Letters to Juliet - Our Valentine's Day Campaign to Bring Back the Art of Romance

Mix 106 - Petals Joins The Captain on Monday Morning, February 9.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Valentine's Day week and love is certainly in the air. So excited to be joining The Captain on Monday morning (with a special guest) to chat about "Letters to Juliet" - Petals' Valentine's Day campaign.  We'll be doing a special competition during the show. To learn more - tune in to Mix 106 on the way in to work.

In the meantime, enter our Letters to Juliet competition on the Petals Facebook Page. The person with the most votes wins! So share the page with your friends and get them to vote for you too. 

The Captain

Mix 106

Letters to Juliet - Our Valentine's Day Campaign begins

Feeling inspired? Check out our  the Letters to Juliet app on our facebook page for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate to Fourways Inn. (the perfect place for a romantic dinner).

We begin our Valentine's Day Campaign "Letters to Juliet" by reintroducing you to the gentle art of letter writing with this guest blog post.

HOW NOT TO WRITE A LOVE LETTER

A love letter is one of the most personal messages you'll ever write, and writing one is a lot easier than you might think.

Your first step is to give up your fear. You are the undisputed authority on what you want to say in this message--don't let yourself be shut down by preconceived notions of what a love letter should be. A love letter doesn't have to be poetry, it doesn't have to be about hearts and flowers, and it doesn't have to be sappy. Be yourself, and write about real things that matter to you.

So far so good, yes? But what exactly do you say? Here are some suggestions: the moment you first realized you loved her, how your life has changed since you first got together, how you have changed as a result of loving him, some physical characteristic of his that you love, something about her that makes you grateful, or something she said that you will never forget. Nothing is too small to write about, if it means something to you. Try writing about a shared memory that's special to you both; it doesn't have to have been a romantic occasion or a life-changing event to mean the world to the two of you. If you share something simple and sincere, your letter can be something that your love will treasure forever.

These dos and don'ts can help:

Do...

• Take your time. Writing a love letter is too nice a job to rush.
• Share your real feelings. This is no time to be shy.
• Write in your own everyday voice--your reader wants to hear your voice, not an imitation of someone else's.
• Give some thought to how your reader might react. How well do you know him or her? Are you declaring your love for the first time, or are you both so in love you're walking on air? Don't spoil the spontaneity, but make sure what you write seems appropriate to the level of your relationship.
• Remember to say "I love you"!

Don't...

• Don't worry that you're "not a good writer." You're as good as you need to be!
• Don't say anything you don't mean. It's easy to go over the top when you're writing a love letter. Be sure you're being honest to yourself.
• Don't be afraid to say silly things. If you love the way she slams the car door or the way he chops vegetables, say so.
• Don't be creepy. If you're writing to someone who doesn't have any idea how you feel, don't go overboard describing your feelings and your desires.
• Don't put it in an e-mail. This is love we're talking about, for heaven's sake. Invest in a nice card or writing paper, and write it out by hand. A love letter is a kind of gift--make it a tangible object they can slip under their pillow, save in their wallet, or otherwise treasure forever.
• Don't chicken out! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

A personalized handwritten love letter means so much more than a pre-printed card. With a little courage and a little effort, you can make your love the happiest person in the world!

Laura Brown is the author of How to Write Anything: A Complete Guide

Petals is excited to have begun hosting a series of informative and hands-on workshops at its beautiful location on 19 Queen Street in Hamilton.

During each workshop, one of our florists will guide you through the process of creating a design for your own home or to give as a gift, all while teaching you top tricks for working with flowers. Refreshments will be offered on arrival and all floral materials and decorations are included.

Christmas Workshops

We are thrilled to host a series of Balsam Fir wreath workshops but the format is a little different this year...

Where: Petals, 19 Queen Street, Hamilton

Dates:

Sunday, December 7

Monday, December 8

Tuesday, December 9

Wednesday, December 10

Thursday, December 11 - SOLD OUT - PRIVATE CLASS

Friday, December 12

Time: 6.00 - 8.00*

Start with a little holiday cheer. Cost includes refreshments on arrival, a 10" wreath, a red 'velvet' ribbon and decorations.

So how is this year different? Well, for one, we've lowered the cost. If you want to pimp out your wreath with lots more decorations, get a bigger wreath or change your ribbon for something a little sexier, you can choose from the many options we have available and simply pay the difference. The choice is yours!

Have your own decorations you want to use... bring them along and enjoy the lower price. Gotta love it!

Want a private class with a group of friends on a differrent date or time - to bring a group and come on a different day or time - let us know!

Maximum - 8 creative people.

Cost $85

Action: Contact us to reserve your place. Better yet, come with a group of friends! Call 292 7303 or nikki@petals.bm

Falling in love.

On the top floor of Takasyimaya, in a fairy tale garden, I saw my first Vanda Orchid. Its face appeared to seek out the sunlight, stretching and spreading across the wooden floor, entering between the impossibly tall buildings flanking Fifth Avenue. Blooms of soft lilac and white gingham suspended by invisible fishing line, danced between paper thin Origami Cranes, all hung weightlessly from this vast oak tree in the middle of the room. The memory remained and I cannot resist bringing them in as a secret reminder of how I fell in love with flowers. 

Being lost

I am not quite sure when my love affair began. Stuck in Vino Volo, on my way to Paris, I began working on the weekly flower order. Between flights (of wine) I carefully chose the flower vignettes - all on an excel spreadsheet. I tried to focus on numbers, forecasts and budgets but colour stories danced in my head impatient to be heard and translated, later, by my hands.

Like many things you secretly love, you deny their importance. Brush off their quiet charm. Distracted by something that demands your attention. It's easy to do if you're not careful. It's not until they're gone do you realize how much they're missed.

I got an email this morning from one of our growers about the order I'd placed. "Astrantia season finished. Sub?" I was lost; there was no substitution for this tiny flower that is both complex and playful. Its colours drawing you in. If you stopped. For a moment. And looked.

And just like that my love affair with work came to an abrupt halt. A quiet, unexpected death. I had spent the whole year racing from meetings to weddings to emails and on line night classes that I was missing out on the very things I love.

Call it age, call it wisdom, call it what you like but there is rarely a replacement for what makes you truly happy, just temporary distractions.  So stop and smell the roses or the coffee or whatever the heck it is that makes your eyes smile.  Make love while you still can, laugh until your sides hurt, look up from your work long enough to see the sun setting.  Your inbox will still be there. But most of all be present and grateful in each moment of each day. One day when you least expect it, it will be your last.  ,,,njb