Simple, clean and modern designs for Secretaries Week
Administrative Professionals Day (Secretaries Day) is the day executives recognize the work of secretaries, and other administrative support professionals. However, these are precisely the people who often are given the task of organizing and keeping the executive’s schedule updated. Every year at this time, as a by-product of the holiday, these individuals are put in an unenviable predicament. Marking the calendar can possibly be viewed as a self-serving act. Not marking the calendar can lead to their bosses’ embarrassment. In an effort to help our administrative professional friends and our executives, Starbright has launched an awareness campaign. This blog as well as our other cyber communication means at our disposal are being applied to ease the burden placed on administrative professionals.
Administrative Professionals Day (Secretaries Day) is observed on the Wednesday of the last full week of April, this year the day is April 27. National Secretaries Week was created in 1952 through the efforts of Harry F. Klemfuss, a New York publicist and honorary member of the Florist hall of fame (second part- kidding). In 1955, the observance date of National Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981, and became Administrative Professionals Week in 2000. In the U.S. the holiday is often celebrated by taking the staff out to lunch or a gift of a beautiful floral arrangement enjoyed by all.
The secret language of flowers was created in Victorian times when etiquette was prohibitive of voicing one’s emotions. Accordingly flowers were given hidden meanings. Floral gifts given to administrative professionals on April 27 contain no hidden meaning. The message is clear and for all the office to see: “Thank You!”
It is that time of the year to celebrate and express our appreciation to those who do so much all year-long to keep the wheels of commerce moving. Assistants of all stripes have saved companies, increased revenue, prevented recessions and even kept those that they report looking great and making sure that personal and department performance is at it is peak. All of us at Starbright Floral Design are standing ready all week to help you express the appreciation that is so well deserved.
Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District in New York City and we deliver beautiful flowers, bouquets in amazing designs and so much more throughout Manhattan and beyond.
We can be reached by phone at 800.520.8999 or on the web at www.starflor.com. Our e-commerce portal is located at www.starbrightnyc.com. Call us, visit us, or go on-line. We would love to meet you and have the opportunity to be of service.
Our warmest regards,
The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps
Starbright Floral Design – Flowers, Festivals and Celebrations. It is what we do!
Sending someone flowers? Having a hard time selecting from all the choices on all the websites? Too many pictures? Confused? We sure are!
Uninformed consumers constantly are placing orders for flowers from pictures online and then complain that the flowers do not “look like the picture”. They never will and it is an unrealistic expectation to think that they should. Here is why: Flowers are natural living blossoms that are not all made from a mold. The pictures were taken in a studio under the perfect conditions and designed to entice you to place an order by screaming “me! me! buy me!”. Some websites are so dishonest that they will “photoshop” adding colors and emphasis to the flowers so as you will buy something that really is impossible to recreate.
Florists are artisans. They are artists, they design, they have attitudes (like a chef in a kitchen cooking with a dose of imagination). Floral designers learn to imagine, create and combine colors and textures to make something bespoke (unique, custom) just for you. Florists are trained to make compositions that are one of a kind (not from a mold) and are made once and never to be made the same again. It goes against the grain of a true designer to ask him to copy a picture.
Can you ask a designer to copy the flavor and design style of a photograph? – Yes… all day long. To copy and recreate with exactness? hardly ever and with ZERO job satisfaction. Do you really want flowers for your loved one made by someone who hates what they do? Pictures to be copied (especially the ones in the silly little containers with smiley faces) take away the art, the creativity and the spontaneity that the designer has trained an entire lifetime for.
Starbright Floral Design, like every other florist these days, has a million photographs on our e-commerce portal for you to choose from and “yes” we will always do our best to recreate the photo (always adding some spunk, spontaneity and our own style) . It was a business decision that we had to make and we have offered flowers in the photo-catalog format displaying options for the past ten years… BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU that we did not become the highest rated (by Citysearch and others) florist in Manhattan by being the best at copying photos! Rather, in the crowded and highly stylized island that we live on where there is a new “in style” every afternoon, we committed ourselves to impeccable customer service and amazing styles with fresh blooms.
We are now offering that very creativity to our online clients with a twist… We are taking the leap to ask you to trust us. Let the inspiration of the moment dictate the flowers that your bouquet will have. Don’t stress over the decision of “do I like the Sunset Blooms or the Pretty Paradise?”. What really matters is that your special someone receives flowers that are fresh, last a long-long time are stylized but not contrived. They should remind the person of you and your great taste. It is like having your own personal chef in the kitchen cooking just for you . You never know what he will come up with, but you know it will be good!
