Christmas in Sacramento, CA

With a 6 year old at home, we get reminded of how soon Christmas will be here, the number of days until Christmas and until Santa comes to drop off presents. Every morning we hear the same excitement and joy from our 6 year old. It's a good thing because it gets hectic during the day. Just going to work and coming home, the traffic on Watt Ave. is so busy especially around the shopping centers starting from Arden until Marconi. It's the same story on I80 towards Roseville.
For those that want to avoid traffic and the hassle of going to the malls and looking for parking space, there's an alternative. Visit your local florists - they have unique gift items that they can put in a gift basket, creatively packaged and delivered, or check their website; some offer specials for your website order, or give the florist a call.
Order flowers or plants for people that have everything. They'll appreciate that they received something that won't add to the clutter in their closet.

Shop at a Real Flowershop

Real florists - those of us who have brick and mortar shops, know
flowers, and our local area have a real challenge when it comes to
competition, not with other florists in the general area, but with
online businesses that claim to be local florists delivering in Sacramento.
If you are planning to order flowers or centerpieces, balloons,
candles, roses or plants for your loved ones in Sacramento, CA, we are online; check
us out at http://www.citrusheightsflorist.com, or stop by and see our
wide selection of Thanksgiving centerpieces, or autumn flowers, plants, and other gifts. You might just find the perfect gift or plant, or fresh flowers that you'll find more affordable and fresher than ones you'll get at the grocery store.
avflorist
Real Sacramento Florist

Hot Apple Cider on this cold autumn day

With the rain last night and the moisture it created, the air is nippy which makes it nice to stay indoors and watch the leaves falling from the trees.
Take this moment to plan and send a smile, or express your appreciation for your loved ones. We have bright and cheerful flower arrangement for the dinner table, or the coffee table, balloons or plush toys, or plants.
Make a pot of hot apple cider, make a list of things to do, stay warm and dry.

Remember our Veterans

On Nov. 11th, we celebrate Veteran's Day. I have 2 cousins who died serving this country. My father-in-law served in the Navy and he died 2 years ago on Veteran's day, so we will go to the cemetary, like so many families who lost their loved ones in wars that this country has been involved in, to visit their gravesite and leave fresh flowers to honor the great sacrifice they willingly offered.

We will also have red, white and blue flowers, that customers from out of town ordered to be delivered in gravesites, which we will deliver in honor of our veterans.

For those celebrating a serviceman, here's a red, white and blue bouquet in a glass cube - a patriotic tribute for Veteran’s Day… or to welcome home someone who’s served our country. A clear glass cube vase. The bouquet includes red roses and carnations, white daisy spray chrysanthemums, and accent flowers, and a miniature American flag.

God Bless America!

Homecoming is Upon Us

The corsages and boutonniers have been picked up and the kids are now currently enjoying and having fun at their homecoming dances. Next week another school will have their homecoming. We will again be busy making corsages and boutonniers for teenagers this time for Rio Americano High School. This will also be the first time that the football game will be held at the school, a true "home' game against River City High School. The Rio Raiders had always had their home games at El Camino Fundamental School, and for the first time in Rio's history, they'll really be playing at home. The game is on Oct. 7, Saturday; JV starts at 11 a.m., Varsity starts at 1 pm. It will be a very interesting day in the history of Rio Americano H.S. I'm glad the hard work of the parents of athletes will finally be paid off. I'm glad my son who's a senior varsity will experience the thrill of being in the first batch to play in their home turf. GO RAIDERS!

Fall flowers and foliage usher the start of the holidays

The weather has started to calm down, the temperature in Sacramento did not even reach the 90's - it was breezy, easy and generally very nice day to spend outdoors. You'll see kids playing outdoors, riding their bikes or scooters, and adults taking afternoon walks. It's a very nice relief from the sweltering temperatures of summer.
Don't forget the Grandparents on September 10th, Sunday. To all the grandparents, Happy Grandparents Day, enjoy it because you deserve it. For the rest of us, let us show our love and appreciation, visit or take them out for dinner or something.
It is not Fall yet, but I'm rejoicing that it's almost here!

