We noticed during Thanksgiving week a marked rise in the number of customers who seemed really stressed out! 

I guess the holidays aren't always happy. In fact they can be highly stressful. If you've got endless presents to buy, a budget to keep to, a houseful of guests and Christmas dinner for twelve, you may want to fast forward to January 1.

But there are many simple things experts recommend to have a relaxed and successful holiday!

  

 Five ways to de-stress yourself this holiday season

• Listen to classical music 
  

  Research from the Science University of Tokyo shows that classical music is helpful at reducing levels of anxiety and stress. It has been shown to slow down the heart beat, which helps people to relax and stimulates the part of the brain which is connected with emotional activity and sleep.

Being soothed in this way encourages our mind to concentrate on relaxing muscles and helps us to breathe evenly and more deeply. In contrast, livlier music speeds up the heart beat and encourages movement.

At Hereford General Hospital in the UK, doctors use Mozart flute music in the operating theatre as a way of soothing patients on the table.

• Laugh and Play Outside
  

  If tension is running high - and a family fight is about to erupt on Christmas Day - suggest playing a game, or going outside for a family walk says stress consultant Carole Spiers.

Laughter is a great stress reliever, claims Spiers, because the simple action of laughter forces our muscles to relax, which in turn, gets rid of lactic acid which builds up under our muscles creating tension.

Being outdoors with fresh air and rapid movement causes the release of endorphins.

Scientific evidence shows that laughing keeps you healthy and can ward off heart disease. Research from the University of Maryland in Baltimore found that those patients with heart conditions were 40 per cent less likely to laugh than their healthy counterparts.

Several studies show that laughter produces endorphins, natural chemicals that ease pain and produce a feeling of euphoria, helping us cope with physical stress and chronic pain.

Here in Santa Monica we have ICE SKATING! http://iceatsantamonica.com/

• Cut Down On Caffeine

Not my favorite suggestion, but I'll take it!

Did you know that caffeine accentuates the stress response? It increases the heart rate, blood pressure and ultimately makes it difficult to relax, which is what we need to do when we are stressed. You might think you need that chemical jolt to get you through your "to-do" list, but instead of reaching for that extra cup of Joe or can of jitter juice, choose hot apple cider, herbal teas or a decaffeinated version of your favorite warm beverage. 

In fact, why not take an hour or two away from your hectic schedule to take a real English-style tea break, complete with finger sandwiches and chat-time with your friends!

• A Bouquet a Day

 Well, it's that time of year again when the air is crisp and metallic, and the windows shine with frost and the sparkle of holiday offerings.

I think most people find that extra moment now... to discover their patience, take the high road or rise to the occasion. 

And that's my favorite part.

Do we think it's because they are reminded of the happiest part of their childhoods, divine intervention, cold weather causes the intellect to connect with emotion in a different more cohesive way, perhaps?

Whatever the inspiration, that is what it is: INSPIRED! We are inspired by this season to be nicer to one another, to offer the benefit of the doubt, to be our best selves.

And, once again, I am inspired by all of our amazing customers! Customers that have become good friends. What a joy that is!

We look forward to seeing you this season, sharing our daily cider and cookies, swapping stories and small gifts.

We look forward to participating in the best of the season with you, accenting your homes with festive florals, exciting your friends and family with a custom designed arrangement or one of kind gift from our shop!

Join us:

Friday, December 2nd

6-9pm

for The Annual Montana Ave. Holiday Walk!

We will have refreshments, art, florals, gifts, and 

a Secret Surprise in the Garden!

We look forward to seeing you and celebrating this sensational season with you!

I love being outdoors in the summer months, especially dining al fresco!

Isn't summer just peachy?! 

Well, it can be!

Here are some recipes for flowery summer fun!

Lemon Meringue (part sun)

Frothy white and yellow flowers look yummy all summer long.  

This recipe also attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. 

Osteospermum – Lemon Symphony 

Verbena – Tukana White 

Torenia – Summer Wave Blue 

Lysimachia – Creeping Jenny ‘Goldilocks’

Directions:  In the front 2/3 of the box, alternate the Lemon Symphony and Verbena, then placing the Torenia slightly in front and between them.  Plant the trailing Goldilocks along the front edge of the box.  Place a few Dracaena Spikes along the back of the box for added height.

In The PInk (full sun)

This group of plantings will complement any garden!

