austinkingflorist.com

We are so excited to announce that we are sponsoring this years Casablanca Gala and Benefit Auction for CASA of Travis County. CASA is an amazing organization that provides support to children of Travis County that have been neglected or abused through the court system.  They have an amazing volunteer base of about 400 people, not to mention the great staff that they have.   The opinions of the CASA volunteers and staff members are highly valued in the courtroom and regularly incorporated into the children’s service plans. CASA volunteers are often recognized as the one person who truly understands the child and their situation.  They help over 1,100 children every year.

We will be adorning the Four Seasons with some amazing flowers for this 25 year “Silver Anniversary” Gala.  Some of the items on the floral menu include; LOTS of white orchids, solid spheres of white flowers, and accents of silver and black.

If you would like any more info about this wonderful organization or event, follow this link:   

http://www.casatravis.org/Casablanca.aspx

Valentines Day is coming up and we wanted to share some sweet card message ideas.  Instead of just saying “Happy Valentines Day” say something that is a little more unique and heartfelt this year!

We have also included a couple messages for sending flowers before the 14th.  Valentines day is on a Sunday this year, but most of you want to send flowers to the office or work place (making co-workers a little jealous is always fun).

* For flowers delivered before the 14th: Couldn’t wait another day to say I Love You!

* For flowers delivered before the 14th: I love you so much I couldn’t wait for Valentine’s Day!

* Cupid’s aim is still pretty good.

* Today is a very special day for sending all my love your way!

* With you it’s Valentine’s Day 365 days a year.

Happy Saturday everyone!  This month marks the very first “Bloom of the Month” feature on KingFlorist.com.  When you go to www.KingFlorist.com, the “Specials” page is now going to be much more special!

Each month we will feature a unique flower with it’s own unique design.  We will be giving you some tips and tricks on how to handle and best care for the bloom of the month.

Remember, if you are signed up for our newsletter, you will receive a great coupon for the bloom of the month!  Sign-up here

Bloom of the Month: January

This months design consists of  beautiful white or blue hydrangea in a unique oblong high end glass container.  Hand spiraled wire is used as an accent over the luxurious hydrangea blooms, and black river rock is placed in the bottom of the vase. Both very fun and easy ways to add a more texture to your floral arrangement!

Hydrangea, common names Hydrangea and Hortensia, consist of a dense cluster of small blooms to create one large lush flower.  If you love hydrangea and want to have it in your yard or in your home, here are a few great insider tips…

For the full article click here!

Hi and Happy New Year everyone!  We hope that you all had a great New Year celebration.  We were so excited that so many people sent new years flowers to family and friends.  What better way to ring in 2010 than with some beautiful fresh flowers!

Things are off to a great start here at the shop.  We have been concentrating on ways that we can stay connected with our clients throughout the year.  We also want to offer all of you some of our expertise!  So, we have created a special e-mail club for all those who want to participate.  We will have a flower of the month club where you can learn a few interesting facts, tips, and design tricks about some unique blooms.  We will also offer a coupon for a great discount on those flowers! (Coupon only available by e-mail!)

Click Here to Get Started!

In addition, you can sign-up to receive a sneek-peek of our holiday arrangements,  Invites to our bi-annual open house that will feature design seminars (plus good food and drink!), and updates on newest members of “One Bloom at a Time”.

So, go ahead and get signed up!  We can’t wait to be more a part of all of your lives, we love our clients!

Click Here to Get Started!

Happy New Year!

Your King Florist Team

Austin’s biggest and best New Year’s Eve celebration! Get the best of all the fun and fireworks in one location.  You’re The Long First Night ticket will get you comfortable access to the First Night Celebration by the lake and the live bands and DJs at the Long Center.  Family friendly entertainment, International Food Stations, Amazing Drink Stations, and a front seat to the midnight celebration.  It’s your one stop ticket to the heartbeat of the city on New Year’s Eve!

Out with the old.  In with the new!

