I am very Thankful For Special People and Places

1) My late parents - they who even in poverty and limited education were rich with love, were wise in raising their 7 children, all girls, in a God loving and fearing home. They worked hard, emphasized work ethic into their children, and encouraged us to get educated. They sent us to Catholic school even if they had to scrimp just so they can pay our tuition.
2) Humble beginnings - that molded us into the person that we are to be able to survive whatever challenges we are faced with, such as the current economy.
3) My Siblings - strong women, very loving, helpful, supportive, very generous and very motherly to us the younger sisters.
4) My Cousins - they are like our siblings, having grown up together, our fathers being the only 2 males in their family.
5) My Spouse - my rock, my best friend, my strength, my partner and lover.
6) My Children - my favorite beautiful people, my hope for the future, the most precious priceless gift of all
7) My country - the land I chose for the opportunites it provided for me and my family
8) The Land of my birth - a beautiful country, a beautiful city - Baguio City was called the summer capital, the city of pines where I learned to love life, have fun, work hard and get educated. It is where a lifetime of friendships have been formed. This is where I learned the value of hard work from watching my parents and my relatives, good education from Catholic nuns and priests who also taught us morals and values and nurtured our spiritual growth.
9) Good friends from near and far - who remind one of the joy of their companionship, their support and their love.
10) Good Health - so far, so good and one that definitely makes one so greatful.
11) The Good Lord - Psalm 30:12 ESV That my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

A special Centerpiece

To A Dear Classmate

When one hears of a death of a friend, the initial reaction is of disbelief, it can't be, "she's too young." And then you learn that she's been ill for quite a while. For loved ones, when death occurs, even if there's ample time to accept to the eventual end, it still comes as a shock. Loved ones can be overwhelmed with anguish and deep grief. For most of us who have religious beliefs and faith, when death finally comes after a prolonged period of illness,we say "It's a blessing, she hasn't had a meaningful life for a long time." And we believe God has called her to rest. But for the rest of us that are left behind, we get the sobering fact that we are mere mortals, that we will eventually die. And for me, I feel so sorry I have not known my classmate was living and working in a city next to mine, that I have discovered where she has been upon her death. I am sad for what could have been.
Good bye Myrna Ray Orduna Amis and may the Lord bless and keep your family and friends you left behind.

A Practical Guide to Choosing a Local Florist

Searching for a Local Florist
When searching for a florist online find and contact a local flower shop or florist in the city where you need the flowers delivered. This way, you'll get the most value for your money.

Local florists will gladly serve your flower and rose deliveries with ease. They know the area very well and can help you with your order. If you have your favorite florist in your town, they will gladly find and send your order to a reputable florist where you need your order delivered.

Avoid online florists that appear to be local florists. Most online florists only provide toll free number and no physical address. These are middlemen or order takers - they take your order then turn around and call it in to a local florist. By using the florists that appear to be local florists, you can end up spending more for less flowers .

Ordering Advice:
Be ready with the name, complete address and phone number of the recipient. If it's going to the workplace, give the company name and department the recipient works for.

Keep the order as general and open as possible. Because flowers are usually better in some seasons and not others, and some flowers are more readily available in some places than in others, it is wise to allow the florist to pick the types of flowers used so they can give you the best quality.

In addition, not all colors are available for all types of flowers. While you can specify the overall color or colors of the arrangement (i.e., spring colors, fall colors, pastels, etc.), it is wise to allow the florist to pick the individual colors and flowers so they can give you the best quality.

The same is true with plants specially if you require plants that are in bloom. Let the florist know what houseplant you prefer or ask what plants they have in stock.

Autum Delight

Making your Bouquet of Flowers Last - Flower Care

How to care for your bouquet of flowers

You just received a beautiful bouquet of flowers, maybe for your birthday, a special event or occasion, or perhaps it is a single flower. You want these to last as long as possible, make the memory last.


Here are tips and instructions to help in keeping your flowers last as long as possible.


