May the season's joy be in your home every day of the year!
To all our friends and clients… The season has arrived where we all take a deep breath and take the time to appreciate the little things that mean so much. We celebrate all those who are in our lives and help make the season special.
Throughout the year, you have all been a source of inspiration to us all. All of us at Starbright Floral Design are getting ready to go to our families and raise a glass and we wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the opportunities that you have given us to be of service.
All the fresh flower arrangements, all the fruit baskets, and all the gifts that you have asked us to deliver big and small; all year long; we will be forever grateful for. Thank you for all that you have done to help put Starbright on the map and to make this year (our 15th year) a truly special one!
By visiting our website at www.starflor.com and our e-portal at www.starbrightnyc.com, you will be able to see all that the new year and the seasons ahead have to offer.
It is now time to turn down the lights and go home…Let’s have a wonderful holiday season that is warm and joyous. We should continue to make memories with our friends and family that will last a lifetime. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Greetings of the Season and Good Cheer to all…
Thank you for all you have done to support us – May 2011 be the year of successful endeavors for us all….
My personal warmest regards and gratitude,
Nic Faitos, Senior Partner
Starbright Floral Design – The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps…
150 West 28th Street, New York City – We are located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.
Every so often we introduce a new composition on our e-commerce portal. When we do, we ask our followers on Facebook to participate by naming our newest arrangement. It is always loads of fun and the creativity that is unleashed is beyond imagination.
Our floral gifts have gotten names like “Corona“, “Relaxing Calla“, “Purpleberry Lady“, “Orchid Alleycat” , “Red Dawn“, “Apple Lime Ice“, and so many more. These are all names that have been given to our gift collection by our fans, our friends and our clients. I am not sure if it is more fun being a florist and coming up with the next item on our catalog, or if the process by which our arrangements are named.
It is really cool to put it out there and let everyone contribute to the naming process. We create something and we have no idea what we are going to call it! We just let the ideas pour in… It is really a lot of fun!
Lately we have been on a love and romance scribe-a-thon. We have added a few articles on how men should send flowers, why women should surprise their buds with blooms, and so on… To bring the conversation full circle we wanted to create something clean and modern that overflows with passion, devotion, love and to some even temptation. The orchid stem in the bud vase conveys just that. It is our interpretation of all things love. Love of the moment, love of the person and love of eternity.
The names that have poured in so far on our Facebook page run the extreme spectrum of all things love. I can’t wait to see what we are finally going to call this composition. Baptize this beauty and we invite you to become part of our growing Facebook Family.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and we deliver flowers, love, passion and all emotions everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide. Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
The Official Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
Shake things up a little! Romance Therapy Starbright Style!
Flowers can be thought of as a romantic gift. Traditionally it is a gift that is given to a woman from a man (most of the time). Romantic men send flowers often. The flowers and the men that send them are appreciated; they give smiles and make memories that last a lifetime. A woman that receives flowers will remember them forever… “I remember when I was having this really bad day and so-and-so sent me this big bunch of tulips. It turned my whole day around.” The cards men write? They are saved forever!
Well ladies… How about turning the tables on the man in your life? Do men like receiving flowers as much as they like sending them? Consider the following:
Your man may have never gotten flowers before. What impact do you think your bouquet will have? Will he remember them forever? Chances are “yes”. Will the flowers make him smile? He will laugh, he will smile, and he will feel giddy and like a king amongst men.
Want to take your honey’s focus off his work and onto you? Want to make him delirious for the rest of his workday? Send him a big bouquet of “anything nice”! His productivity will go down and he will love you for it.
Write a romantically witty card and you have doubled the impact. You may embarrass him a little but that is OK. Bring out his softer side just as you know that he is going out for happy hour drinks with the boys; or when you know that he is going somewhere to watch Monday Night Football. What about when he got that big promotion, when he closes the big deal, or perhaps when he did not? “I love you” is all you need the card to say; the flowers do the rest.
So what kind of flowers do you send your dude? Do they need to be masculine, over the top rustic, dark colored with lots of pointy things, twigs and branches? Not necessarily. I would even suggest not. Should they be super-pink and feminine? Not that either! Unless… he has a super sense of humor and the goal is to embarrass your construction worker on the jobsite! If you want to be funny and he can handle it, then do send all-pink.
More seriously, what do you send a guy? All flowers are beautiful so send him something beautiful! There is no need to over try for “masculine flowers” (I don’t even know that there is such a thing). Send him his favorite colors or scents that remind him of you. Did you go to a romantic dinner and there was a bud vase on your table that became the topic of romantic conversation? Send him a bouquet of those.
