Murphy Mondays: Good Behavior Gets You Treats

Hi humans! Today I'm on my soapbox (or whatever the dog equivalent of a soapbox is). I want to talk about good behavior. For me, it's pretty easy. Well, it's not easy to follow but it is pretty simple to understand. I can't go in the consultation room because I'm not supposed to interrupt the appointments and also because some people are allergic to dogs. I'm not supposed to leave the shop without permission. I'm not supposed to eat things out of Dara's trashcan. And I'm not supposed to eat the flowers (bummer). When I'm well-behaved - which is, let's face it, most of the time - I expect treats. I don't think that's unreasonable. Do you?

Me. Without treats. Just sayin'.

 For you humans, the expectations for good behavior are a lot different. And for my humans, in particular, the good behavior they need from the brides and grooms that they meet with is pretty specific. I've been around long enough to know what counts for good behavior in a meeting...and here it is!

1. Share the details of your flower budget. My people don't need to know how much your overall wedding will cost. But they DO need to know how much your wedding flower budget is; so don't keep it to yourself. If you have a number in mind then, by all means, share it please! It only helps my people to help YOU.

2. Understand that sometimes a price is what it is. My humans will always do their best to give you the best that they can within your budget. But you wouldn't believe how many people are offended because they can't get everything they want for the money they have to spend. Flowers cost what they cost - and the time of year affects that a lot. Everyone here will do their best to make your wedding dreams come true but sometimes a compromise is in order.

3. A crowd is fine but too many chefs in the kitchen...not so much. My people love meeting with brides and grooms and their families. The more the merrier they always say! Sometimes couples bring everyone from their parents to their wedding parties to their meetings. That's totally cool with us; as long as we don't have to face the dreaded "decision by committee." If every single person in the room has to weigh in on each and every flower, then it's going to be a loooooong meeting and probably a frustrating one for the bride and groom. Bring your peeps! But give them limited veto power!

These are just a couple of my good behavior tips for you humans. Make sure you follow them and maybe you'll get a treat. And, if you do, maybe you could share??

Have a good week!

Murphy

Texas Wildflowers...Not

Did we mention it is booking season? Lots and lots of inquiries have been headed in our direction and we absolutely love it! Wedding flowers are our thing, but the best part of designing wedding flowers is that we get to tell a story - and that story begins with meeting the bride and groom and getting to know them. This is the creative part of the process and, honestly, a good part of the fun for us. We really enjoy getting to meet so many fun, awesome couples. This is what really gets us excited about making their wedding flowers something truly special!

Unfortunately, however, not everything about this process is picture perfect. We love when brides/grooms have a vision, but hate it when we have to squash their dream. This is especially true when we're talking about expectation to budget ratio. At least in this case, we can work with couples to help them create the wedding of their dreams but in a way that works within their budget. Some things, however, we just can't do anything about and that includes making particular flowers materialize.

We are in Texas and people here love their Texas wildflowers. We totally get it. We love them too. But guess what? Real Texas wildflowers don't exist for commercial use; they are simply not commercially grown. You should see the faces of the brides and grooms who have their hearts set on Texas wildflowers and are forced to hear this sad news.

So here's the deal...Texas wildflowers don't survive for long when they are cut; they are completely dependent upon the weather and they are not meant to be wedding flowers. So when brides and grooms ask us about bluebonnets, we have to say no. But what we can suggest is giving bluebonnet seed packets as favors or incorporating the essence of bluebonnets into the wedding in other ways, such as using a beautiful bluebonnet broach/pin for the handle of the bride's bouquet. One of our bride's mother even handmade gorgeous napkins out of wildlflower printed fabric. We can also mimic the look of wildflowers, by making loosely gathered, casual bouquets with pops of color.

Beyond Texas wildflowers, here are some other flowers that fall into the "no" category...

Magnolia. Most photos of magnolia bouquets are actually silk/artificial. I was lucky enough that my grandmother, like many others in the south, had a gorgeous magnolia tree in her front yard. The blooms were beautiful on the tree, but as many times as I tried I was never able to get a bloom to last for more than a few minutes once it was cut.

