flower blog

Five Minutes with a Stylish Mom

Q How do you stay in touch with your inner-fashionista? Any great comfy-shoe ideas or time-saving style tips?
A

Teleflora's Posh Pinks is a great idea for any fashionista.
 

It's all about moms (for once!) on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10. So make her day special with Mother's Day flowers.

Teleflora's Daisy Colander Bouquet will brighten up a kitchen counter after the flowers are gone.

Teleflora has launched a fun shopping guide to help you buy flowers for Mother's Day. The kinds of moms include Classic Moms, Super Moms, Stylish Moms, Down-to-Earth Moms, Gourmet Moms, Modern Moms and of course Grandmothers. We know not everyone fits easily into a category, but it's nice to have a little guidance when choosing which flowers best reflect her personality.

In conjunction with launching the guide, I'm profiling real-life moms, who also run blogs, and talking to them about motherhood. Get to know them, visit their blogs and if you know an amazing mom, drop me a line and tell me about her.

Today, I'm talking to Gourmet Mom Anne-Marie Nichols. Anne-Marie is a blogger and social media consultant. She runs The Write Spot Blog Network, which includes: http://www.amamasrant.com/, http://www.myreadablefeast.com/, http://www.thismamacooks.com/, http://www.thismamacooks.net/.  



Five Minutes with a Gourmet Mom

Q What surprised you most about being a mom?
A The range of emotions I go through in a single day. There are times when I’m so frustrated with my kids or the situations they put me in like when they’re sick or when they’re being naughty. Then moments later, they make me laugh and I look into their eyes and realize how happy I am that they are here on Earth and part of my life.

Q Tell me a lesson your child taught you.
A If you can make people laugh even when you’re doing something very bad, you can get away with it. Sticking French fries up your nose isn’t socially acceptable and hardly good manners. But boy is it hilarious.

Q Who are your cooking/gourmet idols or role models?
A First, there’s Julia Child and James Beard for inspiring my mom to be such a wonderful cook who made everything from cherries flambé to escargot in the shells. Then there’s my dad for refusing to ever eat a bad meal after serving as a private in the Army in World War II. There is nothing my father liked better than good food prepared well, and for a skinny man, boy did he eat!

Both my parents exposed my sister and me to all kinds of foods and amazing meals both at home and in restaurants. And they appreciated ethnic food from their own backgrounds – Jewish, French, and Greek – as well as food from other cultures. My husband and I continue this tradition with our children and go out for dim sum, pho noodles, Greek food, tapas and American classics like barbecue and pub grub.

Q What’s your No. 1 piece of advice for cooking with kids?
A Don’t look when they’re using sharp knives. They are not going to cut off their fingers, and staring at them cutting things will only freak you out.

Q What would you do with an extra half-hour of spare time?
A Read a book for pleasure, not work. I love historic fiction, but adore culinary memoirs – a cookbook and a novel all in one!
 

Plain and simple, moms rock!

They do so much, they give so much, they teach us so much, 24/7, 365 days a year. Their collective compassion and common sense is enough to make the world a way better place. So, never miss an opp to say, "Thanks, Mom. I love you," especially on Mother's Day itself, which is Sunday, May 10. And to convey that grateful, loving feeling in visual form, you know you can count on flowers to do the job.

But there are sooo many Mother's Day flowers to choose from (that's a good thing, but still ...). And motherhood has evolved so much since the days of June Cleaver or Marion Cunningham that today there's no such thing as a typical mom (that's an even better thing ...).

So to make your shopping easy, Teleflora has launched a fun shopping guide to help you buy flowers for Mother's Day. The kinds of moms include Classic Moms, Super Moms, Stylish Moms, Down-to-Earth Moms, Gourmet Moms, Modern Moms and of course Grandmothers. We know not everyone fits easily into a category, but it's nice to have a little guidance when choosing which bouquet best suits her unique personality.

In conjunction with launching the guide, I thought it would be fun to profile some real-life moms, who also run blogs, and talk to them about motherhood. I've read their answers already, of course, and I'm very excited to introduce you to some smart, funny, eminently capable and pretty amazing women. Check out their answers, visit their blogs and if you know an amazing mom or two, drop me a line and tell me about her.

