The Flower Blog

As we come to a close on the 2014 prom season here at Gillespie Florists, my second prom season with the shop, I have lost track of how many times I have been asked what my favorite corsages are. The shop has several very creative floral designers that create our amazing corsages so it makes it very hard to pick just one favorite. I have spent a lot of time dealing with our prom items this year and I finally have it narrowed down to my top five favorite corsages for this season.

Pink Curls

This corsage is great for someone looking for something different. Black glitter leaves, pink beads, pink wired swirl sprays, black and silver wire, topped with aspidistra leaf ribbon and hot pink sweetheart roses make this a very uniquely designed corsage. To make it even better we could put this on any one of our keepsake bracelets!

 

 

 

Dreaming Blue

This mixture of creams and blues makes for a very elegant but fun corsage. The beautiful cream and blue lace ribbon on top of black leaves and beads, topped with cream colored sweetheart roses and then accented with blue delphinium and blue faux rhinestone daisies is perfect for a classy but fun look.

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Island 

Decided to go with a brighter colored dress and now you are worried about matching orange flowers to the color of your dress? Don’t you worry, we have you covered. This corsage is unique with the use of the orange flex wrap covered wires which gives a new texture and look on top of black leaves. Add a few stunning orange sweetheart roses and there you have it, a perfect match for your bright orange dress!

 

 

Purple Pixie

Another new style for the 2014 Prom season! These lavender sweetheart roses are so pretty nestled in the purple flash ribbon with a splash of white wax flower filler. Add some purple faux rhinestone daisies and the versatile aspidistra leaf ribbon and you have the perfect mixture to accent that beautiful purple dress for your prom night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glimmer

Want your corsage to be noticed by all on the dance floor as you dance the night away? Glimmer would be the way to go! This knock out corsage comes on a custom designed Glassia florescence wristlet that is battery powered and ready to go with its very own ultraviolet lights. White sweetheart roses, bright pink and brilliant white sheer ribbons, silver beads and silver dot tulle sprayed with the Glassia florescence formula are designed onto the custom wristlet. Flip the switch, hit the dance floor and amaze everyone with your out of this world corsage! Afraid that the glow won’t last all night, don’t you worry because we send you home with your very own, compact spray bottle of the Glassia florescence formula that will fit perfectly into your purse or date’s pocket! Give your corsage a quick spray and glow your night away!

If you like the style of one of our corsages but the colors won’t match your dress, don’t you worry we have you covered, all you have to do is ask about our color options!

Want to fancy up any corsage you see on our website??? Check out of huge selection of keepsake bracelets that will leave you with something special to remember your night!

 

Alright kids! Mother's Day is coming up faster than a mom wiping the excess chocolate from her kids' outstretched hands as they are reaching for the freshly cleaned couch cushions for this weekends company!  In other words, the day dedicated to honoring moms everywhere is less than a week away...are you ready?  Got your gift or are you going to wait to the last minute and bribe your own kids into making a pretty card so you are off the hook? Oh my where on earth do these preposterous ideas come from? Of course you are ready! ...But if you're not, might I suggest checking out our Mother's Day Specials? We've got quite a few but if none of these catch your fancy, then be sure to stop by or shop online for a plethera of mom inspired bouquets!

 What's not to love on a spring night? Warm nights, fireflies dancing, freshly mown lawn, and the aromas of spring floating around the neighborhood.  Southern Evening encapsulates the mood with golden alstroemeria lilies, dark pink daisies, red mini-carnations, berries, and fresh greenery!

Another delightful arrangement dedicated to the arrival of the warmer seasons is heralded by the bold Song of Summer!

The red cube vase radiates warmth with beaming yellow solidago, graceful pale blue delphinium, pussy willow, vibrant carnations, lush variegated pittosporum and an adorable little blue bird that sits in a sparkling nest made of red wire! A perfect reminder of a warm summer day!

Of course, what is the promise of summer without the brilliant and bold sunflower?