Here are a couple of “rules” in picking your flowers:
Make your bouquet with one type of flower. Not a mixed bunch.
Make your flowers in a short vase. Nothing too tall and not in a wicker basket.
No pastels…
Bright yellow or mango-toned miniature calla lilies, purple tulips, burgundy orchids, or even a tight nosegay of green roses will all achieve the results you dream of… To get his mind focused squarely on you and nothing else!
Men are just as capable of appreciating the moment, the beauty of the bloom and the heart of the person that sent them. NEVER underestimate your man’s emotions.
So now you have an assignment –
a. Think about what your card will say.
b. Pick your flowers.
c. Send them…
When your mission is completed, go to our Facebook Page (click on this link) and tell us about your experience.
Starbright Floral Design is the Official Florist of Romance and has been voted by Citysearch as the top florist in New York City. We are very proud to be the most reviewed and highest rated florist and flower delivery service. Please visit our website at http://starflor.com/ to gain a broader perspective on the work that we do. Additionally to send a gift you can visit our e-commerce portal To Send a Starbright Gift.
Love you all,
The Official Florist
Keeping Romance Alive Since 1994
Starbright Floral Design – The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps
Located in the Heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.
Flowers make people happy and bring out smiles. Are you skeptical? Try it! Go to a local florist (Starbright Floral Design), call one (800.520.8999) or visit a floral website (www.starflor.com) and send someone something small and stylish. Sit back and wait for a reaction.
As I have stated in earlier columns, the best reason ever to send flowers is “just because”. Sure there are the standard occasions (birthdays maternity and the like) but those are almost expected (predictable I would say). It is the spontaneity of the moment that brightens a day. Flowers pack thunder in the world of positive feelings and emotions. Flowers on someone’s desk in the middle of the day (when it is a total surprise) is emotional firepower.
Think about this: You say to someone “have a good day” and more often than not they will say “thanks, I’ll try”. Then you think to yourself: “No I mean it! I want you to have a good day”. So off you are to your florist outlet and you send flowers. An hour later they arrive with an appropriately witty card. Question: how hard does that person have to try to have a good day after they see the bright colors, the vibrant varieties and the fragrance that brings them to life? Chances are that you did not just cause that person to have a good day, but more like a great week!
For the next seven days (or so), the person sees your flowers first thing in the morning or a soon as they arrive in the office and all they do is think of you. They think of the great friend that gifted them a smile! Imagine your friend ever so carefully changing the water every day, cutting the bottom of the stems and taking care of YOUR flowers! Why do they do this? They want the flowers to live longer, the feeling to last.
What’s more, you feel good too. The real bonus is how it made you feel. When we do something nice for someone else, we invariably feel good too. It is impossible to receive a smile and not smile back. When someone flat-out says “you made my day” or “you sure turned this one around for me”, you will defy gravity. You will walk on air. Your confidence will rise and you will feel like you can do anything. You are a champ.
Practicing random acts of kindness is something we all like to do. Finding the right random act is always the challenge. So whether it is your mom, your lover, a friend, your work subordinate (or boss) or even a client; find the right words for the card and let the flowers do the rest.
These thoughts are brought to you by Starbright Floral Design. We are located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District and we specialize in turning average days into great ones! Yes, we are in the mood altering business. We send flowers everywhere and to everyone.
Starbright will deliver bright, happy and smile-bringing flowers anywhere in New York City, anywhere in the USA or even worldwide. We invite you to visit our website (www.starflor.com), give us a call (1.800.520.8999) or visit us at (150 West 28th Street). We would love to meet you and help shock someone special!
Hope you have a great day!
The Official Florist
Starbright Floral Design is the most reviewed and highest rated florist on Citysearch.com.
It is amazing how you will be remembered by the flowers you send!
Well this is the second time I am writing on this subject as the first article that was written and met an overwhelmingly positive response. Ka-billions of folks read it. So without trying to rewrite the same article over again, I wanted to offer up a different perspective.
GUYS – your interest in a woman should be shown on many different levels. Women notice little things and they will catch not only your little mistakes but also the little things that you do right. So make your flower purchases part of what you do right. Blow her away with the unexpected!
Here are some ideas to think about (I called them “rules” and then changed to “ideas” because there really are no “rules”):
Don’t send flowers only on the typical flower holidays (birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s, etc.). If you limit your flower sending to just those types of days, you look predictable. You appear as though you only send flowers because you could not figure out what else to do. I am not saying NOT to send flowers on those occasions, but mix it up. “Just because” is the BEST reason to send flowers of all. If you do not have the budget to send flowers on the special days and on the non-special ones, then skip the birthday (do something else) and send flowers on one beautiful August morning with a note that says “I love you” or “Cannot stop thinking of you”! It will mean a lot more because it is so unexpected and who does not want to be surprised?