Wisteria. Sorry Twilight fans! I know that the use of wisteria in the wedding of Edward and Bella caused quite a stir and we have since been asked many, many times about using wisteria. And we have to say no. Wisteria, like wildflowers and magnolia, is meant to be enjoyed in its natural state and environment. Once it is cut from this natural state, it just doesn't make it.

Luckily, even though these few flowers are not available, we have tons of gorgeous varieties that are available and we're happy to help you make the best selections for you!

Murphy Mondays: The Art of the Compromise

At Bouquets of Austin, we work in a business of compromise. I see it all the time when my people meet with brides and grooms who want a certain look for their wedding but don't have the budget to match. The humans here at Bouquets are great at helping couples find a compromise so that they can get a version of what they want and still work within their budget. It's one of things they do really, really well. Pretty wedding flowers and intact budget.

I am also quite fantastic at compromise. I have learned to be that way by watching everyone around me.

I know THEY would probably say that I'm not that great at compromising but let me tell you what has recently happened and you can decide for yourselves. I know that I've said before that I enjoy sneaking out when no one is looking. This is for several reasons...1. I can roam around at will and take my time doing it; and 2. I usually find myself at the vet down the street where they give me treats and wait for my humans to find me. Which they always do. And when they do, they are MAD. Totally worth it.

My humans know how much I love to sunbathe. It's one of my favorite things to do. But they don't want to open the door and let me enjoy the sun too much because they know that eventually I'll take off. Totally right.

So this is the compromise that we figured out. They open the door and let me sunbathe to my heart's content. In return, I am on a very, very long leash that allows me to roam but won't let me get away completely. Not bad, right? I didn't think so either. So now we both get what we want. Totally awesome.

Me with my Leash of Compromise

Long enough I suppose.

 See? I am not an unreasonable dog. I am able to compromise with the best of them. Except, if I'm being honest, when it comes to food. As far as I'm concerned there is no compromise when it comes to food. All bets are off and if I have to steal it out of the trashcan then steal it out of the trashcan I will. Totally worth it.

Have a great week!

MURPHY

Murphy Mondays: Musings & Messes

It’s wedding season people. That means that there are tons of flowers in the shop, happy brides jumping up and down on one foot, dropping off mason jars and heirloom lace for bouquet handles and candles and who-knows-what-else and stressing out in general. My humans are super excited because they love wedding season. This IS, after all, what they do for a living so, yeah, I get it. They love the flowers and the designing of the arrangements, and seeing their brides with their bouquets and the grooms with their boutonnieres. They love the running around and the fun and the energy that goes hand in hand with this time of year. I’m happy for them. Really I am. But wedding season means something very different for me. Mainly that there is less time in the day to pay attention to me and attention, ladies and gentlemen, is what I need the most (next to treats and other food related products). Since this space is supposed to be for me to vent my canine thoughts, today I would like to share with everyone my top five reasons why wedding season stinks like wet dog.

1. There’s a lot of stuff in the shop right now. Lots of flowers, lots of knick-knacks, lots of pieces and parts. This significantly decreases the square footage available for me and my bed. Thumbs down.

2. Like I said before, my people are busy. And busy means less attention paid to me and my many, many needs.

3. Because there are more weddings, there are less appointments; my people don’t have has much time to meet with brides and grooms. Less appointments means less people. Less people means less petting and attention for me (refer back to #2).

4. Normally wedding season means that the back door of the shop is open quite a bit because we do some painting and building and need the fresh air. In the past, I could easily sneak out during these times. But now that I’ve been caught sneaking over to the nearby vet’s office for some treats, they have me on lockdown. Now wedding season means that the door is open but everyone is keeping a close eye on me. No more vet for me.

5. Wedding deliveries sometimes means that I have to stay at the shop (why no one has figured out that I would be VERY helpful on deliveries, I’ll never know). I hate being left behind. Which is why, when I was recently left alone, I very clearly demonstrated my displeasure by emptying Dara’s trashcan in the way that I saw most fitting.

 

I am annoyed people. Hear me roar.

Yes, it’s a beautiful time of year in Austin. Yes, weddings are wonderful and romantic and blah, blah, blah. Just don’t forget us canine companions back home, holding down the fort. Okay?

Have a great week!

Murphy