For many of you traveling home for Christmas this week, I think that we all appreciate our awesome airport!  Not only is the structure stunning but ABIA has taken the time to invite local businesses to be a part of the airport.  They also have a schedule of live music everyday to make sure that visitors get the “Austin” experience right off the plane!

Whether you’re just here to visit or you are one of the few Austin natives, you’re always welcomed home in Austin.

Even though we are submerged in the Holiday Season right now and the weather is cold (not to frightful though!), we can’t help but dream about going back to the Zilker Botanical Gardens when the weather is warm.  31 acres of serious vegetation envelopes these gardens.   It is the perfect refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city for an afternoon.   We love to go to the garden for inspiration in the spring when everything is in full bloom!

Don’t miss out on some of their wonderful classes that they offer all year round:

Zilker Garden Events

The sign outside El Arroyo on 5th Street is a daily dose of humor for anyone who drives past.  They might be on the “Naughty” list for some of the daily updates, but no-one seems to mind!

If you don’t get the opportunity to drive past everyday, you can get the latest sign updates on the El Arroyo Sign twitter page.  (no we’re not joking)

http://twitter.com/elarroyosign

You can also submit ideas that you have for the sign on their website.  Making Austinites laugh should be considered a community service project right?  Everyone can help!

http://www.ditch.com/signs.htm

Since their opening in July of this year, Fortune restaurant has had more than a few food critics stroll though their doors.  All of them with nothing but good things to say!  Fortune serves dim sum daily and has an extensive menu of fresh creations, many with delectable fresh seafood.  They also have a fabulous 9,000 sq. foot banquet room for events.  It is the perfect space to host 50-500 people!

If you don’t want to cook up a Christmas ham this year, just drop in to Fortune.  They will be serving dim sum (or dim YUM as we like to call it) from 10:00 – 3:00

10901 North Lamar Blvd. Suite A-1-502

In Austin, you can discover art in the most unusual places: libraries, parks and even hazardous waste facilities. Thanks to the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP), Austinites have been encountering sculptures, murals and surprising creations in public spaces since 1985.

You may be walking or driving by a piece of art everyday without knowing it.  Take a look at their brochure to see where all of it is!

sim·plic·i·ty

Pronunciation: \sim-ˈpli-sə-tē, -ˈplis-tē\

1 : the state of being simple, uncomplicated, or uncompounded

It seems like every thing’s so complicated these days!  Every once in a while we like to take our design to a different level of simplicity.  It’s very satisfying to make designs that “make sense” and that are uncomplicated.  We think that the feeling is relayed to whom ever will be receiving our creation.

What are the simple things in your life that you cherish?  It’s the little things that count.

An Austin Christmas is not complete without a trip to the Annual Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.  They have filled up the Austin Convention Center with artist and live music once again to spread some Holiday cheer to everyone in Austin.  Checkout the line up of live music and catch a concert while getting your shopping done!

Tonight:

Marcia Ball & Pianorama - 8:00 to 11:00PM

www.armadillobazaar.com

We’ve all seen this happy guy saying “Hi” on Guadalupe and 21st.  He’s not just a piece of graffiti that someone conjured up in a “happy” state.  This frog has a lot of history and has become an icon for the community.

Daniel Johnston created this landmark in 1993.  “The Hi how are you?” frog (also known as “Jeremiah the Innocent”) was created on the side of the building that held Sound Exchange.  Locals have successfully endeavored to preserve the image when the building changed ownership to a Baja Fresh.  Baja Fresh had planned to take out the wall containing the mural and create a window for the restaurant.  People noticed that there was construction being planned for the wall, so they rallied to keep the mural in tact.  Baja Fresh saw how powerful the people of Austin could be about something they loved, and subsequently decided to leave it untouched!

Take a stroll down the Drag and see this happy guy in person.  He’ll make your day!

This tasty Austin restaurant has a straight forward and honest approach to food.  Make it god for you, the environment, and the economy.  You won’t find any other restaurant that serves up fresh taste with an atmosphere that you can’t beat.

