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Maker Space: Eden Garrett's idea blossomed - NWAOnline

Northwest Arkansas."I love Northwest Arkansas," she says. "There are so many opportunities for growth here. And because I work out of a truck, I can go from Fayetteville to Rogers to Springdale to Bentonville and all of those towns in between -- so I catch more people than just being in the middle of Springfield."Garrett says part of the process of becoming a successful business person was learning how to be flexible when business was in a slow period."I'm just motivated every day to push forward and make the sales higher each day -- even if it's really slow, even if, that day, no one wants flowers," she says. "I'll think, 'OK, what else can I do? Can I do deliveries? Can I announce on social media that all bouquets are $5 or that delivery is free on this particular day?' Each day, I'm going to make as much money as I can and provide an excellent product."She's also available for parties and weddings; one popular option for celebrations are the custom flower crowns partygoers can make inside the truck.Garrett says she's wanted to own a business since she was a child. Her first business idea -- a boutique that would serve as both a makeup salon as well as an event space, so you could get ready for a party right there at the site -- came to her when she was just 10 years old."My mom owned her own business, and I was just super fascinated by it," she says. "I've always known I didn't want to have a 9-to-5 job where I sit behind a desk all day -- that's just not who I am. I've always wanted to own my own business."It's clear that her youth isn't holding her back. Eden's Flower Truck was recognized at the 2019 Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Business Awards Ceremony, and she's opening up her first brick and mortar store called Eden's Botanicals this month. She says opening a storefront was in her five-year plan but, when she found a perfect location on North Steele Boulevard, her business instincts told her it was the right time to make a move."The storefront will mostly be for workshops and parties -- more of an event space," says Garrett, who adds that the mobile truck will still be used for floral sales. "We'll also sell flower gifts [in the store]. I'm super excited."Garrett is already looking towards the future and making plans -- big plans."I want to own some land, hopefully around the Fayetteville area, and have a mini-Magnolia Market, similar to [Fixer Upper stars] Chip and Joanna Gaines' business," she says. "I want there to be a few cottages, like an Airbnb, and then also have a spot to grow my own flowers so I don't have to buy them wholesale any more. And I would sell gifts and flowers and other merchandise and have it all be in one giant property, a destination that people from all over come to."If what she's accomplished so far is any indication, the goals of her 10-year plan may just be closer than she thinks..inline_item { float: left; display: inline; }div class="inline__bloc... https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2020/feb/13/maker-space-eden-garrett-s-idea-blossom/

Court again rules against florist who refused gay couple - The Spokesman-Review

She refused. Ferguson filed a complaint under the state’s consumer protection and anti-discrimination statutes, and the couple filed a separate lawsuit. A Benton County Superior Court judge combined the cases and reviewed the arguments, eventually issuing an injunction against Stutzman requested by Ferguson and awarding damages to the couple.The Washington Supreme Court upheld both decisions, and Stutzman appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. But before it could be argued there, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to create a cake for a same-sex wedding, saying that during the process of deciding whether he was violating that state’s anti-discrimination laws, a member of the Civil Rights Commission made disparaging remarks about the baker’s religion.The U.S. Supreme Court sent the Arlene’s Flowers case back to the Washington Supreme Court to reconsider it in light of the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision. Attorneys for Stutzman argued the cases were the same, contending Ferguson was showing animus toward religion by taking action against Arlene’s Flowers but not against a Seattle coffee shop that refused to serve Christians. But McCloud wrote there is key distinction between the two cases because the Colorado case involved religious intolerance from an adjudicatory body. The only two such bodies – the trial court and the state Supreme Court – showed no such intolerance. The attorney general’s office isn’t an adjudicatory body and the coffee shop case is irrelevant, she wrote. The court also rejected Stutzman’s arguments that applying the state’s anti-discrimination laws to her refusal to provide floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding violates her constitutional rights. “Discrimination based on same sex-marriage constitutes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation,” McCloud wrote. Enforcing the anti-discrimination law in this case does not violate her rights of artistic expression because it doesn’t fit with previous cases that protect that right. Allowing such an exemption would create a two-tiered system system the law, similar to saying a dime-store lunch counter would have to serve an interracial couple but an upscale bistro wouldn’t, she wrote, quoting from a friend of the court brief.Stutzman can still freely practice her religion, McCloud wrote. She was never asked to attend the wedding ceremony. She has provided floral arrangements for weddings of Muslims and atheists, and wasn’t endorsing Islam or atheism by doing that.“After careful review on remand, we are confident that the courts resolved this dispute with tolerance, and we therefore find no reason to change our original judgment,” the court concluded. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/jun/06/court-again-rules-against-florist-who-refused-gay-/

