Were I not a florist.......

I would have an ice-cream van. The flavours would be magical, almost of another world. Mr F would probably have a hand in making them. I would sell ices wearing a sundress, cardigan and high heels. The Hound would drive and work the music. I came very close to doing this once, that's when i was a farmer's wife. Remind me to tell you about that one day.

And because you have listened to me prattle on

Hound - check
Flowers - check
Formula 1 - check (the new Mp4-25 exciting stuff )

All bases covered, have a very lovely weekend.
xoxo

You like potato and I like potahto

I used roses.
The wellies were turquoise and a size 4
They obviously belonged to someone called Tom. Let's hope he didn't need them last night.
The shop has lampshades a plenty, clothes hanging of taps, and nice tweed waistcoats, which I was very tempted by.

And finally
I have a crush on the Lurpak man, there's something about a man making pie...
The Hound is fully immersed in the Iraq Inquiry, but is questioning whether any good will come of it? He suspects it's like wheat free crackers.
I have a longing to be in the concrete jungle where dreams are made of (part II)

200 tulips and a pair of wellies

Do you have a Joules in your area? Will you be going to their shopping evening tomorrow? Local florist's will be in store to demo some flower arranging. I will be at the one in Stamford, on St.Mary's, you know, opposite the town hall. The one with the lampshades.
I have to do something fancy with a pair of wellies.
It is on between 4pm and 8pm, so if you are in the vicinity pop in and say hello.
I have no idea what to wear.
This is what 200 tulips looks like.
The Hound has gone back into hibernation.

Flowers in a bag, an update

Based on the fact that every single bag was reduced, and that there were a lot of bags, I don't think they will be around for long.

Mine are dead.

I'm a florist....get me out of here

If you open a flower shop, you will probably never go on holiday again.
It is a secret that people don't tell you. I am telling you, take a lot of holiday before you open.
A day trip to the coast is enough but when the opportunity arises to get away for a night, it is all the more exciting. I am a big fan of the Sunday night escape. Hotels offer great deals on a Sunday, as everybody else is checking out and thinking of the dreaded Monday morning, your break has just started.
The Mother Hen and I headed to Harrogate, and stayed ici. It was top notch, I found a new gin, served on ice with fresh strawberries, ate foie gras with pistachio and cherry, and had french toast for breakfast.
1. The hotel has good bathing and showering facilities.
2. I wore my porn star shoes all weekend, the other great thing about not being in the shop is you don't need practical footwear.
3. Catching up with my god-daughter.
4. It is hard not to have a nose at other flower shops, Caine of Harrogate is beautiful, the outside display was stunning, and he wore a nice hat.
5. Should Anonymous be serious in his proposal, i am not a diamond girl, either of these Aquamarines would be just perfect. Available from a jewellers that also does tiara hire.
6. The Hound post rainstorm.

So I am rushing off to purchase copious amounts of topiary,
what inspired you this weekend? Does that sound cheesey?
Forgive me.

Buttonholes - a retrospective

Because it's not just about the girls in ivory dresses.

It's about the boys in suits too.

Have a good weekend, do you have plans?

I do, I have big plans.

Let's rendez-vous on Tuesday and discuss.

Today was a very good day

We talked about PINK with a bride.
Sold bunches of flowers for birthdays and anniversaries
Had a good shorter but blonder hair day
Then Emily Quinton came to our little shop, I wanted to take her picture but was too shy to ask.
She met with my favourite bride and groom, and they booked her on the spot. From that first moment they knew, like the way you know about a good melon. (3.05 if you want to skip right to it, but you'll end up watching the whole thing)

Emily is the melon in this scenario.

Later when she came back into the shop to tell me she had been booked, we squealed like schoolgirls and talked at 300mph, it's not just brides that get excited, we do too.
Then on the way home I had a text with the most exciting news.
The Hound and I are dancing on the ceiling.

The End

Flowers in a bag

These flowers are not in a bag, they are from a wedding last summer, I just didn't like the flowers in a bag being at the top of the blog.

I spoke to one of my flower suppliers, he says maybe it's gas?
in the bag.
Then we talked of Valentine's Day and boats. Excellent.
In summary i would say that these flowers in a bag will appeal to those who just want to pick up some flowers whilst doing other shopping - like Simon.
As I have said before I have no problem with supermarkets selling flowers, I was just curious to see who they appealed to.

It's a bit like salad bags.

You may have got this twice in your RSS, I hit the wrong key, read the second version it has fewer spelling mistakes.

