Well, the guys are off to Dad's cabin and I get a evening to myself. I fall asleep in front of the TV, wake at 12:11 and can't sleep. Start the coffee, do some laundry, pay some bills and contemplate about cleaning my closet. I've been contemplating for oh..about 7 years. Apparently I'm still contemplating.
But, to get to the point of the post. 25 Years in business. Wow, seems like yesterday and then really seems like a whole lifetime. Started when I was in my twenties, now I'm in my fifties. Sounds like a long time that way.
I still have the dress I wore my opening day. October 11, 1987. I'm gonna try and wear it to our Party on October 25th. Party is from 4 - 8 at the shop and I hope to see a few old and new friends.
I don't know if I should start with the first year or the last...let's see. I'll just start writing the memories I remember.
I wanted to me on Main Street of Salt Lake City. Loved it as a child. Memories. The 24th of July, the St. Patrick's Day Parade was still on Main. No Trax. Zions was still across the street. A lot of my first customers came from the buildings around me. The Judge, Boston, Zions, Newhouse, Cliff..Wow. Look at the city now. We survived the Trax on Main. The Copper Top Building, the American Stores, the 257 Buildings all are new. I've watched Gateway go up, ZCMI and Crossroads go down and City Creek appear. I've watched Main Street become a ghost town and have watched it come back to life. I watched and participated in the 2002 Olympics and was so proud. I love downtown and I'm glad I choose this as my place to work, live and love. I adore and admire those who I work with today and in the past. Many of my first customers are still with me. I'm grateful.
Getting ready for the opening of Especially For You From Me on 309 South Main in the Judge Building.
Mom and I had gone to the mountains and picked about oh 100 cattails to put around the shop to make it look full. We stored them in her garage, and I remember coming home one afternoon to find them all popped..and oh my, that fur, or whatever you would like to call it was everywhere..I think we were cleaning it up a year later. It was like that lint you couldn't get off your sweater. I'm pretty sure my family and a few friends were the only ones to come to the "Grand Opening" Kirk and Ann helped so much. I remember one day early on, I was going out to try to get some customers and Pat, Anns mom and her sister came and watched the shop for me. When I got back, they had been designing away with all the flowers in the garbage, told me I shouldn't be throwing a way any "good" stuff. Larry, my brother helped put up My first real sign a few months later. I was so proud.
The Early years. Worked nights and the Bongo, slept upstairs on more occasions than I remember. I'd open the shop @ 8, kept a dairy of the weather, how many people came in, daily totals. Oh, if I'd known any better, I would have given up. The first Valentines, I'd lock the door so we could get the orders done.
It was crazy, still is. Worked all night into the next day and was delivering til 10 at night. I still have anxiety over this holiday 25 years later. No more late night deliveries. I've learned to say no. Well, really not, but I have more help now.
Christmas..one of the first, I bid on Christmas trees for the lobbies of the Judge, Boston, 257, 150 West 500 South and the Cliff Building. Dad, Mom, Steve, Ann, Jodi and I decorated live trees all night long. Finished the next morning @8..Didn't want to disturb the tenants. I laugh now, most lobbies don't even do trees anymore, surly not real ones, just pointsettias, but it was beautiful. A nice memory. Christmas is still a favorite at our shop. We go all out. For the first 15 years or so, I did it like Nordstroms, Thanksgiving Eve I'd go in, work all night and that Friday and get Christmas up. Now, I put it up a couple weeks before the Thanksgiving Holiday, a little at a time. We really go Christmas now. Pink Trees, Green Trees, Gold Trees, Silver & Blue..It just takes me longer and I decided to get Christmas up at the shops, so I could do my own and enjoy it. It works. I'd rather wait and do it after the Thanksgiving Holiday, but..at least I wait til after Halloween.
I'd do anything to sell flowers. I would stand out front, dressed in a dress and pumps and hand out business cards..pretty crazy and determined.
I'm signing off for now. I'll write more when I can.
Met Keith my 2nd year in business, married the man of my dreams and we've been a team ever since. Formed K & M Flowers Inc and Keith opened his own flower wholesale business in 1990, the year our Dixon was born. We've been all been flower children ever since.
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