Sapphire Shower is brimming with vibrant yellow sunflowers, delphinium as blue as sapphire, bright alstromeria lilies, yellow solidego, green hypericum berry, purple statice and soft green carnations! I would love to walk into my kitchen and see this sitting atop my island so I could enjoy it as I'm preparing dinner or sipping coffee before leaving for work in the morning.

Such a lovely collection of bouquets for Mother's Day it is difficult to choose just one! However for the sake of my husband I will narrow it down to this one (hint, hint ;) ).

Mother of Spring is graceful and elegant with soft pink carnations, delicate lavender larkspur, vibrant purple statice, feathery lavender fuji chrysanthemums, and intricate waxflower!  Surrounded by the beauty of this arrangement is a gorgeous, sparkling keepsake glitter angel...perhaps as a permanent reminder for the kids that mom is indeed an angel, even when she insists on the rooms getting cleaned and chores done before bedtime. Yes, I think a glittery angel will do the trick...no more complaints for sure!

Once again, these are a few of our many marvelous bouquets designed especially for Mother's Day to celebrate the ladies in our lives we look up to, admire, and love.

Short on time to stop by our shop? Just click below to view our full collection!

With prom season in full swing at Gillespie Florists, we are enjoying the challenge of making captivating corsages to match individual taste and style.   This year has seen a dramatic shift to wonderful frothy colors of champagne and shrimp with overlays of lace.  This particular design appeals to the hopeless romantic wanting to capture the updated vintage look featuring a myriad of pastel and the ever popular nude palette.

On trend right now also is the large chunky style bracelets.  We have an exciting selection of styles and colors featuring silver metallic, crystals, pearls, and even full rhinestone cuffs.  Each a wonderful keepsake to wear again and again.

Another exciting trend this year is the addition of sheer illusion.  Normally used in costuming, this wonderful beige stretchy fabric allows you to have cut out detailing without showing actual skin.  If you are the dramatic Fashionista, you can make a statement and still be demure.  If you are more the Goddess type, then consider something very unique as this "Goddess Tiara".

This beautiful head piece features a rhinestone tiara as the base with dainty wax flowers woven in. It's natural soft greenery gives an ethereal effect and is finished with iridescent green leaves.

Not quite like you? Then how about Legendary "Elfin".  You can define your look by wearing your flowers in unexpected places such as a necklace or flower ring.  Here we have the newest trend for prom in a hand tooled wire necklace called "Frozen".  It features unexpected blooms of Larkspur woven into 6 and 24 gage silver tone wire with iridescent strands and faux crystal stones. Each necklace is a one of a kind work of art!

Nothing quite like having magic at your fingertips with this beautiful flower ring called "Sugar Sugar".  Here we have a delicate pink spray rose with an adjustable ring band and adorned with wax flowers and a rhinestone spray.

Everyone loves the natural Bohemian-Island girl look so why not wear a stunning headband that balances perfectly with a strapless gown.  This beautiful piece is called "Bohemian Head Band” features a stunning green Dendrobium Orchid with a purple crystal dragonfly pin atop a silver braided headband.  It is finished with blue accents and iridescent hanging bead strands.
Ok, still not you?  Then how about all the Prom Rebels out there!  Push the fluff and bling aside and lets get creative.  
Here we have designed something perfectly different for you called "Grim".  It features chains, raw zipper edges, skulls, feathers and black ribbons. Blood red roses sets it aflame with individuality.  We have many different types of fabric ribbons, lace, plaid, cording, buttons and charms to create that personalized, exclusively unique design.  Steampunk?  Rebel?  Alternative?  We’ve got you covered!  

 
We have expert designers and staff on hand to help you create whatever you're dreaming of and possibly something you haven’t thought of yet!  So whatever style you are, whatever color of the rainbow you need, whatever design of wristlets, body or accessory flowers you have in mind, come on in and let us show you how it's done!

Gillespie Florists Prom King & Queen Contest 2014!

Post a snapshot of you and another person wearing flowers from Gillespie Florists on our Facebook Page, Twitter or Instagram and get the chance to be crowned the Gillespie Florists Prom King & Queen!

