Avante Gardens - florals unique, Anaheim, CA - Orange County Florist Since 1984

Battle of the Flower Designers Competition

2010-03-15T23:52:00Z

It’s been almost 2 decades since I last entered a floral design competition but one of the young designers at FlowerChat.com asked us to be part of a fun March Madness Floral Design Challenge so we agreed… in part to encourage more local florists to show their own work in social media and in part to make me finally learn how to use my cute little Flip.

The challenge required each entrant to create an arrangement using the following flowers:

- 5 tulips
- 5 gerbera daisies
- 3 hydrangeas
- 7 roses
- 5 snapdragons
- 3 dendrobium orchids
- 1/4 bunch of statice
- 7 carnations
- 4 types of greens (foliages of choice)
- 1 twig-type material (birch, curly willow, pussy willow, flowering branches)

We had to use all the flowers on the list but could select our own color palettes, foliages and containers – giving us plenty of leeway to show our own signature styles.

Each designer filmed and uploaded his/her entry to YouTube where it could be reviewed and then submitted for voting.

Rather than just video taping the arrangement from different angles, I included a little bit of information about our Anaheim flower shop, my foliage selection process and our philosophy on floral design. So here’s our first foray with the Flip and Windows Movie Maker:

And a static shot of one side of the flower arrangement:

We're competing against the talented designer at Affairs to Remember in Melrose, MA who managed to garner some fantastic local coverage about the floral design competition on Wicked Local's Melrose edition.

Vote in the Battle of the Flower Designers here.

In all, 8 florists are vying for this March Madness prize and you can view the videos and vote in the other head-to-head competitions by following the links below:

Hollyhocks Flowers and Gifts, St. Louis, MO vs Twig Flowers, Yerington, NV View videos and vote

Everyday Flowers, Tustin, CA vs Mums and More, Wagner, SD View videos and vote

Anytime Flowers, St. Paul. MN vs Belvedere Flowers, Havertown - Philadelphia, PA View videos and vote

Congratulations to all who entered. Break a stem.

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This post was syndicated from http://floristblogs.com/blogs/avant_gardens/.

Organic Center VIP Dinner Flowers

2010-03-15T05:21:00Z

For the third consecutive year, we’re delighted to have been selected by the Organic Center to create the floral designs for their VIP Dinner in conjunction with the Expo West Natural Products Show.

Each year the flowers have been donated by OrganicBouquet.com and we’ve had the privilege of designing and delivering the more than 50 centerpieces for this prestigious event to the Anaheim Marriott Hotel. This year, the flower selection was an assortment of organic roses. (In previous years, we’ve used roses, tulips and gerbera daisies.)

A new twist was added when the recycled glass artisans of BottleHood.com agreed to provide all the vessels for the event - so each centerpiece was designed in a re-purposed wine bottle hand-crafted to be a flower vase.

If you’re ever tried to take wine bottles to a recycler in California, you know glass wine and spirits containers are not accepted (a real disappointment) so it’s great to see a company utilizing the containers in a both useful and attractive way They do more than wine bottles so be sure to look at their site for some clever vases from your favorite spirit companies.

Our Avante Gardens design team added structures of curly willow with light touches of lily grass to the bottle-vases and organic roses to deliver eco-chic and environmentally-friendly centerpieces to this special event.

The speaker’s podium at the Organic Center’s VIP Dinner was also accented with a collection of elevated BootleHood vases and organic roses accented with curly willow and river rocks.

We salute the Organic Center for all their fine work on behalf of the public and thank them for choosing us and eco-friendly flowers and containers to add to the beauty of their very special event.

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Flowers for Expo West - the Natural Products Show

2010-03-15T04:07:00Z

One of our favorite trade shows returned to Anaheim this weekend - Natural Products Expo West. The massive show utilizes the entire Anaheim Convention Center and adjacent hotels, features more than 1700 exhibitors of organic, natural and healthy products and drew more than 50,000 attendees in 2009.

The companies and groups represented are ‘green’ through and through (both in products and practices) and many utilize flowers and plants in their show displays to convey their ‘fresh’ commitment to consumers and our environment.

We thought you might like to see a few of the fresh flower selections delivered to these fine participants.

