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.
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”.
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
Mother’s Day at the Ronald McDonald House is really special. This year it touched our hearts in a very special way. The New York City Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org/nyc) organized a very special Mother’s Day at the Ronald McDonald House in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Moms and kids got to spend the day together. There was fun, there was laughter and it was a very special day. Hearts were touched as only hearts can be.
Starbright Floral Design proudly provided floral decor and centerpieces for the room where food was served and everyone lounged for a lazy afternoon. The real highlight? Every child got a rose to give to his/her mom. For many years now we proudly support and sponsor both of these organizations and we have worked with both very closely. When the LLS called us to ask us to do this event, they did not know that we already work with the RMH and bringing these two groups together was really special for us. We would like to encourage everyone we know to support these two amazing groups that do so much for all of us.
Mother's Day was really special this year!
About Starbright Floral Design – Starbright (http://starflor.com/) is a full service florist and floral delivery company located in Manhattan. Our store, our studio and our offices are in the wholesale flower district on 28th Street and 7th Avenue. We provide same day delivery of flowers everywhere, event decor, corporate and institutional services, etc. Starbright is the most reviewed florist on the web and we have a consistent FIVE STAR ranking everywhere. Please feel free to visit our website to learn more about us, our flowers and the work that we do.
Sunday May the 9th is Mother’s Day. While we stand ready to serve your every request and to send amazing flowers and gifts to every mom in Manhattan and the world over, we want to remind you to send your love and your gratitude in your own special way. This Sunday, let the phones ring, the “I love you’s” flow, the embraces warm and plenty and the flowers bloom! Every mom is special, every Mom is an MVP and we love them all.
For amazing flowers, designs that leave moms all over gasping for air… Give us a call (800-520-8999) or visit our website at www.starflor.com. Starbright Floral Design is the most reviewed florist on the web and we even have a streak of over 65 five star reviews! Worldwide delivery, based in Manhattan with our own store and incredible flowers. We promise to make mom smile!
It is the peak of the season for hydrangea! We have selected a few of the very interesting varieties and colors that are coming to us from Holland to showcase… Starbright Floral Design is showcasing these varieties of flowers for delivery anywhere in New York City over the course of the springtime. To order these amazing blooms, you may need to pre-order and keep in mind that they are in short supply and very high demand. For this reason we ask for your flexibility in delivery date, etc. For more great ideas, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or give us a call at 800-520-8999. Flower delivery worldwide. Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District (on 28th Street in Manhattan).
Scroll down and enjoy the hydrangea!
The Emerald Classic Hydrangea By Starbright Floral Design"Expression" a Springtime Favorite Hydrangea Variety - By Starbright Floral DesignThe Harlekijn Hydrangea - Dutch by name, Starbright by DesignVerena Rose - a hydrangea variety like no other. Delicate and Soft... Brought to you by Starbright Floral DesignThe Bela Hydrangea By Starbright Floral Design
A vase of mixed spring flowers with the right message, says it all...
It is impossible to count the number of calls we get where someone asks us to prepare a bouquet for a business associate, a loved one, a friend in need of a cheer and everything goes as planned, EXCEPT when we ask “and what would you like the card to say?”!
Dumbfounded by the thought of writing a card, our client will say something like: “I don’t know… Love, your husband Mark” (like the recipient is likely to have two husbands and the clarification by name will eliminate the confusion! Or we get – “You do this all the time, write something for me!!”. There are countless scenarios to the above vignettes that we encounter daily.
Dear Client: It is the message on the card your inscription that makes the gift all the more memorable. Even IF you are a terrible writer (I submit there is no such thing), you can still think of something clever to say. The problem is that we don’t plan the card. Flowers are a spur of the moment purchase or a MUST DO like Valentine’s or Mother’s Day and we place our order without putting thought into the card. Yes the flowers will perish; but a well said card, a clever card, will be saved forever. A well thought card will make the scent and the colors of your flowers last a lot longer in the person’s mind. Years from now, you will get one of these: “Honey, I remember back about five years ago when you sent me those really special flowers when I was feeling down…” She does not remember the flowers as much as she remembers your words that remind her of the flowers and the way they made her feel.
Your card can be something as simple as a date from the past that leaves the person wondering of the significance… until you tell them. It can be cleaver humor like “I love you but I am going to beat you!” sent the day before a competitive tennis date. Or if you are a hopeless romantic – go ahead and spill the beans. Let your card say what spoken words cannot.
It is far better to send a small token gift of flowers with a meaningful and memorable card than it is to send a big “over the top” bouquet signed “your husband”! So take some time think about your special moments, think about what is cleaver to say and then say it! A card without flowers does not say as much. Flowers with a mediocre card, will keep you out of the doghouse. Flowers with a really special message that is in words that are yours, will tidy up the whole package in a really nice bow and make the occasion super special! It is the stuff that heroes are made of.
All of us at Starbright will always stand ready to help you with your gift selection and even to help you write the card. The more information you give us about what you want to say and the more thought you have put into the occasion, the more can help. It is all about how enthusiastic the WOW or the Thank You are after the flowers get there and how long the mood lasts!
