Blanco Flower Shop News
Flowers from all over the world sent to El Paso victim's funeral - WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando
Tuesday, September 10, 2019New York and Michigan. One of those arrangements came from the family of a victim of the Sandy Hook shooting. "I've been in business over 30 years," Sandy Blanco, owner of Debbie's Bloomers, told CNN. "I've never seen any outpouring so beautiful, and an outpouring as large as this." Salvador Perches, owner of Perches Funeral Home, told the mourners that funeral homes across El Paso had received so many flower arrangements that he coordinated with them to have 22 hearses -- one for each the 22 people killed in the shooting -- to deliver the flowers to a memorial in the the Walmart parking lot. One woman flew in from San Francisco When Hala Hijazi heard about the open invitation to the visitation three days ago, she broke down. Seeing how much Basco loved his wife and how lost he is without her touched her heart, she said. Without a second thought, Hijazi cleared her calendar and booked a flight to El Paso from San Francisco. "I didn't want him to suffer alone. I didn't want him to grieve alone," she said through tears. Hijazi said that "all the rhetoric that's going on in this world" makes her want to show kindness. And if she gets a chance to talk to Basco at the funeral, she wants to thank him. She got that chance when she sat behind Basco at the service. "I thanked him for not just bringing El Paso together, but bringing the country together," she said. "I have never witnessed a human being as humble, as kind, as sweet, as pure of heart that I've ever met in my entire life." Hijazi said with all the negativity, divisiveness and violence in the world, she was worried she would be desensitized. "He was a breath of fresh air to me to weep as much as I could," she said of Basco. She said El Paso was a beautiful and kind community, and she said she would come back for sure. "They're like this whether there was a tragedy or not, and that's how we should all be," she said. Her husband visits her memorial every day Since the massacre that took the love of his life, Basco has visited the makeshift memorial behind Walmart daily, coming and going at all hours. He leaves fresh flowers each day at the site of a white cross bearing his wife's name and removes any that are dying. Sometimes, he talks to her. "I promised her fresh roses every day," Basco said. Basco met Reckard at a bar 22 years ago. She had been smiling at him that night, and he eventually worked up the courage to approach her. A drink and friendly conversation soon turned into a dinner. "Me and my wife had a bond, a magnificent bond," Basco said. "I never felt anything like that in my life." The couple soon became inseparable, traveling around the country until they eventually settled in El Paso. They took care of each other as they grew older and as Reckard began battling Parkinson's disease. On August 3, Reckard headed to the Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall for groceries. It was the last time Basco saw her alive. After the massacre, he searched hospitals for hours. A day later, law enforcement officers told him his wife was among the murdered. Now that the time has come to lower his wife into the ground, Basco fears he may break down. "I won't know what I'm going to say until I get up there," he said. "I may not be able to do it." Knowing so many people will be there to help him grieve has been a "good feeling," Basco said. He didn't imagine he'd see an outpouring... https://www.clickorlando.com/news/national/flowers-from-all-over-the-world-sent-to-el-paso-victims-funeral
Florist Helps El Paso Grieve Following Mass Shooting - Spectrum News
Tuesday, August 13, 2019Texas State Florists Association reached out to Debbie's Bloomers in east El Paso."They asked what they could do for us and they were able to arrange to have flowers donated," said owner Sandy Blanco.With the partnership of Teleflora, Miami Flowers Wholesale, and Greenleaf Albuquerque, the shop was able to start handing out flower bouquets to customers at no charge by Thursday. They only requested that customers deliver them to the memorial outside the Walmart, which honors all the lives lost in the August 3 shooting."[People are] coming in as fast as we could make them," Blanco said.One of those customers was Gina Riley. "I really haven't had a chance to stop by and I wanted to take the time to show that we are supporting our city still," said Riley.?Riley left the shop with a red rose bouquet in hand. She had plans on delivering them later that day.RELATED: Group Makes White Crosses to Honor El Paso Shooting Victims"I think it's wonderful what they're doing because a lot of people want to take flowers but don't have the means so I think this is so great," said Rocio Breceda, a student volunteer.Breceda has been helping the shop put out orders since Thursday. Due to demand, she said she lost count of how many bouquets she made."For me, I'm not a professional, yet I'm doing it with, oh my gosh, my heart," she said.Debbie's Bloomers is extending the special through Monday. If there is one thing I will take back from my time here in El Paso is that the people are incredibl... https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/san-antonio/news/2019/08/12/florist-helps-el-paso-grieve-following-mass-shooting
Flower Child opens in The Woodlands - Houston Chronicle
Tuesday, May 21, 2019Fox Restaurants are represented in Houston by North Italian in the Galleria neighborhood and Blanco Tacos & Tequila in the Galleria's posh collection of restaurants that include Fig & Olive and Nobu Houston. Flower Child, 1900 Lake Woodlands Dr., Suite 100, The Woodlands, 346-268-7101; iamaflowerchild.com. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. First 100 guests at new Woodlands store will get $25 gift cards to use on their next visit, as well as flower bouquets from local florist The Party Architects. Flower Child also will donate a portion of opening day proceeds to Texas Children's Hospital. Greg Morago writes about food for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Send him news tips at greg.morago@chron.com. Hear him on our BBQ State of Mind podcast to learn about Houston and Texas barbecue culture. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/restaurants-bars/article/Flower-Child-opens-in-The-Woodlands-13664381.php
Havana florist and doll shops are among businesses prohibited for American shoppers - Miami Herald
Wednesday, March 14, 2018GAESA and the hotels and restaurants became part of the Gaviota Tourism Group, which belongs to the military. Habaguanex, GAESA and Gaviota are all on the restricted list.Orlando Ramos Blanco, the president of the San Cristobal Tourism Agency, said the stores shouldn’t be on the list. They remained with the Office of the Historian, which is directed by historian and preservationist Eusebio Leal, he said. San Cristobal is the Historian Office’s tourism agency that emphasizes sustainable historical, cultural and heritage tourism in Havana and nine other Cuban cities.“We were on the list in the old configuration but now the Habaguanex brand no longer exists. It’s now part of Gaviota and the little stores belong to the Office of the Historian. We have kept them,’’ Ramos said. “This is a lack of knowledge.”What’s more, San Cristobal was never on the list. “I will say that with capital letters,” said Ramos. “We have communicated this to our clients.” In response to a query from the Miami Herald, a State Department spokesperson said: “The Department intends to update the Cuba Restricted List periodically and will consider relevant information, as applicable, on a case-by-case basis.” No changes have been made in the restricted list since it was published last November.A Gaviota flag flies outside the Hotel Ambos Mundos where Ernest Hemingway used to write. Mimi Whitefield mwhitefield@MiamiHerald.com Among the nearly two dozen Habaguanex hotels that were transferred to Gaviota are the pink-hued Hotel Ambos Mundos, where Ernest Hemingway used to stay in the 1930s and where it is said that he began writing For Whom the Bell Tolls; the Palacio del Marque´s de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal and the Hotel Conde de Villanueva, a favorite of artists and intellectuals.These clearly fall under the Gaviota umbrella. A Gaviota flag flies outside the Ambos Mundos, and the staff at both of the latter hotels say they really haven’t seen any American groups since November when their hotels were added to the restricted list.“French, Russian, Canadian, Swedish visitors, yes,” said the front desk clerk at the Palacio, “but we haven’t seen the Americans since the list came out.”