Send a long lasting gift and fresh air - send a plant

Aside from flowers, most florists offer plants as gifts. One plant that is usually recommended for gift giving is a hardy ever blooming indoor plant commonly called Peace Lily or spathiphylum.
This tropical evergreen perennial not only tolerates the low light and dry conditions found in most homes, it actually makes the indoors healthier! When NASA did a study on ’sick building’ syndrome, peace lilies were rated among the top ten air cleaning plants for interiors.
Lovely when flowering, no home should be without the peace lily’s elegant lance shaped leaves and snowy blooms.

Peace Lily Plant

Sacramento Wedding Flowers -A Style for every Bride

In the past, many of the decisions made during the planning were based around traditions. Today, we still incorporate tradition, but often, contemporary weddings now showcase the individuality of the brides and also of the grooms.
Despite the explosion of individuality, one tradition endures: Fresh flowers remain at the heart of the event, symbolizing its beauty and solemnity.
Flowers provide the bride a beautiful opportunity to express her own unique style.
10 Things to Know before you consult your florist

1. Your wedding budget, including the amount available for flowers.
2. Your vision or concept of the event.
3. The style and color of your dress.
4. Number of attendants and the style and color of their outfits.
5. Other people who will need flowers such as flower girl/s, mothers and grandmothers, sponsors, etc,
6. Location and time of the ceremony and reception
7. Any restrictions imposed at the ceremony and reception.
8. Format of the reception, i.e., sit down dinner, buffet, etc.
9. The floral styles you like. Bring magazine pictures, bouquet styles, and mention to the florist what flowers you don't like.
10. The services you need the florist to provide, such as transporting the flowers from the ceremony to the reception, etc.

For more information about your dream flowers, visit your local florist at the flowershop or check out the website at: http://www.amfilflorist.com

and at this site: http://www.citrusheightsflorist.com

Sacramento Florist - flower delivery

Ordering flowers online is easy, but ordering flowers online from your neighborhood florist is easier, and you get more value for your money. No time to stop by for a gift you need today? Call your local florist where you can get good suggestions for what to send. Most florists offer not only flowers but also plush toys, novelty items like singing balloons, lucky bamboo for good feng shui, etc. To express your sympathy to someone who lost a loved one, local florists would be able to deliver to the home or to the church or to the mortuary or cemetery.
For a list of reliable local sacramento florists visit this site: http://virtualfun.hypermart.net/sactoflorists.htm

Roses for you

Roses are men's best friend. Men order roses for their special girl for birthdays, anniversaries, or just a pick-me-up for down days. For proms, most order corsage of roses. My brother-in-law have beautiful rose plants in his yard in Vallejo. Most of his roses are the hybrid type. My husband bought me a rose plant one valentine's day because he said he'll be saving a ton of money by having fresh roses from the garden every valentines day. Unfortunately, we lived in WA state then, and the rose bush produced flowers only during summer when there was less rain, and the sun peeked more often.
There are several types of roses:
- Floribunda - used in landscapes because these have showy clusters of flowers on top of the stems.
- Grandiflora - rose flowers are larger than those of the Floribunda, have multiple flowers on a single stem and can grow tall.
- Shrub rose - used in landscapes because of their shrub character, stays evergreen during winter.
- Miniature - sometimes called baby roses, perfect for containers, good container plant for gift giving.
- Hybrid Tea - This is the florist-type rose because it has a single flower on long stems, but generally prone to disease, so these need a lot of care.
- Groundcover rose- can grow to 3 ft tall but spreads to 6 to 8 ft., disease resistant and stays evergreen during mild winters.

The most fragrant cut rose is lavender, however, this opens up quickly and don't last long.

