Pugh’s Flowers Blog

History The idea began with Mary Barrett, president of the National Secretaries Association, now called IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals), and C. King Woodbridge, president of Dictaphone Corporation. They served on a council addressing a national shortage of skilled office workers. The account executives at Young & Rubicam originated the idea for a National Secretaries Week. The official period of celebration was first proclaimed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer as "National Secretaries Week," which was held June 1–7 in 1952, with Wednesday, June 4, 1952 and designated as National Secretaries Day. The first Secretaries Day was sponsored by the National Secretaries Association with the support of corporate groups. In 1955, the observance date of National Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981, and became Administrative Professionals Week in 2000 to encompass the expanding responsibilities and wide-ranging job titles of administrative support staff. IAAP created National Secretaries Week (now Administrative Professionals Week) with two objectives in mind: to recognize "the secretary, upon whose skills, loyalty, and efficiency the functions of business and government offices depend," and to call attention "through favorable publicity, to the tremendous potential of the secretarial career." Modern celebration Over the years, Administrative Professionals Week has become one of the largest workplace observances. The event is celebrated worldwide through community events, social gatherings, and individual corporate activities recognizing support staff with gifts. In the United States, the day is often celebrated by giving one's assistant gifts such as flowers, candy, trinkets, lunch at a restaurant, gift cards, or time off. The IAAP suggests that employers support the holiday by providing training opportunities for their administrative staff through continuing education, self-study materials, or seminars.

Crystal Cross can be purchased here.   Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the central event of the Christian faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death by crucifixion.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul even goes so far to say that if Jesus Christ has not been resurrected then the Christian faith is worthless and futile (1 Cor. 15:14-17). Therefore, without Easter there is no Christianity. Easter is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year. All the Christian movable feasts and the entire liturgical year of worship are arranged around Easter. Easter is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentence culminating in Holy Week, and followed by a 50-day Easter Season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost. What does "Easter" mean? The origins of the word "Easter" are not certain, but probably derive from Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. The German word Ostern has the same derivation, but most other languages follow the Greek term used by the early Christians: pascha, from the Hebrew pesach (Passover). In Latin, Easter is Festa Paschalia (plural because it is a seven-day feast), which became the basis for the French Pâques, the Italian Pasqua, and the Spanish Pascua. Also related are the Scottish Pask, the Dutch Paschen, the Danish Paaske, and the Swedish Pask. How is the Date of Easter Decided? The method for determining the date of Easter is complex and has been a matter of controversy (see History of Easter, below). Put as simply as possible, the Western churches (Catholic and Protestant) celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. But it is actually a bit more complicated than this. The spring equinox is fixed for this purpose as March 21 and the "full moon" is actually the paschal moon, which is based on 84-year "paschal cycles" established in the sixth century, and rarely corresponds to the astronomical full moon. These complex calculations yield an Easter date of anywhere between March 22 and April 25. The Eastern churches (Greek, Russian, and other forms of Orthodoxy) use the same calculation, but based on the Julian calendar (on which March 21 is April 3) and a 19-year paschal cycle. Thus the Orthodox Easter sometimes falls on the same day as the western Easter (it does in 2010 and 2011), but the two celebrations can occur as much as five weeks apart. In the 20th century, discussions began as to a possible worldwide agreement on a consistent date for the celebration of the central event of Christianity. No resolution has yet been reached. What is the History of Easter? There is evidence that Christians originally celebrated the resurrection of Christ every Sunday, with observances such as Scripture readings, psalms, the Eucharist, and a prohibition against kneeling in prayer. At some point in the first two centuries, however, it became customary to [...]

