Did You Know Plants Can Improve Your Health?

Did you know that having plants in your home can improve your overall health? A few well-placed ferns, spider plants, air plants and succulents can do wonders for your overall wellbeing.  Scientists recommend one potted plant per 100 square feet to feel the benefits. You can even get plants tailored to your needs, like plants that will help remove formaldehyde from the air. Here are just a few of the reasons that you need to consider going green in 2018!

- Plants clean and purify the air.

- Plants lower the risk for airborne illness.

-Plants boost ones overall mood by lowering anxiety, depression, and stress.

-Plants help enhance concentration, especially in office settings!

-Plants are shown to improve overall well-being in hospital patients.

-Plants have specific health benefits for certain diseases including lowering the risk for stroke, by 34 percent, ischemic heart disease, by 26 percent, COPD, by 22 percent, respiratory infections in children, by 12 percent, and lung cancer by 6 percent!

-Plants have been known to lower blood pressure.

-Plants help people recover from illness faster.

-Plants can improve sleep

-Plants can help to combat the negative effects of smoking inside.

-Plants can help you improve your overall mental health.

We have plants in every size and price point, so stop by Blumz, Holly, Ferndale or Detroit and pick something up to start getting healthy in 2018!


To learn more about how plants affect your health click here.

How to Care For Your Poinsettia To Get The Most Out Of It

Want to get the most out of your poinsettias this holiday season? Here are some great tips from Blumz to make sure you do! 

Pick a healthy plant. The longevity of a poinsettia plant can be dependent on its purchased condition. Select a plant that has bright green leaves and colorful sturdy bracts. After returning home with the plant, remove its protective covering and place in a location that receives indirect sunlight. 

Water the plant regularly. Practicing proper watering techniques is important to the survival of all plants.  Poinsettias should be watered when the plant’s soil is dry. A great way to water it is to take the plant to the sink, remove the foil wrapping and add water to the soil. The foil wrapping can be replaced after the excess water has drained from the plant. The plant can also be placed in a saucer and the foil wrapping can be punctured at the bottom of the plant to allow drainage.

Avoid direct sunlight. Because poinsettias are tropical plants, they do require some sunlight. But, placing the plant in direct sunlight can cause damage to the plant’s leaves. Extreme low or high temperatures and drafts should also be avoided.

BE AWARE: The belief that poinsettias are poisonous is a common misconception, according to a company spokesperson. A number of organizations, including Ohio State University, have documented that poinsettias are non-toxic and safe to be in homes where children and pets reside. As with many plants, poinsettias are not meant for ingestion and may cause discomfort if consumed.

Come by Blumz and check out our wide selection of poinsettias including red, yellow, white and more! We have all shapes, sizes, and colors! 

-Team Blumz

blumz.com

ourprettywedidng.com 

Celebrate International Women's Day With Flowers

International Women's Day celebrates women's accomplishments and advocates for gender equality. Honor an inspiring woman in your life by sending her hand-delivered flowers on March 8th!

THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY:

International Women’s Day began in the early 1900's during a time when American women were becoming more vocal about their oppression, socially and legally, and organizing to bring about change, most notably by the suffragists.

In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding the right to vote and better pay. Two years later, an International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen, Denmark where the idea to hold a day around the world where women demand their rights was proposed. International Women’s Day was born!

HOW WE CELEBRATE:

Many people give give small gifts or send flowers to celebrate International Women's Day. In some countries men and women give flowers, postcards with poetry, chocolate, and other pleasant gifts to their mothers, wives, grandmothers, sisters and daughters.  It is a day to celebrate all of the women in your life! 

SHOP OUR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY FLOWERS 

The Story of Sweetest Day

Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Sweetest Day every October?  Well, here is the origin story of the holiday.

"Over 60 years ago, a Cleveland man, believing that the city’s orphans and shut-ins too often felt forgotten and neglected, conceived the idea of showing them that they were remembered by the distribution of small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he distributed these small remembrances on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to participate in the celebration ceremony, which came to be called “Sweetest Day.”

 In time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the underprivileged was broadened to include everyone and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small remembrance. And soon, the idea spread to other cities all over the country. Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning".

Many of us see Sweetest Day as a holiday for couples like Valentine's Day, but its actually a very different holiday.  It is a day to do something sweet for all the people in your life! So, celebrate Sweetest Day with all the sweets in your life this Saturday, October 15th!