Designer’s Choice Modern and Designer’s Choice Traditional are two new categories on our website that are designed to intrigue, surprise and give you our very best. Even if Starbright Floral Design (that is us) is not your florist, if you know someone who has built a name and has a reputation for flair, then PLEASE do not cripple their creativity with a picture. Just tell them: “Whip me up something great! She loves pink and green flowers!”
Designer’s Choice is a matter of trust and trust has to be earned. We invite you to give us a call and take a leap of faith!
Starbright Floral Design was started in 1994 and is the most reviewed florist on-line by all the major review sites. We deliver amazing flowers all over the place and at times that you would not think it is possible to get flowers on a same-day basis. Give us a call, visit our online event gallery or pop on by! We would love to meet you!
Welcome to the fourth month in the calendar… Another birth flower has arrived. With springtime everywhere, we are introducing the flower of the month of April (and for those of you who have been following us, this is no April Fool’s joke) – The flower of the month is the common daisy. Read on!
The Everyday Daisy - April's Flower of the Month
Daisies belong to the Asteraceae plant family. The Asteraceae family dates back fifty million years and includes over twenty thousand varieties. The family name derives from the Greek Aster, meaning a star shape. The name daisy derives from the phrase Day’s Eye. It’s a reference to the English daisies routine of closing their petals at night and opening again at daylight. The Daisy’s meaning is said to be purity and innocence. However, to Roman soldiers it often meant the difference between life and death. The English daisy was widely used by the Romans for its astringent properties. Roman armies would have their slaves pick daisies incessantly in order to extract the juice. Bandages were soaked in this juice and would help bind battle wounds. Today the phrase just out picking daisies is not in reference to some forced labor but rather to depict a relaxing free time experience. The term pushing daisies refers to the wild flowers that would sprout in the mound of dirt covering a fresh grave and signifies death.
English daisies have white, off-white, or sometimes slightly pink star-spread petals and a yellow center, with green stems and leaves. Many varieties of daisies are clearly identifiable members of the daisy family with the typical English daisy appearance, such as the Shasta Daisy or Chrysanthemum. Others like the popular Gerbera daisy (African daisy) have some of the identifiable traits such as central florets. You can find its flowers in yellow, orange, pink, peach and red; they are prized for their large heads, long outer petals and intense colors. Dahlias, however, have the star-shaped petals without central florets. Other varieties of daisies aren’t even flowers but edible plants such as artichokes.
Just a few thoughts and words about our sponsor… Blooming Thoughts is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design. We are located in New York City in the heart of Manhattan in the heart of the Historic Flower District. The wholesale florists on our block open at about 5am. Give us a call and if you are up early, we will be happy to give you a walking tour of the flower district. It is a great place to catch the scents and colors of the season. I always tell people to walk our block at least four times a year so that they can enjoy and appreciate the seasons.
If you are not up that early, you can find us online at www.starflor.com or by stopping by and visiting us anytime before 8PM (seven days). We are located at 150 West 28th Street in Studio 201. Or you can give us a call at 800.520.8999. We would love to hear from you!
Hi there! I am Nic, Senior Partner at Starbright Floral Design. Sometimes I scribe on this page as The Official Florist. That name came as a short version of “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps” – a tag line that seems to have stuck pretty well over the years.
I have always been intrigued by the innocent fun that people have with each other on April Fools Day. I have followed the holiday with some interest over the years and I have been inspired by the fun that people and companies have with each other on this one day when we invent the craziest things to say…
Why Google told us only a couple of days ago that they have developed an email program that works on hand signals. Remember when Taco Bell convinced us that they bought the Liberty Bell (to help with the deficit) and they were renaming it? Or when Burger King told us all that they had created a Whopper specifically for the southpaw? The condiments were turned 180 degrees to accommodate left-handed people. Sure.
We decided to have some fun this year and participate in the holiday (it is a holiday, right?). A lot of planning went into what we were going to do. Many nights of meetings, creative sessions and ideas were thrown around. We were new at this “hoax thing” and we put a lot of man hours learning how to spoof. Next year we think it will be easier. We are Fool Experts now!
So “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps” issued a press release late at night on the 31st of March (as a decoy) that basically stated that we funded research that was led by Dr. Aprilia Anoitou (Greek translation for April Fool) in which we were able to genetically engineer a rose so that it would behave like an oyster and produce pearls. We were endorsed by a non-existent Dutch society that promotes flower buying. To top it off Poisson D’Avril (French for April Fool) from a fictional tourism board in New York City endorsed this high-end rose as a gift for someone who clearly has everything.
