I personally cannot believe that yet another year has slipped through my fingers….I guess that is just a sign that I’m getting old. I feel ill prepared for tomorrow, sure that I have forgotten something. But whatever the case, it will have to remain forgotten as today will be a busy day for us retailers as consumers run around to pick up those last bits and pieces, fresh flowers and produce.
Florist with Flowers would like to take this opportunity to thank all our lovely loyal customers for your continued support this year; our business would not exist without you. We love the design briefs you entrust us with and the opportunities you afford us. You keep making us strive to be better at what we do. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and look forward to serving you again in the New Year. Stay safe if you are travelling on the roads this holiday season
And as the year draws to a close, we thought we’d have a stroll down memory lane, looking at some of the events that took place over the last year, and helped make 2015 so memorable.
Caitlyn Jenner
Famous olympian Bruce Jenner transitions publicly to become a woman. Image: Superfame
Another Australian Prime Minister Usurped
Malcolm Turnbull together with Julie Bishop colluded to challenge the Prime Ministership. Image: The New Daily
Princess Charlotte Born
Prince William, The Duchess of Cambridge and William welcome a beautiful daughter and sister. Image IB Times
Local Deputy Mayor’s wedding shuts down the City
The estimated $1 million + production shut down the suburb of Lidcombe. Image: Smooth FM
Bali Volcano disturbs holiday Plans
Plans are postponed and holidays are extended when the Bali airport shuts down. Image: Bali
Kurnell Tornado
Freak tornado sweeps the suburb of Kurnell causing serious damage. Image: Daily Telegraph
Paris bombings
People gather in front of Le Carillon cafe, a site of the recent attacks, in Paris, President Francois Hollande says the Paris attacks targeted “youth in all its diversity” and that the victims were of 19 different nationalities. Image: AP Photo/Jerome Delay
Beirut Bombings
Two explosions occurred in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, November 13, 2015.Image: REUTERS/Hasan Shaaban – RTS6SMA
Kenya’s Garissa University College attacked
Kenya’s Garissa University was attacked by Somalian militants. Image: NY Times
Australia’s first Bachelorette finds love
After publicly being dumped following the second season of The Bachelor, Sam Frost became Australia’s first Bachelorette finding love with soul mate Sasha. Image: CTV News
Michael Clarke Retires
Michael Clarke hangs up his hat as Australia’s Cricket Captain. Hands reigns to Steve Smith. Image via Gambling Results from Getty Images
Nasa’s New Horizons spacecraft completed its first flyby of far away dwarf planet, Pluto.
Artist’s concept of NASA’s New Horizons probe cruising through the Pluto system on July 14, 2015. Image: Space
The Long awaited Seventh Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens smashed records with the biggest opening weekend EVER!
Record number of fans have showed their support and made the Seventh installment of the Star Wars franchise the biggest success ever. Image CTV News
Its hard to believe that Christmas is a mere 7 days away, and love it or hate it, unless you literally live under a rock, it is pretty impossible to avoid it. Come the 1st of December, walk into most malls, and you will here renditions of carols blaring over the PA system, and tinsel and baubles adorning every available space.
I suppose for those who loathe Christmas, the same songs each year may become tedious and the reruns of the same movies could be grating. But for most, it is easy to get in the ‘Christmas Spirit’ and embrace the season and all it brings.
Have a little look through our 20 pieces of Christmas trivia and test yourself.
Did you know….?
1. The most popular Christmas Song of all time is “A White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
2. Santa checks his ‘naughty or nice’ list TWICE
3. Santa has 8 reindeers named: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. Rudolph was only added in the 20th-century.
Image: Uncyclopedia
4. Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, is the only reindeer able to help Santa navigate his sleigh on that ‘one foggy Christmas Eve’.
5. Although most of Santa’s reindeers have fairly masculine names, male reindeer actually shed their antlers around Christmas each year. This means that it’s most likely Santa’s sleigh is pulled by female or castrated reindeer!
6. Santa Claus is also known as : Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Santa, Santy, Kris Kringle, Kristingle and Christingle.