We love their mission statement:

“La Mission du Dahlia Bleu”
Although our primary goal is the financial well-being of the business, it is imperative to us to be conscious
of these important other objectives:
1) Using organic products whenever available and being conscious of the effect of our products on the
health and well being of our customers and our staff.
2) Optimizing the impact that our business practices and choices will have on the environment and our
local community.
3) Maintaining a high quality of attitude, fairness, understanding and generosity with our staff, our
customers, our vendors and the local community.
Awareness and implementation of these objectives will give our efforts a sense of purpose and meaning
beyond our basic financial goals.

Visit their website to get a sampling of what they offer.  Just try not to lick the screen!

Blue Dahlia Bistro

Charity Bash is an amazing organization that gives back to local non-profits!  Here’s what they’re all about:

“CharityBash provides a feasible and fun way to financially give back to Austin. Through this trend of ‘partying for a purpose,’ we hope to influence and inspire ‘giving’ at a younger age, ultimately redefining Austin’s ranking as 48th out of 50. By partnering with established businesses and downtown venues, we are naturally being branded as the ‘it’ monthly party where young people are being inspired to meet new people, give back to the community, and to learn something new.

At each party, we ask for a minimum donation of $10 at the door. One hundred percent of this money goes to the monthly beneficiary. After a successful event, we send updates on how much money was raised at each Bash, how the nonprofit spent the funds, and how young people can get more involved.”

We think this is one of the best ideas and organizations in Austin!  Check our their website for future events and to learn about the success of previous events.  www.charitybash.org

Also, check out our program “One Bloom at a Time” that gives back to local non-profits.  It’s a great program that has huge potential for giving back!  “One Bloom at a Time”

Right Now for

Austin, TX:

Sunny

66º

Feels Like: 66º

We have gone from snow last week to a glorious sunny day today here in Austin!

The weather in Austin inspires us to make sunny creations like this.  Whether it’s been dreary for a month or just a few days, there is always a possibility for sunshine just around the corner.

We love all things wedding here at King Florist!  The bridal industry here in Austin is growing rapidly (which we are so excited about!).  Brides are exposed to a wealth of knowledge from magazines, the Internet, and seeing the possibilities from their friends weddings.   This  in turn means that they are expecting more and more from every aspect of their wedding.  The gals at Blush say “Bring It On!”  They cater to that very discerning bride that will not settle for anything less than gown of her dreams!  Oh, and may we also mention that they carry bridesmaid dresses and beautiful accessories to complete the look for each bride.

We’re certain that Blush has made thier way onto many people’s favorite thing lists this year, but most importantly…Ours!

Check them out at www.BlushBridalLounge.com

Green Corn Project

So many Austinites love to run, walk, bike, or meander on our Lady Bird Lake trail.  One of the things that we like best about the trail is all of the gardens that line it.  The trail foundation has a program called Adopt-a-Garden.  You can bid on a plot of land and create your own garden to have right on the trail!

Our favorite garden this year was created by the Green Corn Project.  It is located on the north side just past the Pfluger pedestrian bridge.  They created this garden to let people see what Green Corn is all about.  The garden is full of fresh leafy veggies, and the best part is that it respected and not harmed.  This is another one of those things that makes Austin so, Austin.

How local are you?  The crew at the Austin Independent Business Alliance are fighting everyday to keep Austin local and we love them for it!  King Florist became a proud member of AIBA this year to help encourage more local spending.  Being a part of this organization really opened our eyes to all of the hard work that they do for our city.

The people of Austin have done a great job sticking together and supporting our local businesses, but now more than ever, people need to be reminded how important it is to buy local.  In 2002 AIBA conducted a landmark study that is now often quoted by other organizations both locally and nationally, showing that buying locally has 3 times the local impact. Of $100 spent at a local business, $45 stays in the community.  But that same $100 spend in a chain store, would only put $13 in our local economy.

Keeping things local is really what allows Austin to continue  it’s  unique and sometimes quirky personality!  Thanks everyone at AIBA for fighting the good fight!