"4-Ever Flowers"

Anyone Tying the Knot??? (or not)

2010-04-01T11:17:00.001-05:00

"4-Ever" Flowers would like to announce a new special for the upcoming wedding season!

For a limited time receive:

100 Wood Roses for 50.00 !!!

What's the catch?...there is none!

We realize in these economic times that there are still certain things that still need to be done...like having pretty flowers for your wedding!!!

Our amazing roses are great for wedding favors, church/reception decor or even bouquet/corsage usage!

Our Roses also great for Graduation & Prom!

So again, that is 100 loose small bud roses for 50.00, any color.

(See website please for color chart: foureverflowers.com )

Glitter Roses are also available for a slightly higher price.

Shipping is available USPS Priority Mail for 6.00 and normally takes 2-3 days for arrival.

Email: simpleamy@charter.net or call 608-756-0996!

Chillin' with Obama

2009-03-19T21:33:00.009-05:00

SO........very sorry bloggers that I have been away so long! I got busy, you know how it goes...

Anyway, we went to the DC and you know, we hung out with the pres, he was cool. Callie had a smoothie with Malia & Sasha, we talked about the serious issues, I gave him my ideas on how to improve the economy, you know, stuff like that....HA!

But seriously, it was a great event, we had a good time. We would have stayed longer but Callie & I both got a bad bout of bronchitis and were pretty sick.

We did get to go into the city and down by the monuments one night. It was neat because we haven't seen it at night before, all lit up. It always feels surreal to be there. Even at night it was surprising to see how many people were down on the Mall.

I love it there and will take any opportunity to go back, always something new to see.

Anyways, we are off for a bit now, will try to be a better blogger :)

(cue music) Another opening, another show....

2009-01-23T04:43:00.002-06:00

We are here this weekend:

This is the WI Dells Sports Center at Chula Vista. It is very cool and different because the venue itself is a huge inflatable dome. Yes, thats right, inflatable. But yet its very structurally sound. You have to go thru pressurized doors in & out. It makes my ears pop every time.

We are at a gymnastics meet this weekend hosted by our very own local
Janesville gym, CSAKids.

It has been a busy and hectic week. Emotional and exhausting. I need to go to work to rest!

We have no kids with us this weekend, so I am going to try and be gadget-free, chilled out and spend such much needed alone time with my hubby :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's a New Day!

2009-01-20T12:55:00.014-06:00

Yes, Yes, YES we did!!!

Please indulge for just this entry while I cannot resist but to gush a bit.

I, amongst millions of others (as evidenced by looking at the National Mall this afternoon) am so extremely proud to have Barack Obama as my new president and to have been part of it if by only simply having cast my vote.

Do I think that this one single person can fix everything or can affect great change by himself? Of course not, but I believe in leadership. I believe leadership can affect great change both positively and negatively. I believe that great leaders realize that they are servants and aspire to replicate and reproduce service from others. I believe President Obama is one of these such leaders.

As I sat with my husband who also, more cautiously, but now assuredly, casts his support for Obama, and with my children, tears streamed down my face as we watched this momentous occassion, and tried to take it all that it may imply:

-that change has come, good or bad in anyone's opinion, change has come to America

-that anyone truely can aspire to be anything

-that we can come together on common ground, white and black, poor and affluent, republican and democrat, etc. if we really want to

-that if we work hard and work together, and work to our individual calling, we can fulfill our destinies and help our country to fulfill it's.

-that more rather than less people, have hope and optimism and faith and good intention

There is more nuances to a day like today than I can possibly begin to articulate. Let me just say that for today I am happy, hopeful, and little less cynical.

Some of my favorites of the day so far:

Tell me that this is not one of the most graceful, beautiful, elegant first ladies ever!

But this was my very favorite fashion item so far:

You Go 'Retha, that hat is awesome!

So Goodbye to the last 8 years. Gone but not forgotten, I think most of us collectively have learned a great many lessons these last years.

