Exotic Flowers in Boston

With the romantic Love Letters show coming to the Shubert Theatre, we’ve partnered with the @CitiCenter to show you the love.  Share with us today what kind of flowers you like to get from your Valentine.  Tag #LoveLettersBos to enter to win two tickets to Love Letters and a gift certificate to Exotic Flowers.

I bet you didn’t know that because we live in Boston, we have access to some of the finest florists in the world!  Complete with their own sense of style and flair, Boston is ranked one of the top twenty best performing floral designers across the globe.   

I bet you didn’t know that each region has their own unique way of floral designing, making their pieces distinct and unique.  Really, it’s true!

Each designer has their own influence on how they manipulate color, texture and size and it’s mainly due to the specific geographic location where he or she has learned their talents!  For instance, Boston is pretty conservative when it comes to floral presentation but we also enjoy constant change in varieties mainly due to the fact that we experience a varying four-season climate.  Another fact about our area’s likes and dislikes are that we have an inherent taste for blending shades instead of separate color tones.  Even all white wedding work commonly has a pinch of peach or green added to create a richer balance.  

Are you curious about what other worldwide florists are designing?  Take a look at these nationally acclaimed floral industry masters and compare them to see where your taste truly lies.  You might be surprised where you find the answer!

photo credit: weddingsitaly.com

Italian Fiori

Italian floral arrangements are influenced largely by the Tuscany theme, which relies heavily on wildflowers and species representative of this region’s infamous product, grapes.  The essence usually revolves around romantic and sensual aspects, often cultivating opulent palettes of gem tones.  Historically, Romans often offered poppies to the gods as a gift making them to this day a popular addition to many    Italian bouquets.  

photo credit: Jeff Leatham    

French Fleurs

French floral design is without a doubt, some of the most beautiful work the world has ever seen.  The reason why is because regional designers have an eclectic style that stretches from single color clumping to erratic spectrums, incorporating bright shades of blues, yellows and oranges.  Popular flowers used are (of course) native to the area’s agriculture, including French iris, tulips, ranunculus and my favorite, French roses.  

       Japanese Hana

The Japanese style focuses on constructing intricate and contemporary designs that depend on architectural shape and balance.   Many experts deem this method as “cutting edge” within the industry and are impressed by the ability to break free from traditional pieces.  Often, floral centerpieces are looked upon as more than simply adding stems to a vase but viewed as “true art” because of the sophisticated techniques and creativity utilized.  While orchids still remain as one of the top ten varieties used in the culture’s floral décor, other species such as gerbera daisies, delphinium and hydrangea are also highly requested.

If you’re wondering what’s in store for the New Year, you’re in luck because it turns out 2016 is going to be a doozy!  The forecast calls for extended heights of energy, dramatic romances and massive changes within the career realm.  Let’s not forget the financial segment, which also looks like an interesting area for many of you…

So if you think you might be buying that new car or signing your first mortgage for that house in the country, you might want to take a look at this before you make any serious decisions.  No, the horoscope can’t predict exact events, but it can certainly steer you in the right direction!  Here’s what’s in store for you and hope you all have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Aries

March 21 - April 19

You’re an active soul who typically doesn’t take no for an answer!  You’re high energy will be extra stimulating for others as it helps you to complete tasks (both at home and at work) even faster than usual.  Keep an eye out for financial opportunities suggested by a “slickster” because most likely, it’s too good to be true.

Taurus

April 20 - May 20

You’re general stubbornness might pay off this year because there are going to be a many different choices coming your way that will instigate a dramatic change.  Be careful what way you opt to go, taking special concern for your natural suspicion towards “get rich quick” schemes.  

Gemini

May 21 - June 20

This might be the year where you should bite the bullet and go back to school!  Whether it’s for a high school diploma or your PHD, the signs say you’ll need that certificate for an upcoming venture.  Making decisions is a tough area for you so stop thinking about the pros and cons and just do it!

Cancer

June 21 - July 22

2016 is going to be a little challenging for your inherent intensity because it looks like things are for once, going to stay calm and steady.  Although there’s no real surge in career development or financial gain/loss, you’re going to be happy and relaxed for a change.  Enjoy it because you never know what will happen in 2017!

Leo

July 23 - August 22

You’re kindness and warmth makes people gravitate towards you, making this year an especially active year within social circles!  Be on guard for someone in the month of May who might want to take advantage of your generosity, though.  Forecasting predicts that this person will be apt to empty your wallet…

Virgo

August 23 - September 22

It’s time to open up that business you’ve always dreamed of!  Due to your intelligence and yearning to research thoroughly before doing anything, the stars say 2016 is the year to launch your endeavor!   Your practicality and strong sense of the market will guide you through a very successful first year.