How did flowers and lace join Valentine's Day? Most of the items linked to Valentine's Day came from old-fashioned customs that used lace handkerchiefs and floral bouquets to pass on non-verbal messages. When the custom went out of style for everyday use, the original meaning was lost and eventually they became part of the Valentine's Day tradition. Giving flowers dates back to the 1700s when Charles II of Sweden introduced the Persian custom of "the language of flowers" to Europe. Books about the meanings of particular flowers were published, and entire conversations could be carried out using only a bouquet of flowers. The rose has become the traditional Valentine's Day flower. As it has always been a popular flower, the meaning of the red rose is still well known as the flower of passion and love. The red rose is also the favorite flower of Venus, the goddess of love, which helped give the rose its symbolic meaning. Lace Centuries ago, a woman would drop her handkerchief in front of the man she liked. This was a form of encouragement to him, and if he picked it up for her an introduction could be made. Lace has always been part of women's handkerchiefs, and it has since been linked to romance. Cupid He is the winged child whose arrows are shot into the hearts of potential lovers. His victims are supposed to fall deeply in love with someone. In both Greek and Roman mythology Cupid is the son of the goddess of love and is always part of celebration of love and lovers. The heart The heart is linked to Valentine's Day because it was once considered the source of all human emotions. The custom of drawing a heart shape is believed to come from early attempts to draw an organ no one had ever seen. The symbol progressed to become known as a sign of love. Why does an X mean a kiss? In the Middle Ages, a lot of people couldn't read or write. When they had to sign a document, they would make an X in place of their name. In front of witnesses the signer would kiss the X to show themselves trustworthy. The kiss has since come to be represented by an X. It's for the birds: Lovebirds are often part of Valentine's Day. Found in Africa, these brightly colored birds sit very close together with their mates, earning them their name. Doves are also part of the tradition. They are symbols of love and loyalty because they mate for life. A pair of doves will also share the care of all their babies. Love knots A love knot is a symbol of everlasting love, because its winding loops have no beginnings or ends. In times past, they were made of ribbon or drawn on paper to prove ones undying love. Did you know? Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are the biggest holidays for giving flowers. One of the earliest Valentine's Day gifts were candies. [...]

Learn How To Care For Vased Arrangements Here.  The best way to make vased flower arrangements last as long as possible is to change out the water daily, and if possible, trim a little of the stems so they can drink in more water. Another good idea is to keep any cut flowers out of direct sunlight, too hot or too cold temperatures and away from your kitty cats!

Looking for simple solutions to make your house or office festive for New Year's but tired of all the red and green? Remove the red stems and ornaments from your centerpieces and garland, then slip in greens, blues and whites. Take a fruit like a pear, insert a wooden skewer and it's easy to slip into any arrangement. You can also cover pine cones in glue, shake with glitter, then let dry. These are eye catching when gathered in a fruit bowl, or insert them into garland for a little bit of bling!  Check out this video for more ideas and examples: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/30/repurpose-christmas-decor_n_4518535.html Go to pughs.com to order your New Year's decor here.

Do you feel intimidated when your neighbors start their “Griswold” worthy Christmas lighting and displays the day after Halloween? Do you join the masses or do you look for new ideas to keep the season festive but manageable? Here are some easy tips to create beautiful focal areas in your home for the holiday season. Focusing on high impact areas such as your mantle, kitchen, dining room and front porch entry will keep you and your guests in the holiday spirit! Create a highly visible and welcoming entry to your home by tripling up the wreaths on your door. Connect them all with holiday ribbon, add jingle bells for a more festive feel. Re-purpose your garden urns by filling lanterns with white lights and snuggle them with garland or wreaths in your pots for a new twist on porch decor. A front porch entry with plenty of holiday impact The staircase is another area to focus on to create a warm, welcoming point in your home. Garlands are a wonderful way to dress it up. However, you don’t need to fuss with yards of ribbon, consider other alternatives. Keep it simple by adding a few neutral stockings, minimal burlap ribbon (if any), and consider playing up the steps with seasonal phrases hi-lighted with candles. Warm, welcoming holiday staircase Allow your fireplace to become a holiday hi-light as well. Incorporate decor items that you have in your home and dress them up for the holiday. Start with a simple garland, add tall decorative vases that you have on hand, fill with branches, pine, feathers, etc. I like to take the cuttings from the bottom of my tree and place them in my mantle vases. Stack a few hard cover books for interest or height, add stockings, candles or other holiday trim. Easy and elegant mantle decor The kitchen is the heart of the home and regardless of the size, you know that family and friends are going to gather there, no matter how hard you try to shoo them out. Add a few holiday touches, the goal here is not to add clutter! Hang a lightweight wreath or two to your kitchen window, adding holiday charm without taking up valuable counter space. Beautiful kitchen wreaths We can’t forget the Dining Room, where your family and friends will gather to enjoy your signature dishes. Keep your table trimmed all season with this easy idea, that looks complete whether the room is in use or not. Run a garland down the length of you table, add lanterns, pillar candles and pine cones. For a more glamorous option, use glass hurricanes and colorful ornaments. Lanterns and candles add holiday flair to your dining room table A few last tips to keep the holiday decorating stress at bay. With today’s open floor plans, remember to carry the theme of your decor throughout your home to create a flowing holiday design. Keep it simple and easy. Overdone holiday trim looks busy! Create spaces where the eye [...]