I got congratulatory calls and emails from far away places. Flower growers from Holland and importers from South America reached out to express their good wishes (the experts were dumfounded!). A New York City radio personality wanted an interview (I declined) and several on-line publications carried the story. Friends were even google-ing “The Pearl Rose” because they wanted to be in-the-know. The spoof was supported by our social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn)
Most marketers would call this a marketing success. I suppose it was. We set out to have some fun and did we ever! The planning, the execution, the fooling, having to answer emails and queries. It was all about The Pearl Rose. On most holidays we work ourselves to the point where work is tyranny. We never get to celebrate Mother’s Day, Valentine’s, Christmas or anything else. So finally we have found a holiday on a day that we are not so busy and we can enjoy a day of fun with the rest of the world. This too will be ruined when some floral industry consultant decides to create a holiday around people sending one another Foolish Flowers! For now we are relaxed and looking forward to April Fools 2012.
The Pearl Rose is history for now. Maybe someday someone will be able to cross-breed oysters and roses and pearls will be come from roses. Until then life is normal and we can all go back to being true romantics by wooing our honeys with vases and vases of the most gorgeous long-stemmed roses…
It really was The Fun Side of Flowers!
Starbright Floral Design is located in “The Heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District”. We deliver the most amazing blooms and the coolest floral compositions imaginable to anyone, anywhere and at any time (except in the overnight hours and to uninhabited places, war zones and to merchant marine vessels while sailing the high seas).
Give us a call at 800-520-8999 or better yet visit our website at www.starflor.com or our e-commerce portal (where you can buy really great flowers) at www.starbrightnyc.com. Stop by and meet us, give us a call or drop us a line. Tell us you want a dozen pearl roses and we will all smile!
Flowers, Festivals and Celebrations – it is what we do!
From an industry newsletter, we are sharing a bit of press coverage that we received recently. Our Creative Director, Tom Sebenius, worked with the production team of the Rachael Ray show to create some really fabulous bridal bouquets…
Read the post and click on THIS LINK to see the Rachael Ray excerpt!
These thoughts are brought to you by The Official Florist.
The Official Florist is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design. We are a full-service corporate and retail florist located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District located at 150 West 28th Street (Studio 201). To learn more about our organization and about the type of work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com.
You may also order a gift by visiting our e-portal at www.starbrightnyc.com. Starbright is open seven days a week and we deliver flowers and other gifts in Manhattan and worldwide. We invite you to give us a call or visit our website.
Thank you for visiting our blog. Always “at your service”,
The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design
“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”
Take special care of your ficus and you will have years of enjoyment!
Ficus trees are perhaps the most popular indoor decorative trees grown. The ficus benjamina – weeping fig – in particular is one of the most popular of the 800 species available. Their popularity is certainly not as a result of its easy care but rather, its beauty. Ficus trees are very temperamental requiring constant vigilance in its care. Ficus trees can become stressed by simple actions such as moving from one room to another or even from one end of a room to another. Proper ficus tree care is essential to keep these plants healthy. The ficus’ popularity, coupled with their temperament, was a motivating factor in launching Starbright’s exclusive Plant Care Maintenance Program.
Ficus Tree Care:
The ficus tree is a true creature of habit. It does not like change. Consistency is the key factor in its care.
Sunlight: Bright sunlight during the day, but should not be in full sun all day.
Temperature: The optimum temperature is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Consistency is key-ficus trees should not place next to heaters or vents that create varied temperatures.
Watering: The soil should be kept moist but not wet, in a well draining pot to prevent root rot. The rule of the green thumb is to water after the top inch or two of soil has dried. Avoid overwatering your ficus! The most common mistake people make is to add more water once the leaves begin to turn yellow. This is the opposite of what you should do.
Humidity: Misting the tree frequently while it is young or adjusting to a new location, can help it maintain its humidity. Helpful time saving hint is to make a humidity tray by filling the plant saucer with gravel. The runoff water will evaporate through the plant, providing additional humidity.
Fertilizer: During growth periods, feed the plant every three to four weeks. Use a regular liquid fertilizer for indoor plants diluted to half the strength recommended on the package label. Decrease fertilizing in autumn and do not fertilize during the winter.
