother’s steadfast love
Were fashioned by the Angels
And sent from God above…
– Author Unknown.
And Grandma’s Too
“While we honor all our mothers
with words of love and praise.
While we tell about their goodness
and their kind and loving ways.
We should also think of Grandma,
she’s a mother too, you see….
For she mothered my dear mother
as my mother mothers me.”
– Unknown

 Be sure to honor MOM with flowers this Mothers Day. Call Eden Florist at 954-981-5515 to send the perfect floral tribute to your mom!