~Blumz by JRDesigns
Blumz.com
Ourprettywedding.com

Fresh From the Garden is Back for a Limited Time Only!

When you think of Michigan weather you probably think of snow. It's true that we have some very harsh winters but we also have really beautiful summers. For a few months of the year the sun peeks its head out from behind the clouds and the colors of summer start to bloom all around us. Blumz by JRDesgins likes to take full advantage of the summer by planting our own flower garden where we grow some of the most beautiful buds that you have ever seen.

This year's garden features an assortment of fresh flowers including yarrow, dahlias, campanula, dusty miller, hosta leaves, echinacea, sunflowers, snapdragons, marigold , zinnias, gomphrena, feverfew and more. We will be using these fresh Michigan grown flowers to create unique arrangements for our customers that will last,  there is nothing better than getting something fresh from the source.

If you would like to purchase an arrangement made fresh from the garden click here or stop in and pick out something that we just picked!

~Blumz by JRDesigns

Blumz.com

OurPrettyWedding.com

Win Tickets to See The Sound of Music in Detroit!

A mother is someone who takes care of you, who looks after you and comforts you when you are down. Some of us only get one mom and others have lots of moms that look out for us and help us navigate through life.

In the musical "The Sound of Music" Maria comes into the Von Trapp family's life and changes everything. She looks after the children, teaches them, loves them and eventually falls in love with Captain von Trapp. It’s a touching story about love, family, and of course music. Maria isn’t the children's mother but she takes care of the children and looks out for them like she is.

If you are lucky enough to have a ‘mother’ in your life you know how important it is to show them how much you appreciate them on Mother’s Day. Blumz by JRDesigns has two ways for you to do that this year.

First, we created a one of a kind design inspired by "The Sound of Music" which is playing on Broadway in Detroit from May 10th-22th! This arrangement features roses, green trick, hydrangea, spray roses and more. The greens represent the rolling hills of Austria, the blues represent the sky and the yellow represents a “ray of golden sun”. The entire arrangement is placed in a “brown paper package” and “tied up with strings” and will be one of the receiver's favorite things. Plus, 20 % of the cost will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Detroit Race For The Cure when you purchase this arrangement!


We also have a five pairs of tickets to giveaway to see The Sound of Music on Broadway in Detroit. A night on the town is just what “mom’ needs! To win a pair of tickets click on the link below!

Enter to Win 

~Blumz by JRDesigns

Blumz.com

Ourprettywedding.com

Celebrating Administrative Professionals

National Administrative Professionals Day, contrary to the belief of many, was NOT started by the floral or gift card industry!! In fact, it's roots began back during WWII and were started by key figures such as the president of the National Secretaries Association, Mary Barrett, President of Dictaphone Corporation, C. King Woodbridge, and Public Relations Account Executive at Young & Rubicam, Harry F. Klemfuss. The National Secretaries Association was formed to recognize the contributions of secretaries and other administrative personnel to the economy, to support their personal development and to help attract people to administrative careers in the field. The association's name was changed to Professional Secretaries International in 1981 and, finally, the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) in 1998. As the organization’s scope and name changed so has the holiday’s name.

With the ever changing role of the Administrative Assistant, the stereotypical female secretary in a
typing pool is no longer even remotely accurate. The role of the “Admin” encompasses anyone whose job is to provide support, office administration, administrative assistance, paper and electronic filing, supply procurement, communications, technical support and so much more. These positions are filled by males and females alike. As such, when deciding what is appropriate as a gift in recognition of the contributions made by the Admin, don’t make the mistake of slipping into a gender pit fall!

While cards, balloons, and especially flowers are still totally appropriate, be sure to explore the many
options that will be appreciated by any Admin whether male or female. The popularity of “organic”,
green and succulent options is a perfect solution.

Featured here are a couple of cool, hip and totally funky options that will be appropriate for all. The
designs feature containers made of twigs and contain air plants, mosses, and succulents. The first, a
more compact design, showcases 2 exotic pincushion protea in yellow. Honey suckle and vine encircle the longer lasting flowers creating an interesting structure. A trio of yellow “billy balls” escapes to the right from the enclosure. At the lip of the container, to the right, a cluster of mossy-looking green trick dianthus provides a touch of bright green and on the left side, a couple of small cute echiverias are tucked in.