Trouble shooting leaf loss: Proper ficus tree care can help minimize leaf loss. Ficus trees commonly lose up to a quarter of its leaves after an environmental change. Diligent care can help mitigate additional stress. If leaves turn yellow just prior to dropping off, it is a sign of over-watering. Dull leaves may indicate a need for fertilizer.
These tips are brought to you by The Official Florist. The Official Florist is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design. We are a full-service corporate and retail florist located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District. We are at 150 West 28th Street (Studio 201). To learn more about our organization and about the type of work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com.
You may also order a gift by visiting our e-portal at www.starbrightnyc.com. Starbright is open seven days a week and we deliver flowers and other gifts in Manhattan and worldwide. We invite you to give us a call or visit our website.
Thank you for visiting our blog. Always “at your service”,
The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design
“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”
Bromeliads are members of a plant family containing over 3000 species. The most well known bromeliad is the pineapple. People have been using bromeliads for thousands of years for food, shelter and ceremonies by civilizations such as Incas, Maya and Aztecs. Europeans were introduced to the pineapple when Spanish conquistadors returned with the pineapple. The image of the pineapple became so popular that it was adapted into European art, sculpture, furniture and architecture.
The most popular office and house plant varieties are Aechmea fasciata (Silver-Vase, Urn Plant) and Guzmania Rana.
In general they are ideal indoor plants requiring very little care. The mother plant will generally only produce one bloom in its lifetime. Once it blooms it will produce new plantlets called “pups”. These pups will feed on the “mother” plant until they are large enough to set roots of their own and survive as a separate plant. The mother has done her job and will die off. The green, leafy top of a pineapple is in fact a pup that may be removed and planted to start a new plant.
It can take a few years for the plant to reach mature blooming size. Once the plant reaches maturity you can force the plant to flower by placing the plant in a clear plastic bag and throw a ripe apple inside the bag for 7 to 10 days. The ripe apple will give off ethylene gas and will help force the plant to flower.
1) Sunlight: bright indirect sun. Ideally placed around windows with blinds.
2) Water: Keep the soil evenly moist. Watering once to twice a week is sufficient. DO NOT USE A METAL WATERING CAN. THE METAL IS TOXIC TO BROMELIADS AND WILL KILL THEM.
3) Temperature: Indoor temperatures are perfect for Bromeliads.
Replanting the Pups: Once a pup reaches one-third the size of the mother plant gently tug and separate the two plants. If the pup doesn’t pull away easily cut it where it attaches to the mother plant. Before potting your new plant, let the cut area dry out by letting it sit for a day (not in the sun). Using a mixture of peat moss and prelate pot up the bromeliad cutting into a small pot (do not over pot) and follow the instructions above. If all the potting and work sounds too much to handle ask Star bright about our Plant Care Services or do nothing and enjoy the plant as is.
These tips are brought to you by The Official Florist. The Official Florist is the blogging arm of Starbright Floral Design. We are a full-service corporate and retail florist located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District. We are at 150 West 28th Street (Studio 201). To learn more about our organization and about the type of work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com. You may also order a gift by visiting our e-portal at www.starbrightnyc.com. Starbright is open seven days a week and we deliver flowers and other gifts in Manhattan and worldwide. We invite you to give us a call or visit our website.
Thank you for visiting our blog. Always “at your service”,
The Official Florist – Starbright Floral Design
“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”
The Chinese money tree is a succulent ornamental houseplant that is said to bring luck to its recipient. Chinese money trees are aesthetically pleasing and low maintenance trees ideally suited for homes and offices. Many people who decorate in the Feng Shui manner tend to incorporate this plant in their designs because of the five lobed leaves. A Chinese money tree that has leaves in clusters of seven is considered especially lucky. Another benefit of the plant for the busy office executive is that its leaves are edible. No longer is time a reason to skip a meal. Just reach over and grab a leaf!
The Chinese have always believed strongly in the usefulness of lucky charms or symbols. The Chinese Money tree is one of these symbols of luck. Several stories tell the tale of origin of this tree’s symbolism. One tale tells of a sculptor who placed fake money on a tree in order to trick villagers into cutting it down for him. However, the tree was soon revered by the villagers as sacred. It was believed that cutting it down would lead to their doom. When the sculptor attempted to cut it down, the villagers paid him not to harm the tree. Another story tells of an elderly man who gave a peasant a purported special seed. The man told the farmer to plant the seed and water it daily with beads of his own sweat until it sprouted. Once the seed sprouted the fledgling tree required drops of the farmer’s blood for survival. The peasant did as he was instructed and the resulting plant grew up to be a “money tree”. The peasant found that by shaking the tree, coins would fall to the ground. Repeated harvests led to the peasant becoming rich. The tree became a source of perpetual wealth. The story can be taken literally. However, today it is taken to mean that to become rich, it must be through hard work and one’s own sweat and blood. The Money tree is a popular gift during the Chinese New Year.