Amy’s Kitchen

The leading provider of frozen organic foods, Amy’s Kitchen requested we create designs to match their warm, vibrant booth color palette. Their team provided us with unique vintage containers and vases and selected bright green hypericum berries, bupleurum and orchids with vermillion roses plus coordinating seasonal flowers. The style was soft and casual with a fresh garden feel.

Bionorica

An internationally recognized brand of plant-based remedies, Bionorica asked us feature a wildflower theme in their blue, lavender, white and green colors. Seasonal California grown flowers were the perfect choice with blossoms like delphinium, bupleurum, montecasino, campanula, hypericum berries, veronica and gerberas. Accented with grasses and submerged leaves, the arrangements were abundant in a fresh, casual style.

PetGuard

The leading manufacturer of organic products for cats and dogs, PetGuard featured their product colors of purple, red and black. Bright purple phalaenopsis orchid plants in black cube vases and casual table arrangements of red gerberas and hypericum with purple montecasino and matsumoto asters were selected to accent their contemporary booth decor.

Loose bunches of blooms like cherry blossoms, tulips, hydrangeas and orchids were also selected by a large number of exhibitors so we know Expo West was quite flowerful this year.

Most popular booth flower in 2010? Fresh California bupleurum for its ‘wildflower’ texture and vibrant chartreuse blossoms.It's a fantastic and versatile 'green' flower.

At Avante Gardens Florist, we feature flowers from Veriflora and Florverde certified flower farms and are committed to providing our customers with flowers from socially responsible and environmentally sustainable growers. Eco-friendly for both you and us.

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This post was syndicated from http://floristblogs.com/blogs/avant_gardens/.

Local Florists vs Online Florists

2010-02-10T06:50:00Z

Kudos to Bob Sullivan of MSNBC for his well written article about online flower companies' low-ball flower prices loaded with hidden fees: Online Flower Prices Still Grow and Grow.

"If you study hidden fees and price distortions for a living, Valentine's Day is your Super Bowl. Can you name another industry where the true price of an item is routinely more than double the advertised price? Yet that's precisely what you'll encounter this week"

Uh-huh, the marketing practices do smell really bad - and leave shoppers paying more for less.

And every year we read the pages of post-holiday complaints that fill consumer review sites. No doubt, this year will be the same, if not worse, due to the weekend holiday and its delivery issues.

When last I checked, there were 126 comments to Mr. Sullivane's article: some from consumers, some from obvious shills and many from local florists. One comment really inspired me to write this post and it came from a person who claims to have worked for one of the online compaines:

"I worked both sales and customer service. We do try to offer products that of high quality for a reasonable price. However, we are at the mercy of the local florist that we contract with to do the order as requested."

You have got to be kidding me. "at the mercy of local florists"? She has it entirely backwards. Due to the marketing clout of that online company, local florists often feel at the mercy of her former company - with photos of arrangements that cannot be made 'as shown' in real flower shops - which is why local florists have been quitting the network at a speedier pace.

During this 'no service charge' advertising period of the Valentine's holiday, many of these local florist affiliates will only be paid about $30 to make and hand-deliver $50 consumer purchases - as mandated by the company. Decline to fill the orders for those prices and florists can and will be cut off from most future orders. Now who is at whose mercy?

The corporate side of most flower affiliate marketing isn't much different than the commenter (ex-employee) to the MSNBC article - top-down with little feedback from local affiliates - it's just they don't post their contempt.

Will the low-priced deals be enough to lure shoppers? For a glimpse at a consumer perspective, read this recent post from the Orange County Register's OC Deals Blog: What Do You Think About 1-800-Flowers?

Bottom line: go direct, go local, save loads of fees (service fee, handling fee, relay fee, same-day fee, rush delivery fee) and get what you purchased without all the small print about substitutions and all the credit card slam scams.

Know who's really delivering your flowers without all the smoke and mirrors and get a pretty Valentine's Day arrangement delivered - as promised - at a good value. :)

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This post was syndicated from http://floristblogs.com/blogs/avant_gardens/.

