Monday, December 1, 2008
Northrup Grumman Employee Duiscount Program Notes
Carlson-Wildwood Florist is pleased to offer Northrop Grumman Employees a savings of 10% off our everyday low prices. Same day and international delivery available. Our posted web prices are inclusive, we do not charge service or handling fees. Fed Ex charges may apply. We offer gift and gourmet baskets, cookies, chocolates, cheesecakes and balloon bouquets. Weddings, funerals, new baby gifts, birthdays. Special requests are welcome!!!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Holiday Tips
My Dear Friend and Fellow Rotarian Will was kind enough to send me this post...
As the holidays begin, I wanted to pass these tips along to you. Enjoy the spirit of the festivities.
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. if something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. as for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies or pralines in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
Have a great holiday season!
As the holidays begin, I wanted to pass these tips along to you. Enjoy the spirit of the festivities.
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. if something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. as for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies or pralines in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
Have a great holiday season!
Tea and Flowers
November 5, 2008, the Belleair Garden enjoyed a program presented by Carlson Wildwood Florist. Matt Pacheco created several "Quick, clever and cute holiday arrangements". Cheryl and son Matt Pacheco joined members of the Belleair Garden Club including, Maureen Ballinger, Barbara Chapman, RuthAnn Voelkert and Debbie Halvorson. Using simple ingredients and containers bought at thrift and hardware stores, they made spectacular, long lasting arrangements which could be easily copied by club members. Garden grown greens and plants were also used to create the centerpieces made for the Holiday table.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
St. Pete Times Article July 13, 2008
Carlson-Wildwood Florist
Mother-son florists on the move
By Christina K. Cosdon, Times Staff Writer In print: Sunday, July 6, 2008
Cheryl Pacheco owns Carlson-Wildwood Florist, where son Matthew is her star designer. Don’t let the tie fool you. It’s a dirty job. The florists on Clearwater-Largo Road in Largo hope to be in their new location nearby by December.
[JOSEPH GARNETT JR. Times]
Story Tools
A customer walking into Carlson-Wildwood Florist would first notice the heady fragrance of fresh flowers and exotic plants.
Next they'd see the funky faux leopard carpeting throughout the shop.
Leopard spots are quickly forgotten, however, among all the other things to see, including handblown Polish glass vases, French-milled soaps, blooming orchids, handmade greeting cards and wire animals made with real moss.
But the business' main attraction is its head designer, 25-year-old Matthew Pacheco.
Cheryl Pacheco never dreamed her son would be joining the business when she bought it six years ago.
"He was working for a florist in Charlotte, N.C., and came back here to go to school and work part time for me," she said. "When he decided school wasn't working out, he joined me full time and now he's my star designer. He does really unusual designs and handles all the high-end arrangements."
Last fall, Pacheco and her husband, John, a marine engineer who works as a contractor for the Navy, bought property at 1488 Clearwater-Largo Road to expand their shop. They moved the business from Belleair and leased a temporary space near the new property. Now that all the permits and plans are in place, construction is about to begin.
"We hope to be in our new home by December," said Cheryl Pacheco.
In addition to flowers and gourmet and gift baskets, the new place will offer classes in ikebana and flower arranging. Local ceramic artists will be invited to display work that can be for floral arrangements.
What do you enjoy most about the florist business?
"No two days are the same. I love that part. Every day is a new challenge," Cheryl Pacheco said.
"It's hard work, but it's a lot of fun and it makes people happy most of the time. Funerals are tough."
What are the disadvantages?
"The stress," she said. "There's a lot of stress. Like if you have a special order and the flowers come in bruised or the wrong color.
The first wedding I ever did was booked by the previous owners. They had ordered peach gerber daisies. What arrived were white gerber daisies and a can of paint.
On busy days, designers are on their feet 10 to 12 hours, lifting heavy buckets of water with flowers, cleaning the flowers, cleaning the vases, cleaning the buckets. You get pretty dirty. There's a lot of sweeping and hauling trash."