Tree Care
1) Water: Chinese money trees aren’t water hogs. Typically they require a light watering once a week. Feel the soil, if it is dry, time to water. Do not spray mist.
2) Light: A young tree should not be subjected to direct sunlight. Indirect sunlight for 4 hours a day is sufficient. Mature plants can tolerate direct sun but prefer indirect.
3) Temperature: Chinese money tree grows well in typical indoor temperatures (60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit).
4) Pruning: Remove any damaged or dead leaves regularly thereby promoting new and healthy growth.
5) Fertilizer: Like any houseplant, a dose of fertilizer now on occasion is beneficial. Be careful not to over fertilize. Better to not fertilize rather than fertilize too much.
6) Repotting: The container of the money tree should not be undersized. Typically every couple of years it’s time to repot the tree into a larger pot. Make sure there are adequate drainage holes. Inability to drain could lead to root rot.
This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”. Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers. Starbright delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope 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
The Narcissus is synonymous to the Daffodil. The Daffodil is simply the English name for the flower which derives its name from the Greek mythological figure called Narcissus. Narcissus was a young man who was so obsessed with his own reflection in a pool of water that he fell into the water and drowned. The Narcissus plant first sprang up at the location of his death and thus the birth of the Daffodil itch. This Greek myth has led the Daffodil being a symbol of unrequited love. China has a somewhat different view of the Daffodil. It is revered and has become a symbol of Chinese New Year. It is said if it blooms on Chinese New Years, you are in store for extra wealth and good fortune for the year.
In moderate climates Daffodils flower among the earliest blooms in spring. Daffodils often grow in large clusters and cover entire hillsides. Their rhythmic movements in the wind inspired the famous poem Daffodils, by William Wordsworth. “…And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.” All Daffodil species have a central trumpet surrounded by a ring of six floral leaves. The traditional daffodil consisted of a yellow color all over. Today both in the wild and due to breeding, blooms range in colors to include yellow, white, orange, pink, red and green.
The Daffodil itch is not a term of endearment referencing the excitement of spring’s approach. Instead, it is a term used by florists describing the itchy skin condition caused by exposure to the sap of the Daffodil. The Daffodil contains alkaloid chemicals throughout making it very bitter and toxic if ingested. The toxicity is dangerous if confused for an onion and ingested. However it makes the Daffodil the perfect plant for those of you whose property has been overrun by rodents. Deer and all rodents will leave the Daffodil unmolested.
This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, “The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”. Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers. Starbright delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide. Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.
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
We asked one of the members of our team that was with us for his first Valentine’s season in the flower business to chronicle his experiences through the week. Filled with humor and an appropriate dose of sarcasm we learned more about ourselves and what we do than we ever really expected to…. Step into our world for a behind the scenes look at the single craziest day of the year. Accountants call it April 15th, farmers have harvest time, to the florist it is Valentine’s Day…. “Thank you for calling Starbright, can I help you?”
St. Valentine was a martyr... May love and passion live forever!
-February 7th : One full week before Valentine ’s Day. All I’ve heard since I began work here at Starbright Floral Design, was the nightmare that is Valentine’s Day. I am a skeptic by nature and brimming with confidence that I can handle whatever challenges presented. I dismiss my coworkers’ warnings as tall tales and nothing to fear. Here we are 8:30 A.M. one full week before V-day and the sky is blue, the earth is still spinning on its axis, all is well. 9:00 A.M. I arrive to the scene of impending DOOM, Starbright Floral Design, 28th street, the flower district. The store is abuzz. Orders are coming in rapidly both telephonically and through the internet. 10:00 A.M. Staff meeting held discussing potential delivery problems. Plans are in the works to start delivering to accepting businesses, such as hotels, at 4:00 A.M. I spontaneously erupted in laughter. My laughter was not reciprocated nor well received. Is it possible this was not a joke? Four A.M.? The theme from the twilight zone is now deafening. Day ends without further incident. A busy day, but nothing too atypical. Can’t wait for relaxing carefree night at home.