Valentine's Day Flowers for Anaheim and Orange County

2010-02-10T06:23:00Z

Just a quick reminder that Avante Gardens Florist will be delivering Valentine's Day flowers on both Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14 to Anaheim, Fullerton, Brea, Anaheim Hills, Fullerton, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Orange, Tustin, Villa Park, Irvine and most Orange County cities - for only $8.95 to $11.95 and that's a huge savings over 'online only florists' whose delivery and service fees will average $25 to $35 just to get the flowers delivered.

We're confident you can find the perfect gift for your Valentine in our wide selection of styles and prices including

Orchid designs from just $34.95

Dozen rose arrangements from just $54.95

Contemporary Tropical Arrangements from just $49.95

Plus our ever-popular Valentine's Day Puppy Flowers

Order online at AvanteGardens.com or give us a call at 714.635.4800 and we'll make sure your Valentine gets great flowers - on time - at a great value.

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We're a Google Favorite Place

2009-12-16T04:06:00Z

The buzz about Google sending out Favorite Places packets with window decals to 100,000 of the “most sought out and researched businesses on Google and Google Maps” began last Monday with an announcement on the Official Google Blog.

Actually, I first read about the Google Favorite Places campaign on Mike Blumenthal’s blog, which covers the ins, outs, ups and downs of Local Search. (If you are a small business owner who cares about what’s happening on the topic – and you should - add him to your feed reader today.)

I kept crossing my fingers, hoping we’d get one. I mean… how cool to be called out as a Google Favorite Place among the millions of small businesses in the US.

At Avante Gardens Florist, we’ve worked hard to distinguish our Orange County CA company from the myriad ‘online florists’ (out-of-state call centers) and franchise type flower shops who have a look of sameness. We focus on Local, since that’s where we can best control the quality, uniqueness and service our customers expect… so being found by people searching for a local florist in Anaheim and the surrounding areas is extremely important. We want to actually provide the flowers, not just shuffle orders off to someone else after we take a big commission and fees cut.

Christmas 2008 was especially tough because this time last year, we weren’t even showing in the Google Local business listings. Our flower shop’s identity, a listing claimed a couple years earlier, had been mistakenly merged with the listing of my husband’s school of floral design, which is located next door to our shop. (They teach, we don’t. We deliver, they don’t.) It took months for us to get the two companies separated and for our shop’s LBC listing to reappear.

Fast forward to Monday… a stack of mail looking like advertisements… and there it was, “Congratulations! You’re a Favorite Place on Google” right on the front of the envelope. (Yes, I did stroll through the shop singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”)

Miriam of the SEO Igloo blog thoughtfully queried the potential reasons why a visitor might scan one of the Google’s Favorite Places posters (which was placed on our front door about 5 minutes after the envelope was opened) and all I can say is an echo of Blumenthal's comment to her post:

“They are giving a nice recognition to those folks that have been both active in the LBC and have benefited from…ie their supporters. They are more likely to sing its praises than most.”

So I’m singing. (BTW, also add Miriam’s blog to your feed reader. She’s a fabulous writer covering Local Search.)

Gotta say though, I was hoping for a bigger poster,

but we’re tickled with the one we got.

I know of one other florist in Orange County receiving the designation, Everyday Flowers in Tustin, whose owners Eric & Linh Shaw also hold the same philosophy we do: focus on being a uniquely Local florist.

Via FlowerChat, an online community for professional florists, the following local flower shops have also been name Favorite Places:

Central Square Florist, Cambridge MA

Powdersville Wren Florist, Piedmont SC

Maine Bride, Portland ME

Bloom'in Bee, Aurora CO

Coleman Florist, De Witt and Syracuse NY

Chez Bloom, St. Louis Park MN

Affairs to Remember, Melrose MA

Avenue Gardens Florist, Wilson NC

Flowers From The Rainflorist, Sunrise FL

Bloomers Floral Design, Wilmington NC

Harkins the Florist, New Orleans LA

Smith's Flowers, Midland MI

Ferrari Florist and Gifts, Santa Cruz CA

Design Perfected, Denver CO

Flowers By Karen, Monroe WA

Herndon Florist, Herndon VA

Debbie's Bloomers, El Paso, TX

Millinocket Floral Shop, Millinocket ME

Sprout Flowers, Worcester MA

Mioux Florist & Greenhouse, Carlysle IL

Blooms on the Squaer and C's Florist, Carrollton TX

The Garden Gate Flower & Gift Shoppe, Cedar Rapids IA

Sherry's Flower Shoppe, Orland Park, IL

Chappell's Florist, Burlington VT

Thornapple Floral, Middlevale MI

To read more about how local businesses might make the Favorite Places list, be sure to check out Matt McGee’s Small Business SEM blog (and definitely add his blog to your feed reader, too.)

