Behind the Blooms
Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Shout Out to Charleston's Premier Cake Designer: Rock Star Cakes


Dinosaur Egg Birthday Cake
It's never a party without the cake, and cakes have become increasingly elaborate on television shows, such as Cake Boss or Ace of Cakes, and in real life too. We have our very own sculptured cake shop here in Charleston, Rock Star Cake. From 3D Spider Man to a custom nurses uniform you could practically wear, Rock Star Cake designs look like something straight out of a reality show contest. In fact, we're hoping some one here at Tiger Lily has a birthday coming up so we can get one.....

Find them on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/RockStar-Cake/167226446643156

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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National SAF Convention
Wednesday, September 30, 2009



Just returned from the Society Of American Florist' Annual Convention in Phoenix. SAF packed the agenda with a lot of great seminars , but as usual the best part of the show were the attendees.


I left with that familar feeling of depression and inspiration I get when I'm around awesome people. Depression that I'm not doing some of the things they're doing, inspiration because I know we will. We have a great thing going at Tiger Lily, and I realize I'm comparing us with the best florists in the country . I'm not ready to jump off a cliff or anything, but still....I want to get better.


I could go on and on about who I met and what they're doing, but let's just say I have a lot of items on the "to do" list. I am happy to say that those awesome people are focusing on solid business practice like quality and service. We can all get better at those critical items, everyday. Sure, social networking was the topic du jour, and Twitter and Facebook is important. They are not a foundation for a successful business, however, more like crown moulding.


Above is a shot of the New Varieties floral room. There were some killer flowers in that ballroom, and our purchaser DD Parks is already tracking them down. We hope to have them in starting next week.


I also pictured the motorcycle I rented instead of a car. Renting a compact car was almost $600 for three days! The bike was less than half that and ten times the fun. Nothing like cruising through the Arizona desert at 80 mph with the sun setting behind the mountains! I saw two wild mustangs, two jack rabbits and a coyote.


I know some other florists read this blog. I want to HIGHLY recommend going to the SAF Conference next year in Orlando. I've attended five conferences so far, and have even spoken at two of them. I have never met anyone else from Charleston. It really gives a big advantage to see and hear firsthand the latest trends, ideas, flowers and designs. Now more than ever we have to be at our best. I'm excited about 2010, because I know Tiger Lily will be better than ever.


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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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The Beginning
Monday, June 9, 2008
Welcome to the first entry into our blog! Our goal is give you a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes at Tiger Lily.
Most folks say "It must be fun to play with flowers all day, so relaxing and nurturing for your soul" and stuff like that. Hey, our entire staff loves being around flowers all day. We always appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. But make no mistake, Tiger Lily rocks and rolls. Imagine being in the kitchen of a busy 5-Star restaurant! Deliveries coming and going, appointments, 5 delivery vehicles in constant rotation, phone calls, photo shoots, interviews, beach weddings, whew! And that's a "typical" day!

Over time, we hope to convey what it's like to be part of Tiger Lily. We'll be posting a couple times a week what's happening, including photos, stories, challenges and hopefully solutions. In short, what goes on "Behind the Blooms".

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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