-February 10th : A few days have passed since my last entry. Work has kept me busy. Orders are now appearing on my desk magically. The machine they call the Dove keeps printing what seems to be a copy of the Iliad. A continuous flow of paper is fed into the machine printing order after order. 10:30 A.M. Our purchasing department arguing over facts, figures and projections. The consensus is that this is going to be a big one. Fear and panic is abound. Last minute orders are frantically placed to suppliers in Holland and other flower growers throughout the world.
-February 12th : 9:00 A.M. Fearful of poor customer service as a result of taking orders beyond capacity has led to the decision to shut down the Dove. I come from a business background. The notion of turning away good and profitable orders was foreign to me. When I questioned the move my coworkers’ glares were like weaponized lasers. Management wasn’t as irritated by my inquiry. It was explained that the floral industry is customer service driven. Taking in orders that couldn’t be adequately serviced would result in unhappy customers. Accordingly, the net effect on the business, long term, would be negative. I understand the principle, but still believed it to be a premature and perhaps panic driven decision. 05:00 P.M. My coworkers are looking increasingly weary and disheveled. Some have clearly forgotten that personal hygiene is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and healthy work environment. Shaving appears to be a lost art to the men in the office (probably the women as well).
-February 13th: 8:00 A.M. The place is a flurry of activity. Hasn’t taken long to realize my Saturday night exploits were ill timed and will be regretted. Word to the wise, don’t drink and floral design on Valentine’s day weekend. I am unable to recover or catch my breath. 11:30A.M. Designers as far as the eye can see are preparing pre-Valentine’s day orders. Nerves are frayed. Niceties such as “Good Morning” or “Hello” fall upon deaf ears or are responded to with a grumble. Each designer appears to be genetically transforming into a snapping turtle. The phones are ringing incessantly with an ear piercing buzzing. Never realized how annoying the phone ring was until now. 4:30 P.M. the order goes out for all available hands to start cleaning roses. I had developed a case of laryngitis from the endless hours of phone calls rendering it painful to speak. I need to conserve my voice for V-Day. Accordingly I volunteer for the simple, mundane task involving a knife and thorny long stems. 6:15 P.M. The monotonous task coupled with exhaustion has led to blood shed. Several fingers have become victims of errant knife shavings. Several other fingers suffered from thorn inflicted wounds rendering their use painful. Luckily my middle digit was immune from injury and thus I was able to adequately express my feelings to my coworkers without the need for speech. 9:00 P.M. End of day staff meeting. Nic Faitos, President of Starbright and our valiant leader begins a pep talk to the staff that would hopefully last through the following day –V-Day. “Guys and gals, you are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. Your task will not be an easy one. I have full confidence in your devotion to impeccable floral design and customer service. We will accept nothing less than the full satisfaction of our customers. Let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. Good Luck and I’ll see you at 5:00 A.M.” I was inspired by his eloquent words and eager to meet the challenges of the following day.
-February 14th: 0500 hours V-Day. Proper preparation has made the beginning of the day a time to strategize and ready ourselves for the coming battle. I felt confident and prepared. 0530 hours –the first two delivery trucks are on the road. With any luck we’ll have them back and reloading by 0900. 01000 hours, the phones are unleashing an endless barrage of sound blasts. Oh the noise noise, noise! Everyone is working at a fever pace. There is no room for dilly or dally today. 01200 hours, the lunch crowd is now filing in. I think to myself, how much more can a person handle? It is not long before I get my answer. Several of the designers, both men and women, have been broken. Tears are streaming down their faces. I want to console them but don’t have the time, the energy or the empathy. I have to commit all my energy to the common goal. The flowers must be delivered and they must be beautiful! 01500 On a normal day I would be busy making dinner plans. Today I have been recruited to insure that our all business deliveries are made before 01700. The pressure is unrelenting. I have broken into a cold flu like sweat and have trouble focusing. The enormity of this logistics task quickly overwhelms me. Near tears myself, I call for backup personnel. 01800 hours, the corporate deliveries have been made. The second phase, home deliveries, is now well underway. The last minute business crowd is now filing in. I ponder if any of these last minute shoppers understood how challenging it was to give them that appreciative smile demanded of a Starbright employee. 02100 The day of days is coming to an end. I have travelled through the valley of blood, sweat and tears and come out the other side smelling like roses. I have a deep sense of accomplishment and pride. I can’t believe I doubted the enormity of the task. Twelve hundred deliveries in one day, made with grace, will not be forgotten soon. I guess the day is best summed up by the immortal words of Davy Jones: “now I’m a believer.”
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide. Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.
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
Blooming Thoughts 