Supertunias – red/pink

Dusty Miller – silver

Ivy Geraniums – red 

Vinca Vine – green & white

Scaveola – blue

Directions: Toward the back side of the box, plant the red Supertunias. Alternate the Red Ivy Geraniums and Blue Scaveola directly in front of the Supertunias. Plant the Vinca Vine along the front edge of the box. Lastly, plant the Dusty Miller along the back edge of the box.

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And did you know there are many varieties of flowers that are edible?

My fav are nasturtiums! Peppery and fresh, they add an extra pop of flavor and color to salads, risottos, and drinks.

 Turns out the bride is interested in the Language of Flowers and sourcing eco-friendly products for her marriage ceremony to His Royal Highness Prince William!

This is something we love and support wholeheartedly.

Being a princess won't be easy... we wish Miss Middleton all the best. (At least she gets to wear all those fabulous hats...)

"Westminster Abbey will be awash with a sea of seasonal British flowers and foliage when Prince William and Kate Middleton say "I do" this Friday. 

The royal wedding venue will be decked out with an avenue of trees (some of which will be up to 20 ft. tall!) lining the aisle leading to the altar. And much of the greenery is coming straight from the royal estates. 

Shane Connolly, floral artistic director for the wedding, says that Prince William spoke to the Queen, who was delighted to supply the plants, while the majority of the flowers will come from Windsor Great Park. And that's just what the bride wanted. 

"The symbolism means a lot to [Kate] and the sourcing has been hugely important," says Connolly. He describes Middleton, who has been very involved in the designs, as a "dream client" and "like few other brides I've ever met." 

Connolly (who will be working with the Middleton's Bucklebury family florist Emma Sampson on the event) also reveals that the trees lining the aisle at the abbey will be six English Field Maples and two Hornbeams. 

Some Surprises

But he remains tight-lipped on the bridal bouquet which, traditionally, features all-white blooms. 

The flowers planned for the abbey decorations may provide some clues, though. Among the varieties: Azaleas, the Chinese symbol of femininity, lilacs, which represent first love, rhododendron and wisteria. 

"One of the things that has been very important to Catherine is the meanings of flowers and the language of flowers," says Connolly. "We've tried, especially in the wedding bouquets, to make beautiful stories." 

And the groom? Though surely less interested in the floral-specifics than the bride, William helped in "a nice and encouraging way," says Connolly. 

The overall look for the day, adds the florist, will be understated. "I think you can get 'wow' in several ways, and it certainly won't be 'Wow, what an extravagance!'" he says. "It will be, 'Wow, how beautiful' and hopefully, 'How perfectly suited to the day and the nature of the marriage.'" 

After the wedding, the flowers and plants will be left in Westminster Abbey for the public to view until May 6. After that, the couple has asked that the plants and flowers be donated to charities or re-planted."

And thank goodness! 

It is always cold in the shop as the flowers prefer it. I have become well known for my almost uniform of velvet jacket, scarf and boots. I'm always freezing!

(I just got out my opened toed shoes last week! Hooray! Welcome back to the sunshine and breezes toesies!)

Our pomegranate and fig trees are in bloom again, and soon we will have fruit!

All of this, and well, just this time of year reminds me of Persephone. I feel a bit like her in the beginning of Spring. Freed, excited, renewed.

Here's to a true celebration of the small things...

 St. Patty's Day is here, smack dab in the middle of the month.

It's a fun one. (Minus the green beer and dyed carnations, eeew.)

I am a big fan of green and so many flowers are exceptional in the green family.

Green roses, hydrangea, coffee berry, kale, star of bethlehem, callas all together or separately or grouped together make for a bright and eye catching arrangement.

 

And, of course, any other color added will be an explosion of color to the eye.

I like orange and green together they compliment each other without competing, equal in strength.

And let's not forget the romance of the four leaf clover!

Oh February... you're so chilly and bright, and the perfect envelope to carry our love off in to the world. 

'Cause it's Valentine's Day month!!!! 

Maybe it's a cliche, man made holiday created to sell stuff~ 

but it's also an opportunity to celebrate love! And as I have mentioned before:

I LOVE LOVE!!!!

I really do. And I love flowers and I love celebrating love with flowers! And chocolates! And jewelry! And perfume!

And we have it all here in the shop ready for you to find the perfect thing for your perfect someone.

And ladies, don't be afraid to send your man some flowers. They don't have to be pink posies... you can send an orchid box, or mix of succulents... very sexy, succulent even. (pun intended, sadly...)

   

And don't be afraid to tell him what you might want! Men love being led to success 

and the easier you make it for them to make you happy--- the happier you both will be!