Business Spotlight: Blooming Business - Springfield Business Journal

Springfield. Eden’s Flower Truck, a similar business concept, launched in Springfield in 2018. Owner Eden Garrett earlier this year moved the business to Arkansas, where the flower truck serves the Bentonville and Rogers areas.Hartman says she’s starting to see the trend grow nationally.“Since we’ve started, I’ve seen more pop up across the country,” Hartman says. “I still get emails pretty frequently asking how to start a flower truck, and the whole concept is gaining momentum.”Kate Penn, CEO of the Society of American Florists, says retail floral sales have been growing – to the tune of $35 billion in 2017, a $2 billion increase from the year prior, according to a U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report on personal consumption expenditures.Penn says the mobile floral business is catching on, and she describes it as “experiential, interactive purchasing.”“There’s a lot of innovation and entrepreneurialism in the flower-buying space right now,” Penn says, noting floral sales have steadily increased during the last decade. “There is a big trend across retail right now, and the floral industry is no different. It’s the idea of trying to do something creative that makes what you’re purchasing interactive and memorable and fun.”The consumer appeal, she says, is being able to walk down the street, stop at a flower truck and purchase flowers by the stem, or create an individual bouquet. “It’s a super smart business model,” Penn says. ... https://sbj.net/stories/business-spotlight-blooming-business,66208?

'The Fire Within': 9 years of honoring Great Falls women in business - Great Falls Tribune

I find it as an honor that they thought I stood out among the other nominees...to me a little surprising, but it's wonderful." She started at Riverview Floral in Fort Benton where her boss pointed out her eye for color. From there it was five years of delivering at Sally's Flowers, Electric City Conservatory for seven years and finally her own store in 2010. "She has hired staff with no floral experience and turned them into designers," Evans said. "Kari offers flower design classes throughout the year...as she shared her knowledge and skills with others," Evans said. Johnson said she has fun being a part of local events, but one of her biggest passions is being a part of weddings and teaching her flower classes. "I like to be able to help the brides and help them select what flowers they want to make them look beautiful," she said. "...the flower classes that I teach, those are always exciting, because I get to share my knowledge with the ladies." My Viola had outgrown its first building within four years and now resides at 716 Central Ave., where she said she's able to offer more classes and have more employees. In the future, Johnson sees herself and her employees continuing to serve the community by providing their flowers and services. "Still doing the fun events that we do like the Russell and the art auctions...," Johnson said. "I just hope I can continue doing what we do and expanding." As spring has shown its sun rays and prom season is here, Johnson said from now until Mother's Day is going to be full of flower galore. Susan Crocker of The Good Wood Guys Crocker is the 2019 Aspire Award recipient. She was nominated by business partner and husband, Chris Crocker who kept his nomination a secret. "I was shocked...I had no idea," she said. "It was pretty humbling. There's a lot of pretty amazing people in Great Falls, Montana, and so to know people thought I was doing something awesome felt really good." The Good Wood Guys live by their words as "born ra... https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2019/04/01/the-fire-within-9-years-honoring-great-falls-women-business/3314905002/

Caught on camera: Man burglarizes east Tulsa florist with toddler in tow - KTUL

What the gentleman took was of no real value, just some tools we've accumulated over the last 30 years," said Trey Benton, the owner of Greenleaf Wholesale.Benton's business is the one that was hit. His concern, and every one of the employees that we spoke to, was for that little girl."As a father, seeing how he treated a child that he would even bring along with him during this incident," he said.The girl dutifully follows him around, and several times reaches for him, but the man almost sees right through her."It just broke my heart seeing how many times that girl reached up to her daddy, I'm assuming. It was really troubling," said Benton.Finally, as the two walk off into a grassy field, the man acknowledges the little girl, picking her up and carrying her away.Anyone with information is asked to call Tulsa Crime Stoppers. http://ktul.com/news/local/man-robs-east-tulsa-florist-with-toddler-in-tow