First up is Modern Mom Christine Koh. Christine is a music and brain scientist turned freelance writer, editor, and designer. She is the founder and editor of Boston Mamas, the designer behind Posh Peacock, and writes a personal blog at Pop Discourse. She resides in the Boston area with her husband and 4-year-old daughter. Her blogs can be found at: http://www.bostonmamas.com, http://www.poshpeacock.com, http://popdiscourse.com.  



Five Minutes with a Modern Mom

Q What was the biggest surprise for you as a mom?
A I was surprised by how generous motherhood made me -- not just towards my daughter (which was something I had anticipated) but towards other people in my life. I'm a generous person in lots of ways, but also can be very protective of my time.

Laurel's healthy arrival (after a somewhat traumatic delivery) really knocked things into perspective for me in terms of how very tremendous life is -- the miracle of it in general, and how fortunate I am for the relationships I have in the now.

For example, this played out in an inter-generational context in a significant way; Laurel was 4 months old when my dad was diagnosed with cancer -- we learned of the diagnosis literally the weekend before I was scheduled to return to work full time from maternity leave.

I talked the situation over with my husband, then immediately called my boss and told him I was only coming back to work part-time (with an eventual plan to ramp up back to full time later in the year).

It was a move I doubt I would have made pre-motherhood; reduced time is frowned upon in academia because the publication clock is always ticking. On the one hand, I was surprised by how quickly and dramatically my role as a mom changed my perspective; in other ways it felt totally natural and intuitive. And it was incredible to be able spend so much time with my parents and Laurel; my dad died 7 months later -- I miss him tremendously but feel very much at peace about our relationship.

Q Tell me about a challenge or a tough choice you made as a mom.
A Honestly, no challenges or tough choices in the traditional sense come to mind. But what has been weighing on me a lot is privilege. We don't live extravagantly but we live well and have all the basics we need. And so do those around us for the most part. But my growing up was not like this; I'm the 6th of 7 children and didn't even really know that toys existed until I received my first stuffed animal when I was 5, after I got my tonsils out.

I want to instill in Laurel the understanding that we are truly blessed to have what we have in our lives and shouldn't take it for granted - but in a way that makes sense and is reasonable for a 4 year old. Essentially, my challenge is to translate these messages without unfairly loading my personal childhood baggage on my daughter.

Q What is your favorite piece of parenting advice and how did you acquire it?
A Trust your instincts. It wasn't until I became a mother, actually, that I suddenly started having really strong instinctual reactions. And I found that things worked so much better when I followed - instead of resisted - my instincts. So I started trusting my instincts in other areas of my life other than motherhood -- even when from a rational, linear perspective the choices didn't make sense. Following my instincts has served me enormously well both in personal and professional ways.

Q What’s the greatest gift you could give your child?
A Unconditional acceptance and support. I spent so many years of my childhood and adulthood constrained into boxes laden with expectation; most notably as a violinist (I studied for 20 years, performed solo recitals, etc.) and as an academic (I earned my Ph.D. then did my postdoctoral fellowship at Mass General Hospital/Harvard Medical School/MIT). When I let go of both of those trajectories, particularly the academic path, I felt very certain I was making the right move (this is where the aforementioned instincts came into play) but of course I was wondering about the expectations of the "grown ups" in my life.

At the point when I was making my major professional leap, my father was gone; I'm not sure whether his passing contributed to her response, but my mother gave me the best gift she could ever give me: her blessings and encouragement to do what brought me joy. I want to give that same gift to my daughter; I want her to follow her passions, even if it means swimming against the tide at times.

Q As a Modern Mom, you typically have a very full plate and are juggling a number of different jobs. What’s your favorite way to de-stress and recharge?
A There are three major things that help me de-stress and recharge. The first is a night out with my husband. I am so grateful to have such a fantastic, thoughtful, and funny partner in life and we need our nights out as grownups.

Second is time with my girlfriends. I'm blessed to have a lot of amazing girlfriends in the area, some who reach back as far as elementary and middle school. They are my confidantes and have accepted me through all the good and bad. And third is self care in the form of exercise and occasional massages and pedicures. The former I do regularly, the latter I wish I did more regularly!
 

More great tips from expert florist Matthew McDonald of Bookshelf Florist and Gifts in Gaffney, SC, http://www.bookshelfflorist.com/.  