Libra

September 23 - October 22

Something long ago tainted your trust towards a person or company but you being a Libra, you’ll love the fact that justice will soon be served!  During the latter end of the year, information will surface allowing you to see the whole picture, as you previously believed it was.  You love being right and you’ll enjoy how the story unravels. Balance is the key, so let it go once its over.  Life’s too short!

Scorpio

October 23 - November 21

It’s time to search the property sections of your newspaper because soon you will be a homeowner!  If you’re not looking to buy, re-location seems to be the right thing for you to do as well as go back packing through the mountains.  New adventures and experiences lay ahead so go forth and immerse yourself in this exciting new time!

Sagittarius

November 22 - December 21

Sometimes a great year means a stable year.  To have the simplistic qualities of life that you adore can be gift enough alone from 2016.  Like others, this is going to be a year that bestows an easy ride for you and your family making flexibility a lot more efficient and effective.  Health issues that may have seemed bleak in the past also come around with a more positive diagnosis.  Looks like you’re taking a break from stress in the upcoming calendar!

Capricorn

December 22 - January 19

You know that new job that you didn’t think you had a shot at getting?  Well now’s your time to rev up your business engines because there’s an opportunity to rise higher than you ever imagined in the working world!  Make sure you are well prepared for the interview and research the requirements as much as you can beforehand.  There’s no need to say “good luck”-you deserve it!

Aquarius

January 20 - February 18

Since you belong to the realm of water, you might want to visit the beach or lake as much as possible this year and not just in the summer.  There will be some stressful encounters in the beginning of the year but once they have passed-its smooth sailing.  Photography seems like the hobby to best suit these changes so go try it out in 2016!

Pisces

February 19 - March 20

Art is wrapping around you so if you’ve always wanted to join that paint class or learn how to model clay- now’s the time to do it.  Romance is also a strong possibility so be on the lookout during the month of November.  They might not seem like your perfect match in the beginning but soon you’ll see that opposites attract.  There’s someone special coming your way!

The New England Book Festival is held annually in Boston to recognize exceptional writing from both local and global talent.  Genres include poetry, fiction, non-fiction, children’s picture books, “how-to”, photography/art, wild card (anything goes), business, spiritual, young adult, gay, compilations/ anthologies, cookbooks and unpublished manuscripts.  Authors from around New England submit their work to be judged by a panel to compete for an award that consists of honorable mentions, runner-ups, winners or the overall grand prizewinner.  On December 31st, 2015, the list was revealed to see who would be receiving a plaque as well as an invitation for the special ceremony set to take place at the Omni Parker House sometime during the end of January.  

After scrolling down the list of titles and authors, we were pleasantly surprised to find our guest blogger, Suzie Canale included as the winner of the unpublished manuscript category!  Her title, “Camp Everdeen: Boys Will Be Boys”, is her latest work that was written for YA (Young Adult) readers, specifically in grades 3 to 5.  Although the story remains unpublished at this time, Suzie is hopeful that the book may spark interest now that it’s grabbing some industry attention.  Although it is her first attempt at writing outside of the children’s picture book genre, she says, “It won’t be the last…” The author who has won over a dozen awards in the last five years is already planning a sequel to the book where she derives ideas from her own past’s teenage goof-ups and drama.  The location of the story is also based on her real life experiences attending Jim Loscutoff’s “Camp Evergreen” located in Andover, Massachusetts.

If you would like a sneak peak at the plot, check out this brief synopsis, which will leave you wanting to read more!

Madeline Souza is excited to start her first year as a real Junior CIT at her favorite summer home away from home, Camp Everdeen and can’t wait to be reunited with her two best friends, Jamie and Laura.  Although she starts out believing that this will be the best eight weeks of her life, she soon finds disappointment when she’s put in charge of the worst cabin of boys on campus and paired with her arch nemesis, Jeff Larson.  As if the noise, mess and stink of caring for ten little monsters wasn’t bad enough, Laura’s crush on the tennis assistant, Sam Holden, gets sticky when a new beauty queen counselor enters the picture.  Madeline, Laura and Jamie won’t take matters lying down and decide to devise their own plans to revenge the boys of Camp Everdeen.

On January 18th, 2016, we will celebrate Martin Luther King Day, a holiday dedicated to remembering his nonviolent peace movements in the quest for equality.  Observed to honor his birthday, (which really lies on January 15th ) President Ronald Reagan signed the bill making it an official holiday on November 2nd , 1983.  The country will hold several reenactments of the reverend’s famous speech, “I Have a Dream” as well as thousands of Americans gathering in the place where a piece of his memory is held dearly.  

Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site honors King’s life work in spreading the idealism of peace throughout the country.  Along with precious artifacts and mementos of the hero’s lineage kept inside the museum, a second tribute marks the sanction, displaying a beautiful garden holding 185 varieties of roses at the visitor’s entrance.  The stunning presentation is one of the “International World Peace Rose Gardens” containing thousands of blossoms with eclectic colors and aromas.  Structured in a design similar to a starburst, the beds are planted entirely with roses, the United States official flower.  Landscaped in the month of March in 1992, the garden is visited by millions of people wanting to learn and pay homage to the man who spent his life crusading for a nonviolent world.  Dr King and his wife are also buried close by.

The configuration of the design and the varieties that grow within King’s International World Peace Rose Garden hold specific significance.  The starburst shape was created to mirror his brilliance and ambition of unity throughout mankind.  The plush pink roses in the center are symbolic for his wife who continued her husband’s teachings for years after his death.  The red band of roses that swerves in and out of the circle represents African Americans and their contributions made to the world and the white blooms are banded around the ring to exemplify King’s similarity with Ghandi within their peace movements.   The splash of multi-shaded roses placed within clumps is reminiscent of the world filled with a beautiful array of different cultures and ethnicities.  The assortment of several tints and color tones also represents King’s vision that peace should run throughout the world for eternity.   The garden is said to be one of the most powerful displays created in Martin Luther King’s memory and remains the number one site to honor and remember him by.  

Last Sunday night was the event of the year in California where glamorous stars walked the red carpet in the anticipation of seeing who would win a golden globe award!  According to reports, the ratings reached staggering heights and that was all due to the brilliant staging of props that was organized by the silver screen’s most talented artists.  The clothing, makeup and jewelry were all part of the sparkle adding to the excitement of the evening including the stunning flowers showcased by the best of the best florists in town.  On every table donned a fresh arrangement that was designed specifically to enhance the celebration for those attending and those viewing the ceremony from their own homes.  Characteristics such as color, texture, vase material and height constraints went into deciding just how to design Hollywood’s hottest event.  

photo credit: Nancy Kaye

Since the show aired, there has been an interesting report from those who both liked and disliked the floral displays placed around the room.  Do you prefer this wild collection of color or do you lean towards a more subdued mix of matching hues?

photo credit: Mark's Garden

Varieties of flowers that are included in this arrangement are yellow roses, purple hydrangea, green roses, blue hyacinth, taupe roses and Vanda orchids.  The vase is cylinder in shape with emerald glass set off by silver glitter.  Personally, I think the eclectic shades of bright jewel tones are interesting but may appear confusing to others.  The designer was no doubt going for a flashy splash, which I believe he successfully achieved!

all photos in this blog post are courtesy of Mark's Garden and Nancy Kaye

If you’re into flowers and I mean REALLY into flowers, you’re going to flip when you see the new Hallmark Movie Channel’s January release of “Flower Shop Mystery: Mums the Word”!  Not only is the title clever (you’ve got to giggle at the clever pun on words), but also the cast is nothing short of a Hollywood hit list.  It is well know that bigger and popular stars are starting to sign on to more TV series and independent films but when you headline Brooke Shields as the main character, there’s no doubt a huge interest will be created.  Along with the ex super model, she’ll also be accompanied by Brennan Elliott and Beau Bridges who still bring their sizzle to the silver screen.  This flick has all the makings of becoming a Hallmark’s Hollywood classic smash and lucky for us, there’s allegedly three more installments signed off for production.

So if I’ve grabbed your attention you’re probably wondering “So what’s the plot about?”  

Great question!

The story is set in a quaint town of “New Chapel” where the recently widowed, Abby Knight (played by Shields), decides to quit her job as a lawyer and follow her dreams of running her own flower shop.  Assisted by her father and daughter who recently started college, Abby starts to rebuild her life within a new career.  Everything seems to be going along as planned until her vintage car is rear ended by a hit and run.  Determined to find the culprit, she finds support from her hunky next-door neighbor and ex-marine, Marco Salvare (Elliott) who assists her on her hunt.  As they get closer and closer, another tragedy hits when the body of her friend turns up murdered.  It isn’t long before the finger points to Marco, leading Abby to race against time determined to clear her romantic interest’s name and catch the real killer!

This year my favorite present was a stunning terrarium built with glass, copper and iron and boy have I been having fun with it so far!  If you’re an avid gardener like me, you can sympathize with the fact that winter is unbearably depressing when it comes to waiting for growing season to return.  As the now continues to fall, most green thumbs are waiting in anticipation for the thaw to arrive so that they can resume their passion of vegetable and flower harvesting.  

Terrariums solve this winter woe by allowing you to foster seedlings or even tropical beauties from the sanctuary of your own home!  

Built to capture heat and light, this ingenious vessel works to keep your seedlings safe while nurturing them as if they were in a real greenhouse.  All you need is a window with ample sunlight and a few plants to get started.  If you have already began searching online for the best price and model, you’ll find that there is a huge array to select from with choices on different sizing, materials, height and price.  