Here's how it Works:

·   Take a snapshot of you and your date wearing Gillespie's Flowers.

·   Post it on our Wall or use #GFPROM2014 - make sure it’s a public post!

·   Tag your self in the photo as well as anyone else in the picture.

·   We'll put it in our "Prom King & Queen Contest Album 2014".

·   Ask your friends/family to "Like" your photo or post positive comments on your photo once it has been added to the Prom King & Queen album.

·   One week after the end of Prom Season, we will tally up the "Likes" and Comments and whoever has the most wins!

What do you get if you win?

The Queen will be crowned with a tiara and flowers and

both King and Queen will be awarded a $25.00 Gift Card to Gillespie Florists!

And don't forget, Bragging Rights!

Contest ends May 27th, 2014. Winners will be announced on Facebook May 30th!

Here's the Link to our Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gillespie-Florists/196410082316

Twitter:    @gillespiefloris

Instagram:    gillespieflorists

Heavy metal at prom? Headbanging to some Slayer or Anthrax? I don't know what they listen to at prom these days but anything is possible.  The focus today is not on heavy metal music but the trend of metallics and how they pair with the latest styles of gowns. There are a few styles which exclude sequins, crystals, and metallic accents but if you look around, you're going to see metallic bling in most everything this year.

Oh I hear some of you groaning, "agh Prom! Give it a rest! I'm going to catch a movie instead!" True, there are naysayers about prom. It is overrated, cliche, a waste of money, etc, etc, however I'll put in my two cents because that's what we adults do, isn't it? Young adults, I can appreciate that you probably hear many suggestions about many things daily therefore if you prefer not to read my view, please proceed to the next paragraph. The readers digest version is this: I'm a mother of 3 and have worn fancy dresses per my selection on 2 occasions: Prom and my wedding day.  There are not many opportunities to get decked out and glamourous as an adult (we will be addressing this topic in the near future). If you have the chance to get dressed up, wear something amazing, and feel like a rockstar, queen, what have you then take the limited time only experience and make the most of it!

Ok! Back to prom gowns! It is overwhelming the variety of styles, fabrics, and colors for prom gowns, like wedding dresses it would be difficult to narrow down and find the "one" dress for one of the biggest nights your high school career! After spending a considerable amount of time browsing the multitude of dresses this season and day dreaming about my dress selection I've decided my favorite style is a beautiful blend of tulle and metallic accents via sequins, like this fabulous get-up right here! I love hot pink! It's a powerful, poppy, and very fashionable color. The sequin bodice with crystal accents is stunning yet playful. Altogether the style is glamourous with a splash of fun!

Since the dress is so dazzling I could take it easy on the jewelry...or go all out, because this may be my last chance to reflect disco lights off of my clothing and accessories. Just a note if you're still looking for jewelry, Kohls has some amazing clearance costume jewelry. I bought a pair of beautiful dangly rhinestone drop earrings for under $5. I am clueless what to do with them except perhaps blind my coworkers with their sparkly brilliance. If you want to go all out and shine bright like a diamond, hit their clearance section first!

And of course let us not forget the corsage.This is the defining piece to your outfit for prom night. The perfect match for my dress would be this gorgeous jeweled bracelet with opalescent leaves, silver beading, and orchids. 

I suppose we *could* forgo the prom corsage...wait..what am I saying?! Did my fingers really just type out that ridiculous idea?! Prom just isn't the same without a custom-made corsage to finsh out your well planned ensemble. Let me reiterate...PROM IS NOT PROM WITHOUT THE CORSAGE!

Go to the ones you trust for your corsage needs, in other words, Gillespie Florists.  Our selection of accessories is phenomenal and our designers are not to be trifled with. We will complete your look for one of the most memorable evenings in your lifetime. Because believe or not, people remember their prom night.  Almost 20 years later I still remember mine, and recently was re-introduced to one of my high school friends parents as "she was my prom date in high school". Yes, prom can have a lasting impression on your life. Go now, get the "this dress was meant especially for me" dress and the "we will make this just for you" corsage and make prom night one you'll always remember.

