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The inspiring story of the woman who made the flowers for Alabama's most talked-about wedding - AL.com

Following her stay in the hospital and rehabilitation, she ended up moving to Norfolk, Va., to live with her sister, then to Oklahoma City, where her parents live, for two years. While she was there, she helped take care of her now-9-year-old nephew, her brother’s son, who has cerebral palsy. After meeting Michael, a photographer, online, she eventually moved to California to be with him. When they decided to get married, he really wanted a traditional wedding, but Jackie is too practical to spend too much money on things like flowers.While she was stressing out, she happened to see an episode of “Shark Tank” featuring a product called Eco Flower – sustainable, recyclable floral arrangements made of wood and other materials. “How cool is that?” she thought. She ordered a bouquet from the company and held it when she walked down the aisle in Berkeley, Calif., on June 25, 2017.She also catered her own wedding and made all the decorations herself.Living in California was expensive, though, so after their wedding Jackie suggested they move to Mobile. “I had a really big support system” during her ordeal, she says. “That’s why I love Mobile so much and why I’m back.”They bought a cute fixer-upper cottage and transformed one of the bedrooms into her neatly organized craft room. Prosthetic hands never worked for her, she says, so she uses a battery strap around her wrist to hold an array of tools such as paint brushes to dye and paint her balsa wood flowers, making them look as real as possible. Then, with the help of a wooden chopstick, she arranges them in tiny terra-cotta pots and dainty tea cups. “I’m addicted to miniature things,” she says.Last March, she decided to start selling some of her creations at the monthly ArtWalk event in downtown Mobile. “It was scary as all get-out,” she says. “But I’m one of those people who always jump off the ledge.”Big dayShe took another risk in September, when she splurged on a booth at the Daphne Jubilee Festival. But it was there that she met Tracy Roberts and her daughter, Mary Bourne, who was planning a wedding to James Butts on Dec. 29, 2018.“When I met Jackie, saw her art and then heard her story, I knew immediately that I wanted her flowers to be a part of my big day,” says Mary Bourne. “Most importantly, I fell in love with the fact I will forever be able to have my wedding bouquet. And the possibility of passing it on to someone special, hopefully a daughter, made my heart swell.”Jackie was “terrified,” she remembers, because she had never made flowers for a wedding before, but she decided to try it. She made the bride’s and bridesmaids’ bouquets, six boutonnieres and two corsages – and the bride couldn’t have been happier. “Her creation was perfect: light and simple,” says Mary Bourne. “I was so honored for her to have agreed to such a project, being her first wedding ever. I’m so thankful for her.” Neither Jackie nor Mary Bourne could have predicted what would happen next. While Jackie was on vacation and Mary Bourne was on her ho... https://www.al.com/life/2019/02/the-inspiring-story-of-the-woman-who-made-the-flowers-for-alabamas-most-talked-about-wedding.html

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

Joslin herself, it’s due to years of building her skills and chasing dreams.“I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager,” she said. “My aunt was a florist. She lived in Oklahoma City and came down and taught me the basics of floral design.”Joslin for a decade owned Bridget’s Holiday 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. &... http://www.magnoliabannernews.com/news/2018/dec/14/magnolia-florist-headed-tournament-roses-parade/

The 5 best Valentine's Day flower arrangements online, in every price range - OregonLive

Oregon has a bounty of flower growers and creative florists turn to these farms year round for fragrant blooms and decorative foliage.For Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, Beth Syphers of Crowley House Flower Farms & Studio near Salem suggests gift givers think beyond red roses.“Good designers and florists can use what’s in season in the area – early blooms like tulips and anemones – and make a bouquet or arrangement look incredible,” says Syphers, who specializes in naturally grown, high-quality blooms, vines, foliage and berries.The goal: Treat someone you love to a happy moment.Florists will help write a card and explain the symbolism behind each flower.Enjoy FlowersHand-tied bouquets of seasonal blooms for $50.15For Valentine's Day, online flower companies connect customers to local florists who can deliver fresh-cut flowers, in traditional and modern arrangements, as well as live plants and edible gifts.Just in time to benefit from pre-Valentine's Day sales, we picked five online companies that specialize in flower arrangements, in ev... https://www.oregonlive.com/life-and-culture/j66j-2020/02/6382c9a0012712/the-5-best-valentines-day-flower-arrangements-online-in-every-price-range.html

Muncie Origins: Normandy Flower Shop continues family florist tradition - Ball State Daily News