Your florist or floral designer for your wedding should have a checklist of what to ask you, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Have the following ready and you will make life easier for everyone:

1. Who and how many are in the wedding party.

2. What arrangements are needed for the wedding.

3. What arrangements are needed for the reception.

4. Pictures of styles you like and flowers.

It's also important to be open to ideas and to go with the flow. There is always something that can go wrong somewhere and usually it will! It might be that a pianist calls in sick and you get a replacement, an extra flower is needed and was not ordered, or the DJ forgets your names.

Just remember it's how well you glide over the problems to make it seem as if there were none.

As we say in my shop, "We help make the moment a memory." The flowers may wilt and the memories fade, but always keep your love strong and your memories will last a lifetime.
 

Matthew McDonald of Bookshelf Florist and Gifts in Gaffney, SC, http://www.bookshelfflorist.com/.   

Come back to tomorrow to read more money-saving tips!
 

* Not sure just what kind of flowers to buy? Let Teleflora's Shopping Guide do the work. Whether your mom is a Super Mom, Modern Mom or Gourmet Mom, you'll find the perfect bouquet.

* On Flower Blog, I'm really excited to introduce you to some real moms who exemplify these categories. I reached out to mom bloggers around the country and asked them to discuss the many facets of motherhood. I will start sharing their answers with you this week. If you are a mom blogger or you know of any mom bloggers who want to participate, send her my way! It's been really fun reading their entries so far and I can tell you they are smart, funny and generally pretty amazing.

* And if you love to shop until you drop with Mumsy, you'll love this: Teleflora is also running a Mom’s Shopping Spree Sweepstakes. The grand prize is a $20,000 shopping spree; first and second prizes will be shopping gift cards. How cool is that?!
 

We all like to know we're doing a good job, especially when you're doing so many jobs and wearing so many hats. Can you guess who I'm talking about? Professional Secretaries, of course!

Sir Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." And I think secretaries and executive assistants, these hard-working office stalwarts, know that truth perhaps better than anyone else.

You have to give your all to juggle so many projects, arrange so many meetings, attend to so many crucial details and keep so many people happy.

If you run an office or team, think for a second about life without a secretary or assistant. Not a happy thought for most people. If that's the case for you, don't forget to say thanks and show your appreciation. He or she is probably too busy to have lunch so why not reward a job well done with flowers?

I think this one is stunning and would brighten any desk or cube. Want to see more? There are plenty more where that came from. Just visit:

The hyacinth, a spring bloom that's bound to delight, is perfect for the sports fans in your life.

In her book, The Flower Shop, author Sally Page offers this secret: "When you trim the bottom of a hyacinth, leave as much of the bulbous stem attached as you can; something within this part of the plant helps the hyacinth stay strong and straight. And, since the fragrance of a hyacinth gets stronger the older it gets, be careful not to throw them away too soon."

I would add to that: be careful when handling the hyacinth -- their stems, though thick & chunky, are more delicate than you may think, a bit like celery. So, if a stem gets bruised or bent, the flower is going to have a hard time standing up in your bouquet. If you are buying them, inspect the stems and, once you purchase, treat them gently. They will not disappoint!
 

Today's post is from expert florist Matthew McDonald of Bookshelf Florist and Gifts in Gaffney, SC, http://www.bookshelfflorist.com/.  



When it comes to flower arranging, a simple look will take you far. Yesterday, I discussed the simple elegance of a container of ten tulips or an iris or three in a vase. And I talked about tapping the floral glory of your own back yard with blossoms and blooms such as hyacinths, forsythia, cherry or peach blossoms, camellias and the flowering shrub spirea.

Go for greens
And don't forget greens, which also spring to life at this time of year. Acuba (with its yellow speckled leaf), red tip, and other shrubs as well as the ever-popular magnolia are just a few. Magnolia trees are primarely found in the Eastern North Americas, Central Americas and West indies. Curly willow can add height and a bit of character while the acuba can be used as a filler for your arrangement.

There are many other shrubs in your area that are not in the Southeast. Try placing a cutting in a vase (remember to remove foliage from below the water line for all arrangements or cuttings) and see if they will last. Some green shrubs do not tolerate being cut, thus wilting or sagging.

Green shrubs allow you to have foliage at the base of the arrangement or mixed in higher as you would with roses. It is always nice to have something different and not the traditional leatherleaf fern. If you are arranging flowers and greens, remember: there is no perfect arrangement and what you may like someone else may not.

Color, form, flower type
If you use one color, try the same flower or different flowers of the same color. By choosing different flowers of the same color you add texture and depth.

