Morgan+Joel

Have I mentioned that I love my job? Well I do and I especially love it when a fabulous couple like this comes my way. Meet Morgan+Joel. They were married on March 20th during an intimate ceremony at Ebbtide Park. I first learned about their wedding on March 16th - yes, 4 days before the wedding from Joel's brother Jeremy. *Side note: Jeremy is a crafty guy with an awesome company see it here! Jeremy called me wondering if we would be willing to create some beauties for his brother's wedding and I, of course, obliged. After a couple of phone chats with Morgan that night and only about 5 hours later we had our "look" all figured out. Morgan has such a sweet and genuine personality and made my job just so easy. She was trusting and willing to let me run with it which is always so fun for me. Cameron Ingalls is a dear friend of Joel's and had the honor of shooting the photos for their wedding and they came out spectacular! Morgan and Joel, may your marriage be so very richly blessed. 

Tarah+Jason

Tarah and Jason were married on March 23rd during an intimate family ceremony at the Cliffs Resort. Tarah had called us a few months prior about putting together the simple and colorful blooms for their ceremony and of course we were happy to make that happen. She had a clear direction of what she wanted so it made our job very easy! We had the pleasure of receiving some images from the so very talented Cameron Ingalls! Cameron is a fantastic photographer here on the Central Coast and we were so lucky to have had the chance to, finally!, work with him.  Congratulations Tarah and Jason - many years of happiness to you both...

vintage + peacocks = love

Vintage books, peonies, peacocks, old weathered wood, florals and peacocks are making me supremely happy at the moment. I love the mix of vintage, current and organic! I had the chance to do some creative brainstorming today with someone (more on that later) and it was so fun to think about what truly inspired me without any limitations. So much of my day is filled with listening to what others are inspired by and then turning it into something, which I love, but it was nice to wander around in my mind for things that make me happy. Perhaps tomorrow I will create an arrangement for myself!

Another thing that makes me happy is this very lovely, very vintage and very special picture of my grandparents. I love and miss them....

Shop Girl Bio's.

I heart my shop girls. I hold them near and dear to me at all times. We have had some shop girls (and one guy) come and go throughout the past few years but there are the few who have stayed and dedicated so much of their time to making my business better. I thought it would be fun to introduce them to you and share with you how fabulous they are. First up: Kelsey.

Kelsey has worked with me since summer of 2007 and it has been such a joy sharing my days with her! She started work at April Flowers with some experience but soon developed a beautiful style that is all her own. Her design aesthetic, knowledge of flowers, willingness to learn, and awesome interactions with customers are all reasons why she's tops in my book. Besides being a fabulous employee in every sense of the word - she has become an even more fabulous friend. She has a heart of gold that is rare to find, a sense of humor that keeps me laughing for days, and a sensitive quality to her personality that always lets you know she cares. On a daily basis it can be so easy for me to feel overwhelmed with the day's demands. Kelsey always lets me know it's going to be okay with an encouraging note or visit and soon after I realize things will be ok after all. She makes sure we celebrate Boss's day at the shop, which seems silly, but it's a day that I'm encouraged by my staff and reminded of how much they care about me and how much they are invested in my business. As Kelsey faces some important decisions ahead (where to go for her final years of college) I wish her all the very best in the whole wide world. It is my hope and prayer that she is as richly blessed in her journey as richly as she has blessed mine. 

Dana+Collie

I give you Dana+Collie. There were married on March 13 and these beautiful shots were taken by Ken Kienow who is always so gracious to share. It was clear when I met these two that their wedding was going to be meaningful and beautiful in every sense of the word. I think it's pretty obvious from these photos that they are in love and will be for many many years to come. Congratulations Dana and Collie...many blessings to you - always.

 

3/50 Project

As things go when one is falling into an online pit of blogs, pages, pictures and such - I happened across this site. The 3/50 project! The simple concept is this: Pick 3. Spend $50. Save your local economy.
In a few more words here's the run down...

*Pick 3 tried and true real small business that you would hate to see close it's doors. Be sure to pop in   there this week or next, buy something, and let them know you're glad they are there.
 *Next, spend $50 each month in locally owned businesses. If only half the employed population makes this commitment it could generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue for small businesses.

Isn't this an awesome concept? How many of you want to jump on the bandwagon and commit to this 3/50 concept for the rest of 2010? Think of all the money that will be put back into the local economy...maybe..just maybe this would turn things around. Be the difference!

Shannon + Cory

This wedding was special to me for a few different reasons. 1. Shannon is a cousin of my soon to be cousin-in-law. I know that sounds crazy but it was really neat to be able to take care of far extended family! 2. Shannon and Cory are from San Diego, used me for flowers from SLO, and got married in Santa Barbara - I'm honored that someone would want my flowers even though they could use someone closer. 3. Shannon and I never met although we shared many a fun e-mail or phone call. She was so kind and easy going thru the whole planning process. She gave me some direction and then let me take the reigns! I'm so excited to finally meet her this summer at my cousin Nick's wedding to his fabulous fiance Corrie (oh and their wedding is in Catalina and we'll be doing those too!). Many blessings to Shannon and Cory for a forever and happy marriage. Special thanks to Amy with Vita-Bella Photography for sharing these beautiful images with us!