I haven’t been able to scan the window decals bar code yet and am offering a free dozen long stem roses arrangement to the first visitor who can read it with an Android or iPhone, so come on down! We’re also offer a free gift to anyone who scans the decal between now and January 31.

And a big thanks! to Google and the users who put us on the Favorite Places list.

(florist list updated 1/13)

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Christmas Flowers Hands-On Workshop Dec. 12

2009-11-29T16:56:00Z

Deck your house with boughs of holly and bouquets of flowers this year and immerse yourself in the holiday spirit!

We’re pleased to announce our first-ever Christmas flowers hands-on workshop in conjunction with our sister company, the Southern California School of Floral Design.

Many of our customers have visited the floral design school, located adjacent to our Anaheim flower shop, and watched students from across the US being trained for careers as professional floral designers.

Now it’s your opportunity to have fun creating fresh flower designs to decorate your own home or to give as gifts to friends.

This one-day workshop, held Saturday, December 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. is geared for both beginners (with no previous floral design experience) and also includes advanced options for attendees with design training.

Each attendee will create four beautiful Christmas arrangements:
- a fresh Wreath
- a Door Swag
- a Christmas Table Centerpiece
- a holiday Topiary using fresh winter foliages, flowers, ribbons and accessories

The workshop cost of $199 includes all flowers, greens, containers, accessories and instruction. Bring your own tools (knife, scissors & wire cutters) or purchase them at the beginning of the workshop.

This special hands-on Christmas Flowers workshop is limited to 16 attendees and you can Register Online or call the school at (714) 776-7445 to reserve your spot.

Come join the fun and learn how to create holiday magic with flowers.

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Fear the Florist Will Ruin the Surprise?

2009-08-09T16:53:00Z

Like thousands of florists, we request the phone numbers of recipients when flower orders are placed - just in case we need to contact them in the course of making the deliveries. Previous posts about the topic explain why we sometimes call the recipient first (from Bloomery's blog) and detail some of the unique flower delivery issues we face here in Orange County.

We flower shops are keenly aware gift givers complain about florists who ruin the surprise by phoning ahead of the delivery, but sometimes it's unavoidable - especially if the delivery address is incorrect or incomplete.

Lately, we've noticed more customers giving us their own phone numbers as the recipients' numbers and this practice has delayed some time-sensitive flower gifts (especially Birthday flowers) from being delivered promptly.

Just recently, we received an online order for birthday flowers and balloons and the purchaser gave his own phone number instead of the recipient's. The address provided for the recipient was incorrect, with the street name being the same as a street in an adjacent city and similar to a street in the same city but in a different zip code. We started calling the customer at 10am and left several message plus an email to request a call back to get the proper address and/or a phone number.

As it was getting later in the day, we sent out a driver to attempt delivery at the possible locations, but no one was home and the information available at the houses lead us to believe these too were not correct. We really tried - because we know how cool it is to get flowers on your birthday.

Finally at close to 6 p.m., after our delivery team had left for the day, the customer called to say he'd been in meetings all day and hadn't had the time to return our calls. He said he hadn't given us the recipient's phone number because he didn't want the surprise ruined. He then gave us the correct address and phone number and the order was rescheduled for the next day's delivery. Per his request, we did phone the Birthday Girl to tell her flowers would arrive the next morning and were delayed due to an incorrect address.

Trust me when I tell you that flowers that miss the birthday are far more disappointing than having the surprise ruined by a phone call. Having a direct phone number to each recipient is an important tool to help us get your thoughtful flower gift delivered on time.