A devoted florist gives each 9/11 victim a white birthday rose - The Gazette

I write this,” said Jennifer Glick in an email to the memorial. Her brother Jeremy was among those who rushed the hijackers on Flight 93, which crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania. “With all the insecurity and chaos that we face right now, knowing that our loved ones are remembered gives me great comfort.”Kerry Irvine, an artist, used to visit the memorial often to think about her sister, Kristy Irvine-Ryan, a 30 year-old equities trader who had been married for just three months when she died. But in March, she told The Washington Post, “It was all chained off, and one of my first thoughts was, ‘Oh, God, her birthday,’ which was May 22nd.” Then she got a photo of her sister’s name decorated with a white rose. “To know they’re taking care of all of them, and giving them the respect they deserve,” she said, “it takes the load off the families a little bit.”The memorial grounds reopened July 4. The museum will begin allowing visitors inside again this weekend - first, family members only on Friday and then the public on Saturday, with drastically limited capacity.Collarone didn’t come up with the idea for the birthday flowers; that was a volunteer in the museum. But he’s the one who’s made it happen all these years, carefully selecting roses - he wants them to be a perfect white - from the city’s flower market and cleaning them and nursing them at his shop Floratech, in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. “I’m not looking for the cheapest roses,” he says. “I look for the best.”When the pandemic forced New York to shut down, halting inbound flights bearing hard-to-get white roses from global suppliers in the Netherlands and South America, Collarone knew instantly “that I had to take care of it,” he says. “I went into an immediate rescue mode for the 9/11 memorial.”Whereas roses had been coming in on 10 flights a day, there was now one flight a week from Europe. He worked connections (“My Holland guys helped me out.”), paid large markups as freight pricessoared, and sent drivers to the airport to pick up loads of roses directly from the source, circumventing wholesalers, because, he says, the city’s flower market, then and now, “is operating on life support.”His own shop, which used to supply flowers for Madison Square Garden and high-end hotels like the Mandarin Oriental, has hit dire straits. “We’re lucky if we make enough money to keep our electricity on,” Collarone says. He’s had to close all three of his retail flower shops, and lay off all of his employees, some of whom had been working with him for 20 to 30 years.Still, he wouldn’t dream of stopping the birthday-rose ritual, or asking for payment.He “grew up poor,” he says, in the firemen-and-cops enclave of Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, and worked in a flower shop before becoming an insurance salesman.It was a chance meeting with Andy Warhol at the legendary Limelight nightclub, he says, that got him to turn back toward his love of flowers. Warhol commissioned him to decorate his parties, Collarone says, because the art icon was amused by the idea of this big guy with a Brooklyn accent who rode his Harley around town and knew everything about roses and hydrangeas.His shop is near the World Trade Center,... https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/a-devoted-florist-gives-each-911-victim-a-white-birthday-rose-20200911

These Valentine's Day Gifts Will Be At Your Doorstep In No Time, Even If You Started Shopping Last Minute - Yahoo Lifestyle

Uncommon Goods. Here's one example of a delightful little gift — a wine-shaped container filled with tasty truffles. Check out all of the small businesses and makers like this Pennsylvania-based baker, Neil Edley.Uncommon Goods Bottle-of-Wine Chocolate Truffles Box, $, available at Uncommon GoodsCheryl's CookiesThese are decorated and frosted with delicious buttercream icing. (Pssst, there's even an assortment of gluten-free options for our friends with food allergies.)Cheryl's Cookies Cheryl's Long Stemmed Buttercream Frosted Cookie Flower, $, available at Cheryl's CookiesPartake FoodsIndulge in this coveted black-owned brand that offers delicious cookies in every variety — you can even find vegan and gluten-free options here. Chocolate chips, cookie butter, and carrot cake flavors are abundantly available to ship right to your door. Partake Soft Baked Cookie Butter Cookies, $, available at Partake FoodsDavid's CookiesGive the people what they want; an entire tin of chocolate chunk cookies. No nuts, no teeny tiny chocolate chips, just the good stuff from this reliable, top-selling cookie lover's brand — that also happens to ship out delicious cheesecakes to pies, too. David's Cookies Fresh Baked Decadent Jumbo Cookies, $, available at David's CookiesDoughees By M.Dough.WMargo Wolfe’s Miami-based M.Dough.W features brownies, Oreos, caramel, rainbow cookies — you name it and they've stuffed it inside a gooey, fully-cooked, and ready-to-eat cookie dough.Doughees by M Dough W Build A Box (12), $, available at Doughees by M Dough WCarlo's BakeryFrom chocolate fudge cake and rainbow slices to ooey-gooey butter cookies and cannoli kits, you can find it all at Carlo's Bakery. Trust him — he was on Cake Boss. Carlo's Bakery Cannoli Kit - 12 Pack, $, available at GoldbellyMagnolia BakeryAsk almost any New Yorker, and we bet they will say that Magnolia Bakery sells some of the world's best-tasting cupcakes to banana pudding...like, ever. Available in a deliverable variety of flavors with seasonal frostings, this shop's sweets are prime Valentine's gifting material.Magnolia Bakery World Famous Banana Pudding - Party Sized, $, available at Magnolia BakeryBake Me A WishIn addition to brownies, you can send cheesecakes, cupcakes, giant cakes, traditional cakes, baskets, towers, and pies. Plus, 5% off all purchases goes to Bake Me A Wish's Small Business Empowerment Fund.Bake Me A Wish Gourmet Brownie Sampler, $, available at Bake Me A WishWicked Good CupcakesAs seen on Shark Tank, the family-owned team at Wicked Good Cupcakes offers up a fun way to serve and eat, cupcake-in-a-jar. They even have your gluten-free bases covered with a giftable GF package for two, four, and six.Wicked Good Cupcakes Cupcake Jar Custom Pack (12), $, available at Wicked Good CupcakesSugarfinaHome of the OG and ever-popular rosé gummy bears, Sugarfina boasts an equally tasty lineup of specialty treats — from sugar lips to peach bellini hearts, dark chocolate-covered scotch cordials, chocolate vodka shots, and much more — that can be shipped nationwide. Sugarfina XOXO 8 Piece Candy Bento Box, $, available at SugarfinaHarry & DavidAs stated in the brand's Insta profile, the folks over at Harry & David take gift-giving and entertaining pretty seriously. So much so that they offer what seems like hundreds of pre-wrapped items at a moment's notice, which comes in handy for some especially in last-minuting gifting dilemmas.Harry & David Valentine's Day Truffles in Keepsake Box, $, available at Harry & DavidRuss & DaughtersLocated in New York's historic Lower East Side for over 100 years, Russ & Daughters is an institution beloved for its appetizing bagel spread, a good schmear, and babka. The sweet yeasted cake is perfect for breakfast — or anytime.Baked By MelissaBaked By Melissa delivers cupcakes in innovative mini-form, so you can sample the best in seasonal flavor variety — from... https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/valentines-day-gifts-doorstep-no-141400857.html