Fun furry fact for today!

Friends meet Fur. Fur meet friends. This has been a really fun flower for us to have in the shop! It has so much texture and a fun personality (yes flowers have personality or at least that's what I tell myself when I talk to them all day). Anyway, thought this would be a fun one to share. *Side note this is also a photo I took with my fabulous borrowed camera. I take pictures of everything...

New ambition!

My photographer friend Jonathan Roberts gave me a lesson in taking pictures today. He also long-term lent me his old Nikon D70 from way back. With it I'm going to take pictures of everything and get better. He said if I get good enough he'll let me carry his bags when he shoots a wedding. Awesome! Here's some things I captured today: a canada dry bottle, my dogs, the trees and these two which I'm very fond of! 

13 things your florist won't tell you...or will they?

My husband hearts Reader's Digest (aka RD). When I woke up this morning there was an article on the kitchen counter he'd ripped out of the magazine titled "13 Things Your Florist Won't Tell You". As I read the article I was perplexed because literally all 13 things I tell my customers on an almost daily basis. So, I thought I'd put it out there for all to see - "13 Things April Flowers WILL Tell You".....

1. Please don't order flowers from ANYONE online. When you place an order online that company sends us the order and keeps $15-50 worth of your money as a convenience fee. Always call someone local. Actually just call me @ 805-541-8787.

2. Fridays and Saturdays ARE good days to ask for specials. We do want to turn over product to start fresh on Monday morning. P.S. At our shop we receive local and imported flowers 5 days a week.

3. RD said your florist won't tell you to "cut the stems at an angle and change the water at least ever other day. And use the floral preservative we give you". Every time someone leaves the shop they hear almost those exact words. A customer who follows those instructions has their flowers longer. This = happy customer. Happy customer = repeat customer.

4. Of course you need to wash out your vases with soap and water. Eeewww if you didn't.

5. I am always happy to tell you that just a couple drops of bleach added into the vase of water helps keep the bacteria down in your water which, in turn, keeps your flowers fresher longer. Those little preservative packets aren't cheap so I'd prefer if you'd use your own bleach anyway!

6. This one is a good one. RD says your florist won't tell you "To look closely at the bottom of the blossom on your rose. See how many petals have been removed. The more ripped petals you see, the older the rose is." Just don't sell old roses to begin with and you don't have to worry about someone checking to see how many petals have been pulled off.

7. Why on earth would I NOT tell you to bring back your old basic clear glass vases and I will recycle them. Bring them, I will recycle them and I will thank you for saving me some money!

8. Why wouldn't your florist tell you that fruit is the enemy - it really is. The ethylene gas is no good for flowers and turns them brown. I just told a customer that today about the rose petals he purchased.

9. Direct and hot sun will kill flowers - you don't need someone to tell you that but I will if you were to ask.

10. RD says your florist won't tell you to ask for a discount. Ask me...I dare you!

11. Okay, this is a good one for the upcoming Valentine's day (already? yes.). RD says your florist won't tell you "you can buy cheaper V-day roses at the gas station but they will die the next day because they've been cut for weeks." What business owner in their right mind would not share this information. It's all about education and quality. Educate your customers and offer a quality product it's a winning combo.

12. RD claims your florist won't tell you "Many flowers don't have scent since they are grown for long stems and lengthy vase life instead." I have nothing cleaver to say on this one except my customer are constantly commenting on how great the shop smells!

13. I will definitely tell my customers that I think Valentine's day is a "hallmark holiday" you should express your love year round. But hey it's the #1 profiting holiday so I don't mind if you only profess your love once a year. Go ahead - profess and profess big!

Melissa + Ryan.

So I've blogged and facebooked the heck out of these two but I finally got the pics from the awesome Ken Kienow and I had to share more! Thanks Ken for capturing the beauty of my creations! For more pics go to Ken's page here or check out the mention on style me pretty!

A very happy Monday!

Got an e-mail from the very wonderful real estate broker Cheryl Burcheri and couldn't resist sharing! Stuff life this reminds me that I'm going a great job!

"Dear April,

Just wanted to share with you how much I appreciate visiting your beautiful floral shop and ordering flowers for delivery to my friends and family.
Your customer service is impeccable and the flower arrangements are always so well designed and last for weeks. Thank you for all that you do in making sure my orders are so well cared for. I can always depend on you and your company for customer service that goes beyond any other floral business in our area.
Cheryl Burcheri
Real Estate Broker
http://www.cherylburcheri.com/"

Melissa and Ryan's wedding featured on Style Me Pretty

Sunday Greetings! Melissa and Ryan's rustic barn wedding featured on Style Me Pretty! The place - Dana Powers Barn in Nipomo, CA. The photographer - Ken Kienow. The food - Upper Crust Trattoria. The flowers - but of course us! Check it out here!

Lia+Brian update!

And since I'm in the mood to update - here's some pictures from our friends at L&JNewville PhotographyDesign of Lia and Brian's wedding at the SLO Mission!