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Valentines Will Always Be About Roses

Philippine Flowers Blog — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:09:33 +0000

Roses and Valentines are two things that have long been associated with love, affection, passion, red, hearts, dinners, and of course money. Seriously speaking, have you (like me) ever wondered why every the “red letter day” of the year cue roses in? Sure, there are thousands of other more original, stunning, and beautiful gifts in the market but roses just seem to win over this battle year after year.

Roses are big talkers and have long symbolized love and passion. Valentines day seem to put pressure on couples with undefined relationships. With a hazy status quo, how do you approach gift giving? Roses of different colors, count, and combinations should give you a good grasp on how to define subtly your relationship this sticky time of the year. Below is a list of that you can take in reference to this coming Valentines day:

By color:

Red Roses – defines love, passion, and respect

Pink Roses – communicates happiness, appreciation, admiration, friendship, and sympathy

Dark Pink Roses – say “thank you”

Light Pink Roses – displays grace, joy, gentility and admiration

White Roses – signify purity, innocence, humility, charm, and silence

Peach Roses – connotes modesty

Coral Roses – implies desire

Yellow Roses – defines caring, gladness, freedom, joy, and friendship

Orange Roses – shows the feeling of fascination, desire, and enthusiasm

Lavender Rose – symbolizes enchantment and love at first sight

By count:

One rose says “I still love you” while a dozen says “thank you very much.” Your partner will not only blush but be also floored upon receipt of fifty roses as this translates to unconditional love.

By combination:

A mix of red and white roses symbolizes unity. A generous yellow and orange rose mix sends passionate thoughts. I find saying “congratulations” rather weird on Valentines Day therefore please skip having a red and yellow rose mix arranged.

While Valentines Day has always been about roses, this should not restrict you from giving just these alone. Chocolates have always complemented roses nicely but recent trends show that jewelry such as rings, pendants, and brooches have been catching up. Fictional novels are always lovely to curl up to at night and so is an MP3 player that has all of your woman’s favorite love songs. Whatever your relationship is or whatever stage you are already on, just do make sure that you will not let this red-letter day pass without presenting roses.

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The Poinsettia, a Christmas Star

Flowers Philippines — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:30:59 +0000

As the city nights unfold from warm evenings to the holiday breeze, the world slowly prepares for Christmas as early as November. The manifestations of Christmas begin with the insertion of random Christmas carols in commercial establishments or a delivery of Christmas trees that decorates the front entrance of malls. Other than the carols and trees, it is the lights from the many houses that slowly populate the cityscape and captivate the evening.

It is tradition that families come and decorate their homes with trimmings and flowers. But these are no ordinary flora – it is a special Christmas flower, the Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima), as it is best known around the world, that echoes to the household that Christmas is just around the corner. Though stereotyped as another tradition, the Poinsettia has its roots in Mexican legend. Based on its roots, it was brought over to the West by a Mexican Ambassador Joel Roberts Poinsetta. But from tradition, the Poinsettia was said to be a bloom most beautiful coming directly from the heavenly skies.

The traditional tale is passed down in history with a poor farm girl wanting to offer the very best gift to the Savior during Christmas day. Her plea was heard by the angels above and they instructed her to gather weeds and align the Church walkway with these. According to legend, after the little girl delivered this task the angels miraculously converted the weeds into a crimson red bloom. And thus was born the Poinsettia, a Christmas flower.

Regardless of what it is called around the world, the Poinsettia – known also as the Noche Buena, the Winter Rose, the Christmas Star, the Flame Leaf, the Stelle di Natalle finds itself inside the homes of families around the world as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s love for believers in the Christian Faith. The Christmas Flower is usually hung outside homes on the front doors to greet passersby or made to hang on the Christmas tree indoors to bring it to full bloom.

Regardless of its many symbolisms, the Poinsettia points to the nativity of Jesus Christ, symbolic of the brightest star that led the wise men and shepherds to that little manger in Bethlehem. The Poinsettia is beautiful. It is a most wonderful centerpiece that decorates the dinner table when family and friends gather to celebrate the season of love. And isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

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Celebrate the gift of the Christmas season with Island Rose flowers. Visit www.islandrose.net and see how you can put a smile on your loved ones’ lips this Holiday season.

Why You Need a Wedding Coordinator?

islandrose — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:57:32 +0000

Often unheralded, the wedding coordinator captures much of the blame and never the credit for well-executed weddings. Some coordinators are solo while some come with quite an arsenal of personnel. But all being equal, their value are sorted down to the following:

Stress Relief.
We are in a wedding crazy country. Being predominantly Catholic and pretentiously religious people we have a tendency to invest a lot in our nuptials. An often-mentioned jibe is, but always half true, we do not simply marry another person. We marry into a whole family. Hiring a coordinator can give the couple an unbiased anchoring point into uniting the preferences of both sides of the families including friends and patrons.

Sometimes just keeping the peace between clans is worthwhile enough to hire a professional.

Focus.
The most popular churches sometimes are booked so far back that the entire wedding takes a year or more to produce. This fact alone will warrant a point person to tasklist activities and to do’s while the engaged couple live through their careers and gather resources at the same time.

Keeping focus also means contacting and constantly reminding the concerned guests, participants and most importantly suppliers to keep to the schedule. This would be equal to planning a one-night concert, innumerable details and intricate logistics all for a single performance.

Cost Control.
Being such an emotional adventure for the couple, most weddings go haywire in the budget department because of a lot of impulsive decisions. Having the heart instead of the head often leads to years of debt for newlyweds. Something we should always try to avoid.

The planners experience in creatively juggling “wants versus needs” will establish parameters in behalf of the couple and keep the budget in line. Being a professional, the planner will keep financial positions private and may sometimes intercede by extending terms for payments since they are usually highly regarded by suppliers and entertainers.
A Fistful of Wisdom
Experienced coordinators have seen it all and heard it all. Legal and sacramental advise come with the package of these planners. Churches have different restrictions, venues have deficiencies and provinces have different beliefs, superstitions and traditions. Coordinators can pour all these particulars and line up a pocket of solutions to satisfy most requirements.

Free Time
Getting a coordinator most importantly gives you invaluable free time to spend on finer matters, such as interviewing photographers and videographers to capture important moments in your celebration. Even choosing the albums can be quite a chore. Picking out the flowers and décor to match your theme, listing down items for the bridal registry, attending to fittings, going to salons and most importantly meeting up friends and sponsors to make sure they will give your union the support it deserves. Actually most of what has just been set will be done with much help from the coordinator as they can filter the ones you should talk to or deal with in the first place.

In sum, the wedding coordinator gives the most value by covering the intangibles leading to that special day. They are like an insurance policy to enable the couple to experience more joy. They will carry the extra safety pin, the spool of thread, the extra car, the duct tape and the very best ones carry something borrowed and something blue.

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Styling Tables on a Budget

islandrose — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:50:42 +0000

This article is written by Irene C. Perez for Philippine Daily Inquirer and is published on May 20, 2009.

Got too many trinkets at home? Use easy-to-find and affordable accent pieces to liven up your dining table. You don’t have to be a pro to create a pretty table setting, just be creative – explore and experiment. Think fun and functional.

Designer Estien Quijano (09173241010; estienquijano@yahoo.com) gave tips on how materials found in your home could double as table accessories. The easiest way to make your table look styled is by using napkin rings, he said.

“Just roll the napkin and be imaginative with the rings,” he said. “You may use old Christmas tree decor, baby bangles, strands of faux pearls, or lace that you could buy by the yard.”

Have beads from old or broken bracelets? Restring them with an elastic cord and use them to keep the napkin in place. And the best thing is you can give them to guests as well.

If you’re feeling generous and want to give your visitors an extra treat, you may give them freshly baked breads with homemade jam or a pot of fresh herbs.

Quijano, a columnist of MyHome magazine, recently showed us to do a Spanish-inspired dinner setup at the recent Table and Flower Arrangement workshop in Dimensione on Bonifacio High Street in Taguig.

He used materials that can be easily bought in Dimensione, like LSA vases, Chilewich tabletop and runners together with Island Rose flowers to come up with an attractive arrangement that could sure make your guests feel welcome and easily be a conversation piece.

The table was a rich mix of black, white and red with gold and green accents.

As a modern twist, black photo frames were used as charger plates. Then he put a gold chandelier candelabra with red candles as an [] centerpiece.

For Small Spaces

Small spaces or a short budget shouldn’t hinder you from having a nice table. For those who live in condos with a table for two, Quijano suggests of putting the arrangement in one corner instead of the middle and arrange the chairs to form an L shape. This makes the setup more intimate and encourages comfortable conversations.

But how about single guys who want to decorate their pads, but are clueless about arrangements, and wouldn’t be caught dead with girly flowers on their tables?

“Use bamboo shoots, ferns, twigs. Then have cacti as highlights,” said floral stylist Benjo Pacson (0917-81benjo; http://benjopacson.multiply.com). It’s low maintenance and easy to arrange.”

Going green is the “it” thing when it comes to homes, Pacson said. “We are in tropical country so rich in foliage, you don’t exactly have to spend too much in making your place chic.”

Most homes now are gearing towards dynamic and native materials, using lots of fibers like katya, rattan and sawali which makes for organic chic look.

“You can even use bowls of fruits, even veggies. Toss in ginger with roses and pears for that rustic feel,” Pacson adds.

For a quick decor, place name cards on sticks and pierce them on green apples with red roses.

“Maximize your garden. Maintain pots and planters so you won’t have to buy flowers every so often, and cute potted plants can be used directly on your tables as well.”

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Create a simple but pretty table centerpiece with Island Rose. Visit www.islandrose.net and choose from a wide array of roses readily available for your work of art.

Bridal Bouquet Ideas

Philippine Flowers Blog — Sun, 31 May 2009 05:45:10 +0000

There are several images that automatically come to mind when we think about weddings. We might think of a church decorated with flowers and layers of tulle, the aisle strewn with petals. We might think about bridesmaids in pretty identical dresses and sweet-looking flower girls looking thrilled to be at the center of attention for the few minutes they will be walking down the aisle. But the most prominent image that we associate with weddings is the bride in a white ball-gown dress, her hair covered by a long translucent veil, cradling a beautiful bouquet of flowers in her hands.

The tradition of carrying a bridal bouquet is almost as old as weddings themselves. Flowers symbolize fertility, but very little research is done on the origin of the bridal bouquet and the tradition of throwing the bouquet and passing on the fertility to another woman in the wedding. Nevertheless, the wedding bouquet is a time-honored tradition that is observed in different ways.

Bridal bouquets can be either a single, long-stemmed flower tied with a colorful ribbon, a large bunch of many different flowers, or something in between. Most brides say that choosing the flowers to go with the bouquet is a difficult decision to make. However, there is no such thing as the “right” or “wrong” bouquet. The only right bridal bouquet is whatever you want it to be. If you’ve always wanted a bridal bouquet of dazzling tropical Philippine flowers enhanced by glittering Swarovski crystals, then you should definitely go for it. A single red rose wrapped in lace would be just as stunning.

If you’re having difficulty deciding, here’s a tip: think of a way you can connect the flowers to your wedding gown and the bridesmaids’ dresses. If your wedding dress is ivory white while your bridesmaids are wearing peach, a coral rose bouquet will make the colors stand out.

For a colorful bridal bouquet, remember that colors that are shades of each other will give your bouquet a more subtle look. If you’re wearing a simple dress, try a bouquet with contrasting colors as the flowers will stand out more than your dress.

Another area for variety is the bouquet’s shape. The most popular arrangement is the round one, but you can always add a unique twist to it by giving it a downward point of greenery and lace. You can also place beads or crystals and allow them to trail over the bottom edge to make your bridal bouquet sparkle.

There is an incredibly array of options for brides when it comes to choosing the flowers, styles, and arrangement of the bridal bouquet. With florists offering a dizzying array of options for weddings, you’d be hard-pressed to find the right bridal bouquet to complement your dress on your wedding day.

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The Popular Rose Varieties

Flowers Philippines — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:32:57 +0000

The rose, being the most popular garden and cut plant, has over 20,000 cultivars in the Northern Hemisphere alone. This number originates from a conservative figure of only 150-200 species of wild roses. Fossil specimens found in both Colorado and Oregon show that roses have been growing for more than 30 million years to date. More fossil specimens were found in North Africa and are said to be at least 4,000 years old. Variant wise, only five of the massive figures above cut as the most popular: the Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, Grandiflora, Climber, and Miniature roses.

Hybrid Tea roses were first cultivated in 1867 by a French nurseryman named Jean-Baptiste Guillot. He achieved the first Hybrid Tea by budding an old Chinese garden tea rose and a European rose. While it is not as fragrant as the other variants, it is safe to say that this rose is the most popular of all because of its wide selection of colors and its long stem that makes it ideal as a cut blossom.

The Floribundas can easily be distinguished from Hybrid Teas because of their dense clusters and big, simultaneous blossoms sitting on its truss. It was first cultivated in 1909, crossing a Polyantha and a Hybrid Tea. This variant is generally easier to maintain than its parents, making it ideal for parks and similar spaces.

The Grandiflora was first cultivated in the mid 1900s, crossing a Hybrid Tea and a Floribunda. Its stem is slightly shorter than a hybrid tea’s and its blossom’s size is midway its parents’. The Queen Elizabeth, the first Grandiflora, is still considered as one of the best variants of this rose class.

All Old and Modern roses have their “climbing” counterparts. The canes of the Climbers’ shrubs are naturally more flexible and much longer than its bush form. Its form on Old Garden roses can generally be attributed to the natural growth habit while in Modern Garden roses, it’s actually an end result of mutating continuously. Most Climbing roses grow anywhere between 8-20 feet in height and needs to be “trained” to grow upwards by tying to structures. Miniature roses, similar to Climbers, are simply smaller versions of Old Garden Roses. This class of roses are usually twiggy in form with repeat-ing shrubs that grow anywhere between 6 to 36 inches in height. Its color range is similar to the Hybrid Tea’s and is usually marketed as houseplants.

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Really, Thank You

Flowers Philippines — Wed, 06 May 2009 02:36:41 +0000

Saying the words “thank you” is one of the first lessons a child must learn by example at home. Showing gratitude and making it a habit is a trait that can take one anywhere. Politicians, actors, and musicians say these words in every speech delivery possible. Why would they not when they will be nowhere close to where they are without their supporters and fans.

Pronouncing these two words does not have to be verbal all the time. A flower delivery accompanied by lavender tea bags in the afternoon is a good way to thank your editor for staying up all night, proofreading your manuscript to the last word. Kids show appreciation to their favorite teachers by giving them the juiciest and reddest apple, their mom’s infamous brownies, and drawings of their entire class by the school garden complete with multi-colored butterflies and doodled flowers. While they are crossing their fingers for monetary bonuses, staff members usually just get pizza and pasta from their bosses for bagging a new client.

It is especially beneficial to show gratitude in romantic relationships. The habit of frequently thanking your partner or as they say, being “romantically polite”, not only shows your appreciation but it also boosts his or her ego overtime. In addition, when you thank your partner for even the simplest gesture, the cheapest gift, or just for giving you a casual complement, it cues him that you liked what he just did or gave. This will definitely go down in this mental notebook as the things that please you and he in turn will do it more often.

Your options on how to say thank you, as a romantic partner is almost bottomless. Flowers and chocolates are and have always been good thank you tokens. Giving his dog a bath or bringing his car to the carwash is will guarantee a good karma. Handing the remote over during season finals and not talking during the game might sound silly but this will go a long way to some men.

Since gratitude is relative, saying or showing thank you can also be overdone. The key is to keep the delivery of your appreciation in the same or just a little over the gravity of the gift or gesture you have received. The only exception to this rule that I can think of would be saying thank you to your parents, your brother’s heart transplant donor, or the woman who gave you three beautiful children that you can just look at the whole day.

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Show your gratitude by sending a bunch of fresh flowers sent to your loved one’s doorstep. Order high-quality roses from Island Rose – Philippine Flowers and Gifts.

Origin of Mother’s Day

Philippine Florist Blog — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:33:08 +0000

Roughly two weeks from now, flower shops will once again be flocked by men and children of all ages, hauling up only the best for the number one woman our lives: our mothers and wives. Next to the ever popular Christmas and Valentines, Mothers Day is one of the most widely celebrated holidays around the globe. While it’s celebrated different days of the year, we celebrate it here in the Philippines every second Sunday of May (May 10 this 2009), as adopted from the Western calendar.
The earliest recognized Mothers Day celebration dates back to ancient Greece in honor of the Mother of the gods, Rhea. The Romans, who have equally popular mythological gods have been honoring Rhea’s Roman counterpart, Juno, through a holiday called “Matronalia” where mothers are usually given flowers and gifts. During the 16th century, the mothers from United Kingdom and Ireland are released by their masters every fourth Sunday of Lent (exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday) to be with their children and families hence the day has been called “mothering Sunday”.

The American tradition of honoring mothers every second Sunday of May has only begun in May 9, 1914 through the efforts of Julia Ward Howe (wrote a Mother’s Day Proclamation as a call for peace and disarmament in 1870), Ann Jarvis (she attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers’ Work Days in 1858), and Anna Jarvis (the daughter of the previously mentioned who also started a movement to impose a memorial day for women in 1907).

Shopping for Mothers Day has never been simpler these days where everything is available in the malls or even online. Flower shops have hundreds of arrangement and gift suggestions for the confused gift giver. Start off your selection with an exquisite or quirky (whatever fits your mom’s personality) vase. This should be a good practice to ward off those boxes and tissue wrappers that your mom will just ditch within the day.

From there, check out the vast selection of flowers this summer. They are not only colorful but can also be inexpensive (naturally because of the supply). Pair your customized flower and vase with the book she’s been dying to read, a Teflon pan to replace the one you damaged by scraping off the coating with a metal spoon or take her to a scrub, massage, and wrap date at the spa. The key is to give her something that will truly make her feel like a queen so there’s no room for going overboard here. She’s worked very hard year round for you and it’s your chance to say thank you with everyone else around the globe.

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Brighten your mom’s day with a wide smile and a bunch of fresh flowers. Celebrate Mother’s Day with Island Rose – Philippine Flowers and Gifts.

Thanking the Heavens: Mother’s Day

Philippine Florist Blog — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:32:30 +0000

Making mom smile has been one of my daily goals since I childhood. Call it really cheesy but my mom’s just absolutely stunning when she smiles. She is rather easy to please actually but for some reason, she seems to be giddier when she gets flowers. I just had to ask her why getting flowers appeal so much to her. She chucked and replied with as a shy “because when become a mom, your child’s artworks automatically appear as masterpieces. This goes for pretty little things like flowers. They just stun me every time I get a bunch.” Flowers of course do not always have to appear and be given as cut plants. I reckon mom even scolding my brother one time when he spent a full week’s allowance on this huge bouquet for Valentines Day.Taking the workaholic mom to a spa date is not only a thoughtful idea but also a fantastic way to de-stress her for that hell week she has just had. Most spas offer at least a 3-hour package that starts with petal soak, followed by a scrub, mask, and massage. To maximize the treatments’ benefit, ranting about your bad date the other day is not welcomed.

The baking mama would definitely grasp in delight when you give her those stainless flower shaped fondant cutters available in your home depot. These cutters are very useful, versatile, and inexpensive. Be a bit more generous and pair it with gum paste, printed cupcake liners, and bottled sprinkles. Watch your mom impress your houseguests with mini cakes and cupcakes topped with colorful blooms for the next few weeks.

A new comforter printed with her favorite flowers will give the domesticated mom a good night’s sleep. If sky is the limit, take mom to the mall and shop your hearts out. Get her those beautiful Swarovski brooches shaped into flowers. Compliment them with a pair of shoes and clutch that she can don onto on the next gala.

The key in pleasing our moms with flowers grounds back to the simple thought of recognizing her unconditional love. Recalling what my mom said, it is perfectly logical to assume that like in any gift giving, it’s actually the thought that counts. The flowers, being one of the most recognized symbols of love, is just the perfect way to get your message across: that you genuinely love her and that you thank the heavens that she’s just right there next to you.

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Your Own Floral Perfume Line? Yes!

Philippine Flowers Blog — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:32:30 +0000

What do Paris Hilton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Britney Spears, and David Beckham have in common? If your answer has in any way got to do with ultra short hemlines or underwear then you are wrong (okay, maybe you are right but that is not what I am shooting for today). If you haven’t been to the malls nor lifted a beauty magazine, then you may have not chanced on these stars eau de toilette babies. More designers and stars continue to join this very lucrative (and billion-dollar) sniffing business year after year.

Before the Persian doctor and chemist named Avicenna extracted oils from flowers by means of distillation, herbs have been crushed and mixed together to form perfume (which was by the way derived from the Latin word “per fumum” which means “through smoke”). Lucky for crafty hands today, you need not go to the market or flower garden to extract your own for oils. Essential oils, the most important factor in creating perfume, are now available in most craft stores.

Making your own perfume is much easier than how it sounds like. I completed my first flower scented perfume fifth grade. We were asked to bring essential oils (I reckon mine were all about flowers: lavender, jasmine, and lilies), 100 proof vodka, distilled water, coffee filters, glass flask and stirrer, and a dark glass bottle. The recipe given to us was very simple to follow: mix 60% essential oil, 30% vodka, and 10% distilled water though roughly.

Begin by mixing the essential oils with the vodka in a glass flask. Mix thoroughly until the oils dispersed. Let this mixture stand uncovered for 48 hours. After the time has elapsed, add the distilled water and mix thoroughly again. Let it stand for another 48 hours. After 48 hours, run the mixture through the coffee filter into the dark glass bottle. This ensures that there are no sediments left in your mixture before storing. Cover the bottle tightly and let it stand for at least a week in a cool, dark place. The strength of the aroma depends on how long you let the perfume stand untouched. A week’s time should be enough to produce a half-day lasting fragrance.

While performing the simple experiment above does not merit you a slot in the cosmetics and fragrance industry or a star in Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, it gives you a chance to formulate a fragrance that is uniquely you. Folks suffering from allergic rhinitis might also want to concoct their own scent, avoiding the common allergens that prohibit them from wearing perfume.

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