Click below to browse a few of our corsages for ideas on what we can do for you!

“A leprechaun, a cluricaun, and a far darrig…”

Sounds like the beginning of a great joke!

The joke is really on us in the states as we’ve condensed these three completely separate creatures into the Leprechaun. Here in the US the leprechaun is recognized on cereal boxes, plastered on t-shirts, posters, buttons, etc for St. Patricks day. I’ve often wondered what does this guy have to do with St. Patrick's day...he isn’t St. Patrick.  In fact, St. Patrick wasn’t even Patrick to begin with; he was Maewyn Succat and hailed from Great Britain. Kidnapped by pirates; sold into slavery in Ireland; and herded sheep on a mountain. One day God spoke to him in a dream to become a priest and his journey to sainthood began. But I digress, let’s get back to leprechaun and his pals.

The Leprechaun, sometimes called “wee folk”, inhabited Ireland before the arrival of the Celts. They are small enough to sit on your shoulder and are quite intelligent and a bit mischievous. Leprechaun translates from Irish leith brog into "One-shoemaker." He is often seen working on a single shoe.

Legend has it the Leprachaun makes shoes constantly and dresses in smart little suits with waistcoats, hats, and gold buckles on his shoe.  He has grown very rich from making shoes therefore dresses most proper!  Ah, so that is where the pot of gold comes in, isn’t it, to store all his riches? Hardly. Old treasure crocks were buried during war-time by soldiers whom never returned from the battlefield.  The Leprechaun discovered the buried treasure and claimed them for his own.

Irish fairies the gave him magical powers in case he was ever captured by humans who may be lurking near the pots of gold. The leprechaun could then use his magic to either vanish into thin air or grant three wishes!

Dodging humans and animals all day is hard work so the leprechauns are well known for playing hard too with musical instruments such as fiddles, tin whistles and even the irish harp! They get together and have crazy music gatherings at night called “Ceili’s, where hundreds of leprechauns join together to dance sing and drink.  Their favorite drinks are Poteen and Moonshine. You’d think they would cause some chaos, but it is not the case, his fine cousin, the Cluricaun, is the real trouble maker with his drink.

The Cluricaun is considered the night “form” of the leprechaun. Surly, rough, and mischievous he makes himself drunk in gentlemen's cellars after finishing his daily chores. Folklore concludes clurichauns enjoy riding sheep and dogs at night. If they are treated well they will protect your wine cellar, but mistreated, they will wreak havoc on your home and spoil your wine stock. Sometimes they act as liquor stockroom spirits, plaguing drunkards or dishonest servants who steal wine; if the victim attempts to move away from their tormentor, the clurichaun will hop into a cask to accompany them. Once plagued by the Cluricaun, it is difficult to get rid of him. If one happens to invade your wine cellar, I’d suggest staying on his good side. The Far Darrig is a different story; at first glance he looks like trouble!

The Far Darrig, meaning the Red Man, occupies his time with practical if not gruesome joking. He is closely related to the leprechaun, with similar features and a short stocky body. His face is splotchy yellow and dresses in red from his hat down to his socks. This is the reason he is called the far darrig or red man.

Ever the practical joker he can manipulate his voice, emitting sounds like the thudding waves on the rocks or the cooing of pigeons. His favorite sound  to make is the dull, hollow laugh of a dead man coming from the grave. It is advisable to say 'Na dean maggadh fum'-- do not mock me', when you come into contact with a far darrig so you will not be used in one of his macabre games. Unfortunately, he plans his tricks so well that mortals are snared long before they realize what is happening. 

With all this being said, the far darrig does not actually desire to do harm! He is good natured and will bring luck to those whom he approves; but cannot resist an initial prank or two. We can surmise the far darrig does have a good side although his appearance suggests otherwise.

