Wednesday, April 27, 2016

The beginning of buds n’ bloom…

“We haven’t always had the space that we have now.

We didn’t have a showroom of drapery hardware

and fabrics and home accessories.

We got started by people who trusted us.”

- Josh Steger, Co-owner of buds 'n bloom



Flowers have been a huge part of Jerad’s life; opening a flower shop was his dream since he was a little boy. He was fascinated by flowers, has always loved plants and horticulture, and used to spend half of his afternoons gardening with his grandparents. After receiving his degree in Landscape Horticulture from NWTC, Jerad worked for many flower shops in town. That was where he started to dip his toes in the wedding industry, resulting in enormous success. However, he was still eager to start his own business.

Not too far away, Josh was also hoping for an opportunity to thrive in the creative world. “I learned how to sew at a very young age. The Fiber Arts that I do, I’ve been doing since I was seven. I learned how to knit, crochet and sew in almost the same year,” he says. “So, the draperies and the decorating, and entertaining and gardening, to a large extent in my own life, stem from a really young beginning.” Josh also worked at the SC Grand in college as a banquet server and eventually became an event supervisor. This job allowed him to work on a lot of weddings, and learn a lot about the staging and decorating, and the art of entertaining. But life took Josh in a different direction, pursuing Banking and Insurance careers, thus taking him off his creative path momentarily.

When the two of them met, Jerad shared his dreams with Josh, who, thanks to his banking experience, helped him start his own landscaping company. Josh saw it as a wonderful opportunity to rekindle his love of design, and their first business The Potting Shed and Design was born. That was about two years before buds ‘n bloom was opened, and it started out just as a side business for Jerad’s landscaping and custom-decorating, which included everything from outside planters to the setup of Christmas lights.

Once Jerad’s landscaping got busier in early 2006, he decided to be completely self-employed. They started working out of Jerad’s dad’s basement at first, but business kept growing and growing. Friends, family and neighbors were coming to them for weddings, events and decoration and they lacked the space to create and design. This led to several unorthodox situations. “I’ll never forget sewing draperies for Jerad’s aunt Lynn at her own dining room table,” Josh remembers. He used to go to her house after work (he had a full time job at United Health Care) and sew for hours. “Honestly, it turned out magnificent; I was thankful I did that project,” he says. “We haven’t always had the space that we have now. We didn’t have a showroom of drapery hardware and fabrics and home accessories. We got started by people who trusted us.”

In spring 2007, buds ‘n bloom design studio opened its doors. “It became this vehicle to achieve all of these beautiful decorative things that we do,” says Josh. The name is credited to Ginny Brand, their church choir director, who one Sunday after church said to them, “You’re buds and you’re in bloom. You’re buds ‘n bloom!” It stuck, was catchy and perfect for them. Jerad’s cousin Jen, our marketing director, designed the original pink flower for the logo. “We still don’t know exactly what kind of flower it is,” says Josh laughing. “I call it an abstract cone flower.” It’s simple and beautiful and it fully represents what buds ‘n bloom design studio is; a “rustic meets industrial, modern flower shop,” that strives to maintain its unique, personal and creative touch. “We try to live by our tag words and really be inspired, original and creative,” Josh says. “And that permeates through everything that we do.”

Thanks to Josh, Jerad and their wonderful team, buds 'n bloom will be celebrating its 9-year anniversary this coming Sunday. Come and celebrate with us and enjoy our in-store sales. 19% off select items from Thursday, April 28th to Sunday, May 1st!

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

The Tradition of Corsages



It is the time for proms and high-school balls! This means our phones are ringing non-stop with orders for corsages and boutonnieres, and we are bringing all our creativity to the table to make our customers happy. 

But how much do we really know about the history of corsages? Why did we start using them? When did they become a part of our culture? 

Well, the word corsage comes from the French word used to refer to the bodice of a dress, which is where corsages were attached in the beginning. It is believed that originally, the man used to bring a bouquet of flowers as a gift for the parents of his date. He would choose one particular flower out of said bouquet, and give it to his date. She would then carry it during the whole night, or pin it to her dress. As fashion evolved and dresses changed, it became more complicated to find the right spot to place the corsage on the bodice, and that’s how, out of convenience and necessity, wrist corsages were born. 



Nowadays, corsages are a demonstration of love or care given to a girl by her date to an elegant social event such as prom. However, corsages used to be considered lucky charms and were thought to protect against evil spirits. That is why they were initially worn at weddings, to better protect or bless the couple and their family at the ceremony.    


History has traced proms back to the late 1800s. First the word was used to refer to college extravaganzas and balls, but they slowly changed into the high-school gatherings we know now, in which the end of the school year is celebrated. In honor of this rite of passage for the soon-to-be-graduated teenagers, our team works very hard to make every corsage and boutonniere unique and memorable. Please give us a call to place your order, and let us know how can we make your corsage perfect for your big night out. 

Monday, April 11, 2016

Beatriz Ball on sale


The Beatriz Ball Collection has been a constant in our store for years. This collection of metalware started in 1991 in Mexico City and its pieces range from bowls, trays and dip dishes to crosses and picture frames. Every one of its items is handmade by the sand casting process, which consists on pouring the molten aluminum into a mold made of sand. Each one of them is later polished to perfection and ready to become one of the most elegant additions to anybody’s home.   
 
We have always maintained a wide variety of Beatriz Ball’s metal pieces at buds ‘n bloom, but lately we have been adding new precious items from their “Cutting Board” collection into ours. 

These are made of both handcrafted wood and the same 100% recycled aluminum as the metal pieces. As described on their website, “the gleaming metal offers a dramatic contrast to the richly colored wood of our substantial cutting boards. Ideal for serving your favorite cheeses or charcuterie.” 

Everything on the Beatriz Ball collection will be 15% off at buds ‘n bloom until Saturday, April 23; so make sure to stop by and purchase your own piece!



Watch Beatriz Ball's sand casting process here!
Video courtesy of Beatriz Ball's official website