Remove any leaves that will be under water in the vase.

WIth the end of the flower stem under water, cut about an inch off the stem with a sharp knife. Cut at an angle. This will open the veins in the stem to allow more water to pass through.

Mix floral preservative to fresh water at room temperature or slightly warm water as indicated on the package. It comes with most floral arrangements intended for vases.

Fill a clean vase about 3/4 to the top with water and preservative mixture.

Arrange your flowers as you prefer. Then leave them in a cool, dark room for a couple of hours to allow them to settle into their new home.

Always display your floral arrangement in a cool area.

Keep them out of direct sunlight.

Keep the water fresh. Add the water daily and change the water in about 3 days.

In the evening before you go to bed, place your floral bouquet in the coolest place in your home, perhaps the garage. But, do not leave them in any area which could reach the low thirties or freezing temperatures.
Enjoy your bouquet, and for a longer period of time!

Did you know?

Flowers do not like Ethylene gas. Sources of Ethylene gas include ripening fruits and vegetables, cigarette smoke, and car exhaust.

Basics of Floral Arranging

The best reward for our work as florists is when we get a compliment from our customer or the recipient of our floral bouquet. The best compliment is getting a repeat order for our work.

The basic guideline we have followed for years is the following
- Always place larger flowers first, the smaller flowers can be used to fill the form of the design.
- Flower color influences the visual balance of the design. Darker flowers are usually placed at the base since they appear heavier, soft colored flowers are placed along the perimeter since they appear lighter.
- Maintain a proportional balance.
- Add filler flowers and foliage after the main flowers are in place.
Delightfully Spring

In Loving Memory of a Loved One, Delivering Flowers to a Gravesite or Niche

When a loved one passes, the grief and the feeling of loss stays for a long time after the funeral service. Relatives leave to go on with their lives and friends' calls and visits fade slowly. For close relatives who live far away from the burial place, it makes it difficult for them to make the trip to visit the gravesite.

Florists like us offer the service of delivering flowers for those who can't make the trip. We have a few customers who rely on us to deliver flowers on holidays, the loved one's birthday, or some choose to have flowers once a month. We then send the picture of the flowers we delivered at the gravesite for them.

Florists like us are grateful that we are able to help express the loving memories of those who our customers miss dearly.

The cemeteries we deliver to are:
Sylvan Cemetery District which is located in Citrus Heights and the oldest District cemetery established in 1862 serving Citrus Heights, Rio Linda, North Highlands, Natomas, Orangevale, Carmichael and Fair Oaks.
Calvary Catholic Cemetery at 7101 Verner Ave., Sacramento, CA 95841
Eastlawn Mortuary and Sierra Hills Memorial Park at 5757 Greenback Lane, Sacramento, CA 95841
Eastlawn Memorial Park on 43rd and Folsom
Sacramento Memorial Lawn at 6100 Stockton Blvd.
Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery
Sunset Lawn Memorial Park at 4701 Marysvilee Blvd.

July weddings and other Stuff in Sacramento, CA

As a small business in the floral retail industry, the months of May and June are usually the busiest months. Schools have the high school prom, senior dances and graduation. We also celebrate Mother's Day in May. June is full of weddings - big and small, planned and last minute. This year, July has been unusually busy with weddings and we are booked until the end of July.

My Favorite Flower - Bird of Paradise

My favorite flower is the Bird of Paradise, whose botanical name is Strelitza reginae, commonly called the crane flower.

The flower head is a boat-shaped bract from which pointed featherlike flowers emerge. Each flower has a blue or purplish structure called a tongue. The bract extends from the top of a smooth leafless stem at an angle about 90 degrees or less.

The flowers are bright yellow to yellow-orange to orange with blue/blue violet tongues. Bracts are grayish green to purplish green and edged in red.
If flowers fail to emerge from the bract, the can be gently pulled out, one at a time, by hand.