Image: Acadiana’s Thrifty Mom
7. Santa lives at the North Pole where Elves produce all the presents in Santa’s workshop.
8. Santa gets back up a chimney by ‘laying his finger aside his nose, and giving a nod up the chimney he rose’.
9. Eggnog originates from England.
Image: Soda Factory
10. The Grinch is rumoured to have stolen Christmas.
11. An angel is the most popular item to place at the top of a Christmas tree.
12. Although in modern day nativity there are Three Wise Men, the bible does not actually specify the number.
13. If you received all the gifts listed in the 12 Days of Christmas, you would receive 364 presents!
Image: One Direction Love
14. Traditionally you stand under Mistletoe to give and receive a kiss, but did you know that the translation of Mistletoe is ‘Dung on a Twig”. Sadly, a few centuries back, people apparently observed that mistletoe tended to take root where birds had left their droppings. Charming…..makes me feel romantic, how about you!?
15. Charles Dickens’ most famous Christmas tale is ‘The Christmas Carol’, however did you know that he wrote other Christmas themed stories annually, but they never received the acclaim of his first.
16. It is still believed in England that eating a mince pie on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas will bring 12 months of happiness. Now that’s something worth trying I say!
Image: Pasco
17. The Pointsettia is the most common Christmas flower in the U.S.A, Mexico and Central America. Pointsettias are available in white, pink and red.
18. On average it takes approximately 7 years for a Christmas Tree to grow to size, although it can take up to 15 years!!
19. The first artificial Christmas tree was made from dyed goose feathers by the Germans.
20. In Greek, X means Christ and that is where the abbreviation for Christmas as “Xmas” comes from!
As the Christmas countdown begins, the team at Florist with Flowers wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Stay safe
For us creative types, Christmas wrapping can become just another avenue in which we can express ourselves. Rather than be limited by the variety of papers available at your local department store, with a little extra effort, your presents can look too good to unwrap! And lets be honest, there is nothing more enticing than a beautifully wrapped and decorated present taunting you from underneath the tree…..
It is important that you decide on a style or a theme, and stick with it. This will cut down on costs as you will not need to purchase too many variables. Now that is not to say that there cannot be variations within this, so this allows you to make each present look individual and unique, BUT when they all sit together, they look like they belong together. This way the presents will look more finished and cohesive.
I personally am a little behind schedule with my Christmas shopping. Stupidly, I thought I may be able to squeeze in some shopping on my half hour break each day I worked in the shop, but I tried that once, last Sunday, and will not attempt it again! The last Mr Potatohead was sitting there on the shelf, and feeling accomplished, I grabbed it, thrilled that third time was the charm, and I finally had what I was looking for, but unfortunately, my excitement was short lived. As I made my way to the counter I could see that the remainder of my break (all 25 mins of it) would be used waiting in the horrendous lines….that is, if it didn’t take even longer.
This obviously puts a bit of a delay on my wrapping as well, because lets face it, you have to have your presents first, but, in the meantime, I have got my wrapping ingredients and materials ready and waiting.
Today the kids also got involved and have created their own ‘range’ of wrapping paper. We do this every year and use it for the presents for their little friends. It is a nice way for them to get involved, and keep them occupied whilst I am being creative too.
Here I’ll show you some of my favourite wrapping ideas this year, that will take your presents from ordinary, to extraordinary.
Image: Etsy
I love using both brown craft paper and brown card as it just seems to fit with a simpler, more handmade and organic feel. By simply gluing paper lace doilies onto cards, tags or paper, you can add a delicate, decorative, vintage feel in seconds.
Image: Design Rulz
Again featuring brown craft or brown butchers paper, with simple twine, these presents are understated and elegant. I love adding spruce, holly, or pine to the gifts for an extra bit of festivity. Why not experiment with pinecones, or cinnamon sticks for a more earthy look. Or what about seashells if you are going for a beach feel?
Simple ink stamps can add personal touches, like Christmas greetings, or the gift recipients name. You can change the colour of the twine to suit your theme. These days coloured twines are available as well as natural jute.
Image thanks to Going Home to Roost via PInterest
Want something different to the brown paper? Why not try black? Choose white textas or pencils to personalise each gift with a series of greetings and drawings. For something different choose silver or gold ink pens, or add splashes of colour!