The small, magical, mischievous and well dressed Leprechaun seems to be the spokesperson for his relatives here in the states, and I think we now know why! What does he have to do with St. Patricks day? Absolutely nothing until Walt Disney released a film "Darby O'Gill & the Little People" which changed the face of the Leprechaun to Americans everywhere. He is now a happy, joyful, and lucky symbol for St. Patrick's Day.  

I have checked around the shop a few times to see if there were any of the 3 creatures living among the plants in the showroom or maybe hiding out in the back cooler waiting to suprise a customer or designer but haven't seen any yet.  

We may not have these mischievous creatures lurking about to pull pranks but should you come visit in search of something green for St. Patrick's Day; you will be able to find quite a few fun, happy, and charming bouquets available!

Click below to see what Irish inspired delight our designers have created this year!

Is that a new ring on your finger?! Did you just celebrate Valentine's Day with your significant other and end up a fiancé by the end of the evening? If so, congratulations! So now what?

If you've been planning your big day since childhood it's possible you've already got your ducks in a row: the venue selected, the dress has been narrowed down, invitations on order...but what about the rest of us? If you're anything like me, perhaps you're still in shock or not even sure where to begin the process of planning your wedding!  

Planning a wedding is a spectacular feat and not to be taken lightly. Therefore we did some research on some of the more popular and convenient ways to get organized and on schedule as the countdown begins.  It definitely helps to have a day in mind when you get started but if you don't have the exact date, that's ok, even a month or season is a great start.

When I was planning my wedding in the days of yore the first thing I did was go to the store and pick up a couple of copies of bridal magazines. Of course, we had internet back then but this was before pinterest and the best way to gather your ideas was cutting them out of magazines and visiting the bridal stores to pick up free info.

We also visited the Bridal Show at in Indiana Roof Ballroom to visit many local vendors at one location. There are more shows available nowadays, and you can find more information about them and other local wedding related events at Indiana Bride Magazine.

Have you seen the movie "The Wedding Planner" with Jennifer Lopez?  I did. As a very indecisive person, I loved the idea of having someone else take care of the arrangements. Someone to say "we need this done by this date, you should have your dress by this date, the venue should be selected by..."  Sounds awesome, just tell me what to do when and I will do it. Unfortunately a wedding planner was not in my budget so I settled with the helpful lists the bridal magazines supplied and went online to gather more info.

Thanks to technology, all the wedding resources we could possibly imagine are just a couple of clicks and/or finger taps away. Here are a few of the best wedding resources out there to help you make your day a big success.

Weddings, there's an app for that. Actually there are quite a few!  We are spending less time in front of a computer and more time on the go! We've got places to go, cakes to sample, dresses to try on, this is no time to be sitting unless its in a vehicle to take you to another possible venue for the big day!

The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner app

This free app is available through itunes and truly is the ultimate wedding planner and syncs with one of the best wedding planning websites theknot.com

Get your budget and track payments, find your dress and the bridesmaids dresses too, 1000+ IDEAS for cakes, decor, hairstyles and more, see top gifts for your registry, Find and save the best wedding vendors in your area, AND save, store and send all your clippings and photos 

Weddinghappy:Wedding Planner, free wedding planning app. Just put in your big day and it schedules task list calendar to keep you on track. The beauty of this app is you don't need the web to use it.

MyRegistry.com this app is available for both iphone and android. No more standing in front of registry box filling out info and carrying around awkward price gun!

Scan any product barcode to add items to your registry/wishlist, manage your registry/wishlist on the go, send eCards to invite your friends to check out your gift list

Postable.com, another free online service, brides send out one email to friends and family, sharing a link to an address book. They fill out a form and suddenly everyone's information is organized in a neat file for sending invitations, thank you notes and more. 

Tabletop planner This ingenius piece of software and app is remarkable. Import guest list,
drag/drop names in table diagram as guests rsvp, can adjust table size and indicate meal preference. It reduces the headache of guest musical chairs and it's free!