The Bird of Paradise is a subtropical plant so it is sensitive to chill.
Birds-of-paradise are one of the few flowers polinated by birds; however, the common name was given because the open blossoms resemblea crested bird's head or the wings of a bird in flight.

Caring for Your Valentine Plant

So you received a potted flowering plant for valentines, or for your birthday or any occasion and you want to make sure your gift last as long as possible.

You should locate your plant in a well-lit area and avoid direct sunlight.
Always keep plants away from ripening fruits, cigarette smoke, or a heater. Ripening fruits produce ethylene gas which can cause flower bud to wilt, and leaf yellowing and/ or dropping and makes flowers die quicker.
Check your plant for watering needs. Water only when needed and make sure water drains from the pot. Never let plants dry out and avoid water on leaves or flowers.
Follow the care tag instructions so that you can enjoy your plant a lot longer indoors.
After the flowers are spent, you can usually take your plant outdoors, other tropical plants prefer to stay indoors.

A beautiful Pink Azalea from your local Florist - A Vanity Fair Florist

Roses on my mind

It's February....already, in just a few days, Valentine's day will be here; I've been thinking roses since the beginning of the year. Rose is the most popular flower people order as gifts on Valentine's Day. Aside from the wide variety of roses, from the ever popular red, it comes in a variety of attractive colors and very sweet scent.

One Dozen Red Roses

A dozen red roses is always the perfect choice. One dozen red roses in a clear glass vase professionally arranged. Order this from your local florist, hand delivered to your loved one. And yet, there are also a variety of ways of rose arrangements to choose from to best express your love, one of which is a mix of roses with other attractive flowers.

Love is Divine

Give Thanks

November 25th, 2010 is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. There is so much to be thankful for - family, friends, home, love, health, faith and hope and the determination to survive, work hard, seek opportunities to grow. Even in this difficult economy, there are still a lot to be thankful for.

With all the festivity on thanksgiving day, make your table look festive and complete with a bright harvest centerpiece. Send it to family who are out of town, or take it as an appreciation to the dinner host for her dining table. Enjoy your family and loved ones this thanksgiving day.

Bronze Centerpiece

Funeral flowers

A funeral for a friend or loved one can be difficult, but funeral flowers from A VANITY FAIR FLORIST of Sacramento, CA (CA) can help begin the healing process. Funeral flowers provide the opportunity to express how much the departed means to you. Celebrate the life of your loved one with one of the beautiful funeral flower arrangements found on our websites: White Promises Spray, Mixed Flowers Sympathy Tribute or one of our Basket or Vase Arrangements.

One of our customers ordered this online for a memorial service and rosary at the East Lawn Andrews and Greilich Mortuary on Sunday, 11/21/2010.

White Promises Spray

Roses for any Season

Roses from A VANITY FAIR FLORIST in Sacramento, California (CA) always make an impression. Nothing says I Love You more clearly than the rose. You can express yourself in a variety of ways from the simple Rose Bud Vase to an extravagant Two Dozen Roses or more arranged in a vase. Show your flair for the creative with the Rose Garden Topiary or the Rosy Posy arrangement.

Browse our Rose Pictures to find the best arrangement of roses for you. If you don't see something you like give A VANITY FAIR FLORIST a call. We can arrange roses in a variety of styles to suit your special occasion, style or color such as: yellow roses, white roses and pink roses. Send your message of love with Roses from A VANITY FAIR FLORIST today.

Sixty four percent of Valentines roses sold are classic red. But did you know that women prefer to receive other colors - yellow, pink, peach or white? Two shades that are growing in popularity are orange and lavender.

Autumn Roses that say Thank You for being you!

Classic Car enthusiast

We own a classic Ford Mustang Car, a 1978 Mustang II inherited from my father. In California, it is required that cars manufactured in 1975 and up are required to undergo smog test, otherwise the state will pay you to junk your old car. Our Mustang is a rare one because it is a t-top with Cobra striping and has original parts. It's used only for car shows and would not in any way affect the environment for the few times that it is driven.

