Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere…Luncheon

"Brandon is Bubbly and Blessed," was the theme for the luncheon that followed his baptism. It turned out to be a beautiful and intimate event, even though it was a very hot summer day in Whittier and all the bubbles appeared to be melting!
Nonetheless, the kids had a wonderful time playing with all the bubbles and enjoyed the bubble themed games:

• Making the biggest bubble
• Bursting the most bubbles
• Pass the bubble (Hot Potato
• Twister Hopscotch (new game friendlier for pre-schoolers)
• Blowing the biggest bubble gum bubble
• Catching bubbles without bursting (science based experiment)

Treats included: chocolate covered Oreos (courtesy of Delilah), Whoppers, Bubble Gum, an array of green and blue candies.

More ideas (found on-line) include:

• Twister (original version)
• Bubble image memory game (collect images available on-line or take your own pictures)
• Bubble art (add food coloring to bubble solution and blow bubbles onto paper)
• Giant bubble making with a kiddie pool and a hoola hoop
• Bubbling drinks (add Pop Rocks candy to lemonade and watch it fizzle)
• Fun with beach balls
• Hiring a Bubble Magician (We've attended a show and they are amazing!)

I enjoyed watching all the children's faces light up with excitement as they entered a bubble filled area (created with a Walmart bubble machine) and as they played with giant bubble wands ($1.00 from Walmart). It was a fun place to be at!

The decor complimented the theme. I was very pleased with how everything came together and created a very festive and whimsical setting. It was very reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, actually more like the Teacup ride at Disneyland.

The decorations included:

• Round paper lanterns
• floral spheres
• Pom-pom flowers galore (spider mums and blue hydrangeas)
• mini bubbles party favors
• turquoise and green bubble gum themed gift bags
• endless stream of bubbles

Everyone who attended and shared this special day with us had a "bubbly" time. We are definetly blessed to have such wonderful and loving family members, friends and now Godparents for Brandon. It was a memorable event for my little one, which is the most important detail. He is well aware of what his baptism signified and understands the love that encircles him. He does live in a bubble...in a bubble of blessings and love.

Norwalk Lions Club Celebration

I get so caught up in my everyday hum-drum routines and it truly is difficult to think beyond daily chores. My daily schedule consist of: working (at school or with flowers, sometimes both), cooking dinner, sport practices, sport games, getting kids ready for bed, repeat and repeat. Sometimes I feel very robotic and mechanical like the little Energizer Bunny. I "just keep going and going and going." Unfortunately, many of us are like that, trying to accomplish all of our duties and wishing we had more hours in the day.
However, I have many people in my life that keep me grounded and remind me of all the wonderful blessings in our lives. They help me refocus, even if it is only for a little bit at a time, on things that matter but tend to be overlooked.
One of these special individuals, amongst many, is Cee. He is my husband's teammate and our friend of many years. He leads a very busy life, like the rest of us, but finds the time to be very involved in giving back to his community as a member of the Norwalk Lions Club. It is truly very inspiring to see people doing good for others and setting such a wonderful example for the rest of us to follow.
In recognition of all their hard work and dedication, the Norwalk Lions Club celebrated another successful year of community service at their annual banquet. The members were out on the town in their best and finest attire and finished off their look with boutonnieres and corsages created by PB Flowers N More. For the second year in a row, we created white and purple boutonnieres and corsages for their members, which coordinated with their official colors.
We are excited and feel privileged to have provided the personal flowers for such an accomplished organization. Their service to the cities of Norwalk and Pico Rivera, my hometown, is admirable. They strive to make a difference in the lives of people in their communities. We are very proud to be connected to them, not just with flowers but also through friendship. Thanks Lions Club for your contributions to young (Santa Sleigh full of toys) and all (Prom Safety Program). Most importantly thank you for letting us be part of your special recognition night. You all deserve the accolades!