Secondly, FORGET the dozen roses! Again, roses make you look predictable (“ah just send her a dozen roses, all women love roses”… yada, yada). Be a flower connoisseur (or at least look like one). What is her favorite color? Purple? Then make her a bouquet of “everything purple” and so on. Spend time with your florist in person or on the phone. If your florist is unwilling to educate you and won’t spend time with you to share his love of flowers, then find a different florist. Certainly if you come to Starbright (www.starflor.com) we would love to share our passion with you and you will walk away with a Bachelor’s in Romance! Learn the names of flowers, learn how long they last, what is in season, and so on.
You want to keep things interesting. Imagine that if you send her peonies or hydrangea she will for the rest of her life remember only you when she sees this flower. If you send roses (I hate to say this) but how many men do you think will come to mind? Do you stand a chance of standing out? Send interesting and unusual flowers! There are enough varieties and colors for you to select from that you will never have to send the same flowers twice even if you send flowers ever week for an entire year. Invest a little bit of time and your education will more than pay off.
Lastly, all these e-romance websites can claim all they want about having the best track record for bringing people together, making the most compatible matches and so on… While I cannot statistically prove this, I will claim that the following is true:
Send flowers to someone you love and the scent of the flowers will remind them of you for a very long time. Flowers do keep romances alive, they make men sensitive and keep couples in love. Make flowers your secret weapon and the special person in your life will be there forever.
Falling in love, Starbright Style is a truly unique experience. We deliver fresh flowers daily anywhere in Manhattan or around the world. Starbright is a full service florist and flower delivery service located on 28th Street in New York City in the heart of “New York City’s Historic Flower District. Visit us at 150 West 28th Street (2nd floor), call us at 800.520.8999 or you can visit our website at www.starflor.com to gain a much broader perspective on the work that we do.
Starbright Floral Design is the most reviewed and highest rated florist in Manhattan (by Citysearch) and also was voted the Best Florist in our area for your wedding as voted by The Knot (dot com).
“The Official Florist of the City That Never Sleeps” is also “The Official Florist of Romance”.
There are many bright colors available year-round... These are just some of them!
Hello Friends!
After a long hiatus from our blog and as our scribes grew stale, we needed to jump-start our adventure all over again. I wanted to title this entry “Starbright is Back” but that would not have been accurate as we never went away. Our amazing flowers have been around all year-long and our decor has graced more venues than you can possibly imagine. We have really had a fun year so far.
So much fun in fact that while we did not forget to blog, the truth is that we lost our stride. Our fingers clamped up and the writing side of our brain stopped thinking (or writing what we thought!). Anyways, here we are and I almost would like to take a moment to reintroduce ourselves, who we are and what we do….
Starbright Floral Design (www.starflor.com) was started in 1994 fifteen years ago as a premier floral provider to the special event and hospitality markets of New York City. Since then we have grown to offer world-wide delivery of flowers, plants, orchids and gifts of all sorts. We have won many awards and accolades (both local and national), but what we are the most proud of is the reviews that you will see about Starbright online.
If you go to Citysearch, Yelp or even Google, you will see that we are one of the most reviewed florists nationally and certainly the most reviewed in Manhattan.
Stay tuned for many great articles that are getting ready to come down the pike. In the meantime, if you would like to send someone amazing flowers give us a call at 1-800-520-8999. Or you can visit our website at www.starflor. com. We would love to hear from you and help in every way that we can.
Many thanks to all our friends and clients. We will always look forward to being of service.
Warm regards,
The Official Florist.
Starbright Floral Design – The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps
We are located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District. On 28th Street, in Chelsea – between 6th and 7th Avenue.
Just this past week we had the opportunity to work with the Etheopian World Federation (an NGO based inside the United Nations Headquarters in New York City). A memorial service was held and we donated the flowers for the Meditation Center at the UN. While we are extremely proud of every donation that we make and every cause/event that we are a part of, this one was very dear to us. It is always an honor for us to help and to assist those that need it the most and those who are not the popular or “in” charities that easily obtain funds and donations. Below are the thoughts that were shared with us by our client…
Hello Mr. Faitos
The Ethiopian World Federation just wants to thank you for your donation.