Goodbye Dick Cheney

Goodbye former Mr. President George Bush

Another awesome favorite:

A snippet from the benediction prayer,

Please listen through to the end:

A Geographical Escape

2009-01-16T17:57:00.006-06:00

Where I will be fantasizing I am this weekend...

Where we really are this weekend:

Detroit

And here:

Grayslake High School

Bob made it to Detroit this morning by the hair of his chiny-chin-chin. The roads were very bad all the way across Michigan, but he's there. This weekend he is inside the ice area next to the ice, so he will be very chilly all weekend. I am off by 4am tomorrow morning to do a cheer competition in Grayslake, IL. This actually the first place we ever did a cheer competition and it is one of my favorites and near and dear to my heart!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Callie's Commercial

2009-01-14T17:14:00.002-06:00

U Rah Rah

2009-01-13T19:25:00.004-06:00

Pictures from Sunday at
Midwest Cheer Challenge, St. Xavier University Chicago:

The stands were full!

Choices, Choices...

Lynne & Rick the "Blinkie People"

We met these nice folks at the very first competition

we ever sold at and always enjoy seeing them!

Tracie & Lisa the "Adorabear" teddy bear vendors.

They can be found here:

http://adorabear.com

It was a very exhausting but enjoyable weekend. We hope all the skating and cheer competitors had as good of a time as we did! Now on to keep getting ready for this weekend, so we can do it all over again!

And fun was had by all...

2009-01-12T19:52:00.008-06:00

Pictures from Saturday at "Foot of the Lake Skating" Ice Skating Competition:

A little skater making her choices

Some big skaters making their choices

Callie selling roses

Lexi slacking off

The skating event was great!

Flowers & Skating seemed like a natural fit and it was. We will definately do more skating events. In fact, we may travel to Detroit this weekend for the Mid-America Sectionals and we are hoping to get into the Midwest Sectional Championship at the end of the month in Denver.

I will post pictures tomorrow of Sunday's cheer event.

Osh Kosh B'gosh

2009-01-09T17:46:00.004-06:00

Ice Skating competition is in Fond du Lac, but we are staying in Osh Kosh.

Got to Fond du Lac (weather wasn't great on way up) and set up. Watched the skating a bit. This is synchronized skating. So it is a team of girls, skating the same routine at same time. Like you know, like synchronized, like synchronized swimming. It's really cool, that is if no one falls, ha.

Then we went to eat. Applebee's (yummy spinach & artichoke dip). Then we went to the Osh Kosh outlet mall. They have an American Girl outlet store there. Only one in the world, who knew? Wish I would have known like 10 years ago! We didn't buy anything, but it was fun looking. Then girls and I went back to the hotel to swim and hot tub while Bob went to sell for the evening. Good ole Bob, thanks for letting us hang back!

Must get up early tomorrow. Competition runs from 7am to about 8pm. The reaction tonight was good, so hopefully will be a good day tomorrow. This is our first ice skating event. So, we'll see if there will be more skating events to come.

I'm tired, goodnight everyone!

I have a hankerin'

2009-01-08T19:08:00.003-06:00

This is what I am craving right now:

Ever had one of these Symphony bars?
So yummmmmy, I like the toffee kind best.

Problem is I want one not the normal size above, but this one:

See that girl, watch that scene...

2009-01-07T21:21:00.003-06:00

See our girl Callie? She's a SUPERSTAR!!!

Catch her in a new TV ad featuring her school, Monroe Virtual Middle School. She has lines and everything!

It is being aired several times each day on Fox 47 Madison. It will play during the 9:00 Fox news every night. It will even play during the American Idol premiere on the 13th!

Hope you catch it, she did a good job, we are proud :)

Nice work if you can get it...

2009-01-06T22:26:00.002-06:00

Well, it's about that time...

Time to go back to work.

We had nice holidays and a nice time off. We had great meals, reconnected with loved ones, spent time with our kids, layed around, read books, slept, started a blog, bought a van, etc etc.

But now it's time to go back to work. Which is just fine when you love what you do!

