Introducing Yölka!

Six months ago, a dear friend of mine asked me if I'd mind meeting with her hair stylist, who needed some advice on a new product she was designing. I have to admit that I rolled my eyes a little because even though my friend has great taste and I knew she would never waste my time or send a crazy person my way, it's rare that a really fabulous new idea comes along. Well, it walked in with Marian Rivkind.

At this very moment, Marian is in New York at the gift show introducing the world to Yölka, the idea that has consumed her existence for the past year--her brainchild, her baby. And Lindsay and I feel like proud godmothers! Beginning with that first meeting, Lindsay and I saw Marian's sketches turn into prototypes and then the finished product. Over subsequent chats, we talked her through pricing and branding, ensuring her that, yes, Yölka IS fabulous and people will gobble them up. Literally. 

Yölka Chocolates are Russian folk-art themed ornaments, inspired by an old-world tradition of hanging foil-wrapped delicacies on Christmas trees, just like the ornaments Marian cherished in her childhood. This custom harkens back to days when families came together and decorated evergreen fir trees — called “yolkas” — with treasured candies and fruits. Yölka Chocolates are wrapped by hand and made with the highest quality Belgian chocolate. These type of ornaments date back to the 17th century when they were brought to Russia from Europe by Peter the Great, and now can be passed on to inspire new generations to create their own timeless holiday traditions. 

We are thrilled to be carrying Yolka this holiday season because we adore new ideas in gift-giving. Who wouldn't love to receive such a wonderful treat? The single Yölka ornament is contained in a tiny box of art and is simply fun to open. Perfect for hostess gifts, book club pals, friends at the office. The six-piece is so lovely, you just can't call it a box of chocolates. For family, clients, dear friends, it's a piece of art, a set of ornaments and a fantastic gift.

Shipments arrive November 1st!

May showers, June flowers!

I'm sitting in my office, looking out on the little garden we planted at the shop last summer, with the help of green-thumbed friends, family and customers. At last, a few weeks of strong sunshine have made a world of difference to the rain-soaked plants. Dormant for too long, everything has exploded like an organic fireworks show, like butterflies released from a cage. The hostas are enormous, the hydrangea bushy and the David Austin rose bushes are bowed over with heavy blooms. I can smell their fragrance coming in through my office window. Can I just say that I work in a beautiful place? 

After months of extended cold weather in most growing regions of the world, flowers are now coming on with a gorgeous vengeance. Stems are taller, blossoms are bigger, variety is as good if not better than years past. Locally, our sources are delivering the most delicious peonies (on special through the 24th!), heavenly sweet peas, grand eremerus and whimsical allium. The colors and fragrances are to die for. Just in time for wedding season, it's good to be a florist, when each day brings a new crop to enjoy.

Eremerus, Iris and Sweet Peas

Sam and I sniff the Sweet Peas

Bel Fiore!

A few weeks ago, we were asked by photographer Josh Rossi to participate in a photo shoot at Cucina Nassi, which just happens to be one of my favorite venues. It's located in the historic Sugar House post office and is a bright, regal space that can be transformed a million ways. Josh was born in Florence and is obsessed with Europe, and asked us to create a bridal bouquet and some accompanying pieces in rich, sexy reds and felt as if designed in a shop on a cobbled Old World street. Josh doesn't use a filter, but a combination of photoshop techniques to get his final results, sometimes perfecting a photo for hours. He also conducted the shoot at night, so the effects are DRAMA! :) See more on Rossi's blog and thanks again, Josh, for including us in this fun project!

Green by Design

The floral industry can be a wasteful one. Just as we eat "oily" foods, those shipped around the globe consuming fuel and resources (such as the delicious but imported Chilean blueberries available right now), florists design with beautiful but non-native flowers from all ends of the earth. We ADORE these stunningly beautiful blooms, the pink-tipped Parrot tulips from Holland, plum Dendrobium orchids from Thailand, fuzzy spider-like Queen Protea from South Africa, giant candy-colored "Iguana" roses from Ecuador, but we recognize that they are exotics and that we are lucky to be able to receive them and offer them to our customers. In my opinion, their beauty and the joy they impart are worth it!

At the same time, we do our best to backtrack in these carbon footsteps. From late February through September, we buy about 50% of our flowers from local farms. Fabulous and local French tulips, sweet peas, sunflowers, anenomes and zinnias will begin arriving soon! 

Last July, we planted a cutting garden at the shop and hope to begin to harvest from it this season. We recycle all shipping boxes and dispose of our green waste in the yard waste can. Our actual "garbage" is less than a bushel per week. We are always looking for ways to do better. (I'm pondering some kind of community florists' green-waste-compost system. Any suggestions?)

In the past few years, we've been making an effort to seek out companies that make gorgeous but sustainable products. Some we've carried for a while, some are new. First, I'm very excited to announce that we've found a source for RIBBON made from 100% post consumer recycled bottles. We'll be carrying our trademark chocolate grosgrain as well as double-faced satins in many shades.

Other green Products we love:

Tree-Free Greetings: We carry the Plantables line, cards that come with a little embellishment of handmade paper studded with wildflower seeds. They are made from sustainable resources such as reclaimed sugar cane Sweetpaper, up to 100% post-consumer recycled paper, FSC Certified paper, and soy-based inks.