On July 30th at the United Nations Meditation Center The “YEWMBA” Ye Ethiopia Wiyen Mahber Be Alem celebrated the Birth and life of Emporer Haile Selassie. The Memorial for Emperor Haile Salassie was a memorable and inspiring celebration of a great king and African pioneer. He was a man that stood for international Human Rights and Africa’s Human rights. He believed that in order for a country to prosper there must be modernization and centralization. In honor of his legacy Delegates from the Ethiopian Federation attended the ceremony along with many spectators. Highlighting the celebration three dozen beautiful white roses was the center piece signifying spiritual love and respect. We will all remember his movement, his voice, his struggle and his courage.
Pamela Vera
(917) 536 – 6465
Ad Hoc Unit Coordinator
New York City Headquarters
Ethiopian World Federation
A little bit about Starbright…. Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district. Our studio is centrally located in Manhattan. We offer local and worldwide delivery of flowers, plants and gifts of all types. In addition, we are a premier provider of decor in Manhattan for corporate and social special events. To gain a bit of a broader perspective on our organization and on the work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or reach out to us by phone at 800.520.8999. We are located in Studio 201 at 150 West 28th Street. We hope to see you soon!
On any team, in any company or in any organization people join in every now and then that you “just know” are going to be around for a very long time and will contribute in a super meaningful way… Barbara is just such a person. Last year we were short-handed for what was the largest wedding production that our organization had ever been involved with. It took our entire team, plus a freelance group (that Barbara was a part of) to basically decorate the Brooklyn Museum. That is when we met Barbara and have not let go since…
Flowers, Festivals and Romance
In her own words, life in the wonderful world of flowers –
At ten years, the floral design industry is one of my two longest-lasting relationships, (the other is my husband, who’s been my partner for seven.) Following are a series of brief descriptors of the business.
In a cash and carry shop I worked at, customers were constantly walking in and saying how wonderful the store smelled. I’d smile and agree, and even lead them to the fragrant flowers if they asked, although I’d been in the store long enough that I couldn’t actually smell them anymore. A favored expression in this business is, “hurry up and wait,” meaning that work is not a steady flow; rather, everyone rushes to meet a deadline, or prep to begin work on an event…and then we just hang around for go time. The florally-related holidays, such as Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, Easter, and so on, do produce weeks’ worth of intense work. Sometimes, if a store is lucky, there is more work than even the best-equipped store can handle. Those times generally wear on everyone’s nerves- frazzling coworkers to the point that they want to strangle each other. The hours become long and the amount of work slavish. These periods are counter balanced by the quiet periods, such as January or midsummer, when customers are traveling, or the calendar is empty of a special occasion which calls for flowers. Since flowers are generally short-lived, a commodity rather than a necessity, customers also frequently haggle about the price, or the fact that, yes, there is tax on flowers.
How does the floral business sound after the above descriptions? If the job had been described as such, I probably would’ve looked for a job elsewhere before walking into my first interview with a shop. The truth is, however, that I am, and always have been, hopelessly addicted to flowers. My interest was piqued at an early age by my grandmother, who was a landscape architect. But familial dedication isn’t really enough to explain why I’ve returned again and again to the floral business over a decade. Flowers, if you can stop to take a deep breath and appreciate them, are beautiful in themselves. But let’s face it… how many people can stop to smell the roses? This work is worthwhile to me for the good moments, to be found in every day. When an arrangement comes together, it gives a sense of satisfaction that is immediate and complete. When coworkers also find beauty in something you’ve made, it’s an additional bonus. The maximum gratification comes when a customer’s eyes light up at seeing what you’ve made for them. I’ve also been fortunate to work with many excellent people, not least among them the crew at Starbright. (Especially Brian!!!) There are always laughs to be shared, as well as the sense of accomplishment when a large job is completed, at having contributed to a significant moment or event in someone’s life. If I’m waxing too poetic, sometimes there’s satisfaction at simply having gotten through another day, and having managed to create something in the meantime.
A little bit about Starbright…. Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district. Our studio is centrally located in Manhattan. We offer local and worldwide delivery of flowers, plants and gifts of all types. In addition, we are a premier provider of decor in Manhattan for corporate and social special events. To gain a bit of a broader perspective on our organization and on the work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or reach out to us by phone at 800.520.8999. We are located in Studio 201 at 150 West 28th Street. We hope to see you soon!
So you decided to get married? Congratulations! Your special day is coming! It is truly a big day for you, your partner, your family and your partner’s family! A big congratulations to you all…
Tom and I were talking and in casual conversation the subject turned to what some of the more common mistakes are that brides make when planning their wedding. Well in his own words, some of the pitfalls… Read On!