The second option is a bit taller with fresh red twig dogwood branches creating a “tree” onto which live air plants have been attached. The tillandsias (airplanes’ real name) are perfect for the office and very easy to care for. At the base of the branches, a succulent plant has been wrapped in green moss and tucked in with a few stems of blue eryngium thistle and a clump of green trick dianthus. Spanish moss and seeded eucalyptus finish off the composition.

So this year, show your appreciation for the Administrative Professionals contributions to the success of the company with a touch of green and a lot of cool. I'm sure the recognition will be appreciated!

-Robbin Yelverton

Blumz by JRDesigns

Blumz.com

Ourprettywedding.com 

Win Fresh Blumz!!!

Flowers have been utilized in many different ways throughout history. They are used to commemorate life, death, happiness, sorrow, love, remembrance, and sometimes they are given “just because”. Flowers are special because they do not last forever. Instead, flowers are an experience. If flowers lasted forever they would just be another item that we can own, but no one can own a flower, they can only capture and appreciate its beauty for a moment in time. The uncertainty, the smell, and the glamour of flowers make giving and receiving them one of the most extraordinary ways to show your love, appreciation or thankfulness to someone else.

Everyone should experience the glory of fresh flowers, so we are giving away a bouquet a month for the next 6 months. We want to give you the priceless experience of fresh blumz. If you would like to enter to win flowers for yourself to enjoy please email your name to sadie@blumz.com . We will draw one name at random at the end of each month and we will email a winner. That person will get to experience what we have been talking about. We guarantee that once you have felt the specialness of flowers you will understand why we love them so much!


~Blumz by JRDesigns
Blumz.com
Ourprettywedding.com

New Years Eve, Old Rituals & New Beginnings!

Celebrations are used to mark significant dates and occasions and New Year’s Eve is certainly no new face to the party! In fact, the celebration of Winter Solstice and the beginning of the New Year is one of the oldest celebrations. For most westerners, that day of celebration has evolved and moved from the original dates of December 21st/22nd to the beginning of the Gregorian calendar, January 1st. Other cultures celebrate the New Year on various dates throughout the year. However, even with all the diversity there are some underlying themes across all cultures. The New Year is seen as a time to set things straight, wash the slate clean and reflect. It is a time to say out with the old and in with the new!

In recognition of the many symbols and rituals used to usher in the New Year, this arrangement has
been carefully and thoughtfully created.  A golden rectangular container serves as the base of the design to represent the prosperity of the New Year. Evergreen foliage is used to symbolize everlasting life and to ward off evil.  It also creates a lush bed for the arrangement. Candles are used by many cultures to symbolize life and drive away darkness. The smoke from the candle also represents thoughts and prayers in many cultures.  A garland of cranberries twined with red string or yarn is usually used by The American Indians as a symbol of peace. The berry is also used for its healing properties.  The beautiful deep red of the cranberries is further enhanced by the use of a fresh pomegranate which has been opened to show its seeds. The pomegranate is a powerful symbol of prosperity, it also represents knowledge, learning and wisdom in many cultures.   In Greek mythology, the seeds of the pomegranate are present in some of the stories about the changing of the seasons from winter to spring. A cluster of grapes is placed in the arrangement to represent the Spanish practice of placing 12 grapes in a glass of wine or champagne to toast your guests at midnight. As the wine is drunk the grapes are eaten one at a time, each representing a month of the New Year, a wish is made for each grape as it is eaten. White roses, a symbol of purity and honesty lend their elegance to the display. Stems of wheat are added as they are a symbol of love and charity as well as to guard against conceit. A flourish of ivy to the right invokes the Celtic symbolism of connections and friendships. Ever intertwining, the ivy is an example of the twists and turns our friendships take but also a testimony to the long-lasting connections and bonds we form with our friends that last over the years. Holly is believed to bring good luck and ward off evil. It also symbolizes reincarnation and rebirth. The springs of rosemary are used to symbolize connection and remembrance. Over-sized glittery butterfly wings create drama and hearken back the symbolism of rebirth and change which is also associated with butterflies. Tucked within the center of the design is a very ancient and mysterious symbol found in architecture, art, and sculpture from the early days of civilization; a pine cone. It has long been associated with the Third Eye, the Mind’s Eye or the Eye of Reason. The pine cone is a fitting symbol for reviewing the past and looking into the future.