That said, using different colors in an arrangement is fun so try using the colors in a color palette. Primary colors such as red, yellow and purple along with white may look better together than pink, bright yellow and orange. In designing, remember to place flowers so they form a triangle. Using odd numbers of flowers is always best.

The flowers' lifespan depends on many factors. Heat as well as bacteria in the water shortens the lifespan. I change my water every other day and keep my arrangements in a cool place, out of the sun.

When using tall stems, use a taller vase. A good rule of thumb is the arrangement should be 1-2 times the height of a vase. So if the vase is 12 inches tall, my arrangement is 24 to 36 inches high.

The next time you have a luncheon you might want to float a camellia bloom in a low container or saucer, three or more add a great simple look and are a great conversation starter, try it you will be amazed.
 

Today's post is from expert florist Matthew McDonald of Bookshelf Florist and Gifts in Gaffney, SC, www.bookshelfflorist.com.  



With spring in the air, flowers and nature come to bloom to awe and inspire us.

There are many possibilities for flower arranging when you have fresh flowers growing just outside your door. From the fragrant hyacinths, showy iris, ever-popular tulips, to the flowering shrub spirea with beautiful white blooms on its long stem.

Spireas are among the easiest flowering shrubs to grow. Spireas have over 80 species, some of which have dozens of varieties. They are a member of the rose family and are tough plants. All spirea have small leaves and fine, twiggy branches.

There are two distinct kinds of spireas: the bridal wreath type, with clusters of white flowers on arching branches in spring; and the smaller, shrubby, much lower-growing type, which has pink, red or white flowers clustered at the end of upright branches from late spring through to fall. Spireas prefers partial to full sun. Spireas are tolerant of many soils except extremely wet. The plant also likes mulch and summer watering.

There is something for everyone and every taste. Let's not forget the forsythia, cherry or peach blossoms, camellias and the many other greens. A long-lived evergreen shrub, the camellia plant is a beloved Southern shrub with graceful blooms that have been enjoyed by gardeners for years. Camellias are well suited for part shade but are not available everywhere in the US.

When arranging, we often think of many different flowers in an arrangement. However, the simplicity of one type of flower or a single flower can be as elegant if not more elegant. Take for example a vase of ten tulips, which is simple in its design while an iris or three in a vase can be eye catching due to their unique look.

While on the subject of iris and tulips, these flowers, as well as hyacinths, are bulb plants and when given or received as a potted plant can provide years of enjoyment if they are planted outside once they have bloomed out.

I hear too often of people discarding the bulbs instead of planting them in the ground due to their busy schedule...etc. With the many different colors of hyacinths such as I have in my yard, and daffodils, tulips as well as other flowering plants, It truly makes a show.

For those of you looking for that larger, more grand, statement the forsythia or spirea is an excellent choice. The forsythia with its yellow blossoms on the stem in a tall container/vase is great for filling that large area. I have used it numerous times for church arrangements.

Come back tomorrow for Part Two!
 

Easter is this Sunday and I'm looking forward to sharing Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit with friends over the weekend.

Full of fresh spring flowers, this bouquet is one of my favorites. Afterwards, it can be filled with cookies.

Peter Rabbit’s literary legacy stretches back more than 100 years, to 1902, when Potter published “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” In 1903, Potter showed that she was a keen merchandiser as well as a gifted artist by making Peter the first patented soft toy; he’s now the oldest licensed character. 



 

Teleflora Flower Blog Sweepstakes (April)

Make a comment on any post this month and you'll be entered in a random drawing to win a free bouquet of flowers.

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. SWEEPSTAKES BEGINS 12:00 AM PACIFIC STANDARD TIME (“PST”) ON APRIL 7, 2009 AND ENDS AT 11:59 PM PST ON MAY 6, 2009.

1. ELIGIBILITY: Teleflora Flower Blog Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry. Winners of a sweepstakes by Sponsor within the six (6) months immediately prior to this Sweepstakes are not eligible. Employees of Sponsor and its parent and affiliate companies (collectively, “Promotion Parties”) as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible. Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Sweepstakes. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein. Sponsor reserves the right to verify eligibility qualifications of the winners.

