The appearance of the groundhog this past weekend has left me with hope that the long days of winter will soon be a memory. But since we still have a few weeks to go, all one can do is make the best of what Wisconsin winter will bring. As for me, I am growing use to the long hours of darkness. In fact I took inspiration from a recent starry night for this board. Lose yourself in the feeling of magic and closeness that only night can offer. Imagine yourself taking pictures with a full moon in the background or the soft glow of candles at your receptions. Regardless of the season, you are always guaranteed the wonder of nightfall and a show of evening lights. Whether they are from Mother Nature or mankind, both can offer unique beauty. If you need more ideas or help creating your own starry night to remember contact us.

Oh here I am again, January 1st, not only am I excited for what the New Year holds but giddy because my favorite parade of the year is on TV, The Tournament of Roses Parade. Of course I have my DVR on record because I know watching it once will not be enough for me.

This years theme was based on Dr. Suess's "Oh the Places You'll Go". The Rose Parade features 42 floats, 21 equestrian groups, and 23 marching bands from as far away as Japan. It draws a live audience along the parade route of one million people, 39 million Americans watching on television and hundreds of millions more watching in 220 countries around the world.

Besides the awesome floats in this years parade, it also included a heart touching reunion of a solider and his family, a live wedding atop the "Love Float" and British primatologist Jane Goodall who was quoted as saying
"My dream for this New Year's Day is for everyone to think of the places we can all go if we work together to make our world a better place".

I can't say I remember the first time I saw the parade but I can say that every year when I watch it I am in complete awe. So many flowers! And I know I've said this before but one day I would love to volunteer and be part of the beauty created on such a large scale. Below is a peak at what goes into each creation.

Did you watch the Tournament of Roses Parade? What was your favorite float?

Here are some more interesting facts about the Rose Parade:

• It takes 20 daisies, 30 roses or 36 marigolds to cover one square foot of a float area.
• Over 500,000 roses are used in the parade.
• Each of the millions of flowers you see is in its own vial.
• It takes 15 tons of steel along with 10,000 feet of chicken wire for the framework of a float.
• 600 tons of steel, 5,000 gallons of glue and 18 million flowers are used to make the floats each year. The Tournament of Roses is the largest consumer of flowers in the world, and flowers arrive from all over the world.
• The cost of flowers is included in the total cost of the float and paid for by the float sponsor.
• 935 peope spent 80,000 hours to manpower and plan the parade.
• Floats must collapse to no more than 16.5 ft. high, to pass under a freeway overpass/
• Natural materials, such as bark, seeds, leaves and flowers cover the floats.
• Length of parade is 5.5 miles, about 2.25 hours long at 2.5 miles per hour pace.
• Real fresh flowers are used. Different kinds of flowers may be used; however, one float used nothing but red roses.
• Floats are judged in 14 categories, with varying weights; the most important categories are those relating to floral usage. Winners are announced at 6 a.m. on parade day.
• Twenty-four awards were given for some 50 float entries before the parade started.

So have you finished all your Christmas shopping? Or do you like to wait for the last minute rush? Either way Christmas is such a wonderful, magical time of year. I love sharing holiday traditions with my children, making cookies, decorating the tree and putting up the Nativity set. But most of all, I love seeing all my family. And what better way to make someone specila in your life feel extra treasured then to send them flowers. Even if you already bought their gift or if you are stuck for a last minute gift, send flowers! It sends the message of love and brightens the receivers home. Or better yet sign your loved one up for a flowers of the month club and your gift will be the one that keeps on giving. The best part, the size will always fit. If you want to send flowers this holiday call us or your local florist, we are here to help.

What is your favorite tradition/reason for the season?

Did you buy a Poinsettia this year? I did. It is one of my favorite holiday flowers. So I wanted to share with you a reprint of an earlier blog of mine regarding the lovely Poinsettia.

With Christmas right around the corner I thought I would share some information about a plant we will all be seeing a lot of very soon, the poinsettia. Poinsettias come in a variety of colors from traditional red and white to dyed purple, blue and even green and gold.

Common Name: Poinsettia
Botanical Name: Euphorbia pulcherrima

With its beautiful star-shape, poinsettia is a popular Christmas flower. In Central America it is called the "Flame Leaf" or "Flower of the Holy Night". A native of Mexico, it was brought here over a hundred years ago by Dr. Joel Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico. Most of the poinsettias used these days come from California.

The legend of the poinsettia comes from Mexico. It tells of a girl named Maria and her little brother Pablo. They were very poor but always looked forward to the Christmas festival. Each year a large manger scene was set up in the village church, and the days before Christmas were filled with parades and parties. The two children loved Christmas but were always saddened because they had no money to buy presents. They especially wished that they could give something to the church for the Baby Jesus. But they had nothing.

One Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo set out for church to attend the service. On their way they picked some weeds growing along the roadside and decided to take them as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene. Of course they were teased by other children when they arrived with their gift, but they said nothing for they knew they had given what they could. Maria and Pablo began placing the green plants around the manger and miraculously, the green top leaves turned into bright red petals, and soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful star-like flowers and so we see them today.

Interesting Fact: The Poinsettia is NOT poisonous. It is mildly irritating to the skin or stomach and may sometimes cause diarrhea and vomiting if eaten. Sap in the eye may even cause temporary blindness but no fatalities have ever been documented. While it is true that the plant is not very toxic, those sensitive to latex may suffer an allergic reaction and it is therefore not advisable to bring the plants into the home of sensitive individuals.

The origin of this myth could be found in the fact that many plants of the spurge genus are indeed toxic. This misconception was spread by a 1919 urban legend of a two-year-old child dying after consuming a poinsettia leaf.

A winter wedding. So many fun possibilities. And since there are a limited number of off season weddings yours will sure to be remembered. Don't let the cold weather deter you. BE Beautiful, BE Unique, BE Yourself. Here are some "cool" ideas from Blooming Envy if you are planning a winter wedding.