This weekend schedule:
Jan 9-10 Foot of the Lake Synchronized Skating Classic
This is taking place in Fond du Lac, WI and will be our first ice skating event. We hope it goes well as we would love to do more skating events in other areas as well!
Jan 11 Midwest Challenge Cheer Event
This will be held at St. Xavier College in Chicago, IL

Hope to see many of our regular customers and make new ones too!

One less thing to worry about...

2009-01-05T12:44:00.008-06:00

Hip Hip Hooray! We got a van!

No worries, peoples, there will be no interruption in our ability to bring you our wonderfully fabulous goods and services!

Introducing, our new work horse:

A 1993 Ford Econoline Conversion Van

*Best Features*

-We + our stuff can all travel comfortably

-It has a TV (Callie is psyched!)

-It looks pretty decent

-Everything works ('cept the air, which will be fixed as soon as we need it)

-reclining seats and a bed

-the interior is very clean and nice

-shades on the inside to keep the sun out (good for the flowers)

Please help us name her, any and all suggestions will be take into consideration!

Ok! Ok? Ok.

2009-01-04T10:07:00.003-06:00

This is from Seth Godin's blog. You can find that blog here: sethgodin.typepad.com , if you're interested. Seth Godin is the Master of Marketing. He has written, "Purple Cow", "Tribes", "Meatball Sundae" & more. If you are a business owner or want to be a business owner, I highly recommend all/any of his books. I love marketing. I consider it an art even more than a science. If I went to college today, marketing is what I would study.

Anyway, I am pulling this from Godin's blog because even though it was written to apply to business, I believe I can apply it to my personal life as well:

Is everything okay?
Unless you work in a nuclear power plant, the answer is certainly no (and if you work there, I hope the answer is yes.)
No, everything is not okay. Not in a growing organization. Not if your company is making change happen, or dealing with customers. How could it be?
And yet, that's what so many managers focus on. How to make everything okay.
We spend so much time smoothing things out, we lose the opportunity for change, or for texture or creativity.
Instead of working so hard to make everything okay, perhaps it is more helpful to work hard at living with a world that rarely is.

How to live an unconventional lifestyle:

2009-01-03T20:22:00.003-06:00

Sleep when you want, get up when you want
Be your own boss
Choose alternative types of schooling for your children
Join the carnival every summer
sell cool things to cool people in cool places
travel around and live sometimes in an RV
stand out on street corners and peddle your wares (keep it clean folks!)
make friends with magicians, animal trainers and acrobats
while you work, be able to watch amazing kids that could potentially grow up to be future Olympians, professional entertainers or Dallas cheerleaders
work 1 day a week, 2 days a week or all 7
be able to have your spouse and kids work and be with you all the time (hmmm, good thing or bad?)
discover that although the landscape changes all the time, for the most part, people are the same, really nice
get to work side-by-side with your buddies, often
have your work not feel like work, but fun!
realize that money isn't anywhere near as important as a desirable lifestyle
be able to have time to stop and smell the roses (literally, ha, get it?)

Dream a little dream....

2009-01-02T19:40:00.010-06:00

,

What does it mean?????

In our family it is pretty commonplace to report each day, one's dream from the night before. Then we often take turns giving our expert opinion on the possible interpretation of the other person's dream. Sometimes we convince each other that their dream had deep meaning, sometimes we find them just hilariously comical and sometimes we just ask the other person what they ate before they went to bed.

We have some pretty recurring themes that run through our dreams around here. Lexi and I have "tornado" dreams, Bob & Christian have "chase" dreams, Callie dreams of things that she longs for and tends to have several dreams in one night. (Can you say A N X I E T Y, for most if us that live in this house?)

I have had some pretty intense dreams in my life that I can still remember vividly to this day. One includes Lexi falling into the Grand Canyon that I had when she was small, one was about the world ending that I had when I was small, and as I mentioned before, throw in a tornado dream or two or 15.

But last night on the first night of the New Year (or was it technically the second night of the New Year?) I HAD A DOOZEY OF A DREAM!

I would put it up there in my top 5 all-time most intense dreams.