2. HOW TO ENTER: Visit the Teleflora Flower Blog located at http://www.teleflora.com/flowerblog/ and post a comment responsive to the Teleflora Flower Blog. Limit 1 entry per person/e-mail address/household for the duration of the Sweepstakes. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated or mechanical means are void. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. Promotion Parties and all of their respective employees, officers, directors, shareholders and agents (collectively, "Released Parties") assume no responsibility for entries that are processed, reported, or transmitted late or incorrectly or are lost or misdirected for any reason whatsoever nor for any other error, problem or malfunction of any kind, whether computer, network, telephonic, technical, mechanical, human or otherwise, relating to or in connection with this Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, errors which may occur in connection with the administration of the Sweepstakes, processing of entries, notification of winners, announcement of the prize or in any Sweepstakes-related materials, or for the inability to access the website associated with the Sweepstakes.

3. PRIZES: One (1) winner will be randomly selected from among all eligible entries and shall receive a Teleflora Bouquet ARV: $50.00 to $100.00 (the “Prize”). Sponsor shall arrange to deliver the Prize to the winner within seven (7) to ten (10) days of when the winner accepts the Prize. The Prize (or any portion thereof) is non-transferable, non-negotiable and not redeemable for cash, credit or merchandise. No substitutions or cash redemption of the Prize is permitted except that Sponsor retains the right to substitute a prize of comparable or greater retail value. Additional restrictions may apply.

4. DRAWING: The potential winner will be selected in a random drawing held on or about May 6, 2009 from all eligible entries received. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. The potential winner will be notified by e-mail. Potential winner must respond within one week of notification or prize will be forfeited and another name drawn. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Sponsor and its designees to use each winner’s name, city, state, likeness, voice and biographical information for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity in any and all media, now or hereafter devised without limitation and without additional notification or permission or compensation, unless prohibited by law. All information collected will be treated in a manner consistent with Sponsor’s privacy policy and the consent given at time of entry. The Sweepstakes is governed by the laws of the State of California, with venue in Los Angeles, California, and all claims must be resolved in the appropriate state and federal courts of Los Angeles, California.

5. GENERAL CONDITIONS: Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Sweepstakes, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures or any other factor beyond Sponsor’s reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Sweepstakes, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or any other promotion or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

6. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: Released Parties assume no responsibility for any injury or damage to entrants’ or to any other person's computer (including hardware or software) related to or resulting from participation in this Sweepstakes or downloading materials from or use of the website. By entering the Sweepstakes, all entrants agree to release and hold harmless Released Parties from any liability whatsoever for any claims, costs, injuries, liability, losses, actions, or damages of any kind (including, without limitation, related to personal injury, death, damage to property, infringement of proprietary rights, rights of publicity or privacy or defamation) arising out of or in connection with: (1) participation in the Sweepstakes or (2) acceptance, use or misuse of any prize (including any travel or activity related hereto), whether under a theory of contract, warranty, tort, (including negligence, whether active, passive, or imputed) strict liability, product liability, contribution, or any other theory. If for any reason this Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned, Sponsor in its sole discretion, may disqualify any individual, void entries and/or terminate, modify or suspend this Sweepstakes or any portion thereof. In the event the Sweepstakes is terminated, Sponsor may, at its discretion, conduct a random drawing to award the prize for the drawing at issue from among all eligible, non-suspect entries received for such drawing prior to such action. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of an online entrant, entrant will be deemed the "registered subscriber" of the e-mail account at issue and required to comply with these Official Rules.

7. WINNERS LIST: The winner’s name will be posted on the Teleflora Flower Blog.

8. SPONSOR: Teleflora LLC, 11444 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 210, Los Angeles, CA 90064. 
 

Thank you to all who entered the Flower Blog March Sweepstakes. I have drawn the winner's name at random and will make the announcement as soon as I hear back from the person selected. I wish I could send you all free bouquets – alas there is only one winner.

But don't give up hope: the Flower Blog April Sweepstakes starts today. I will keep running these on a monthly basis, so keep the comments coming. After all, comments are like flowers, you can never get enough! :)
 

Welcome back to the horoscope page, where each month you can read a fun take on the future and see the flower associated with your sign.

 Capricorn: Dec. 22-Jan. 20 / Flower: African violet

You may be feeling that your methodical, meticulous approach is not getting the praise or attention it deserves. As wonderful as those traits are and as much as you want to take charge and steer your own course, there is really very little that is actually in our control. That’s ok – in fact, it’s freeing! The weekend of the 17th will be extra productive; you’ll be uplifted on the 24th.