PB Flowers N More.com Home page

Blubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

My children are the inspiration for many things in my life including party ideas. We've had many pool parties, carnival games in our backyard, a Pony Party at the Lakewood Equestrian Center, a Choo-Choo Train Party at Travel Town USA, and a Carousel Party at the Santa Monica Pier.
Right now I am working on a very special family event coming up this month. We are finally baptising Brandon and having a luncheon following the ceremony. Usually, Catholic baptism celebrations are for young children/infants and usually consist of store bought generic baptism decorations. Well, Brandon is four years old. He is far from being a baby and I hope his celebration will be far from generic.
Brandon is very energetic, sociable and has a very bubbly personality. Inspired by his personality, his baptism theme is Bubbles (dots). I've decided to use festive round paper lanterns to decorate and give the illusion of colorful floating bubbles in the sky.
These paper lanterns have become a popular trend in party and wedding decor. They are available in an array of colors and sizes that are accompanied with different prices.
I had been on-line looking and looking for round paper lanterns in turquoise, lime green and white. It was difficult to find those colors and find them at a good price. I'm always trying to bargain shop, don't like over paying and certainly don't like the outrageous shipping charges that are added on when purchasing on-line.
Bling! The light bulb went on and I had a brilliant idea! Then thought, "Why didn't I think of this before?" It really is too simple. The perfect place to find paper lanterns is Chinatown in Los Angeles. I found the right colors at the right prices. There are many colors, sizes and prices to chose from. Of course, there isn't a huge selection like you would find at on-line party supply store, but I found exactly what I was looking for. Plus, my husband, my boys and I had a great dinner there in Chinatown following our shopping. As always, Brandon talked and talked, making friends with everyone.

PB Flowers N More.com Home page

A Mother's Love

A valuable skill I learned from my mom is the power of unconditional love, a mother's love. She exemplified the true meaning of love and wasn't stingy with her affection. She dispersed it to everyone she knew: her friends, siblings, family members, children and most especially to her grandchildren. Now that I am mom, I strive to be as loving and affectionate as she modeled it. I have much to improve but always keep in mind all her comforting words of encouragement as they echo in my heart. She is always in my thoughts and there isn't a day that goes by in which I don't appreciate and remember her love.
Well, why shouldn't mothers be appreciated and celebrated daily or at least more than one day a year? Let's all take cue from other cultures who celebrate their mothers on the traditional American Mother's Day and then again on Mother's Day from their respective countries.
Thanks to my friend Johanna, who I have reconnected with through the wonderful and exciting world of Facebook, I was reminded that all it takes is a simple gesture to show our love and appreciation to the mothers in our lives. Johanna's life has taken her on a venture and is now living out of the country, yet she demonstrates her love and affection through flowers. That's where I come in! I delivered a bouquet for Johanna's mom on May 10th and more bouquets on May 30th (Nicaragua's Mother's Day) to her aunts. Having a personal relationship with Johanna, I am able to message her with a picture of the flowers I delivered and a synopsis of the reactions of the recipient. Johanna is miles away, yet she gets the whole rundown; the hot pink flowers matched her mom's hot pink blouse, her cousin thought I was a peddler and was sending me away, her dad was looking on as I delivered to her aunt across the street and then we had a nice conversation. Johanna feels like she is back home in Los Angeles and I feel like I'm part of her family (cheesy right?). I am thrilled to know that flowers and the work that I passionately create have the power to do so much. Most rewarding, Johanna made me an honorary "Nica." I am most definitely HONORED!

A Girl's Dream

As a little girl, I dreamed of finding my Prince Charming just like Cinderella and Snow White. Then fantasized endlessly about being a bride with my white towel draped over my head, pretending it was my long, long veil. Well, what little girl doesn't? Many of us dream and formulate an image of our perfect guy and our perfect wedding in hopes that one day our dreams do become our reality.
As for me, I did find my Prince Charming and our lives together have proven to be a fairytale with all the necessary elements; twists, turns, tragedies, and a happily ever after that we are still working on. However, the Fairytale wedding in a big ballroom with luxurious decor didn't quite take place for us. Our wedding was quaint, simple, intimate and just perfect for us.
That said, I'm still a girly girl that fantasizes about weddings, but now I dream about other peoples' weddings. Now a days, I'm obsessing over my little sister's wedding to take place next April. Yes, I know it's 11 months away and we have plenty of time to decide on florals, but I'm so excited for her and I want to get going on all the wonderful ideas, in hopes that her Fairytale Wedding comes true.

Unique Spring Buds…Kale?

At first glance this huge, perfectly formed bloom looks like a giant Rose. Then, upon closer inspection, it is revealed to be . . . Kale! This VEGETABLE is edible and comes in different colors that are used in floral arrangements. Looking like a ruffled flower, we paired it up with floral buds and greenery to create spectacular Spring arrangements. Kale has made a lasting impression on our Spring bride, Jessica, and it will be the most anticipated guest at her upcoming wedding.

Hello!

I have been inspired to start our blog. There are so many great resources out there and I want to make sure that our friends and clients have easy access to them. Besides, I just can't stop talking about our events and latest projects. We are blooming with excitement!