Our deliciously-scented and beautiful diffusers are made by Rosy Rings, a sweet company committed to minimizing its environmental impact wherever possible and supporting organizations devoted to the well being of natural open spaces and wildlife. The diffuser bottles contain 40% recycled glass. Rosy recycles all the plastic, metal, glass and cardboard used in its production facility; uses biodegradable shipping popcorn and reuses shipping materials. In 2008 they donated 15% of profits to The National Resources Defense Counsel, Wild Bird, The Elephant Sanctuary, World Wildlife Fund, American Bird Conservancy, The Humane Society of United States and the MAX Fund.

NEW! the growbottle, upcycled hydrogardens by Potting Shed Creations, an Idaho company. We've carried Potting Shed items for years and love the packaging they come up with. The new herb grow bottles are made from recycled wine bottles and grow fresh culinary herbs indoors year round! In the next few weeks, we'll have mint, chives, oregano, parsley and basil to adorn your kitchen window sill! Love these.

Step by step, in our little corner of Sugar House, we hope to make a difference.

Time to Start Giving Props

Awesome work deserves acknowledgment. Since our favorite way to say “thank you” is with flowers, we have started Local Props, a floral-gifting campaign to show our appreciation to organizations doing great things in our community.

First up: Project Recovery. Founded in 2007, this sober living facility provides a structured environment designed to teach real world life skills to prepare individuals with the essential habits critical to achieving a successful transition into self-directed sober living for a lifetime. The leaders at Project Recovery, including our dear friend and Executive Director, Leah Steele, believe that sober living facilities function as a critical bridge between inpatient rehab or outpatient treatment programs and reintegration into real world living and provide statistically significant improvement in relapse prevention and overall recovery success.

Leah says that each member who comes to Project Recovery is given the ability to discover their potential to be their best selves. ”People come to us with a desire to live a happy, productive life and leave us with the experience and skills to not only live each day with purpose and joy, but to also make a difference in the lives of others."

It is incredible the breadth and the impact this center has on the community and we are delighted to contribute some vibrant, fresh Holland bouquets to brighten their environment.

You can support the work of Project Recovery with your donations here… 

If you know of an organization that you think deserves some props, email us at orders@tfadesign.com.

The More Things Change...

Planning for our holiday open house at the shop begins almost as soon as the previous year's cocktail napkins are cleaned up and the votive candles are snuffed. Last year, after the guests had gone home, Lindsay and I looked around at what had sold, what had flopped, and how we would redesign the shop all over again with an entirely new Christmas palette.This year, "Sophisticated Whites," next year, "Classic Red"! It's hard as a business owner to just relax and enjoy an evening's success; it's a necessary but annoying evil that we must always be thinking ahead to the next thing. (I'm already getting flyers from wholesalers about booking our roses for Valentine's Day. Can't a girl have a minute?) Last open house eve, we also noted how much our lives had changed. It was our first holiday in the new shop, a long way from our first Valentine's Day in the basement of Lindsay's Avenue's home, and a big difference from our west side studio. 

Old Shop

New Shop!

Lindsay's baby Jameson was 8 months old and was a welcome little visitor to our grown up party. Skipping a caterer, my partner Matt had served some some mean hors d'oeuvres to rave reviews. Things felt right in the world. 

At this year's festivities, we thankfully noted how much had remained the same. Matt designed the menu again and cooked the food. Jameson was now toddling around, still the happiest thing on earth. Our dear friend Emily said that attending the TriFecTa holiday open house had become a tradition, her kick-off party of the season. This meant more to us than she could have imagined; especially in these difficult times, the support of our friends, family and clients is more important than ever. Lindsay's Mom, Robyn was there, as she has been every year, for every event.

But the most important thing that has remained intact is that Lindsay and I are still friends as well as business partners. We can still look around and say, "Nice job on the window display" or laugh and ask, "What were we thinking when we bought those?!" We argue, cry and ignore each other, too, but respect and love remains. The other morning I was driving along and thinking how fortuitous and amazing it was that Lindsay and I actually got along and appreciated each others' design style and aesthetic. It's not easy for two hard-headed "creative" people to make it work. It was that very second that I received a phone call with news that our community had lost a valued member, our mentor and fellow florist, Kathleen Culp, co-owner of Bloomingsales. I immediately mourned for Katy and her family, but my greatest heartache was for Sonnie, her friend and business partner for more than 25 years. As Lindsay and I know, being business partners is as close to being married as you can get. The loss struck home.

When Lindsay and I unpack all the new ornaments and stockings, when we hang all the boughs and trimmings, when we hope and pray our customers will love everything as much as we do, riding the emotional roller coaster of retail, it's calming to recognize that a few things remain constant. And now that the open house is over and we have a few weeks to truly enjoy the shop and the holidays, we can already reflect on the past year and give thanks.  

With Sam and Max on our old front porch.

Holiday 2010 with Sam. Photo by Suzanne Dingley. backonfestiveroad.blogspot.com

 

Our Way to Thank America's Veterans

We are very proud and excited to introduce a new campaign to support our country's veterans. Just as the struggles of these men and women continue after active duty, this program will be ongoing, as long as TriFecTa's doors are open. We hope you will help us give back.