Finally, masks have been used over the centuries for many purposes,  in many cultures the mask is a symbol of the things that occurred over the last year that you want to hide. At midnight the mask comes off and a  “New Year’s kiss”  is exchanged. The kiss is a mark of purification and the removal of the bad. So, with the beginning of 2016, take this time to start some awesome personal rituals to celebrate life’s continuance and renewal. Celebrate by gathering with friends and family, share a moment to reflect, enjoy a meal, take off your masks, open your mind’s eye and welcome the New Year with a positive outlook. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

-Blumz by JRDesigns

Blumz.com

Ourprettywedding.com 

Get 25% off Blumz by JRDesigns Top 5 Bestsellers When You Shop Online

Internet shopping is all the rage these days. You can sign online, click a few buttons and have something sent anywhere in the world, including flowers.  Blumz by JRDesigns has our own easy to use online store where you can buy flowers and send them in just a few clicks and we have noticed that a lot of you enjoy shopping this way, so we decided to run a special.  Blumz by JRDesigns is offering 25% percent off its top five best selling arrangements through the end of September when you shop online.  All you have to do is visit our site, pick out one of the five arrangements and enter the code "save25" at checkout.  This deal will run through September 30th and is for online orders only!

Here are our five top sellers with links to buy:

Happy Savings! 

How Sweet It Is 

Garden Parade

Heart Zen Love 

Blossoms in Vogue 

My Girl

~Blumz by JRDesigns

Blumz.com 

OurPrettyWedding.com 

Blumz by JRDesigns Back to School Contest: Enter to Win!

September is in full swing, the kids are back in school and cold weather is on it's way.  Soon, it will be Halloween and then the holidays!  It is amazing how fast the seasons fly when you are having fun! Back to school means new teachers and lots of happy parents.  In celebration of the 2015/2016 school year we are running a very special Blumz by JRDesigns giveaway.

Blumz by JRDesigns  is running a back to school contest for all the moms, dads, kids, and teachers that are making a difference.

Flowers are a great way to tell your teacher how much you appreciate their hard work, to tell mom how much you appreciate all those homemade lunches, or to tell dad how much you appreciate his help with your English homework! Flowers are a great way to show someone how much you care.

This contest is your chance to win a beautiful arrangement for someone special to you.  The winner of the contest will receive flowers to give to to the person that they nominate. To enter to win the contest you must visit Blumz by JRDesigns on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and post a photo or short paragraph telling us who you would like to nominate and why.  This contest is meant to celebrate all the great teachers, parents and mentors who work so hard to make the future better and brighter for all of us.  This is also a great way to score some brownie points!

We will draw one lucky winner on October 9th, 2015 and they will have the chance to come in and pick up a one of a kind Blumz by JRDesigns arrangement to give to the person that they nominated.

Let flowers and Blumz by JRDesigns help you kick off the school year the right way!

~S

Apply to Be a Vendor at the 2015 Blumz by JRDesigns Ladies Night Out Event

Did you know that Blumz by JRDesigns has an event space located within the walls of their Ferndale store on Nine Mile? This space is rented out throughout the year for all sorts of events including baby showers, work parties, weddings and more.  This year on the 20th of November, it will feature 20 local vendors, food, drinks, and a one of a kind shopping experience called Ladies Night Out that will help holiday shoppers get a jump start on their gifts.

We are looking for 20 local vendors who would like to participate in this year's Ladies Night Out event. Since we can only feature 20 vendors we want to make sure that each vendor brings something special and unique to the table. We want shoppers to get a once in a lifetime experience that they cannot get anywhere else.  If you are a vendor who thinks that you make or sell something special please send an email to sadie@blumz.com that explains who you are and what you do.  If it sounds like your business may be a good fit for the event we will email back details on how to sign up to be part of the fun. 

Please send your submissions in today, we will be reaching back out to everyone as soon as possible. We looking forward to hearing more about each and every one of the potential vendors out there and we hope to see a lot of you at the event on November 20th!


~Blumz by JRDesigns
Blumz.com
OurPrettyWedding.com

This Week's Rose Month Feature: The Super Green

This weeks featured rose is one of the most unique and beautiful Blumz around. The Super Green Rose is layers upon layers of beautiful green goodness.  They look beautiful and smell even better!