Where do your flowers come from?
"Most of them come from Colombia, Guatemala and Ecuador. Others come from all over the world: Holland, New Zealand, Australia, California, Israel," she said. "Most flowers don't have a season anymore. You can get tulips most any time, hydrangeas anytime. Carnations are getting to be very expensive and difficult to find. A lot of growers don't want to grow them because other flowers have a higher profit."
Christina K. Cosdon can be reached at (727) 445-4154 or cosdon@sptimes.com.
>>FAST FACTS
If you go
Carlson-Wildwood Florist, 1775 Clearwater-Largo Road. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Call (727) 446-4610 or visit www.belleairflorist.com.[Last modified: Jul 05, 2008 04:32 AM]
Mother-son florists on the move
By Christina K. Cosdon, Times Staff Writer In print: Sunday, July 6, 2008
Cheryl Pacheco owns Carlson-Wildwood Florist, where son Matthew is her star designer. Don’t let the tie fool you. It’s a dirty job. The florists on Clearwater-Largo Road in Largo hope to be in their new location nearby by December.
[JOSEPH GARNETT JR. Times]
Story Tools
A customer walking into Carlson-Wildwood Florist would first notice the heady fragrance of fresh flowers and exotic plants.
Next they'd see the funky faux leopard carpeting throughout the shop.
Leopard spots are quickly forgotten, however, among all the other things to see, including handblown Polish glass vases, French-milled soaps, blooming orchids, handmade greeting cards and wire animals made with real moss.
But the business' main attraction is its head designer, 25-year-old Matthew Pacheco.
Cheryl Pacheco never dreamed her son would be joining the business when she bought it six years ago.
"He was working for a florist in Charlotte, N.C., and came back here to go to school and work part time for me," she said. "When he decided school wasn't working out, he joined me full time and now he's my star designer. He does really unusual designs and handles all the high-end arrangements."
Last fall, Pacheco and her husband, John, a marine engineer who works as a contractor for the Navy, bought property at 1488 Clearwater-Largo Road to expand their shop. They moved the business from Belleair and leased a temporary space near the new property. Now that all the permits and plans are in place, construction is about to begin.
"We hope to be in our new home by December," said Cheryl Pacheco.
In addition to flowers and gourmet and gift baskets, the new place will offer classes in ikebana and flower arranging. Local ceramic artists will be invited to display work that can be for floral arrangements.
What do you enjoy most about the florist business?
"No two days are the same. I love that part. Every day is a new challenge," Cheryl Pacheco said.
"It's hard work, but it's a lot of fun and it makes people happy most of the time. Funerals are tough."
What are the disadvantages?
"The stress," she said. "There's a lot of stress. Like if you have a special order and the flowers come in bruised or the wrong color.
The first wedding I ever did was booked by the previous owners. They had ordered peach gerber daisies. What arrived were white gerber daisies and a can of paint.
On busy days, designers are on their feet 10 to 12 hours, lifting heavy buckets of water with flowers, cleaning the flowers, cleaning the vases, cleaning the buckets. You get pretty dirty. There's a lot of sweeping and hauling trash."
Where do your flowers come from?
"Most of them come from Colombia, Guatemala and Ecuador. Others come from all over the world: Holland, New Zealand, Australia, California, Israel," she said. "Most flowers don't have a season anymore. You can get tulips most any time, hydrangeas anytime. Carnations are getting to be very expensive and difficult to find. A lot of growers don't want to grow them because other flowers have a higher profit."
Christina K. Cosdon can be reached at (727) 445-4154 or cosdon@sptimes.com.
>>FAST FACTS
If you go
Carlson-Wildwood Florist, 1775 Clearwater-Largo Road. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Call (727) 446-4610 or visit www.belleairflorist.com.[Last modified: Jul 05, 2008 04:32 AM]
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