If you're concerned about a call being made in advance, try the following:

Provide the florist with the phone number and request the recipient not be called in advance. The florist will then have a number for a follow-up in case no one answers the door. (We're amazed that people don't stay home all day waiting for flowers, but it happens. ;) )

And do remember, even if you know you're getting flowers a little in advance, you'll still have the delight of receiving them, reading the personal message sent along with the bouquet, enjoying their fragrance and color for days, and remembering the thoughtfulness for a lifetime. :)

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Shades of Surprise: When Rose Colors Aren't an Exact Match

2009-08-09T15:04:00Z

If you are a bride combing through images on the web in search of the perfect flower color varieties to match your wedding, here's a quick lesson in rose color variation.

Popular sites like SierraFlowerFinder.com display thousands of flower photos by variety and can be quite helpful by letting you see color options and seasonal availability - but be sure to remember four key points if you expect exact color matches:

When it comes to roses, the same variety can produce subtle color variations depending on the season and growing conditions.
Different flower growers from different parts of the world can and do produce slight color variations of the exact same variety
The stage of 'openness' of a rose can affect the color.
Your PC monitor may not be calibrated properly and could slightly distort the actual color.

Case in point: We recently received numerous bunches of White Majolika spray roses to use in wedding bouquets and reception centerpieces. Their creamy color and high petal count make them a favorite to use in both personal flowers (bouquets and boutonnieres) and reception decor. As we processed and hydrated the shipment, we realized the importer had sent is White Majolikas from two different growers. There was slight but noticeable difference in the bunches, with one grower's blooms displaying slight pinky peach center petals and the other showing a more consistent cream-ivory color throughout the blooms.

We gave the 'colored' bunches a little more time to open and they did indeed lighten over the course of a few days. Both fit well with the creaminess of the larger 'Vendella' roses also being featured in the designs. From a photographic standpoint, the slight color differences even helped make the cream flowers add visual depth and dimension when paired with crisp white flowers like hydrangeas.

We sometimes hear concerns from brides about matching exact colors and gently remind each that nature doesn't usually produce 'exact matches', only factories do. Since fresh flowers aren't stamped out in an assembly line, there's going to be some subtle variation.

So allow for a bit of leeway, choose tints, tones and shades that coordinate with your color theme and celebrate the inherent beauty fresh flowers bring to your wedding.

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Google Map of Wedding Flowers and Special Event Decor

2009-06-23T15:22:00Z

A few months ago, Matt McGee of SmallBusinessSEM.com blogged about the creative use of Google Maps' user-created content feature by Pennsylvania lawn care company WiseGrass. (Great name, BTW.) WiseGrass designed a real-life portfolio of showcase lawns so potential customers can visit the residences and see their work for themselves.

Since fresh flowers have a shorter life than a lawn, keeping up a 'live portfolio' would be nearly impossible - so we did what we believe is the next best thing and built our own map of popular delivery locations for wedding flowers, special event floral decor and hotel gift delivery. At each location, we loaded photos of some of the bouquets, centerpieces, buffet arrangements and other floral items we've delivered there, so customers can see a small sampling of venue-specific flowers.

The map also includes a few items delivered outside the So Cal area, like a photo of the contemporary purple design we made, crated and had shipped for a customer to Harpo Studios for Oprah's birthday. There's also a shot of a unique fresh flower purse bouquet we overnighted to the Today Show as part of a wedding flowers segment they aired a few years ago. (We don't ship finished designs very often, but will gladly do so with enough notice to ensure the flowers can arrive in great shape.)

It took a bit of time to create this Map-folio, but the process made us aware of other opportunities to use this helpful tool to tie locations in with local florist delivered flowers. Hope other florists and small businesses see the potential, too.

And, we especially hope this map showcases the floral possibilities in our Orange County and Southern California delivery areas.

Thanks go to Matt for blogging about this and to Google Maps for providing the tool. :)

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Luigi's Names a Pizza After Us

2009-06-18T17:12:00Z

Folks who have visited our Anaheim flower shop know we're just four doors down from Luigi's D' Italia restaurant, an OC mecca for family style Italian food lovers.

Over the years as neighbors, we've tried nearly every combination of pizza toppings on their menu. They're all great, but one in particular has become an Avante Gardens favorite. It's a pizza topped with Alfredo sauce, fresh parmesan cheese, Italian sausage, red onions and fresh garlic. The flavor is incredible.

We've ordered it so many times, the guys told us just to request 'Pizza Fiorella' (Flower Girls' Pizza) - so now we have our own pie named after us!

