Gretna, LA Florists

Gretna Flower Shop News

Fire engulfs historic Gretna floral shop - WDSU New Orleans

GRETNA, La. —A large fire broke out Tuesday morning at a historic Gretna floral shop.Gretna Fire Department officials said the blaze began at Le Grand the Florist, and according to witnesses, quickly spread around the building.AdvertisementThe smoke could be seen on the east bank of New Orleans.The cause of the fire is unknown.WDSU reporter Michael Vinsanau found heavy smoke still coming from the building when he arrived on the scene. Flames could also be seen in the windows as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.Officials said firefighters were notified about the blaze around 7:21 a.m. Tuesday. There was word that someone was trapped inside the building, but firefighters determined that everyone got out safely.Investigators said the flames grew so strong that firefighters had to fight the fire from the outside. Some of the factors for the fire growing quickly were the old building and the structure being made mostly of wood.Crews began tearing down the store Tuesday afternoon.Le... http://www.wdsu.com/article/fire-engulfs-historic-gretna-floral-shop/14529999

Arkansas florist selected to decorate floats at Tournament of Roses Parade - MyArkLaMiss

Then, it was called Bridget's Holiday Shop. Since then, she has mastered her design skills and has built up her floral resume. She is a member of the Louisiana floral board, has received her Arkansas master floral license and just recently became a certified floral designer."She's very good," said Annie Dunn, a loyal customer and friend of Joslin's.In January, she'll be able to add another accomplishment to her resume. She was one of 59 floral designers to be selected to build a flower-filled float at the Rose Parade. She will join the Fiesta Parade Floats team."I believe with all of my heart that if you follow the passion that's in your heart, dreams can come true," Joslin said. "This is an answered prayer for me."The 128th annual Tournament of Roses Parade is Tuesday, January 1. You can watch the spectacular two hour event live right on NBC channel 10 at 6 a.m. ... https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/local-news/arkansas-florist-selected-to-decorate-floats-at-tournament-of-roses-parade/1663736375

Arkansas florist selected to decorate floats at Tournament of Roses Parade - KTAL

Then, it was called Bridget's Holiday Shop. Since then, she has mastered her design skills and has built up her floral resume. She is a member of the Louisiana floral board, has received her Arkansas master floral license and just recently became a certified floral designer."She's very good," said Annie Dunn, a loyal customer and friend of Joslin's.In January, she'll be able to add another accomplishment to her resume. She was one of 59 floral designers to be selected to build a flower-filled float at the Rose Parade. She will join the Fiesta Parade Floats team."I believe with all of my heart that if you follow the passion that's in your heart, dreams can come true," Joslin said. "This is an answered prayer for me."... https://www.arklatexhomepage.com/news/local-news/arkansas-florist-selected-to-decorate-floats-at-tournament-of-roses-parade/1664383787

Effort to eliminate florist licenses in Louisiana becomes a thorny issue - Fox News

BATON ROUGE, La. – In Louisiana, florists must know the proper storage temperature for plants, wiring methods for various flowers and how to construct a cascade bouquet. They pay $100 a year.The Pelican state is the only state in the country that requires a license to sell flowers, a distinction that has become a point of contention among florists who say it legitimizes their trade and state lawmakers who feel Louisiana is too overwhelmed with a dizzying number of professional license requirements.State lawmakers wanted to cut back on the number of licenses by eliminating the floral one. That has drawn the ire of florists who take pride in regulating their profession – by weeding out people who know little about floral arrangements. Orchids sit on display at Red Onion in Baton Rouge. Several florists throughout the state say they want to keep a licensing and testing requirement in place. Louisiana is the only state in the country that requires florists to be licensed. (Fox News)Part of the... https://www.foxnews.com/politics/effort-to-eliminate-florist-licenses-in-louisiana-becomes-a-thorny-issue

Magnolia florist is headed to Tournament of Roses Parade - Magnolia Banner News

Shoppe on Magnolia’s square then freelanced in Texas before opening her current downtown floral operation last year. In that span, she gained multiple floral design certifications, including a Louisiana Master Floral license in 1999, an Arkansas Master Floral license in 2002, a professional certified floral license in 2013, and a Certified Floral Designer certificate in 2018.Her latest certification also may be the most important. After passing the Professional Floral Evaluation Design test in Washington D.C. earlier this year, she will be invited to join the American Institute of Floral Designers (AFID) in 2019 in Las Vegas.“There are only 1,200 AFID florists worldwide,” Joslin said. “It’s hard to get. And once you get into AFID, these doors begin to open up for you.”Of the 40 Tournament of Roses contest floats, each is sponsored by a corporate entity. Those sponsors then contract a float company to design and decorate their entry — and that’s where Joslin comes in.She was notified of her selection as a designer and decorator in September. Joslin will be a member of the Fiesta Parade Floats team, which is tasked this year with retrofitting 13 parade entries, from the ground up, to compete against some of the most elaborate designs in the world.“I was invited to be a part of their floral design team,” she said.Completing the floats in such a short span of time is not left all to the designers. Thousands of volunteers aid the float companies as well.“We design the floats from the sketches and we put the flowers on the floats,” Joslin added. “The designers lead the volunteers to help put the float together.”Joslin, along with the 59 other floral designers, is considered a Tournament of Roses VIP. They are awarded a special red jacket, prime viewing spots during the parade itself to admire all of their hard work, and tickets to the Rose Bowl game, which is played just a few hours after the parade finishes.While judging is ongoing for the floats, the designers are also able to co-mingle with any other VIPs or celebrities or corporate owners in attendance at the event.“There’s really only a hand-selected few,” Joslin said.The perks are worth it, considering the amount of labor sometimes involved in designing and fitting the elaborate floats.“They say you can work up to 22 hours a day,” the designer added. “The floats must be ready, no matter what.”The Magnolia florist has been assigned to aid in the design one of the 40 sponsored floats. She and her husband, David, also the co-owner of the Magnolia floral shop, leave for California on Dec. 26 and are set to return Jan. 3.“It’s sort of a competition because we want our parade floats to win,” she said.The invitation to the parade this year was not Joslin’s first. But with plenty of experience under her belt and a wiser perspective on life, she accepted.“When you’re younger, you really don’t think as much about the excitement something like this ... http://www.magnoliabannernews.com/news/2018/dec/14/magnolia-florist-headed-tournament-roses-parade/