The dream started out with me being outside. I was walking in a city (I don't know where) and the sky started to get weird and I thought to myself in my dream "oh here we go again, tornado dream" but instead there just started to be streaks of lightning running through the sky. More and more lightning as each moment passed and I thought, "I need to get inside" so I started to run. But as often happens in dreams, the faster I ran the faster I got nowhere. So, I stopped and I thought, no I knew, I was going to get struck by lightning. So, again I talked to myself in my dream and I said to myself "I won't feel it, it's only a dream". So, sure enough I got zapped by a HUGE streak of lightning! And here's the freaky part, I felt it! It didn't hurt per se but I definitely felt it. It was zingy and tingly and shaky and freaky!!! (Maybe I pinched a nerve in my sleep?)

Soooo.....
Here is the question raised:
What is the interpretation of the dream?

It could be a few things:

1. I was talking that day about being out in a bad storm this summer and being afraid of lightning.

2. I recently saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". If you saw it, you will know why it relates to this dream

3. This is the dream dictionary definition for being struck by lightning in your dreams:

To see lightning in your dream, signifies sudden awareness, insight, spiritual revelation, truth and purification. Alternatively, lightning may imply a shocking turn of events. It suggests the many forces governing your life may be beyond your control and even destructive. To dream that you are struck by lightning, symbolizes irreversible changes occurring in your life. It is a transformation of sorts.

So, I ask you, what is your interpretation? Please weigh in:

Just In Case...

2009-01-01T20:14:00.004-06:00

(Just in case I cannot meet or maintain any or all of my 2009 resolutions, I reserve the right to revoke or suspend any, all or part of said resolutions, based on the fact that I did indeed have my fingers crossed at the inception of said resolution making!)

In 2009 I hereby determine to:

Continue to work hard at working hard (we will let the recession not sour or frighten us but spur us to continue to give exemplary service, offer value for every dollar tendered, and contribute brightness and creativity to each place we encounter)
To work hard at resting more and playing better (In a nutshell, we need to have more fun!)
To balance and give as much attention to my relationships as I do to my business (I will strive to let the people that are important to me know that they are important to me, I resolve to work as hard on having healthier relationships as I do on having profitable ventures)
To be more healthily assertive & avoid avoidance! (important)
Practice better self-care. (you know like go to the doctor, the dentist, drink less soda, all that kind of stuff that I hate!)
Embody Gratitude. (MORE important)

Here's wishing us all a very happy, healthy, fabulous New Year!!!

Let 2009 be your best year yet!

My Mantra for 2009....

2008-12-31T20:07:00.003-06:00

In case the print is too small to see on the bottom it says:
Back in WWII when the UK was being bombed daily the government posted these all over the country in an effort to help lift spirits.

Books to live by, and with...

2008-12-31T11:15:00.010-06:00

Ok, so I love more than movies and TV, I kinda really like books too.

In my mind, heaven is a super-duper big library with books full of knowledge and answers to all we have been seeking here on earth. I even have a picture in my mind's eye of this library. It looks like the library of my first-grade elementary school. An old beautiful school that was set up high on a hill. The library was large and had tall columns and cozy window seats and old books. I loved that library. Not that I ever met a library I didn't like. I spent many years of my childhood in Madison, WI. A fairly larger city with several libraries. After, I read out my local branch, I would hop the city bus (unbeknownst to anyone that may have been put in charge of me) and travel to other branches, spanning further and further out as I sought out new material to read. And, the BookMobile, did you have one? Cuz' that thing was awesome, I'm sorry if you know not of what I speak!

Anyway, as a kid, I read to escape. As an adult, I still do a bit of that but now I read to enjoy but mostly to learn. Learn what? Anything, everything.

For personal enjoyment, I read fiction. Lots of suspense (King is a favorite) and I have read almost every Oprah book club book (Lamb, Oates, Kingsolver, Hamilton come to mind). I also enjoy reads that inspire (Morrison, Angelou) and even those that confound (Cormac McCarthy) and those that paint beautiful visual pictures with their words (Marquez) and I even enjoy a frivously light read now & again (Binchey, Charolette Harris). And last but not least, I have read and been helped by PLENTY of self-help books (Toxic Parents, Co-Dependent No More, etc.)