Next time you visit Luigi's and want to try something new, tell them their florist sent you and request 'Pizza Fiorella'.

One note of caution about having it for lunch: Bring a strong pack of breath mints if you're meeting with clients in the afternoon. ;)

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It's Fresh Lei Season in Orange County

2009-05-20T02:03:00Z

Graduations have started, with one of the biggest in the area being held at Cal State Fullerton this weekend. Neighboring high school like Katella, Canyon, Anaheim High and many others are just around the corner.

Fresh leis, a long-standing gift tradition for graduates in Orange County, have started arriving in our store and we're delighted with the unique selection this year.

Some of the varieties can be ordered online for delivery or pick up like our Double Dendrobium Lei and our Mixed Roses and Orchids Lei and we also will have a limited inventory of really cool and unique orchid leis imported from Thailand.

Each of the above leis is made with approximately 600 flowers and will last for several days with proper care. The workmanship is amazing and the artistry is stunning. Prices for these unique gifts start at just $50.00

They're sure to make a memorable present for any grad. Order early to ensure your favorite selection and please phone us if you have a special request!

Congratulations to the Class of 2009. We say 'Oh, Lei!'.

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Post-Mother's Day Thank You's

2009-05-13T03:25:00Z

Wow. We just had our twenty-fifth Mother's Day here at Avante Gardens. Hard to believe a it's been a quarter century of delivering flowers to happy Moms in Orange County.

Many, many thanks are due:

-To our customers. Thank you for letting us send smiles and hugs to your Moms with pretty flowers. Wish we had little cameras to show your Mothers' smiles and delights when we stand on their doorsteps with your gorgeous gifts. I swear - they're moments just shy of the ones seen in Publishers' Clearinghouse commercials. You rock!

- To the Avante Gardens Team. It takes a lot of commitment, care, and talent to get all those important flowers delivered. They think of the deliveries as far more than the flowers. This team knows we're entrusted to express lifes' gratitude for the love and support each Mom has given - and that we have an obligation to convey the right messages. Lest anyone think otherwise, it takes a whole lot of committed sales consultants, designers, flower processors and delivery drivers to make this happen fresh and on time. This team rocks (until close-to-midnight if needed), too!

How diverse are Orange County Moms? Take a look at just a few of the custom arrangements we delivered last weekend:

And I got Mother's Day Flowers, too. :) Despite seeing thousands and thousands of blooms during the holiday, receiving my own Mother's Day arrangement on Sunday - from my husband and daughter - was sheer delight. (Helps if your husband is a world champion florist. ;) )

Amazingly, the spiral rotating to the right around the vase is fresh black bamboo which Phil 'willed' to turn into a pinwheel - through time, patience and sheer determination. Perfect attributes for Dads (and Moms). :)

A big thanks to both our customers and our team for terrific 25 years at Avante Gardens. It truly wouldn't happen without all of you.

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The Real Moms of OC and their Favorite Flowers

2009-05-03T16:17:00Z

Planning the flower menu for our 25th Mother’s Day caused me reflect on the changes in taste of Moms in the OC over the last 2 1/2 decades. Popular flowers and floral design styles, like fashion, ebb and flow so keeping up on the trends is just as import as making sure our flowers are delivered fresh. Your Mom isn't wearing the same looks as '84 (like this vision of purple ensemble - complete with purple stockings - found on MochaSofa.com) and her flowers shouldn't look the same either.

Then and Now

Way back in 1984, most Mother’s Day choices featured combinations of carnations, roses, mums and babies breath in pinks, lavenders & purples and were delivered in baskets or utility vases (remember those pressed green glass vases – Oh boy! What were we thinking?). Flowers were also sent in ‘keepsake’ containers, generally themed around something that could be later used in the kitchen - like this pitcher with a cat motif (can you tell “country” was an ‘in’ home décor theme that year? )

We’ve come a long way in both flowers and container selections - with many of this year’s moms favoring bright blossoms like our Sassy Gerbera Bouquet, Spring Sonata Vase and Vibrant Spring Garden arrangement.