Image: 33 Shades of GreenImage thanks to Our Fifth House via C.R.A.F.T
Try using a basic brown wrap for all your gifts and then accessorise and personalise by adding a strip of a colourful paper, or fabric around the centre. This can then be personalised further by adding monogrammed gift tags and coordinating ribbons. I love the layered effect as it makes it look more intricate. It is a simple way of making it look like you have made a really special effort.
Why not try using hessian strips with frayed edges, and gingham ribbon- SUPER CUTE!
Image: Mommo Design
Got some time on you hands or some handy craft assistants? You’ll need brown butchers paper, chocolate card, white dot stickers, a red marker and a black marker. With these tools and your time and patience, you can turn ordinary brown covered boxes into crazy reindeer companions.
With only 2 weeks to go til Christmas and with so much still left to do, we best get busy!
If you are time poor and need some last minute pressies ordered and delivered, check out our Christmas range.
Yay! Summer is here! In my books that equals, long sunny days, beach trips, and sand…. EVERYWHERE! On one hand, with more hours of daylight everyday, we spend more times outdoors, enjoying the environment and activities with family and friends. On the other, our home becomes our cool, calm, clean, sanctuary to retreat to after a hard days work or activity. Flowers are never more important!
Having said that, with summer, comes shorter vase life: with blooms opening more quickly, and wilting just the same. Vase water becomes depleted seemingly overnight, and can become smelly fast too!
The thing about Sydney’s summers is that the weather is so inconsistent; hot one day, cool the next, extreme fire warnings, then terrifying thunderstorms or hail…..and it is the dramatic changes in temperature and humidity that wreak such havoc on us, and on the blooms available throughout the warmer months.
In an industry governed by weather, it is sometimes hard to say how long a bloom will last for you at home, whether it will be available in a week or two, or even what colours we can guarantee. This is sometimes hard for people to understand, but we are at the mercy of Mother Nature and really have no control over some of these bigger issues and what consequences they may have. For example, did you know that with a spell of hot weather a pure white David Austin Rose, becomes ‘flushed’ with a pale pink?
Or did you know entire crops can be destroyed by storms or hail? Some times this damage does not show up for several days, and in some cases that means it has already passed through the markets and our store and has made its way to your home.
Damaged crop of Hosta leaves. Image: Gardening Blog
I’m not quite sure why people expect so much out of flowers, knowing how the hot weather affects us all. Perhaps it is because they are a luxury item, and if they don’t last as long as the consumer believes they should, then perhaps they can’t find room for them in their weekly budget. Whatever the case, it is our job to educate the consumers on realistic vase life and care instructions.
Many of the seasons favourites do suffer in the extreme heat, and as a result, during late Spring, Summer and even early Autumn, you will see decreased vase life. Some of these seasonal beauties, in the heat of summer, may very well only last 3 days, and that is totally reasonable. Whilst air conditioning can dehydrate flowers, it would be preferable for your vaseful of flowers to be in a cool room. Avoid placing your vases in direct sun, near draughts (windows) or leaving your flowers out of water for long lengths of time after purchase.
A couple of weeks ago a very good customer of mine came in to complain about a vase of flowers he bought from us, in the week of the 43 degree heat. The Peonies, Delphinium and Columbian roses had lasted 6 days. The reason he chose to complain was that he had been used to our flowers lasting up to two weeks during winter and was extremely disappointed that he hadn’t seen the same longevity from this vase.
We explained that the choice of flowers had been different, the weather had been unseasonably warm, and that the vase life that he had enjoyed was pretty realistic given these factors. He wasn’t thrilled. He believes that rather than let him choose his arrangement based on what he liked, we should have told him not to buy those blooms given they were not ‘long lasting’. Had he asked what blooms were long lasting, I certainly would have steered him in another direction, however he hadn’t. He had chose the arrangement himself based on what he liked.
What do you think, should we ‘warn’ consumers about the vase life of each and every flowers voluntarily before they purchase? Or should we simply answer the question when asked?
Whenever someone begins their flower brief with “It has to be long lasting” we are immediately restricted to things like native blooms, tropical or lilies….but often this isn’t the ‘look’ they are after. As designers it makes it difficult for us to provide something that fulfils each of the requirements of the brief. After all, you can’t have it all!!!
If like me you like to enjoy things whilst they are in season, knowing that that moment in time will pass and you won’t get it back, here are some summer favourites:
