The Flower Blog

Della Mendenhall

Recent Posts

The Beauty of Dancing and Flowers: 5 Ways They Can Improve Your Mental Health

Posted by Fri, Aug 11, 2023 @ 11:12 AM

blog.gillespieflorists.comhs-fshub28499file-13661246-jpgimagesdella-blog-badge-Dancing and flowers are both beautiful and enjoyable activities that can have a positive impact on our mental health. In fact, there are many parallels between the two that can help us improve our well-being.

Parallel #1: Both dancing and flowers can help us express ourselves.

Dancing allows us to move our bodies in ways that express our emotions. Whether we're dancing to express joy, sadness, anger, or anything in between, dancing can be a powerful form of self-expression. Flowers, on the other hand, come in a variety of colors and shapes, each of which can represent a different emotion. For example, red roses are often associated with love, while yellow roses are associated with friendship.

Parallel #2: Both dancing and flowers can help us connect with nature.

Dancing outdoors can help us feel more connected to the natural world. The fresh air, the sunshine, and the sound of birdsong can all help us relax and de-stress. Flowers are also a part of nature, and they can help us feel more grounded and at peace. Studies have shown that spending time in nature can have a number of benefits for mental health, including reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

Parallel #3: Both dancing and flowers can help us reduce stress.

Dancing releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. Endorphins are natural painkillers that can help to reduce stress and anxiety. Flowers can also help reduce stress by providing us with a sense of beauty and tranquility. Studies have shown that looking at flowers can help to lower blood pressure and heart rate, and it can also help to improve our mood.

 

 

Parallel #4: Both dancing and flowers can help us improve our mood.

Dancing can help us feel more energized and positive. When we dance, our bodies release endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. Flowers can also help improve our mood by simply being beautiful to look at. Studies have shown that looking at flowers can help to increase positive emotions and decrease negative emotions.

Parallel #5: Both dancing and flowers can help us connect with others.

Dancing can be a social activity that allows us to connect with other people. Whether we're dancing with friends, family, or even strangers, dancing can be a great way to build relationships and feel more connected to others. Flowers can also be a way to connect with others, as they can be given as gifts or used to decorate spaces. Studies have shown that spending time with others can help to reduce loneliness and isolation, and it can also help to improve our mood.

Dancing and flowers are both beautiful and enjoyable activities that can have a positive impact on our mental health. By incorporating more dancing and flowers into our lives, we can help to improve our mood, reduce stress, and connect with others.

If you're looking for ways to improve your mental health, consider trying dancing or spending more time with flowers. There are many different ways to get involved with dancing, so you're sure to find something that you enjoy. And if you're not sure where to start, check out our social media pages and our store for ideas!

 

 

Topics: mental health, stress relief, Benefits of Flowers, self care, nature connection, self-expression

Spring Break DIY Floral Design Class!

Posted by Fri, Feb 24, 2023 @ 09:37 AM

blog.gillespieflorists.comhs-fshub28499file-13661246-jpgimagesdella-blog-badge-

Our "Spring Break" DIY Floral Design class is back for the Spring season!

If you like fresh spring flowers, design and learning DIY skills then sign up for this class today! In just two hours, Gillespie Florists Co-owner and experienced designer Pat Gillespie will guide you through the ins and outs of creating your very own Spring flower arrangement!
 DIYSpringBreak_23_FB EVENT

You have your choice of one of two classes!

Wednesday, March 15th, from 5-7pm 

Wednesday, March 15th, from 5-7pm 

at 9255 W 10th St, Indianapolis 46234

$50 per person. 8 Person Class Size.
Must be 18 years or older due to sharp instruments being used.

We have had an amazing time bringing back our DIY Floral Design classes last year, starting with Halloween, Thanksgiving, adding Christmas and now, Pat Gillespie is ready to lead this popular class for Spring. Mr. Gillespie has decades of experience in floral design and will be guiding you on this fun adventure with fresh flowers and your choice of container. Learning is part of the journey and Pat, as your guide, instructor and Dad-Joke extraordinaire will have you designing in no time with tips he's had ages to perfect. By the end of the two hours you will be bringing home a beautiful (arranged by you) creation and telling your friends and family about it so they can sign up for the next one! Check out these photos below. We had a great time designing Thanksgiving and Christmas arrangements with friends. Why not join in the fun?

DIYDESIGN

So how about it? Sounds pretty good? Two hours, personalized instruction with a most experienced floral designer and $50 for materials including: holiday themed container, florals and accessories! Extra accessories available if you would like to add more to your creation.

Share the link with your friends and make a night of it! Class size is limited so don't wait too long.

You have the option to purchase a single spot OR a double spot for yourself and a friend!

Questions? Give us a call: 317.273.1100 and we can assist you. Hope to see you in class!

 

REGISTER ONLINE FOR 3/15 HERE!

REGISTER ONLINE FOR 3/29 HERE!

 

Topics: spring flowers, spring seasonal, design classes, DIY Flowers, Design onsite

Meet Our Prom King & Queen 2019 #GFPROM2019

Posted by Mon, May 20, 2019 @ 09:30 AM

DellaBadgeTag_2016

We started this contest in 2011 as a fun way for us to see the end result with our prom flowers. We enjoy making them so much and love seeing students pick up their flowers but hardly ever get to see these students all dolled up wearing said prom flowers!

I didn't even know if anyone would bother with entering the contest! Every year as I print the fliers for this I wonder if we'll get any contestants this year. But, year after year lots of students enter with tons of support from friends and family! Therefore I want to thank our contestants from this year and from years past for your support in Gillespie Florists by choosing us for your flower provider and for giving us the opportunity to see the end result of our work with your participation in our Prom King and Queen contest!  

We had some serious competition this year! It was exciting to see all the positive comments and "likes" from friends and family of contestants. Prom goers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Business Page or they could use #GFPROM2019 on Instagram or twitter wearing our flowers! We then asked our social media followers to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. 

We tally all likes and comments from the original post from the contestant as well as the picture we post in the King & Queen album. We had several prom goers enter but there can be only one winner! 

And The Winner Is...

Valerie Harrell! Valerie posted for her son and his friend Kayla! They won with a total of 159 likes and comments! Valerie's son and Kayla will each get a $25.00 gift card to Gillespie Florists and Kayla will be crowned with a tiara and flowers!

Screen Shot 2019-05-05 at 8.54.15 PM

Kayla was wearing our Gillespie's Special GFP7, a three white alstroemeria lily corsage with red leaves, red ribbon and silver bead sprays and her date was wearing a matching boutonniere!

IMG_20190503_122748582_edited-1

We offer to send our customers pictures of their flowers before they pick up as a free service! Not everyone wants a picture before hand but the Harrell's did and that give us a chance to give you an up close look at the winning flowers! I love that they used alstroemeria lily flowers for Prom because it's a beautiful flower that isn't commonly used for Prom which makes it a unique choice!

This years tally was more difficult than previous years because some of the original submissions had privacy setting changes and were no longer visible for us to count likes/comments. We apologize if we missed some votes and remember for next year to keep your entry a public post until after the winner is announced!

Thanks to everyone who entered our Prom King & Queen Contest this year! We LOVE seeing everyone's pictures and hope to see you next year for #GFPROM2020!!

 

 

 

Topics: Prom flowers, Prom flowers Avon, Prom Flowers Indianapolis, prom, corsages, contest

Meet Our Prom King & Queen For 2018! #GFPROM2018

Posted by Wed, May 23, 2018 @ 10:00 AM

DellaBadgeTag_2016We started this contest in 2011 as a fun way for us to see the end result with our prom flowers. We enjoy making them so much and love seeing students pick up their flowers but hardly ever get to see these students all dolled up wearing said prom flowers!

I didn't even know if anyone would bother with entering the contest! Every year as I print the fliers for this I wonder if we'll get any contestants this year. But, year after year lots of students enter with tons of support from friends and family! Therefore I want to thank our contestants from this year and from years past for your support in Gillespie Florists by choosing us for your flower provider and for giving us the opportunity to see the end result of our work with your participation in our Prom King and Queen contest!  

We had some serious competition this year! It was exciting to see all the positive comments and "likes" from friends and family of contestants. Prom goers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Place Page or they could use #GFPROM2018 on Instagram or twitter wearing our flowers! We then asked our social media followers to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. 

We tally all likes and comments from the original post from the contestant as well as the picture we post in the King & Queen album. We had several prom goers enter but there can be only one winner! 

And The Winner Is...

Deprece & Lyncoln(@Lyncoln.euphoria via Instagram) won with a total of 279 likes/comments! 
Deprece & Lyncoln each get a $25.00 gift card to Gillespie Florists and will be crowned with a tiara and flowers!

Screen Shot 2018-05-22 at 1.56.42 PM

Deprece was wearing a three white mini carnation corsage with gold leaves, red ribbon and gold bead loops!
Lyncoln was waring a two white mini carnation boutonniere with gold leaves and a red french loop!

Screen Shot 2018-05-22 at 1.57.29 PM

Screen Shot 2018-05-22 at 1.57.53 PM 

As a thank you, our Runner-ups will receive a $10.00 gift card each and each girl will receive a Sunshine bouquet! Just stop in the store, let us know you are a runner up!

Our Runner Ups are:

Ghayda Ashley & Brady- 230 likes/comments

Brock Spayd and Melisia Benedict - 205 likes/comments
PromContest2018_small-01-960998-edited

Topics: Prom flowers, Prom flowers Avon, Prom Flowers Indianapolis, prom, prom flower trends, prom king and queen flowers, prom indianapolis flowers, prom corsages

Meet Our Prom King & Queen for 2017! #GFPROM2017

Posted by Sun, May 21, 2017 @ 11:00 AM

Della Gillespie Mendenhal;We started this contest in 2011 as a fun way to us to see the end result with our Prom flowers. We enjoy making them so much and love seeing students pick up their flowers but hardly ever get to see these guys and gals all dolled up wearing said flowers! I didn't even know if anyone would bother with entering the contest! Honestly, every years as I print the fliers for this, I wonder if we'll get any contestants this year. But year after year, students surprise me with lots of entries and tons of support from friends and family! So, I want to thank our contestants from this year and from years past, for your support in Gillespie Florists by choosing us for your flower provider and for pleasantly surprising me each passing year with your participation!  

We had some serious competition this year! With more entrants than ever, it was exhilarating to see all the positive comments and "likes" from friends and family of contestants! 

Prom goers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Place Page or they could use #GFPROM2017 on Instagram or twitter wearing our flowers! We then asked our social media followers to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. 

We tally all likes and comments from the original post from the contestant as well as the picture we post in the King & Queen album. 

We had several prom goers enter but there can be only one winner! 

 

And the Winner is...

Olivia Carnagua‎ & Aaron Raymond won with a total of 227 likes/comments! 

Olivia and Aaron each get a $25.00 gift card to Gillespie Florists and Olivia will be crowned with a tiara and flowers!

Prom King and Queen 2017 Gillespie Florists Olivia Aaron

IMG_20170510_130555566-2.jpg

Olivia was wearing a three sweetheart rose wrist corsage in burgundy wine and black! Aaron was wearing a two sweetheart rose boutonniere! 

 

As a Thank you, Our Runners ups will receive a $10.00 gift card each and each girl will receive a Sunshine bouquet! Just stop in the store, let us know you are a runner up!

Our Runner Ups are:

Ashley Mata & Her date - 73 likes/comments

Carrie Graham(crochetbycici) on Instagram - 72 likes/comments
PromContest2017_small-01-1.jpg

 

Topics: Prom flowers, Prom flowers Avon, Prom Flowers Indianapolis, Gillespie Florists, Indianapolis, prom, prom king and queen flowers, prom indianapolis flowers, contest

Trick or Treat Hours are Happening at Gillespie Florists!

Posted by Fri, Oct 28, 2016 @ 03:43 PM

Della Gillespie Mendenhall Trick or treat and flowers

Treat or Flower!

Actually, Treat and Flower! We are having our fourth year of Trick or Treat hours at Gillespie Florists! We are excited to see what everyone will dress up as! I'm going to share some of my favorite pictures from the last  couple of years!

 

wizard of oz dorothy at gillespie florists  As always we will be offering candy and free flowers to anyone coming in dressed up during our Treat or Treat hours!

We have some really cool displays that are perfect for taking pictures! We'll take pictures for you and will be happy to email you a copy of the picture!

 

 

 

getting free flowers

English Bulldog Pearl at Gillespie Florists

 

Trick or Treat Hours:

 

Monday Oct. 31st 4pm-7pm

 

Since you'll be in for Trick or Treating, why not pick up a few things? Take 20% off carry out items with code "18A".

 

 

Candy, Flowers, coupons! It's a trifecta of treats at Gillespie Florists this Monday, October 31st!

For Halloween, Pearl and I made a video that was supposed to be scary but ended up being very funny! Click below to watch the video!

Topics: Holidays, Videos, informational

Meet Our Prom King & Queen For 2016!

Posted by Sat, May 21, 2016 @ 10:00 AM


DellaBadgeTag_2016.jpgA few years ago, we at Gillespie Florists thought it would be fun to have a Prom King & Queen Contest and have been having it every year since! We had some fierce competition this year! With more entrants than ever, it was exciting to see all the positive comments and "likes" from friends and family of contestants! 

Prom goers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Place Page or they could use #GFPROM2016 on Instagram or twitter wearing our flowers! We then asked our social media followers to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. 

We tally all likes and comments from the original post from the contestant as well as the picture we post in the King & Queen album. 

We had several prom goers enter but there can be only one winner! 

And the Winner is...

Hiedi Nguyen & Paul Sanders with a total of 212 likes/comments!

Hiedi and Paul each get a $25.00 gift card to Gillespie Florists and Hiedi will be crowned with a tiara and flowers!

 


 

prom king & queen for gillespie florists 2016 #GFPROM2016

3 sweetheart rose 2 mini carnation wrist corsage & flower ring

Hiedi was wearing a three sweetheart rose & two mini carnation wrist corsage in light pinks, hot pinks and gold! She also had our very popular "Sugar Sugar" ring, made with a hot pink sweetheart rose, waxflower and gold accents!


As a Thank you, Our Runners ups will recieve a $10.00 gift card each and each girl will recieve a Sunshine bouquet! Just stop in the store, let us know you are a runner up!

Our Runner Ups are:

Antonio & Cassi Alizabeth Griffin - 148 likes/comments

Kiaa Asha & Garren Lavon Tolver - 87 likes/comments

Prom contest winners 2016 gillespie florists #gfprom2016



 

Topics: Prom flowers, prom, prom king and queen flowers, prom corsages, prom 2016

Meet Our Prom King & Queen for 2015!

Posted by Sat, May 23, 2015 @ 09:30 AM

Blog-badge-della-2013

A few years ago, we at Gillespie Florists thought it would be fun to have a Prom King & Queen Contest and have been having it every year since! Prom goers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Place Page or use #GFPROM2015 on Instagram or twitter wearing our flowers! We then asked our social media followers to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. We had several people enter but there can be only one winner! 

And the Winner is...

Hiedi Nguyen & Paul Sanders! 

Hiedi and Paul each get a $25.00 gift card to Gillespie Florists and Hiedi will be crowned with a tiara and flowers!

Gillespie Prom king and queen contest winners 2015

Hiedi wore a dendrobium corsage in this picture, similar to the one pictured below!

pink dendro orchid corsage prom

 

As a Thank you, Our Runners ups will recieve a $10.00 gift card each and each girl will recieve a Sunshine bouquet! Just stop in the store, let us know you are a runner up!

Our Runner Ups are:

 

Sydney Judge & Justin Adams

Thomas Barram & Lydia Trapp

A Big Thank You to Everyone Who Entered The Contest! Until Next Year!

Topics: Seasonal, informational, prom

Ten Ideas For Your Wedding Anniversary In Indy

Posted by Tue, Jul 22, 2014 @ 02:17 PM

Robyn SmithSummer time is the most popular time for weddings for those couples that want to have their special day outside! That also means that summer time is the most popular time for anniversaries! Coming up with the perfect anniversary gift for that special someone can be very time consuming and hard for some people. For those that are approaching their one year wedding anniversary this summer, or any other wedding anniversary, here are some gift ideas besides the amazing flowers we love to provide to our customers.

Canal Indianapolis Downtown1. A walk along the canal in downtown Indianapolis is always something cost effective but fun for couples to do together. The canal also has pedal boats that you and your partner can rent and travel up and down the beautiful canal and experience the sites of downtown Indianapolis.

2. The zoo! Now some people may think the zoo is just for kids but who doesn’t like animals? And who wouldn’t enjoy the perks of slowly strolling around the zoo, checking out any exhibit that you would like, without having to chase your little people around or missing out on your favorite animals because the kids have had enough and are ready to go?

frenchlick anniversary ideas3. Maybe you and your partner are more into historical buildings. The West Baden Springs hotel in French Lick offers 70 minute walking tours of the hotel and grounds that take place four times a day every day of the year except Christmas day. Spend a lovely evening at one of the four restaurants located on the grounds of the hotel and have a night to relax in one of the many rooms of the this historical hotel.

 

 

Turkey Run State Park

4. Indiana Repertory Theater hosts many theatrical performances and concerts throughout the year if your special someone is into that. It might not be Broadway but if you are unable to travel far this would be a great way to catch one of the many Broadway shows that comes through Indianapolis!

5. Rolling hills and streams of the outdoors more your thing? Check out Turkey Run State Park and enjoy a long peaceful stroll through the wilderness with that special someone!

6. Maybe you and your partner have the chance to travel out of state, a trip to a remote beach or a cruise is always a way to spend special time with that special someone.

jewel box flower bouquet7. Only have a sitter for the kiddos for a few hours? Take the evening and check out a new restaurant that you and your partner have never been to and then enjoy a movie.

8. Maybe you and your partner don’t have the chance to escape for some one on one time and as much as she loves flowers, she would rather have something that she can keep for many years to come. Come check out the wide variety of silk flower arrangements we have in the shop!

9. Over the years you have given that special someone several beautiful pieces of jewelry and she has no good place to keep them when they are not being worn. We can help you out with that too! We have a large variety of wooden musical jewelry boxes to pick from.

hand picked flowers10. Flowers are always a great way to go but maybe she already has several vases from flowers you have sent her before. Take some time and come into the shop and have one of our customer service staff help you personally select a beautiful bouquet of handpicked flowers to take home to that special one in your life!

As you and your special someone approach that anniversary time, take some time to check out the local attractions in our wonderful state and check out the amazing selection of flowers and gifts we have in our shop!

Click below to check out some of our Fresh Flower Selections!
Shop Anniversary Flowers!
Click below to check out "The Best of Indiana" for more Anniversary ideas!
Best of Indiana
For other flower ideas and How-to videos, check out our YouTube Channel!
YouTube

Topics: flowers in Indianapolis, budget, informational

Wedding Trends - Summer 2014

Posted by Tue, Jun 24, 2014 @ 11:00 AM

Sarah Gillespie

With Wedding Season of 2014 well underway, I have seen a gradual shift of trends from Wedding Season 2013 at Gillespie Florists. Color schemes that feature tints, tones and shades of the primary wedding color, limited use of foliage and a return of a popular accent flower have all made Wedding Season 2014 something to “blog” about!

nude wedding flower bouquets

 

I had mentioned in a blog post last year that I was noticing a trend towards “nude” colors. I meet with many brides well in advance of their wedding which prompted me to take notice of this up and coming color trend. So far, the nude color trend is the most prominent color scheme of this year’s wedding season. So what are nude tones? Nude tones are very subtle colors and when combined, they seamlessly blend together. Examples of nude colors are pale peach, pale pink, cream, tan and taupe. Next weekend, every single wedding I have (which is more than I can count on one hand) features this color scheme. In recent memory, I cannot recall a single weekend where every color scheme was the same.

 

 

 

mismatched bridesmaid bouquetsFashion is not my forte, but while interacting with brides, I have picked up on a few trends that are quite “fashionable” this year! Many brides are choosing “mismatched” dresses (both in style and color) for their bridal parties. For example, a bride may choose a smoky lavender color as the primary color theme for their wedding party. The bridesmaids can then choose a style and color of dress in a complimentary hue of the primary color, such as eggplant, iris, lavender or even a patterned fabric which incorporates several of the colors.

baby's breath boutonniere

Groomsmen are expressing their diversity with various colors of ties, vests and even dumping the traditional black tux for a stunning charcoal or silver tux or suit. Flowers can be designed to unify the bridal party by designing similar personal flowers (i.e. small clusters of babies breath for all the groomsmen boutonnieres and clutch bouquets of babies breath for the bridesmaids). Or, to reflect the diversified theme, each attendant receives their own style and color combination of flowers.

 

 

corsage baby's breath lace bluebridal bouquet with baby's breath

Shabby Chic and Vintage style décor for weddings is still a popular theme carried over from last season. However, I have noticed a slight change in the flower varieties that are featured in this season’s weddings. Babies breath has made a huge comeback in the last year; to the point that babies breath, which is generally readily available, has been in short supply in the last couple of months! A couple of weeks ago, I contacted my local vendors to beef up my babies breath inventory because we were running low. Every single vendor was sold out of all varieties of babies breath. I’ve been the primary flower buyer for almost 10 years and this has not happened before!

In wedding designs, I have featured babies breath in bouquets for brides and bridesmaids, boutonnieres, corsages, ceremony arrangements, centerpieces and even a wreath designed of babies breath! 

 

 

 

no greenery no foliage bridal

Finally, I am seeing the growth of a trend against including foliage in wedding flowers, especially personal flowers. From my interaction with brides, the perception is that the foliage adds another (unwanted) color to the arrangements. I can understand this point of view and have successfully designed dozens of weddings without any foliage. However, with traditional design, I feel that foliage adds subtle depth and texture to an arrangement, as well as hide the mechanics of the design. A small amount of foliage nestled within an arrangement or collared on the outside of a clutch bouquet hides unsightly wires, floral tape, stems, glue and oasis that should remain unseen. No matter what style the bride prefers, a trained and talented floral designer can adapt to the specific needs of each wedding.

 

Blue Hydrangea bridesmaid

As Wedding Season 2014 continues, I am sure that I will be introduced to up and coming trends that will shape the next wedding season. For now, I am enjoying the current trends, learning and growing with each wedding that I am so honored to be a part of!

 

Ready to start planning your wedding? Click below to  contact our Wedding Specialist! 

Contact our Wedding Specialist!

Topics: weddings, Wedding flowers, Wedding trends, trends