Let your partner know you love them and you love being loved by them.

Oh, love. I just love you. NO, not you. (I barely know you.) (Okay, but I do love you in a 'love all humanity' kinda way.) 

i LOVE love!!!!! Did I mention that already?!

 I LOVE ANEMONES!!!!

Keep your friends close and your anemones closer!

Anemones have a large assortment of symbolism tied to them. They are thought to represent anticipation and unfading love, good luck and protection against evil. As a gift, these flowers may be meaningful in a number of ways, from presenting them to someone stepping into a new stage of life, to telling the recipient that you will always love them.

The anemone flower is unquestionably one of the more delicate and beautiful blossoms grown today; however, they are also steeped in myth and touted for their uses. The origin of the anemone flower’s name is a perfect example of its place in mythological history. The red anemone flower is often associated with the death of Adonis, who was stabbed by the sharp tusks of a wild boar. Aphrodite – the beloved of Adonis – heard his cry and ran to him. She found that, as he died, the anemones around his body turned from a crisp white to a shocking red. She then named these blossoms the windflower – namely because the same wind that gently opens the flower will also blow away the faded petals, thus representing the transitory nature of her lover’s life. 

How romantic is that?! (Sigh) I find anemones incredibly romantic, and they add an almost old fashioned, but fresh element to any arrangement~ like love itself. 

The anemone flower is also considered a medicinal plant. Although these flowers can be poisonous to both animals and humans, they are thought – in small doses – to aid in a variety of ailments. Most notably, a decoction of the flower and roots may be used for delayed menstruation and painful cramps. (isn't that romantic? um, no.)They may also be used to treat inflammation of the eyes, troubled skin or respiratory problems.

I love anemones. I really do! They are so feminine and flirty! So fragile, but bold!

Love them!

We try to buy them fresh every morning and keep them in the shop through Valentine's Day.

Let me know if you'd like some and I'll put them aside...

 Happy December! The flower of the month blog has come full cirle, or full year, or something...

The Flower of the month is Narcissus, and you can read all about it by scrolling down to last December.

My favorite seasonal flower right now is the Amaryllis, potted or cut, burgundy and velvety, or candy cane striped.

Amaryllis is symbolic of splendid beauty. It is also used to indicate worth beyond beauty. No kiddin'.

Check out our window featuring the Amaryllis. And actual candy canes!

 November always sneaks up on me. 

After the preparation, anticipation, and celebration of harvest time and Halloween... suddenly it's November and we are right back into the whirlwind of the holiday season.

The flower of the month for November is the chrysanthemum. Or more commonly known as the mum.

Mum's have gotten a bad name in the floral industry asfter a proliferation of use as an inexpensive filler flower.

Consequently, we don't use them too often. Except the China Mums which are pretty spectacular.

 

 In some countries of Europe (e.g., France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Croatia), white chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are only used for funerals or on graves - similarly, in China, Japan and Korea, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of lamentation and/or grief. In some other countries, it represents honesty. In the United States, the flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful.

 

These flowers are incredibly popular in Asian culture for varying reasons.

          China

• The chrysanthemum is one of the "Four Gentlemen" (四君子) of China (the others being the plum blossom, the orchid, and bamboo). The chrysanthemum is said to have been favored by Tao Qian, an influential Chinese poet, and is symbolic of nobleness. It is also one of the 4 symbolic seasonal flowers.

• A Chrysanthemum Festival is held each year in Tongxiang, near Hangzhou, China.

• Chrysanthemums are the topic in hundreds of poems of China.

• The "golden flower" referred to in the 2006 movie Curse of the Golden Flower is a chrysanthemum.

  Japan

• The Chrysanthemum Throne is the name given to the position of Japanese emperor.

• Chrysanthemum crest (菊花紋章, kikukamonshō or kikkamonshō) is a general term for a mon of chrysanthemum blossom design; there are more than 150 different patterns. The Imperial Seal of Japan is a particularly notable one; it is used by members of the Japanese Imperial family. 

• The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum is a Japanese honor awarded by the emperor

  United States

• The chrysanthemum is the flower of the American musician fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

• Chrysanthemums were recognized as the official flower of the city of Chicago in 1961.

• Chrysanthemums are the official flower of the city of Salinas, CA

• The Rock band Everclear has a song named after the flower.

• The Punk rock band Strung Out references the flower in the song Lucifermotorcade

  
  

  So suddenly it's November and the secret of the month is like it's flower: it can be overdone, but chosen just right and used with thought and care... beauty is abundant.