Vyclone This app lets everyone upload videos which are then mashed up into seamless videos. Feeling super creative? You can edit and add soundtracks from your phone!

Wedding Party kind of like facebook for weddings! Invite friends, family, bridal party, etc and upload images, posts, and messages to single site viewable on mywedding.com, you choose privacy settings!

Don't these apps sound super handy and convenient? Have you downloaded them yet? These are just a few of many great apps and websites you can find online to help plan for your big day...it seems we might be forgetting one more website though...oh here it is

www.gillespieflorists.com

Sure we don't have a wedding app but we are ready to make bouquets and beautiful arrangements perfect for your wedding day!

For your every day floral needs, however, we DO have a floralapp! Check it out here!

Don't forget to click below to schedule a free consultation with our wedding specialist!

Tomorrow is the big day! Have you ordered something for your sweetheart yet? No? Don't worry, it's not too late! Stop by our shop and see what we have available. We have plenty of beautiful flowers for you to peruse; our cooler is packed full of gorgeous bouquets, loose stem flowers, sunshine bouquets and our shelves have countless cute things to attach to your selection.

We have many great take-out specials for our walk-in customers so stop on by and have a fantastic Valentine's Day!

Dozen Wrapped Roses $29.95

Dozen Wrapped Roses with Baby's Breath $34.95

Sunshine Bouquets $3.95

Dozen Wrapped Carnations with bb $16.95

Gerbera Stems $3.00

Tulips $9.95 a bunch (while supplies last)

European Style Wrapped Bouquet  Starting at $11.95

South Bend Chocolates $12.95 & up

Hydrangea fresh cut stems $3.95

Nothing says "I love You" quite like being smacked with a bloody piece of goat hide and having your name put in a jar to be matched up for a year with some guy you've never met. Sounds great, right?  It simplifies the process of dating and who knows, by the end of the year perhaps fate was right and the stranger selecting the scrap of paper with your name on it might end up being the man of your dreams! It could happen...maybe not today, but back when Rome was founded (traditionally 753 B.C.) or possibly even earlier. Romans, they really knew how to party! This party, Lupercalia, in particular occured February 13-15 and is often pinpointed as the origin for Valentine's Day.

 Lupercalia was actually a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. 

To begin the festival, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and hit the streets, smacking (gently) both women and crop fields with the bloody hide. It sounds disgusting and unpleasant but Roman women looked forward to this portion of the festivities because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Then later on in the day is when they held the Roman version of "The Bachelor". All the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn and bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. It was common for these matches to end in marriage.

Lupecalia was celebrated until outlawed due to it being "un-Christian" around the end of the 5th century when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day.  It wasn't celebrated as a day of love right off the bat however; began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. One legend is Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine realized the injustice of the law and performed marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.  

Another popular legend is an imprisoned Valentine fell in love with a girl, the jailor's daughter, who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it has been said he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression which is still very common today. Ah, NOW we are getting somewhere. This sounds a bit more romantic, although tragic, than Lupercalia festivities, but Valentine's Day in modern times is still a far reach from its origin until the Middle Ages.A common belief in France and England was February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season. So it was romance between birds which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine's Day should be a day for love! 

Although Valentine greetings began in the Middle Ages, written ones weren't around until the 1400's. The oldest one still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. I wonder if it ever reached her. This valentine is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.  

From the 1700's on, Valentine greetings and cards became more common place with the first ones being printed in the 1900's. Today, over 1 billion cards are sent a year for Valentine's day.  That is a lot of cards!

This day to celebrate love has come a long way from its origin. As Valentine's Day 2014 approaches, not only am I thankful for more opportunities to express love to my husband but also that I don't have think about an unknown bachelor drawing my name out an urn and lining up along the street for a chance to increase my fertility! 

If you happen to be celebrating Valentine's Day the modern way like me, there are many ways to say "I love you", from handmade cards, romantic dinners, unique dates, to beautiful bouquets! The fine staff at Gillespie Florists have outdone themselves again with fabulous designs this year! Click below to see what we have in store for you!