Order flowers online safely and securely from a real florist, reliable and affordable at:

www.avanityfairflorist.com

Sacramento Florist Delivery

An e-florist from Old Saybrook Connecticut sent me an order for 18 roses of mix colors for delivery the same day at a particular time. I went to their website which showed they had a $5.00 off special for the week; however, they charged an additional $2.99 for same day delivery and $11.99 for handling fee. Poor customer from Sacramento had no idea that he was ordering from an e-florist who cannot deliver what was ordered. The e-florist sent the order for the amount of the flowers, but not the handling fee or the amount they collected for same day delivery.I sent the order to another florist in town. The next day, I again get a call from the e-florist asking if I could deliver 18 roses to the same person.
Their customer must be very unhappy with his order because the delivery is now late for his anniversary. In this case, even if the e-florist sends all the money paid to him, I would not accept the order - their customer might think that it was my flower shop that dropped the ball.
If the customer was more diligent in his search for a florist that could deliver his flower order, he would have found our flowershop - it is listed on the first page of the Yahoo and the MSN search engine for search terms - Sacramento florist, or florist Sacramento. He could have saved more money since we don't charge handling fee nor same day delivery fee and we are having a rose special this month.

For your gift and flower needs, you can order online securely with us at
http://virtualfun.hypermart.net
Call us at 916-488-4573

Ten Reasons to using a Real Florist

Many phone directories and websites route shoppers to fictitious flower shops. Often times, customers are connected to a telemarketer who takes the order, subtracting service fees and commissions. Then they pass the order along to a local flower shop at reduced value to the florist and the customer. Be sure to always verify the address of a "local" florist; your money will go much further and you will be dealing with the actual local florist who will be delivering your floral gift.

Top Ten Reasons to Order from a "Real" Florist

1. Ensure Maximum Value

* Save on extra service fees by cutting out the middleman.

2. Speak Directly To a Real Florist

* Find out what flowers and plants are in season, what looks particularly good, or whether any blooming plants may be planted outdoors later.
* Have a custom design created to your specifications.

3. Communicate Special Requests

* Does the recipient have any favorite flowers? Any dislikes?
* Should the recipient be called prior to delivery?
* Is the recipient hard of hearing, or slow answering the door?
* Is one entrance better than another?

4. Select Additional Gift Items

* Many flower shops also carry unique gift lines, such as candy, potpourri, figurines, plush animals or candles, which can be added to your order or sent independently.

5. Get Same-Day Delivery - If Possible

* Call early to get same day delivery without incurring additional delivery charges.

6. Pay Accurate and Appropriate Delivery Charges - No More, No Less

* Pay the right local delivery fee without having it deducted from the value of your order.
* Some locations, such as gated communities or certain businesses may require an additional charge.

7. Familiarity With Local Delivery Regulations

* Hospitals, funeral homes, schools and businesses may have delivery cut-off times or size limitations.
* Hospitals in particular often limit the size, quantity, or types of balloons that can be delivered.

8. Familiarity With Local Funeral Customs

* In some areas a standing spray of flowers is customary, while in others a basket of flowers is most appropriate.
* In smaller towns, a local florist may know what has already been ordered or sent to the funeral, and can then help you choose something different.

9. Establish A Relationship With The Flower Shop For Future Orders

* Many shops offer a reminder service for sending flowers at special occasions. Your local florist will be able to help you with a floral gift in another part of the country through their affiliation with a reliable wire service usually offered at no additional cost to you, one of the services they offer so that you'll use them for other floral gift giving.

Only nine reasons, you ask? The tenth is simple and universal:

10. Everyone Loves To Receive Flowers!

Research conducted by Rutgers University and the Society of American Florists indicates that flowers have an immediate impact on the happiness of the recipient, have a long-term positive effect on people's moods, and increase the connections among family and friends. Not only that, but a study by researchers at Texas A & M University shows that flowers and plants improve productivity, innovation, and creativity in the workplace.
Source: Flowershopnetwork.com

T G I F

It's toasty hot here in Sacramento, so how do you cool off?
Fill a nice tall glass with ice and water, take off your shoes, grab a book, find a cool place in the house and read.

Summer time is rose season

Just for online customers, we offer you a rose bouquet special. If someone you know is having a birthday, anniversary, graduation, new job, or just having the blues, order gorgeous red rose bouquet now for delivery anytime until end of August, 2006. Celebrate summer with a dozen red roses!