Judy Benken, owner of Normandy Flower Shop, can be found in this room taking orders, making flower arrangements and calling suppliers. As a third-generation florist, Benken isn’t new to the flower business. She said she grew up in her father’s flower shop because it was attached to their house, and “there wasn’t any getting away from it.”  “I probably started working when I was around 12 [doing simple little things],” Benken said. “When I started [delivering flowers] after school, I was 16.”After Benken moved from Muncie to Ohio with her husband, she said, she thought she had left the flower business behind her. However, once the holidays rolled around, Benken said, she found herself working for a flower shop in Ohio because she missed the “chaos and crazy” of the season.  Although Benken and her husband started their family in Ohio, they wanted their children to grow up in Muncie. In 1982, the Normandy Flower Shop, which was established in downtown Muncie in the 1940s, came up for sale. The Benkens decided to make the shop their own.“It was the [floral] business that I knew,” Benken said. “I wasn’t making much of a living working for other people. It was [my husband’s] idea to buy the flower shop. I just wanted to come home.”At the time she opened N... https://www.ballstatedaily.com/article/2020/02/daily-lifestyles-normandy-flower-shop

Barronelle Stutzman, Christian florist, again appeals to Supreme Court over same-sex wedding refusal - Washington Times

A Christian florist who refused to participate in a same-sex wedding has again requested that the Supreme Court take her case, filing a new petition Wednesday. Washington state’s Supreme Court ruled against Barronelle Stutzman in June after the high court previously remanded her case for further review following its decision in a 2018 case, ruling for a Christian baker that had also refused to create a cake for a same-sex wedding. In the baker’s case, the justices said the state’s civil rights commission showed religious hostility towards the cake maker, but the high court punted on squarely settling the First Amendment conflict. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/sep/11/barronelle-stutzman-christian-florist-again-appeal/

Ask Jerry: Order flowers, gifts from a local purveyor - Seacoastonline.com

The quality was not great. I dont want that to happen again.Can you advise me in time for Valentines Day?Marc E., Grand Rapids, Mich.Yes. Order your flowers from a local florist. By local, I mean a florist in the town or city where the flowers are being delivered.If you know someone in that area, ask for a florist recommendation. Otherwise, search the Internet for local florist names and read the reviews. Since reviews are not always authentic, you can also check online for public libraries in your flower recipients neighborhood. Then, call the librarian for florists listed in that area. And ask the librarian off the record whether he or she has any personal florist suggestions. It is off the record because librarians normally give information they can document with a published source. It is not within their routine purview to give personal opinions. That need not stop you from asking off the record.Once you identify a promising local florist, call and speak with the owner, the manager, or a conscientious-sounding employee. Request the name of that individual and address the person by name. Be specific about what you want to purchase, the importance of freshness, how the card should read, the delivery time, and any other relevant particulars. Make it clear you are a potentially future customer.When ordering flowers or anything perishable (i.e., candy, fruit, etc.), it is best to communicate with that personal touch. A gift recipient is often reluctant to inform you when your gift arrived in less-than-perfect condition. Accordingly, you want to feel confident. You want it handled properly. Though this process ... https://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20200209/ask-jerry-order-flowers-gifts-from-local-purveyor

Pig Floyd's is offering a meaty taco bouquet for Valentine's Day - Orlando Weekly

There are eight choices of taco meat, including butter chicken, pork al pastor, shrimp and sausage and "Korean kimcheeze." The flowers and decoration will be provided by the Heavy, a florist in Winter Park.Each order can be placed online and will be made fresh, prepped and available for you to pick up at Pig Floyd's Mills 50 location. Although payment is required upfront, the bouquets are being offered at a first-come, first-serve basis. click to enlarge Photo courtesy Pig Floyd's At $45 each, the ValenTaco boxes are costly enough to show you're seriously hungry, but be careful planning the surprise because Pig Floyd's will call you ahead to schedule your desired pick-up time. This event is only happening on Friday, Feb. 14, so make sure you grab someone special and figure out if they want chimichurri or not. This way your ValenTaco box will be set to perfection. See you on Valentine's Day at Pig Floyd's with a taco (or three). Stay on top of Orlando news and views. Sign up for our weekly Headlines newsletter. https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2020/02/04/pig-floyds-is-offering-a-meaty-taco-bouquet-for-valentines-day?utm_source=widget&utm_medium=toc&utm_campaign=rightrail&utm_content=TabbedPopularity

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