Eco-friendly flowers and containers are increasing in popularity so we’re featuring lots of California flowers (with smaller carbon footprints - or should I say ‘stemprints’ - than most imported blooms) and a selection of unique vases made of 80% recycled paper products.

Continuing to be favorite Mother’s Day flowers colors, pinks and lavenders have been updated in both style and texture in our chic Pave' Elegance Vase which features wonderfully fragrant California lilies and lilacs with imported hydrangeas and roses.

Flowering Plants

With an emphasis on long lasting value, blooming plants have been an important part of our Mother’s Day holiday mix over the years. Potted mums, azaleas and African violets were the top choices back in 1984.

This season, with flowering plants again gaining popularity, we’re featuring a unique spotted magenta and white phalaenopsis orchid plant artfully presented in a contemporary glass cube.

Green thumb moms will also like our large Azalea and Ivy Cache Pot and the sweet, petite Azalea and Violet planter – both which can be enjoyed for many weeks.

Order early for pick up or delivery to ensure your favorite selection for Mom. We’ll be open until 6 PM each night this week and will be delivering daily to Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, Fullerton, Brea, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, Irvine and most other OC cities through Sunday, Mother’s Day, May 10.

Whatever flower style your Real OC Mom prefers, make sure to take the time so say ‘thanks for all you do’.

And sending a text message isn’t enough, kids! Get her some flowers, take her out for a nice meal, clean the house or just do something thoughtful to show your appreciation for all she’s done and continues to do.

That message hasn’t changed one bit since 1984. :)

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Memo to OC Businesses: Honor Your Admin Assistants

2009-04-15T14:00:00Z

Next week marks the annual Administrative Professionals Week which honors office workers for their contributions to your companies' successes throughout the year. It's one of the largest workplace observances in the nation.

No, it's not a 'Hallmark Holiday' devised by by gift merchants and it's roots go back to 1952 when the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), formally called the National Secretaries Association, founded Professional Secretaries Week to recognize office support staff in business and government.

The name has changed to evolve with the changing responsibilities of support staff. While many workers still hold the “secretary” job title, other classifications such as office manager, executive assistant, administrative assistant and office coordinator fall under the the IAAP definition of administrative professional:

“individuals who are responsible for administrative tasks and coordination of information in support of an office-related environment and who are dedicated to furthering their personal and professional growth in their chosen profession.”

What are the dates this year?

National Administrative Professionals Week is April 19 - 25, 2009 and National Administrative Professionals Day will be observed on Wednesday, April 21.

How is the week celebrated?

Some companies celebrate the entire week while others focus on the Wednesday holiday. The IAAP website contains several suggestions for ways to honor and enhance the professional development of your administrative staff.

Are there any do's and don'ts if we want to send flowers for Administraive Professionals Week?

We have a few recommendations to make your gifts personal, appropriate and of good value.

1) Do order flowers or plants early and have them delivered on Monday so they can be enjoyed in the office the entire week. It also lets your admins know you didn't forget. ;)

2) Do choose something size appropriate for a desk and request a vase or container with a smaller footprint.

3) Don't send red roses since they are most associated with romance. There are many beautiful varieties in alternate colors and there's no need to start office rumors.

4) Do write a personal note card that genuinely expresses your thankfulness for a job well done. My personal favorite over the years was a gift card message from a group of co-workers which read "You are the glue that keeps everything here together."

5) Don't choose a wrapped bouquet or boxed flower unless you know the admin already has a vase and has the time and tools to arrange the flowers his/herself.

6) Do order from a local florist here in OC. You'll save at least $12-15 in service fees tacked on by national online companies plus you'll be keeping 100% of your dollars here in our local economy. Don't see what you're looking for on your florist's website? Pick up the phone and request a custom item - plus many flower shops offer price considerations and discounts for multiple orders delivered to a single business.

We hope you'll choose from Avante Gardens' wide selection of flowers and gifts for Administrative Professionals Week, but wherever you shop, keep it local for best values.

The last "do" isn't just about flowers: Do consider honoring admins outside your own company. No doubt there are support staff members at the companies with which you do business who always manage to get the impossible done quickly. A token of thanks for their efforts would be most appropriate and highly appreciated.

No matter how you choose to celebrate the holiday, be sure to take the time to recognize professional admins and say 'thanks' for a job well done.

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