This rose is bright green and the perfect rose for a spring time arrangement. The buds of this flower open up to big and beautiful.

 
We will have them in stock and on special all this week. They are only 2.99 stem or 29.99 dozen wrapped 39.99 vased. We will also be selling three dozen vased for only $110.00!!!!! ( which is a crazy deal BTW). 

Call us  or stop into to take home a dozen or more of these rares beauties! 

~S 

This Weeks Featured Rose: The Light Pink Sweet Unique

National Rose Month is in full swing! Blumz has been running all sorts of specials, posting lost of facts about roses and giving out a FREE dozen roses every day this month to celebrate! We are having a little fun with this 'holiday" and were glad to see that all of you are getting in on the fun! Everyday we have another winner come in the door to claim their dozen while smiling ear to ear, it is amazing what a bouquet of fresh Blumz can do for your mood! So far, we have featured clown roses and rainbow roses, this week we are going to go a little more dainty and feature the light pink sweet unique rose.

This rose has a large head and opens up to be a big beautiful bloom. It comes in a variety of shades of pink but we happen to love the light ones, they are unique, special, delicate looking, and the perfect flower to usher in summer which officially starts this Sunday, June 21st!

We will have these roses in stock all week (or until they sell out) at Blumz Detroit and Ferndale. The 60 inch light pink sweet unique's will be on special for 4.99 a stem, 49.99 for a dozen wrapped or 59.99 for a dozen vased!

We are also featuring an extra special bonus offer this week. These roses look and smell particularly amazing when paired with pink oriental lilies. We will add these to your bouquet for 7.99 stem or 3 for 19.99 wrapped or vased! These two flowers together give off an aroma that anyone would love to have fill their noses, plus they look lush and beautiful together.

Call us or stop by to pick up a bouquet for yourself or someone you love today! Flowers are the perfect way to share a smile with someone else!

~Blumz

Blumz.com

OurPrettyWedding.com

In Bloom: Peonies

Earth laughs in flowers. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Peonies, perfect little spheres that break open and peel back to reveal layer after layer of fragrance and beauty.  They are by far one of the most beautiful flowers around, but they are not something that you will find at your average florist.   

Blumz by JRDesigns is of course not your average florist.  We not only stock these beautiful bulbs all year round, we also grow them fresh in our garden when they are in season.  We use peonies in some of our most beautiful wedding and floral designs.  They babes can also be wrapped into a beautiful bouquet that will blow away the person that is receiving the bundle. .

A fresh bundle of peonies will not only brighten up the day, it will also brighten up your house and make it smell quite dreamy.  Flowers are one of the cheapest ways to give your living space a face-lift.  

If your craving something beautiful, stop into Blumz by JRDesigns this week and pick up some peonies.  We have them on special, a stem is only $4.99 and 5 stems are only $19.99. We have a limited supply in stock and once they are gone, they are gone.  Blumz has two convenient Metro Detroit locations for you to visit, Ferdndale 

(503 E. Nine Mile Rd.) and  Detroit (1260 Libary Street). 

~Blumz by JRDesigns

Blumz.com

OurPrettyWedding.com

Buy One Dozen Roses Get One Dozen Roses FREE This Friday ONLY!

This Friday, June 12th is National Red Rose Day and Blumz wanted to do something extra special in honor of National Rose Month.  We kicked off June by launching a month long contest called "It's All Coming Up Roses" and we have been running weekly rose features  This weeks featured flower is the rainbow rose, they are in stock and on special!

We have been having a great time so far, so we wanted to step it up! This Friday all roses ( not just red ones) are buy on get one free.  That means if you pay for one dozen roses we will match your order and throw in another dozen roses on us! The only thing better than getting a dozen roses for someone this Friday is getting two dozen roses for the price of one!

There are a lot of ways to make this promotion work for you.  For instance, you can send an extra big "I Love You" to that special someone or you can send two smaller hellos to two separate people in your life that you want to make smile. We have a variety of colors in stock, so we did not want to limit it to red roses!

This promotion has a few stipulations so listen up!  This deal only applies to loose rose bouquets being picked up or delivered on Friday, June 12th. We would be happy to deliver one dozen to one person and another dozen to another person, but if they are in two different locations we will have to charge two separate delivery fees. This promotion only lasts as long as the flowers do, so make sure to get your orders in for Friday today!


