Design Our Window Competition!

We love our windows here at Main Street Florist.  It’s such a fun way to be creative and attract customers.  We want to include YOU in on the fun. Have you ever wanted to create a window display and show off your DIY skills?  Here’s your chance!

Submit a photo to Main Street Florist that best captures the theme of your window design to sarah@main-street-florist.com .  This could be an object, a place, color scheme, etc. The photo does not have to be taken by you, could be borrowed from online.  Then in 250 words or less describe your window design idea. Once all photos/ideas are submitted the voting will begin on facebook.  Your friends and family can vote  by “liking” Main Street Florist and commenting on your photo.  The winner will get to bring their vision to life at Main Street Florist between August and December according to the theme or season.

Photos are due by July 31^st.  Contest voting begins on August. 1^st. Voting will last until 12pm of August 7^th.  Family and friends can vote once a day.  Submit your entry to sarah@main-street-florist.com

 Once the winner is chosen they will be given at $50 budget for supplies and materials outside of what we offer at Main Street Florist.  It is essential that your theme incorporate Main Street Florist product or be relative to the florist and gift industry.

Think you will need help setting up?  No worries we’ll be there to help make your visions a reality. Ready? Set? GO!!!! Send us those entries!

All Hail the Queen - a close up about Queen Anne's Lace

Welcome back, summer flower lovers! As you are driving around our beautiful rural area you can’t help but notices all the summer flowers in bloom along the side of the road. In particular, Queen Anne’s Lace… it’s everywhere! Before you just ignore it and drive on by, here are a few reasons why you should stop and respect the Queen ☺

Queen Anne’s Lace is essentially grown all over the world, although it is native to temperate regions in Europe and Asia. Here in Illinois, you might be as likely to find it cheerfully growing on the side of a freeway as you are in a formal English garden. A perennial favorite with flower consumers who feel it epitomizes the “wildflower” look, Queen Anne’s Lace is actually a form of wild carrot root (and if you cut the stem, you may notice that it has an earthy, carrot-like smell). As with so many flowers and plants, Queen Anne’s Lace was used by ancient Greeks and in Chinese culture for medicinal purposes. The crushed seeds from the flower were thought to be an effective form of birth control. Modern studies have indicated that the seeds do appear to interfere with both progesterone synthesis and ovum implantation. The use of Queen Anne’s Lace comes with heavy warnings for practitioners — the flower looks almost identical to a highly toxic little flower called hemlock!

Queen Anne’s Lace is ideal for casual summer decorating. You can simply gather a few stems into a wine bottle or mason jar or step it up a notch and use it as a wildly beautiful filler flower. So show us what you got! Here's your DIY challange for today.. go pick some Queen Anne's Lace and show us your arrangments! Post them to our facebook page!

Check out what you missed at Class

Simple Centerpiece Class from Main Street Florist on Vimeo.

Simple Centerpiece Class

Think you have what it takes to be a florist??  This past Sunday, Main Street Florist hosted it's first Simple Centerpiece class.  8 Students (we wish there could be more.. but right now our space can only hold 8) got to try their hands in creating their own arrangements in our shop.  The class was a blast! Much gratitude to all who participated. The class learned a little flower arranging 101 and got a step by step tutorial on how to create a few different styles of centerpieces. Check out the pics below of what you missed!

 If you are interested in attending a class at Main Street Florist please let us know! You can find upcoming classes here.  Also we love to keep you posted and get your feedback on Facebook so "Like" us by clicking here!

What's on your door?

Or maybe I should be asking... what do you want on your door??  I love our swags that we make at Main Street Florist and we hope you do to... but are they getting a bit stale??  Gerber, Gerber, Glitter, bow.....   Gerber, Big Gerber, greens, and bow...    We need to shake things up a bit!!

So what do you want for your door, or hallway, or living room??? I pulled a few pics of some inspiring door decor but we really want to hear from you! Post some links of what you like or maybe a different shape or scale you're looking for.

Exhibit A: above is our typical swag.  Fun, bright, airy... and we LOVE them.  We will also love them and always make them... but we need some variety people!

New ideas: Monograms are always fun... especially with the bright colors and patterns. 

New Ideas: This one is a nice shape... and is apparently sold :)

New Ideas: Although this design doesn't "wow" me.. I do like the square look.

Ok folks that's all I got... so shoot me some feedback and ideas!!

Terrarium Class 6/23/11

So last Thursday night we hosted our first Make and Take Class! We had a small but mighty group.  It couldn't have gone better. 

Everyone in the class built their own Terrarium.  We provided the glass bubble bowls and all the tools/plants they needed.  These three above are roommates and they were a riot.  We later got a report back that they spent the rest of the evening fighting over the "perfect spot" for their new masterpieces in their apartment.

Chloe (an adorably spunky 1st grader), was our student expert on Terrariums.  I'm pretty sure at this point she was just giving her mom directions as she oversaw the landscaping project.

Cindy (pictured above) brought in this A-MAZING Terrarium container.  It was a perfect size and was stunning.  See the pics below of the finished product.

The whole gang with the Terrariums they built outside the shop.  We are still taking students for future classes this summer.  July 10th Simple Centerpieces 2-3pm and August 13th Mommy and Me Masterpieces 2-3pm More details here! Also if you interested in learning how to build your own Terrarium let us know.  Another class date may be in the works!

Chive Hudson Rockpile makes #1 in the Editor's Dozen of Cooking Light

You've already seen a few of the Chive vases featured on our blog but here's one more.  Cooking Light magazine has included one of our Chive vases their editor’s dozen! Visit Main Street Florist to get your hands on one of these babies!

The Hudson Rockpile makes #1 in the Editor's Dozen of Cooking Light's November 2010 Issue!