Sales aren't blooming: Florists adjust during pandemic - Delaware State News - Delaware State News

I just wanted to get open and salvage the flowers we do have.”Ms. Bobola said she had to shut down the florist because wholesalers where Bobola Farms receives flowers from in New Jersey and Pennsylvania were closed. Bobola Farms will begin selling some produce in the upcoming weeks; first up are strawberries, which have started to bloom.Bobola Farms has been open since the late 1990s and Ms. Bobola said she never experienced anything like this. She hopes Mother’s Day can help bring back some normalcy but reminded that everything is limited.“It’s the longest we’ve ever been closed,” Ms. Bobola said. “You’ve got to get started somewhere, so we’re just going to do the best we can. I hope people will be patient. We’ll do everything we can to be as close to normal but there will be substitutions. I hope people understand this isn’t easy but we’ll work with them.”Florists are following all protocols recommend by the Centers for Disease Control to help limit the spread of COVID-19. This includes wiping down all vases, wearing gloves while handling flowers and disinfecting the store every night.It also includes contact-free delivery, where the driver will call the customer when the flowers are on the steps of their home.Mrs. Fries said Jen-Mor had to lay off part of its staff when the pandemic first began. She added it has been able to slowly bring back some of the staff.The loss of workers has made the busy weeks even more stressful.“It’s been exhausting,” Mrs. Fries said. “The few of us that are here are doing the work of more people. There’s only so much we can do with this staff so our inventory is smaller than usual.”... https://delawarestatenews.net/coronavirus/sales-arent-blooming-florists-adjust-during-pandemic/

A devoted florist gives each 9/11 victim a white birthday rose - Anchorage Daily News

I write this,” said Jennifer Glick in an email to the memorial. Her brother Jeremy was among those who rushed the hijackers on Flight 93, which crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania. “With all the insecurity and chaos that we face right now, knowing that our loved ones are remembered gives me great comfort.” Kerry Irvine, an artist, used to visit the memorial often to think about her sister, Kristy Irvine-Ryan, a 30 year-old equities trader who had been married for just three months when she died. But in March, she told The Washington Post, “It was all chained off, and one of my first thoughts was, ‘Oh, God, her birthday,’ which was May 22nd.” Then she got a photo of her sister’s name decorated with a white rose. “To know they’re taking care of all of them, and giving them the respect they deserve,” she said, “it takes the load off the families a little bit.” The memorial grounds reopened July 4. The museum will begin allowing visitors inside again this weekend - first, family members only on Friday and then the public on Saturday, with drastically limited capacity. Collarone didn’t come up with the idea for the birthday flowers; that was a volunteer in the museum. But he’s the one who’s made it happen all these years, carefully selecting roses — he wants them to be a perfect white — from the city’s flower market and cleaning them and nursing them at his shop Floratech, in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. “I’m not looking for the cheapest roses,” he says. “I look for the best.” When the pandemic forced New York to shut down, halting inbound flights bearing hard-to-get white roses from global suppliers in the Netherlands and South America, Collarone knew instantly “that I had to take care of it,” he says. “I went into an immediate rescue mode for the 9/11 memorial.” Whereas roses had been coming in on 10 flights a day, there was now one flight a week from Europe. He worked connections (“My Holland guys helped me out.”), paid large markups as freight pricessoared, and sent drivers to the airport to pick up loads of roses directly from the source, circumventing wholesalers, because, he says, the city’s flower market, then and now, “is operating on life support.” His own shop, which used to supply flowers for Madison Square Garden and high-end hotels like the Mandarin Oriental, has hit di... https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2020/09/10/a-devoted-florist-gives-each-911-victim-a-white-birthday-rose/