~Blumz by JRDesigns
Blumz,com
Ourprettywedding.com

Vote 4 the Best: Vote for Blumz

Blumz by JRDesigns is the best. We are good at what we do and we are proud of it. We strive to bring our customers the best flowers, the best designs, and the best service.  We are proud to have two stores in Metro Detroit (Ferndale and Detroit) and we are honored to be part of the surrounding communities.  We are also proud of all the awards we have gotten throughout the years, but we wouldn't mind winning a few more!

 That's why we wanted to remind all of you to vote for Blumz to win Click on Detroits Best Florist award this year. You can visit the Best of Detroit website here to vote.  Their website is also mobile friendly so you can even click on the link and vote right form your phone.

You can vote once a day though August 2nd, so feel free to log on and help us out everyday until then. Winners will be announced on August 10th, we will let you know if we take home the prize, but we will definitely need your help to do it.  Please take a second, give us a vote, and then share this with your friends!

Thanks-
Blumz By JRDesigns

A Mother's Day Story: Four Generations Meet for the First Time

Pictured from left to right: Heather Mominee, Cecilia  Mominee, Cecilia Raska, Rochelle Silcox, Leo Silcox

Flowers have all kinds of different meanings to different people. They are given to celebrate joy, happiness, the arrival of a new baby, a birthday and even the loss of a loved one.   Flowers are the universal symbol of love and care.  But, for Jerome Raska and his family flowers are a lot more important and their roots go a little bit deeper.

Cecilia Kula married Leo Raska when she was only 17 years old.  Together they ran a large dairy farm with over 80 livestock.  They also had four children, two boys and two girls.  As soon as the kids were old enough, they helped maintain the farm.  As you can imagine, Cecilia was a very busy women but somehow she always made time to plant and maintain a large garden on their property. Attending to the garden became one of the children’s favorite pastimes, especially for her son Jerome.  Little did Cecilia know that while she was cultivating a beautiful garden she was also raising a future award winning florist.  

Jerome learned gardening from his mother and turned his passion for flowers and plants into a career.  For over 30 years he has worked in the floral, event, and design industry and he has become a leader and educator in his field.  Jerome opened the Detroit location of Blumz by JRDesigns with co-owner Robbin Yelverton over 14 years ago. Since then they have opened another shop in Ferndale, Michigan and a private appointment only showroom in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  The business has grown throughout the years and so has the family.  

Jerome now has four children of his own, Christina, Rochelle, Heather and Zachary. All  four of his children have worked in the floral industry throughout the years.  In fact, Rochelle and Zachary are still integral part of the Blumz team.  

Both Heather and Rochelle recently had children and decided to pay homage to the couple that started it all, their grandparents Leo and Cecilia Raska. They named their latest additions after their great grandparents and set up a time for great grandma Cecilia to meet her namesakes.  Cecilia has 14 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren but this meeting was extra special to her.  She said it meant a lot to know that her name would be carried on and when she held Leo for the first time she said “ I never thought I would get to hold Leo again” ( sadly her husband Leo passed away over 30 years ago).  It was a touching and heartfelt moment for four generations to gather together to celebrate love, life, and of course flowers.

Cecilia is proud of her family and proud of the fact that even at 93 years old she is still able to attend to her garden.  She currently grows lots of tomatoes and some of her favorite flowers including tulips and begonia's.  She said that even when her garden isn't growing outside her son Jerome keeps her house full of fresh blooms. In fact, she said that this Easter he brought over the biggest Easter Lily she has ever seen.

During this special visit Jerome snapped a picture of three generations of their family together (four if you count him taking the picture).  It is a beautiful picture and a beautiful story that we had to share in honor of Mother’s Day.  Flowers are much more than a special gift to make mom smile, growing flowers together can become a family tradition for generations to enjoy! For more information about flowers, mother day gift giving, and gardening visit Blumz.com. We have a new blog up on the website that has lots of tips and tricks!  We are also open extended hours this week in honor of Mother's Day, we want to make sure that Mother;s Day is just as special for your family as it is for ours!

