To add a touch of glamor to this very necessary and pertinent day, we and our co-sponsors host the annual Eugene’s Favorite Mom Contest! The mom you submit could win over $500.00 in prizes:  

- She’ll receive a plaque announcing her as Eugene’s Favorite Mom 2013

- From us at Dandelions – a beautiful floral arrangement, balloons, and a $50.00 gift certificate

- From Bello Salon and Spa – their Premiere Spa Package  (60 minute massage, facial and mani/pedi)

- From Lavelle Vineyards – Wine tasting (for up to 10 people) and a bottle of 2012 Pinot Gris

- From Pepperberries – a $50.00 gift certificate

- From McKenzie Honey Farms – a $25.00 gift certificate and accessory bag

Wouldn’t it be great if your mom won this year? If you stopped for a second, you could quickly come up with a list of why your mom – or a mom you know – deserves a little extra recognition this Mother’s Day! Go to www.eugenesfavoritemom.com, read up on the contest rules, and jot down your thoughts, and maybe your mom will be Eugene’s Favorite Mom 2013!

The deadline is May 8th. The winner will be selected on, or around May 11th. We’ll keep you posted! Good luck with your entries!!

We love prom at Dandelions and have so much fun helping to customize and create each individual piece of floral art! Some of the fun accessories available this year include: Flutterzz rhinestone feathers, shiny metallic leaves in multiple colors and, as always, lots of rhinestones!!

Have fun with the process and don’t feel like you need to order the same-old same-old thing that everyone else is ordering. Florists are artists and love to create a one-of-a-kind piece for your special night.

More and more, the 24 hours we’ve been allotted in a day are so busy, they seem to fly by, and the little things that make such an impact on every day life are the first casualties of our hectic existence. We mean to make that phone-call and check up on that friend, but by the  time we get to it, it’s too late in the day. We are grateful for the help and hard work of those around us, and at some point plan on sending them a thank you card or gift, but something urgent and requiring immediate attention pops up, and that kind intention is moved to tomorrow’s schedule.

That’s why Administrative Professionals Week is so important! It’s a week’s worth of nudging to remind you to show appreciation to those who work so hard for you. Anyone who’s ever received flowers knows how delightful it is to accept that lovely, thoughtful package, and long after the flowers have faded, the memory of that gift continues to delight.

You’d think that as florists, we are constantly taking  flowers home to make fabulous and lush centerpieces and arrangements for family functions. That does happen on occasion, but usually, and  more often than we’d like to admit,  even the florist forgets to take flowers home!! Shirley was half-way home before she realized she did exactly that! So between babysitting her two-year and twelve week old grand-kids (a juggling act of princess dolls and diapers), and preparing dinner for twelve, she needed to come up with something fast and uncomplicated. Thankfully, Shirley had daffodils growing in her yard, and with some of these and a few vases in colorful, spring tones and varying heights, she had a quick, fun, artsy centerpiece on her dining-room table!

Using what you have growing in your yard (be it flowers or some pretty greenery)  and your collection of vases is a cost-effective way to make a great impression, and get your creative juices flowing!

We love flowers because they’re inherently beautiful and really don’t need much embellishment to make a statement. Artfully placed vases and simply arranged flowers are an easy way to enhance any event.

Photo used under Creative Commons from treasureagain

Photo used under Creative Commons from Risager

Photo used under Creative Commons from sbluerock

Photo used under Creative Commons from stripeyanne

Photo used under Creative Commons from Jewell Willett

Photo used under Creative Commons from GlitzUK

PANTONE recently announced the 2013 color of the year as PANTONE® 17-5641 Emerald. PANTONE has long been the authority on color trends and their decision to name emerald as the color for this year reflects the desire for renewal and growth.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®, reminds us that “Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum”. How true for flowers! Often green is only seen in the foliage but why shouldn’t it play center stage? Anthurium, Bells of Ireland, spider mums and even roses all come in shades of green (although not truly emerald) but certainly complement the deep gem shade.

If you can’t wait to incorporate emerald into your upcoming event or wedding, PANTONE suggests pairing it with shades of peach, pinks, roses, ruby reds and aubergines. I also think navy complements it well since it is such a sophisticated palette.

Your florist has the experience and know-how to design with flowers. An easy way to save is to entrust the floral design to a professional florist but save by purchasing your own containers. One of my brides this summer wants to used galvanized tin milk pails. She has purchased them on her own and I will be creating the floral centerpieces. Just make sure that when you are looking for your containers that they are water-tight or contain a liner. This strategy is best if you want a combination of flowers or a design that is more complicated.

If you are determined to go the DIY centerpiece route here are my tips…

Choose a simple design. Hydrangeas can be used in a variety of ways and are easy to work with. A single blossom submerged in water or a cluster are simple enough to do yourself but have high impact. Your vases can be purchased in bulk from your florist as well as the flowers. Although there are websites that you can purchase bulk flowers from, the flower-specific care and handling can mean the difference between flowers that look gorgeous on your wedding day and flowers that don’t hold up. Buy your flowers in bulk from your florist so that they can by processed by a professional and stored in a temperature-controlled cooler.

Photo used by permission from Syndicate Sales

Another design that is popular and easy are single stems of flowers in budvases. A collection of budvases at each table with flowers in them are ideal for a more casual event or a wedding with a vintage feel.

Photo used by permission from Syndicate Sales

Photo used by permission from Syndicate Sales

Discuss your ideas with your florist and allow them to guide you with the plan that will best achieve your look. As florists we know which ideas are feasible for DIY and which could turn into disaster. We want your wedding to be beautiful and sometimes the little bit of extra money you will save doing it yourself just isn’t worth the headache. But if you do…good luck and happy designing!

The Pearl Buck Center  works with people born with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism, to name a few,  nurturing these individuals so that they are able to function and be contributing members of society.

The businesses involved are offering Pearl Bucks for customers to buy as a contribution to support the cause. All you have to do is come in and buy a Buck!

Here’s a link for a list of the businesses involved: http://www.pearlbuckcenter.com/images/stories/national%20dd%20awareness%20month%202013%20-1.jpg

To learn more about the Pearl Buck Center and find out about opportunities to volunteer, check out their website at http://www.pearlbuckcenter.com/.

To learn more about developmental disabilities and how the state of Oregon is involved, check out the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities website at http://www.ocdd.org/.