The best plants to use can be anything your little heart desires as long as the compartment is large enough to store it.  Cacti and orchids are fantastic options as well as Airplants, which are awesome to hang from the ceiling and sides.  Don’t forget your cucumbers, carrots and squash this spring to get them ready for future outdoor plantings!

If you don’t want to spend a bundle paying for a terrarium, you can actually make your own at home.  All you have to do is reuse an empty egg carton or other appropriate container and place plastic or saran wrap over the top.  There’s a million different ways to do it so be sure to browse Pinterest for some other cool and affordable ideas!  Happy Winter Planting!  

The other day I got into my car to drive to a doctor’s appointment in the first real snowy day of the New England season.  I was pretty excited because afterwards, I would be having lunch with two close friends-one of which came all the way from California for a visit.  So anyways, I was on my merry way when I heard a BANG” ricochet from the front of the car.  A few moments later the “Thump, thump” made me suspicious of damage caused by whatever it was that I hit in the road.  Luckily, I barely made it into the parking lot, found a space and turned off the ignition to go and went to investigate the problem.  A flat tire.  A really flat tire during the worst winter weather we have experienced so far, making the situation all around a disastrous one.

Thankfully, I had prepared myself for a mishap similar to this and was able to resurrect the situation without any severe grievances (although I did miss that luncheon with my friends).  It made me realize how important it is to fully stock your car with items that will come in handy during situations like these or unthinkably - even worse.  If you haven’t stocked up already, keep in mind these tips that will assist you safely through your own winter blunders.

Always Store In Your Trunk…

1. Bottled Water- Even if it freezes, water will always thaw and its important to stay hydrated in freezing temperatures.

1. Fleece Blankets- If there’s no heat in your vehicle then it’s imperative that you store a few warm blankets just in case your tow ride takes longer than expected.

1. Extra Clothing- This goes without saying that you should pack extra clothing to add layers if needed.  Sweaters and waterproof jackets are highly recommended.

1. First Aid Kits- You never know when you might need a Band-Aid or other necessary medical supplies if you’ve been in an accident.  Having the right materials just may lessen the impact of an injury incurred so make a stop at CVS or Walgreens to stock up!

A SPARE TIRE!!!  You would be amazed how many people are driving around without a spare tire in their trunk!  Now’s the time to check and make sure because if you get a flat tire like I did, you don’t want to be stuck empty handed and ill prepared

So now that we’ve blown our brains out on buying gifts for the season, it’s time we tighten up the budget to refill our empty piggy banks.  I know-its like the worst hangover ever when we check our bank statements and see a depleted amount of resources.  Instead of tearing your hair out, cursing that it’s the last time you spend so much money on the holiday season, take a deep breadth, relax and listen to a few tips that are guaranteed to put a spring back in your savings step.  I get the anxiety- I really do because like many people, the January financial reality always makes me a bit panicky, too.  I like to see a nice cushion in my wallet in case disaster strikes where it really is necessary to spend the wad.  I learned long ago that if you can follow a few simple tricks, you’ll soon see those numbers start to climb back up, if not only to be in time for next year’s holiday shopping sprees.  By even taking on one or two of these principles, you’ll begin to see some positive change just by tweaking small areas of your lifestyle.  Good luck and get saving again in the year 2016!

Money Jars

Money jars are the best way to start because most people have at least one penny to empty out of their pockets at the end of the day.  Grab a clear vase, cup or Mason jar, and place it in an area of your home where it’s easy to utilize.  If you really want to have fun with it, choose a holder that isn’t opaque and at the end of the year you’ll be shocked at how much doe you’ve accumulated!

photo credit: Flower Factor

Return Bottles and Cans

This one is a no brainer because not only will it help you regain your losses, it’s a real benefit to our environment!  Get an old trash barrel and toss in those coke and ginger ale empties.  Find a redemption center at a grocery or liquor store and receive your .05 rebate fee!  You might not think it’s much but if you put it aside in a account, the truth will become clear.  I’ve even paid for a significant part of one summer vacation just by using my recycling money.

Eat in More (That Includes Your Coffee Order)

Do you know that on average, Americans spend almost 35% of their paychecks on take out?  From fast food burgers to fancy sit down dinners, we are literally burning our bread by buying food made in someone else’s kitchen!  I know that we all get tired and need a night out at times but if you shave off half of those occurrences, you’ll see how much money you’ll still have left at the end of the week.  If you’re a coffee fiend, you might want to brew your own since most pre-paid coffees go cold half full (not to mention the triple cost as opposed to an at home coffee maker).  Oh, and did I mention the fact that your waistline will thank you, too?  By cooking on your own, you know exactly what’s going into your food, discarding many of the empty calories and unhealthy additives typically found in restaurants.