In my humble opinion, the most common mistake couples make in regards to their wedding flowers is listing too much to other people’s opinions. A wedding celebration should ultimately be a reflection of the couple and THEIR tastes, not a conglomeration of their friends and family’s style.
I often find myself repeating the mantra, “It’s your day, it’s about you two!” Brides are commonly overly concerned with what their guest’s opinions may be and often fear being judged for making certain bold choices. If your friends are critical and negative in regards to the choices you’ve made, are they really friends worth having?
Selecting décor that is opposition to the colors or architecture of the venue is another error that is common. Don’t fight it! Go with it! It will always look better if you chose a color scheme that works within the room’s existing décor. If you don’t have the budget to drape the room completely and create a blank slate, you will always have a more harmonious design scheme if you complement the surroundings.
You will spend less of your budget if you are not trying to distract from or cover over the undesired elements of the room’s trappings.
Here in New York City we have many venues with incredible views. If your venue has stunning skyline or river views, why distract your quests with overly complicated, tall centerpieces?
Generally, you’ve paid a pretty penny for the view! Why take away from that?! I would suggest doing a lower centerpiece so that your guests’ eyes go toward that stunning vista. Perhaps it would be better to create a composite style of arrangement with multiple vases that echo the skyline your quests will be spend the evening admiring.
A little bit about Starbright Floral Design… Starbright is a full-service florist that offers a wide array of services to its clientele. We are located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District (on 28th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenue). We serve the general public, our corporate clientele and the Manhattan Hospitality and Special Events Industry all from one central location. Delivery of Flowers, Plants and all types of gifts is available from our store at 150 West 28th Street, by phone at 800.520.8999 or by visiting our website at www.starflor.com. We hope to see you soon!
Every year in January, Tom Sebenius (our Creative Director) takes a sabbatical to go to his home state of California to work decorating floats for the Rose Bowl Parade. This past January there was a professor and some students from BYU that were a part of the creative team in Pasadena as well. Through good old fashioned networking, Tom heard about Jaime Garrett (A BYU – Idaho) who was just dying to find an internship in a high impact florist and would just be thrilled with a New York City experience in the Summer of 2010.
After a few back and forth emails, Jaime packed her bags from Idaho and headed East for the summer. She has been with us for about six weeks now, taking in the New York City experience and having the time of her life in our store. All I can say is that I truly hope that she is enjoying her time with us and getting as much out of this experience as we are by having met her. Jaime is an amazing, dedicated and super dynamic person that will truly be missed when she heads back to school at the end of her internship.
They say that a worthwhile life is a life that you spend positively touching the lives of others. Jaime has touched us all with her smile, her positive outlook and her attention to detail. A true pro in the making. JAIME: You have made lifelong friends at Starbright!
Here is a short version of Jaime’s experience at Starbright in her own words:
I am Jaime Garrett and I am a student at Brigham Young University Idaho. I am currently studying horticulture with a floral design emphasis. One requirement of a horticulture major is to do an internship. Ever since I learned that I would need to do an internship, I knew I wanted to intern in New York. There was something about the city the never sleeps that always intrigued me. So, when the time came for me to find an internship I made a list of different floral shops and began my hunt to find the right place for me. I found Starbright Floral Design through students and teachers from school who had worked with some of the Starbright team at the Pasadena Rose Parade. When Starbright said they were willing to take me on for the summer I could not have been more excited.
When I arrived in New York I was overwhelmed with the millions of people, the crazy taxi drivers and the very confusing subway system. But, I was not going to let a little culture shock bring me down! I was ready to start work at Starbright. Things were definitely different and new to me when I first started working and I had a lot to learn. I was excited to learn more and adapt to their style of design. Everything about they way the designed impressed me and made me want to learn more.
I have now been working at Starbright for a few weeks and am really enjoying myself. Some of the things I have had the great experience to be part of are; working on events and parties, working on site at hotels, and helping with wedding work. I have learned more than I could ever imagine and am still learning more each day. My time here is not done, and I am really grateful for that!
A few words about Starbright Floral Design:
We are a premier New York City Florist (highest rated on Google and Citysearch) that specializes in décor (plant and cut flower) for corporate and institutional clientele. Our plantings and floral is featured in many prominent New York City offices, hotels and restaurants throughout Manhattan (references are available). We are permanent members of NYC & Company and HSMAI. Our presence in the corporate community has been well documented since our inception in 1994.
Starbright is located in New York City’s Historic Flower District on 28th Street. Our location enables us to provide outstanding service and prices while offering displays whose freshness is at its peak.
You may visit us online at www.starflor.com or call us at 800.520.8999
Blooming Thoughts 