Behind the Blooms
Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Finding Inspiration Through Client J. Herman Blake



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Don Rothman (left) and J. Herman Blake (right), image found on http://news.ucsc.edu/2012/04/herman-blake-don-rothman-2012.html
At Tiger Lily our goal is to be the Best In Charleston every day.   We definitely have The Best Customer's in Charleston!  We have a parade of great folks walking into our shops.  Some are well-know celebrities, some are under the radar, all are awesome.  We often find inspiration in our customers and their stories, but were particularly moved when MUSC professor J. Herman Blake (above, right) came in for a boutonniere last year. 

It was a Tuesday morning, a strange time for a boutonniere.  "Is it for a special occasion?" I asked.  He explained that he is a professor at MUSC, and wears a boutonniere everytime he makes a presentation.  He vaguely said that he does it as a salute to someone he admires.  He pinned it on and, you know, it really did add that special zing to his whole persona.
Since then, Dr. Blake comes in often for a boutonniere.  He gets the best rose we have, often in a unique color.  We have a brief conversation, and he always give me some things to think about.  He's just a real smart person with a wealth of life experiences.  Above all, he's an optimist with a natural ability to inspire.

Recently Dr. Blake mentioned he was on the west coast for a little presentation.  I could tell there was more to the story, asked him for more information.  He forwarded this link.  After doing a little research on the professor we discovered he has inspired many, many people over the years.  In the presentation above, several audience members were moved to tears when relaying what Dr. Blake meant to them.  Please click on the link  for an inspiring perspective of a man we are proud to call a customer and a friend.  You'll also discover just why Dr Blake wears a boutonniere.  Dr. Blake is the real deal. http://news.ucsc.edu/2012/04/herman-blake-don-rothman-2012.html.

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Monday, April 23, 2012

Tiger Lily Participates in Gourmet and Grapes



Gourmet and Grapes takes place at the beautiful Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort and is their major charitable event for the year. Tiger Lily has been the exclusive floral designer for the resort since it opened in 2004. We are pleased to be able to participate in such a great event each year by donating arrangements for the weekend.

Tiger Lily is proud to be a part the charitable weekend, Gourmet and Grapes on May 4th-6th. The event, which raises funds and awareness for the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, involves a three day series of lunches and dinners prepared by acclaimed chefs and and accompanied by award winning wines. The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute designated cancer center in South Carolina, and a leading cancer treatment and research center.

For more information and tickets to this magical beach event you can visit the resorts Gourmet and Grapes website at: http://www.kiawahresort.com/gourmet-and-grapes-weekend/

Read more about how the event benefits the Hollings Cancer Center at: https://www.musc.edu/broadcast/show/27672
And: http://hcc.musc.edu/news/pressreleases/2011/GourmetandGrapes2011

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Gourmet & Grapes at The Sanctuary for MUSC
Wednesday, March 18, 2009






Charleston is a very giving town, even during this economic meltdown. Recently The Sanctuary Resort on Kiawah Island created it's innagural "Gourmet & Grapes" fundraiser. It benefitted the Medical University of South Carolina's Hollings Cancer Center. The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center was recently recognized as one of the best in the country. The Sanctuary has also been recognized as one of the best resorts in the country. It was a great partnership and we were proud to be part of it.



As the florist and event decor specialist for the Sanctuary, we do a lot of work with Adventures in Charleston, their destination management company. Hope Sweeney of Adventures in Charleston and our own Gayla Harvey brainstormed with The Sanctuary's Director of Catering Pam Russell on the look of the event.

They decided we needed a very large, contemporary design element for the center of the room. Something colorful, bold and well, LARGE. In fact, the goal was to completely cover the giant chandelier and take emphasis away from the lighting truss being installed for the event. Gayla and I kicked around different options, and eventually sketched out a square, tiered "lamp shade". We thought about making it entirely of Hawaiian orchid garlands...until we crunched the numbers and realized it would cost over $10,000 just for the flowers. Instead we decided to use a shimmering fabric in shades of dark red, the event's colors. Including the frame, fabrics and labor, it totalled just over $1,000. We also donated all of the flowers and other design elements for the three day event.



The photos you see take you from the brainstorming sketch we made in the office, to installation and finally during the actual event. I just thought it was a unique opportunity to see the entire process. Click on the photos to see larger images.



We attended the event, and it was a great success. It raised over $100,000 for the MUSC Cancer Center...great for the first year! It's always tough to start a fundraiser from nothing, and all the folks at The Sanctuary worked real hard on the event. I'm sure it will grow every year. Kudos to The Sanctuary, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, and especially the fine folks who attended the event and graciously donated their time and money. With all the negative stuff we see on in the news, it's inspiring to see these folks stepping up. Ultimately it will be that type of energy that will be the "bail-out" from the economic troubles we are in. I left the event Saturday night understanding the solution to our troubles. It will not be the government, the banks, nor the money. It will be individuals, stepping up and leading the way.

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Helping Out at the Ronald MacDonald House
Thursday, November 20, 2008



The Sanctuary Resort asked us to help out with an idea for the Ronald McDonald House. Bill Lacey, Sanctuary Director of Operations (that's him in the left photo with Sanctuary Housekeeping Director Anna Glac) decided to turn the House into a 5 Star Resort for the day. What a great concept. As everybody knows, The Sanctuary is a 5 Star, 5 Diamond resort on Kiawah Island. They really do it right out there, and I find their focus and standards very inspiring. When they asked us to provide the flowers for their 5-Star Ronald McDonald House, well it was a slam dunk.
Every knows what great work the RM House does in providing a comfortable, home-like setting for families eduring long hospital stays. Located across from our Medical University of SC Children's Hospital, it is unfortunately a very busy place.
Bill asked us to participate and of course we said "yes". So late last week, during a very busy, hectic day at the shop, Gayla and I snuck over to the RM House to get an idea of colors and decor. Talk about a reality check. We were wrapped up in our production schedule, ringing telephones and mounting emails, but seeing families taking a break from a hospital vigil with a snack and a nap really hit us hard. I've got two kids, and like all dads I would walk through fire rather than see them hurt or sick. Gayla and I both felt humbled and fortunate.
So we made some nice arrangements for the lobby and each guest room. The RM House was in full holiday decor, so we created our first Christmas designs of the year for them. That's a picture of Taylor posing with The Big Guy while delivering one of our centerpieces. Ronald's the one on the right.
Bill, Anna and a large Sanctuary volunteer staff made the house look great. White linen tableclothes, doorman, full 5-Star buffet complete with uniformed servers, they even provided spa massages for guests!
Hopefully, we made their day a little brighter. I don't want to get preachy, but if you can make the time or have a few extra bucks, there are a lot of good folks out there who could use a little comfort.

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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