Blumz by JRDesigns: Everything You Need to Know to Plan the Perfect Graduation Party

Those final exams may not have been taken yet, but thoughts of mortar boards and tassels are already in the minds of seniors everywhere!  That means that it will not be too long and Graduation Parties will be kicking soon.  

So, let’s get the party started!  Here are the basic steps:

Step 1:  Pick a Date.  Keep in mind all the other grads will be doing the same.  Planning around other family events may allow out of town guests to “double dip” the trip!

Step 2:  Set a Budget.  Be realistic, parties can be expensive.  Each person invited represents an expense.  Outline all the options available in regards to locations, food and beverage, decoration, entertainment and rentals such as tables, chairs, tents, etc.  Consider the costs for each of these elements and select based on your abilities.

Step 3:  Pick a location.  Will it be at home, at a public park or at a commercial venue?  And depending upon which location you select, what will need to be provided?  If you pick your home, then you may need additional tables and chairs.  A public park will require all the food preparation and service equipment to be brought in.  A commercial venue will be more expensive, initially, but they will have all the necessary items from tables and chairs to food service already provided.  So for each location being considered, map out all the items that will need to be provided, assign costs for each and add it all up to see which is actually the better option.

Step 4:  Create a Guest List and Mail Invitations.  Make a master list of all those you would like to invite.  Then based on your budget determine if the number in question will work.  Adjust the list if necessary.  If you are mailing an invitation confirm and correct all mailing addresses.  Select and order the necessary invitations and while you are at it, go ahead and get your thank you cards, too!  Be creative with your invitation.  It can set the theme of the event.

Step 5:  Pick a Theme and Plan Décor.  Will it be school colors, a favorite hobby or sport, your college of choice or future occupation?  Selecting a theme gives you focus and a goal for making other decisions such as décor, menu and entertainment.   Enlist the help of family and friends in assembling any items that work into the theme.  School memorabilia, family photos, awards and achievements, uniforms and more can add to the fun.  Whether the décor is simply crepe paper and balloons or actual floral centerpieces and props, this can be the most fun in the whole process of planning the celebration.  Don’t forget a guest book or some other way of getting guests to leave comments, best wishes or advice for the future.

Step 6:  Plan Menu.  Get creative!  Keep the menu simple but tasty; many people come to the grad party just for the food!  If you are on a strict budget, consider asking family members to bring a dish to pass... but be specific so that you don’t end up with mostly desserts and very little else.  If you are using a professional caterer, discuss your options and what they can do to coordinate with your selected theme.

Step 7:  Plan Activities/ Entertainment.  Will it be just a mix and mingle, or will there be games, activities and music.  A friend with a great play list on their IPhone and a simple sound system can go a long way. 

Step 8:  Be the Host/Hostess and Enjoy the Party.  As the guest of honor, it is your place to serve as host or hostess.  Greet all attendees, welcome them, and give them guidance.  Be gracious and thank them for their attendance.

Step 9:  Plan for Clean Up.  Every party must end.  Be prepared for that by making sure that you have plenty of supplies such as garbage bags, boxes and clean up supplies.  This is especially true if the party has taken place in a public park or outside venue. 

Step 10:  Send out Thank You notes!  Finally, get “old school” quick and follow up with a heartfelt, handwritten thank you card to all those that attended.  Your courtesy will be remembered!

The designs featured in these photos, combine beautiful flowers and festive thematic additions.  The tallest design, suitable for a food table uses a glass cylinder as a lift with a black container placed on top looking similar to a mortar board.  Off the edge of the container hangs a tassel and in the design is an inflated graduation theme beach ball.  Hot pink roses, white snaps and fuchsia dendrobium orchids are the primary flowers. 

Additional arrangements were created to be used on the side tables and as centerpieces, they showcase similar flowers and decorative wire.  Additional color theme relevant decorative accents such as the congratulatory ribbon, bead wire and colored glass vase help pull the look together.  Metallic confetti and a pair of gold glittery “Grad” glasses adds to the fun!   Throw in some balloons in black, white, and hot pink, some hot pink linens and black napkins and you have a great party look. Of course, this particular color scheme can be easily changed to reflect your personal choice of colors.

Follow the steps outlined above and with the talents of your local floral designer, create a party to remember for years to come!

J Robbin Yelverton AIFD, AAF, CF, PFCI

Blumz… by JRDesigns Floral & Event Professionals

Detroit & Ferndale, MI