Flower retailing 2010

Sometimes on a rainy Sunday afternoon you might catch an old futuristic film off of the 1950's. Everybody flying about in spaceships and eating pills instead of actual food, you know the thing. Those films never feature flower shops, but if they did they would look like our local Marks and Sparks.
Evidently the retailing giant has decided we should all buy our flowers in sealed packages. If it works for hosiery.....

"Our new fresh flower packaging seals the flowers in their own protective atmosphere until you get them home....bloomin' marvellous!"

Bloomin' marvellous? shoot the copywriter now.

I don't understand, I thought flower buying was supposed to be a sensory experience, whether you choose a florist, supermarket or garage forecourt, or have i been doing it wrong? Will my customers demand their tussie-mussies in hermetically sealed packets? Don't even dare.

I did enjoy whipping out my camera and snapping the stand in situ, i felt like Donal Macintyre (pre Dancing on Ice) or that man who claimed Hot Dogs were vegetarian as they don't actually contain anything that can be called Meat. The food technologist was brilliant, I like a man in a lab coat.
Thoughts please....on the flowers not my fetish for lab coats.

Blogrolls

If I was Matthew, I would have left out the first L in that post title, but I'm not.
I have added some new blogs to the roll, and split them up into categories - always happy to help. Try a few out see how you get on. I hate the way blogger formats this application - any suggestions?
I am currently obsessed with The Pioneer Woman, I want to be her,live on a ranch and be married to Marlboro man, only without the children, and with a Canon rather than a Nikon.

Another blog I like is CJane, I have nothing in common with a Mormon stay at home Mum, but I read it - every day - weird.

That's the wonder of blogland.

Talk here is of Valentine's day, it's on a Sunday....this makes it difficult for those who buy 2 bouquets.
Are you just 1 step away from getting sponsors on this blog? Probably

Birds of a feather

This weekend was all a bit Bumpkin
In other news

Friday night was very interesting.
We are bidding farewell to the hair extensions.
They kept getting caught up in the handcuffs.

A man walks into a shop

Man: "I don't think I have ever seen a florist with painted nails of bright red before, or indeed one that has pheasants hanging up waiting to be plucked, or one that wears leopard print shoes."

Miss P: "You really should get out more"

Also a lady has just dropped her shopping and broken a bottle of wine all over the shop floor. The scent of cheap Pinot is not adding to the ambiance i am trying to create.

The whole carnation thing or how to make that roulade

I can't get too carried away as I only bought a wrap of 20, but i have been using them again. I don't like them on the table in a vase, so if you want some we have them out back.....knock 3 times and say "Tip Top" Rather than use 1 i have decided they are better if you tie 5 together they almost take on the look of a peony, if you stand far away and squint.

Your requests for the recipe for that non-cracking roulade have been answered. Matthew has put the recipe on his blog, it's a slippery slope now.
Another piece of cake came my way yesterday, a beautiful piece of victoria sponge. I had intended to have a good day and eat broth, but that all went wrong with a piece of thick buttery toast at breakfast. It reminded me that i will never be one of those girls...last year i went to a dinner party of those type of women. The conversation was so dull I took to observing their eating habits, one lady when presented with each course immediately pushed half her food to one side and poured salt all over it so she wouldn't be tempted to eat it.
Imagine being that self-controlled? Thankfully i don' think I will bump into her tonight.

Have a great weekend, if you can't be good, don't get caught

xxx

No vintage

No vintage? No problem other colours are available.

Wedding bouquet of cherry brandy and blu curiosa roses, anemones, ranunculus, mimosa, veronica and carnations.
Yes you read it correctly carnation. My resolution for this year is to be more open minded. Tomorrow I am going to a fetish evening.

If I were getting married today

I would use these ribbons. Tie them to my bouquet, wear them in my hair, and make a collar out of them for The Hound.

Obviously I am not getting married today, because it is actually quite late now, and I think in this country you need to be married by 5pm.

Also did I tell you how 2 men in the pub tried to buy The Hound? You could tell they were strange folk...they ordered bottled beer.

Tomorrow flowers for somebody who is getting married.

Some flowers

Because it's not just about The Hound, or Mr Ferrari's cooking.

Snow day

The Hound is more enthusiastic than co-ordinated.
On Sunday we met a Great Dane, that was the biggest dog you ever did see. He made The Hound look like a hamster.
There is so much still to catch up on,like how I got the Cheryl Cole CD for Christmas, and haven't stopped playing it, or how I spent New Year's Eve in A&E with The Other Miss Pickering having her head sewn back together - it must be noted that no alcohol was involved, and she is on the mend.
And of course Mr Ferrari has cooked a gazillion delicious meals, and I have made him a cheese sandwich.

Also The Hound has grown extra fur between his paws, this must be because of the cold, it is a curious thing, is it just him?

Anything but red