A bit about Starbright: We are a full service florist and floral delivery service. We occupy a loft space in the wholesale flower district on 28th Street in Manhattan. Within our own delivery area we create all our own arrangements by our master designers. In other locales throughout the US, we have partnered with selected florists that stand by the same code that we have. It has taken us fifteen years to build our list of partners and we stand by each and every one. This gives us the ability to bring you custom made floral creations in Manhattan and beyond. We can be reached at 800.520.8999 or on the web at www.starflor.com.
Citysearch selected us as the #1 florist in Manhattan for 2009 and The Knot recommends us as the top selected shop to have for your wedding in New York City. What makes us particularly proud of these accolades is that we live and work in a town that has many really-really good florists! Of course, our work is only as good as the next bouquet we send for YOU! We hope to hear from you soon and we will help you write the card!).
Every season has its flowers. There are flowers in wide varieties all year long. But springtime is really special. Sure with greenhouses and with easy air transport from countries that are in seasons opposite our own, flowers in all varieties are available virtually year round…
BUT, let me draw an analogy – Have you ever tasted the difference between a vine ripped tomato and one that came from halfway across the world? Fruits and veggies are most enjoyable when the come from small local growers and when we enjoy them when they are really in season! Strawberries and watermelon don’t really make much sense in December. Do they?
Flowers are the same. NOW is the time to indulge and to really enjoy your flowers. For the next three months there are so many varieties that are in season, so much to enjoy and such a plethora of colors and scents that you will overdose all of your senses in an elixir of life!
Window shop any florist, take an early morning stroll on 28th Street and take it all in at the NYC Flower District (should be a historic landmark) or better yet stop by our studio at 150 West 28th Street (www.starflor.com); and this is some of what you will see…
Tulipalooza is here!
Tulips in just about every imaginable color… They will be around until early May. If the springtime is unusually brisk, then they will last a little longer.
Flowering branches. YES flowers growing on real branches! Dogwood, Cherry Blossom, Quince, Forsythia, Plum and so much more. These trees first bloom a flower and then a leaf. Natures gift to our homes is this timeless beauty that is enjoyed in every design style that truly transcends time. Again, they are weather dependent, but flowering branches should be around for about another two to three weeks…
Peonies are about to make their grand entrance into our homes! In their peak, the season will last about six weeks and they are so fragrant! The local varieties are available in light and magenta pink, deep burgundy and white. Catch them while they are around. The best peonies are grown in the North and South Carolina and we are about to get our first shipment. No need to reserve, there will be plenty to go around; but don’t blink! The season IS short!
Lilac (grown on a bush) will show up and make a grand entrance in the late springtime too. This is an extremely fragrant flower that everyone loves. The most popular color for lilac is lavenderish-purple. They do also come in white.
Anemones, sweet pea, mini calla lilies, roses (in amazing pastel tones) and so much more are coming too! We hope you enjoy them all. They are the protagonists of the season. The first sign to put away the Winter Blues! These are the flowers that will make us all smile and let the sun shine upon us.
For me? After the lilacs bloom, it is motorcycle season! It may be the beach, the jet ski or a hiking trip in the Shenandoah Valley that you have to look forward to. But unless the peonies come and go, your summer fun is on pause. Open your heart and let the spring shine in! My favorite time of the year…
A few words about us: Starbright Floral Design is a premiere florist located in New York City. We are in the Historic Flower District on Manhattan’s 28th Street in a second floor loft. Most of the work that we do involves sending flowers and gifts delivered in Manhattan or anywhere else! Visit our gift-giving catalog to see what you can send. We are also experts at executing corporate and social events. A peak at our event portfolio and you will be able to gain a broader perspective on the depth of our organization and they type of work that we do. Whenever we could be of service, whenever we could answer a question, or if you would like to simply take in the colors and scents, we would love to hear from you. We can also be reached by phone at 800.520.8999. Happy Springtime!
On Monday, March 8, 2010, Starbright Floral Design is proudly sponsoring with Step Up Women’s Network the Teen Programs which is holding the annual Spoken Word Teen Poetry Performance. The event will showcase the poetry and performance skills of the high school teens who have participated in the after school program. We will celebrate our young poets with a Slam Poetry performance at the Nuyorican Poets Café. We expect over 100 guests to attend, including members of the Step Up community, parents and staff from participating Step Up schools. This promises to be an amazing event. Don’t miss it! Everyone in attendance will receive a bright Orange Tulip in honor of these amazing New York City teens. As an added “thank you”, everyone will receive a lifetime discount certificate from Starbright, good for $10 off every order – forever!
Step Up Women’s Network is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to connecting and advancing women and girls. By bridging communities of professional women and underserved teen girls through mentorship, networking and advancement, we ensure women and girls have the opportunities they need to create a better future.
Be there! It promises to be a lot of fun!
ABOUT STARBRIGHT FLORAL DESIGN: We are a premiere New York City florist located on 28th Street, in the heart of the Historic Flower District. To learn more about our organization and the work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com. We offer same day delivery of amazing gifts, plants and the freshest stylized florals imaginable. You may call us at 1.800.520.8999 to learn more about us and so that we may answer any questions that you may have. We will always look forward to hearing from you!
Blooming Thoughts 