This offer is only for online orders and for a limited time only.

Summer is rose season! A Dozen Red Roses


For a special birthday, or celebrating an anniversary, a dozen red roses is always the perfect choice.

One dozen red roses in a clear glass vase professionally arranged,

Approx. 18" W x 20" H

Order Now Price: $37.95

Available: Local Delivery only
Special for online customers only, limited time offer.
Promo 12rose06

"Roses say what's on your mind"

How to lengthen the life of your rose bouquet:
- Immediately fill the vase with water, if needed, upon arrival.
- Check your arrangement daily to make sure it has plenty of clear, fresh water.
- Display your arrangement in a cool location, out of direct sunlight and away from electrical appliances.
- When the water starts to get cloudy, dump all the water, wash the vase/container, fill the vase with lukewarm water and mix a packet of flower preservative.
- Cut about 1/2 inch off all the stems with sharp floral clippers or scissors before putting the bouquet back into the vase full of water with floral preservative.


Did you know that roses bloom in late spring and early summer?
Do you have rose plants? Here's some tips on how to prolong the blooming season for your rose plants in Sacramento during the hot days of summer:
Roses prefer at least 6 hours of direct sun, preferably morning sun.
Water generously, ideally in the morning, so that the leaves dry out to prevent disease.
Water from 4 to 7 days of the week during summer or once a day in the mornings during the blazing hot summer days in the Sacramento Valley.

Vanity Fair/AmFil Florist
916-488-4573
www.citrusheightsflorist.com
Quality at affordble price

Florist in Sacramento CA you can rely on for prompt delivery

Could be that it slipped your mind about a father's day gift. You thought about it a couple days ago, but got distracted. Did you know that you can call a florist for gift suggestion, then the florist hand delivers your gift for you the same day you call? Most local florist will have their address prominently displayed on their website, so you can either call or visit and see the wide variety of gifts offered. In a rush, call a local family owned florist. Avoid the florists listed on the search engines that offer free delivery. These are mostly ecommerce businesses that do not know the Sacramento area; they take your order, charge for handling, then sends your order to a local florist. The handling fee is kept by the ecommerce business, so the delivering florist will have to deduct delivery fee from the price of the bouquet or gift. A list of true local florists in Sacramento is here Sacramento CA Florists Directory

New at blogging

I'm new at this, I read blogs, but haven't done any 'til now. Been busy trying to attract new customers at my site, I think the price of gas/oil is keeping people away from shopping. It boggles me that the stock traders are able to manipulate the price of oil based on their assumptions; there's plenty of oil, not just enough refineries to process oil. I hope that someone gets a product out there to replace gas, to discover new source of energy for everyday use. Well, graduation is near for area high schools in Sacramento. We should be grateful that there are kids that work hard to finish high school or college and become active contributing citizens.

Flower musings

I had a call from an elderly customer about roses his wife received from her nephew a couple days ago. They came in a nice box from marthasflowers.com and now the flowers were bent, wilting even if her vase has a lot of water. We prepared a nice arrangement of a dozen roses in a mixture of colors, with fern, nice greenery and babies breath to accent the roses. We delivered the arrangement to her which she was so grateful for. We took the wilting roses to the shop and the instructions that came with the roses. I wonder if the elderly lady has the inclination to arrange her own flowers. The roses did not come with greenery or accents! I wonder how much was charged for the roses and the delivery. We cut the stems under water then put these in warm water with flower solution. 2 hours later, the roses were straight up and looked good especially since these were in the right size vase with greenery and accents. Who would send an old lady a dozen roses and expect her to arrange the flowers herself?

Graduation flowers and gifts

Need to send flowers or gifts to a high schooler who's graduating soon? In Sacramento, high school graduation will be in the middle of the week and starts at about 3 in the afternoon, so you won't be able to attend the ceremony. You can call a local florist for a balloon bouquet to show how proud you are of your graduate's achievement, or order a lei to be worn at the graduation ceremony. Make sure that you are ordering from a true local florist. For a directory of local Sacramento florists, visit Local Sacramento Florists