But the point of this post is to discuss what I read to encourage and educate myself professionally. I read business books with all different sorts of focuses. From entrepreneurial books, to marketing, to sales technique, to managerial etc. I also like to read biographies and auto-biographies about people that have had great success in their life or even great learned-from-failures. There have been hundreds of books but I will list some that have made the most impact on my business life:

WishCraft by Barbara Sher ( a "What Color is your Parachute" type of book for those trying to figure out what they really want to do)

Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers (title speaks for itself)

Manifest your Destiny by Wayne Dyer (took the principles of this book on as a personal philosophy)

Clicking by Faith Popcorn (trending for the 21st century)

Specialty Shop Retailing by Carol Schroeder (this is by a local retailer that I admired and took all her advice in this book to heart when opening my first store)

If Life is Game, These are the Rules by Cherie Carter-Scott (this was a life-changing book for me personally, but it comes in a "success" version too, so I included it in this list)

Leadership by Rudi Guiliani (I really admire Guiliani's leadership principles)

Purple Cow by Seth Godin (this man is a marketing genius)

Now, Discover your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham (you may have seen him recently on Oprah)

And for my new #1 favorite business book of the year 2008......

The Answer by John Assaraf & Murray Smith. (I love, love, LOVE this book! It is kind of a combination of "The Secret" meets "Business Principles 101". It is written in two parts. The first part by one partner who explains the science or brain activity behind the Law of Attraction. The second part by the other partner who couples the first part with real-world, practical business principals and advice).

I have a confession...

2008-12-30T19:13:00.004-06:00

I am a junkie. That's right a junkie.
A movie junkie. Oh, and a TV junkie. But this post is about my movie "junkiness".
It helps that my son works at the movie theater and we get free movie admission. Has there ever been a better job benefit than that, I ask you?

So, I go to alot of movies, I rent alot of movies and have every pay movie channel available. My son refers to himself and I as "movie snobs". Which if asked to explain, he would say "we like good movies, not shitty ones", ha! Really what it means is that generally we prefer smaller, indie, non-big-box-office commercialized flicks. Really, I can like or maybe even just respect a movie on many levels and enjoy a film for any of several different reasons. I love movies that "have a message or a lesson" pertaining to something I am searching for meaning about.

You know that song that goes 'round this time of year. The one about "the most wonderful time of the year"? Well it is! It 'tis the season! OSCAR SEASON that is. I have had an obsession with the Academy Awards as far back as I can remember. I am one of those weirdos that get up early on nomination day in Feb, just who hear "who's up for what". I watch the Golden Globes because they are the pre-cursor to the Oscars. It is on my bucket list to someday attend the Academy Awards even if it is just outside in the bleacher seats. I would prefer to attend with my someday-perhaps-famous singer daughter or my son who aspires to write the perfect screenplay. And I watch every award, even the boring ones. And I try to make it a point every year to see every movie nominated so I can correctly predict.

I have seen alot of movies in the past few weeks, because the "good ones" are starting to come out. The ones that are most likely Oscar-worthy. So I've seen alot, but have many more to see. My problem is that we live in a smaller city and our theaters don't get alot of the smaller, more obscure movies that I would like to see. Like "Slumdog Millionaire" or "Synechode, New York", not gonna come here. I will wait for them on video.

But there is still plenty to see. Seen recently:
The Changeling (not a horrible movie, but I'm sorry am I the only one who hates Angelina Jolie?)
7 Pounds: Thumbs down (didn't care for message)
Benjamin Button: Thumbs up (visually beautiful)
Doubt: Saw it tonight, Two thumbs WAY UP (phenomenal acting, Streep and Seymour-Hoffman, who could ask for anything more? Amy Adams was surprising good as well.)
Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Good movie (but perhaps not the best choice for a feel-good family Thanksgiving movie?)