Anyway, I think I resemble an old car:

IF MY BODY WERE A CAR...

If my body were a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish, and my paint job is getting a little dull. But that's not the worst of it. My headlights are out of focus, and it's especially hard to see things from afar.

My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.

My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins. It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.

But here's the worst of it --


Almost every time I sneeze, cough or laugh, either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires.
CASH FOR CLUNKERS..........
I QUALIFY - How about you?

High School Dances and Homecoming

High Schools around us have been having their homecoming dances. Some students are more organized than others, or the mothers are involved in their children's school activites.
I got a call from a young man for a beautiful corsage 2 weeks before the homecoming. And then on the day of the homecoming, after a long day assembling corsages and boutonniers and ready to call it a day, I get a call from a mother who was looking for a florist who could make a corsage and a boutonnier for her son. She was so glad I was still in the shop and willing to take her rush order. It turns out, she had ordered and paid for these items from a florist closer to her home, but when she got there, the flowershop was closed due to a family emergency. What a contrast, but, then again, this mother was a victim of circumstances and she was so grateful to find a florist that was still open that time of the day on a Saturday. Most flowershops close around 2 or 3 p.m. I just happened to have been working late because of school homecoming.

Two weeks ago, I had a lady come in to order her bridal bouquet and her groom's boutonnier. A week later she added 3 bridesmaids bouquets and another boutonnier. She picked the items today, Friday, for her wedding tomorrow in Reno, NV. Her bouquet consisted of red and ivory roses, with white and red satin ribbons, the boutonniers were ivory roses and the bridesmaids were also red and ivory roses. She loved her bouquets and was excited for her wedding. She mentioned that she waited a long time to meet the right person.

I'm happy for her and wish her and her groom all the best the world can offer. Fortunately for florists like me, we can share in the joys of other people - in their weddings, school dances, birthdays, births of new babies, anniversaries and other joyous moments.

White Rose Corsage

Taking Care of Peace Lily Plant

Houseplants are usually very nice gifts to send to a friend or a loved one to express what you feel. It could be sent as a warm welcome and congratulations on their new house or office, congratulations on an achievement or a memorial for a loved one who passed away.

One of the most popular houseplants that we deliver is the Spathiphylum, or more commonly known as the Peace Lily. Like the more common calla lily, white petal-like leaves envelope the true flowers which are the central yellow columns. Most of the spathiphylum plants we deliver blooms intermittently all through the year. It is an evergreen plant that tolerates even very dry conditions.

Caring for your Plant

Light: This plant tolerates low light, but ideally, it needs bright light during the gray winter days but during summer, it loves diffused light.

Water: Keep the soil moist, but not soggy.

Handling and care: Feed every 2 months from March to September with fertilizer. When the plant becomes rootbound, divide the roots with a sharp knife after all the flowers have bloomed out. Pot up segments in standard potting soil mix that provides very good drainage.

Leaves that turn brown on the edges and turn yellowish are aging, cut these off. If the leaves tip yellow, it could be that there is too much water, or there is insufficient food.

More plants are lost from overwatering than from underwatering. Excessive wet soil crowds out oxigen needed by the roots and the roots can not support the leaves if they don't have oxygen.

By following this care guide, your plant will live a long time.


Peace Lily Plant

All Souls Day - A Catholic Holiday

As I hang some more decorations for Halloween and also for Thanksgiving, I suddenly remember that around this time most Catholics are preparing for another holiday - the observance of All Souls Day.
In contrast to halloween, All Souls Day is not about ghosts, ghouls, goblins or monsters or the dark, cold, gray skies and eery air. In the Philippines, a week or two before this holiday, my mother, my sisters and I would go to the cemetery and clean the gravesite of my brother and a niece. We pulled weeds, cleaned and repainted the graves in preparation for the day. A day before All Souls Day, we went to the market to buy flowers and candles and also ingredients for rice cake. On All Souls Day we first went to church and then head on to the cemetery with our flowers and candles and rice cake. The road to the cemetery was full of people, cars, jeepneys and the sidewalks had vendors selling flowers and candles. It was a day set aside to remember our dearly departed and this tradition is passed on to the next generation. Now, I realize that this holiday was observed by our parents and their parents to remember their loved ones, prayed for the souls of the dead and those of us that are living.