   Aquarius: Jan. 21-Feb. 19 / Flower: Orchid
 
More often than not, you are one step ahead of the crowd, but that can get a little lonely. Meanwhile, you’ve met someone who is earthy and funny, and appreciates your sense of humor. Relax and reveal your feelings, for a change. At work, you will impress the powers that be without even trying. Don’t be too hard on yourself the last week of the month.




   Pisces: Feb. 20-March 20 / Flower: Alstroemeria

Your tremendous compassion will be in high demand. In your element, you will shine. Decide not to worry about finances. Instead, empower yourself. A good place to start is the Wall Street Journal. Just read a story a day and you’ll be amazed at how much knowledge you acquire without really trying. And, as a lover of all things beautiful, you will see that even economics has hidden grace and mystery!




   Aries: March 21-April 20 / Flower: Tulip
 
A difficult patch in your personal life may be hindering your concentration on the job. Try this: Buy a notebook and for 15 minutes each morning, jot down all that you are feeling. If you need to, you can write more later. Then, put it in a safe place and head to work with a clear mind. Things will get better. The 19th will be lucky.




   Taurus: April 21-May 21 / Flower: Lily
 
You’ll become immersed in research which at first seems dry. But as you persevere, you will make a deep personal connection with it and find it hard to put down. Reach out to a colleague who seems arrogant; it is just insecurity in disguise. Back down from arguments the last week of April. If you need a pick-me-up, remember that nothing does the job like a bouquet of fresh flowers!




   Gemini: May 22-June 21 / Flower: Rose
 
You’ve waited long enough for him to make his move. Ask him to have a cup of coffee with you. He will probably say yes, but if not, life will go on and you’ll be open to new opportunities. If you are job hunting, hang in there. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You will get a terrific idea for a creative venture around the 18th. Write it down, even if you think it’s so brilliant you’ll never forget.




   Cancer: June 22-July 22 / Flower: Delphinium

Little Cancer, you know you’re hurt easily. That’s ok, that’s just who you are. But don’t let it build up into anger and resentment. Besides, you need your energy for an exciting new project that is given to you because no one else has the flair and finesse to pull it off. You can do it! At the end of the month, romance will take you by surprise.



   Leo: July 23- Aug. 22 / Flower: Sunflower

You’re on the cusp of an exciting new chapter of your career. Worrying about money is pointless; it will find you. Right now, you have other, more important, things to think about. Don’t be deceived by illusion or get off track by comparing yourself to other people; just be peaceful and content within. On the 27th, something that puzzled you suddenly makes sense.




   Virgo: Aug. 23-Sept. 23 / Flower: Daisy
 
A blast from the past makes you a tad nostalgic (in a good way!) and reminds you to do a better job of staying in touch with old friends and former colleagues. Oh, and that potentially lucrative side project you’ve had on the back burner? It will happen and the timing will be perfect. Set aside a regular time each week to work on it. Then, be patient and upbeat until it comes to life.



   Libra: Sept. 24-Oct. 23 / Flower: Hydrangea

This month, remember this quotation from Oscar Wilde: “Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." Your talent as a mediator will come into play around the 22nd. Set a deadline for the two parties to agree; otherwise you will be hearing the same stories again and again. After that, put the focus on fun: a long walk on the beach, an ice cream cone, a new pair of shoes, perhaps.



  Scorpio: Oct. 24-Nov. 22 / Flower: Peony

If you were not so eminently capable, you wouldn’t feel the need to dominate every situation, yes?;) We mere mortals are in awe of you so set a good example. You’ll make a key discovery at work that could set the stage for a promotion. And your home life will be tranquil. Travel plans will materialize by the end of the month. The 13th will be lucky.



   Sagittarius: Nov. 23-Dec. 21 / Flower: Carnation
 
You’ve been contemplating a big switch in your living situation. Since you often worry that you are too impulsive, make a list of pros and cons. Then, if you decide it is the right choice, resolve to make it happen as quickly and efficiently as possible. A random daydream leads to an inspiring truth the week of the 27th. You may need to curb your temper with a relative this month.


Flower Fact of the Day: Yellow roses represent friendship and joy, but in Victorian times, they symbolized jealousy.

And for a funny story about flowers and April Fool's jokes, check out: http://www.adecadentexistence.com/?p=312.   
 

Teleflora's P.S. I Love You bouquet
makes an unforgettable gift.