Movies I am anxious to see:
The Reader (love Kate Winslet, and this was a great book)
Revolutionary Road (again with the Winslet)
The Wrestler
Milk (with the awesome Sean Penn)
Slumdog Millionaire
Synechode, New York
Gran Torino
Frost/Nixon
The Road (again an awesome book, brought to you by the same author as "No Country for Old Men")

Well that got long. For those of you that stayed with me, thanks, and Happy Oscar Season!

Blog: Take 2

2008-12-29T23:51:00.004-06:00

I feel like I have a million things to write about, ummm...or nothing. I can't decide. The important thing in BlogLand is the update tho, no? The new blog for today, so I will just go for it and not get tripped up by the pressure of it. Deep breath innnnnnnnnnnn, okay.

Business Tip for today:
GET TRIPLE AAA IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT!
Our beloved old red Dodge Caravan that has traveled us to more shows than we can count, died a quick but hopefully painless death right before Christmas on the way home from our last show of the year.

Bob was on his way home from Cincinnati and the van died in Chicago. She (the van) made it almost all the way home, close but oh so far. But not too far for Triple AAA to come carry her home at no cost to us, thank goodness. That tow would have cost 400.00. Triple AAA is 150.00 a year for our whole family. Between the 4 drivers in our family, with all the lock-outs, gas run-outs and lengthy travels, Triple AAA is quite well worth it! So it is my business tip for today but also a personal tip as well. I cannot see any driver that would not benefit from having Triple AAA.

What we need to do next: Find a new van! And quick! We need a new van by the time we go back to work (Jan 10th). We are looking for a bigger van than we had before. Either a conversion van or a 15-passenger. Craigslist, Craigslist, Craigslist! But, I don't understand why I keeping writing to new ads on Craigslist but get almost no responses? Do they want to sell their stuff or not? If anyone knows of a vehicle such as described please feel free to share :)

What else is going on: Nothing! I am trying to rest, really I am. I am not a good rester. All work makes Jack a dull boy. Yes? Yes.

One of the hardest things about being self-employed is that it is hard to know when you are off. Now a lot of people tend to think "Boy, if I was self-employed, I would, stay in my pajamas, I would have all this time, I could pursue all these other things" and while that should be true, what ends up happening is that there is always work to be done. And it is always staring you in the face and you have trouble saying to yourself "we already worked 10, 12 hrs today, let's take a break". So, I am trying with all my might to rest a bit as we have a very busy season coming up.

That's all for now, goodnight.
P.S. I write at night, I am a night person.

Blog: Take 1

2008-12-28T22:40:00.001-06:00

Hello blog world!

Well, finally. One of my big New Year's resolutions for this year 2009, both personally and professionally, is to start and keep a blog.

Here are a few purposes for this blog:
1. To keep our family, friends and customers abreast of where we are, how we are doing, where we will be next etc.
2. To share and communicate ideas about about all kinds of things, business, personal viewpoints, parenting, maybe even just silly stuff!
3. Ummm, because every one else is doing it and I want to hang with the cool kids? Lol, I kid, I kid (a little bit).

A few basics about us:
-We are a Mom (Amy) a Dad (Bob), a college-age daughter (Lexi), a 17yr son (Christian), and a baby (Callie, not a baby really, she's 12) and two suuuuuuuper cute maltese dogs (Pepper and Sugar).
-We lead a bit of an unconventional lifestyle. We have a traveling retail floral & gift business. We travel all over, all the time. Our kids (except for the college daughter) are virtual-schooled. They do school online through our public school district. Most of the year we travel in an old-school, retro 70's RV, the rest of the year we do the hotel thing.
-We have been self-employed for the most part for 13 years. It has been a real struggle at times. A trial by fire. A learn-as-you go. But, WE LOVE IT. It is not just what we do, it is our life, it is who we are.

Well, I guess I got through my first post. Please bear with me as I learn how to "shnazzy" this thing up with links, pics and more!

Keep comin' back!

-Amy :)