It's been years since I have celebrated this holiday. When I moved to the US, I had learned to celebrate halloween instead. My children have not seen the rituals that we in the Philippines observed and enjoyed. My sister and her family continue the tradition of going to the cemetery where my parents are buried. My excuse is - I live too far from the cemetery and before that, I lived in another state.

Now, I understand what the tradition was supposed to be. Prayers and masses are offered for the dearly departed's repose of their soul. Flowers serve as a living memory reminding us that once these people had remained close to us and they, like us, had once been fascinated by the beauty and color of life. Lighted candles likewise signify that the love, hope and joy they shared with people they had left behind shall be kept forever burning and alive even though they may have found their destiny somewhere or even in the arms of the Heavenly Father.

Flowers for a funeral

It is common knowledge that death is inevitable but when it comes, no one is ready for it's occurence specially for those that are left behind. Then, not all deaths is the same; some are logical and some are illogical. It seems it would be easier to cope when a loved one has lived a long and fruitful life and dies quietly in his/her sleep. If a death was so sudden and tragic, the love ones left behind will require more to cope with their loss. To express sympathy and sincere compassion, and respect for the deceased, sending flowers is very appropriate .

Flowers bring comfort to the loved ones left behind to grieve and commemorate the life of the deceased. They provide a beautiful and thoughtful distraction from the grief of survivors. They express gratitude for life and for the privilege of knowing the departed. And sympathy designs (flowers sent for a funeral) ought to be as special and unique as the life of the person they memorialize. To suggest that flowers are trivial or unimportant to the grieving process is to deny the truth of their message: life always goes on.

In some obituaries, the words "in lieu of flowers" are mentioned seemingly suggesting that flowers are not important. The same sentiment would never be expressed with respect to the dead. And while a contribution to charity in the name of the deceased is always a fitting tribute, the value and importance of flowers sent in sympathy can never be understated. Of course, you can rely on your local florist to help you express your sympathy; they will deliver flowers with your comforting message of condolence and your love and concern.

Joys of a Wedding, Sacramento Florist

The mother of the groom for one of the recent weddings we worked on last month came for a visit today with a thank you card, and a wedding favor and the wedding album.
She mentioned that the bride loved her bouquet and the guests expressed that they were very impressed with the flowers and the decorations for the wedding event and the reception.
There were a lot of pictures of the flowers and she promised to provide me with a copy of the disk so that I can use it as a portfolio. The result of a professional photography makes all the difference and shows the beauty of the professionally arranged bouquets. It makes for a happy closure to the week and helps keep the joys of being a Sacramento florist, and a small entrepreneur.

Surviving this Down Economy - Strategies of a Small Flower Shop

This year, instead of focusing on being succesful and profitable, we are striving to survive and outlast our new and old competitors. With this in mind, I am sharing our strategy so that small business owners like me also survive this down economy we are now in.

Our strategies:
- Provide superior products and services at very reasonable price
- Develop a bond with customers, and vendors,
- Celebrate milestones, and share not only with clients but also with vendors,
- Acknowledge and show appreciation to loyal customers and also to vendors
- Share our expertise in flower arranging, plant care, care of fresh flowers and knowledge of gift giving.

- Network with other business owners and know that each one can depend on one another for encouragement and the knowledge that we all exist in a very challending economic time.
- Donate flowers for charitable causes. Flowers bring out smiles, encouragement, motivation, and joy.
Bright Cheery Bouquet by A Vanity Fair Florist