Guys Corner

Guy's Corner
Some perspective for guys, from a guy.

April 27, 2010

A guy comes in the other day to say thanks. People call or email rather frequently to say thanks, but it was a bit unusual to have him come in person justto say it. He said he had to personally say thanks because the flowers he bought got him out of trouble-- a lot of trouble. He told us this story:

He originally came in to order flowers to help him get out of the doghouse. Seems he had been insensitve to his wife in some way. He came to the shop to get the flowers so he could personally take them to her. On his way home, he was apparently in a bit of a rush to offer his apologies to his wife, and forgetting that the gas pedal doesn't stop once you get to the speed limit, he had pressed it clear to the floor. This, of course, brought on the unwanted attention of the local black and white. Once he dropped out of light speed, the officer approached and began the usual spiel-- "License and registra--".

He was interuppted at the sight of the flowers and changed course-- "Who are those for?" After explaining his situation, the officer relented and understood he was in enough trouble already, and felt he didn't need to add fuel to the fire.

That's right guys-- flowers can help get you out of the doghouse and keep you out of the big house.

November 8, 2009

Every now and then, a guy comes into the shop that has been infected with the romantic bug. They exhibit symptoms like pointing out the 'cute' bears or saying he needs flowers for his "smoochie-poo."

The other day, like so many other typical days, a very nice young man came in to get flowers for his girlfriend. He's obviously got the bug-- he brouhgt poetry for the card. And not just any poetry. I'll hand it to him, he's creative, and he's set on making it rhyme. He's also set on tying the poem to the flowers. So he asks for a dahlia and rose, a bit of an unusual combination, but hey, to each their own. So here's the poem he writes on the card (he freely shared it out loud):

"Here's a dahlia and a rose,
I want to maul ya and suck your toes."

It's... creative, right? And hopefully his girlfriend has a sense of humor. (Heck, hopefully he does too-- in case he ever reads this.) At least I think it's meant to be somewhat funny, if not, well, what people do in their own homes is their prerogative. But if you're not so poetically-inclined, there's no need to worry. Writing a card can be a simple endeavor. My wife says the best a girl can hope for is a simple "You are loved and appreciated." But bring your best poetry anyway. It's definitely inspiring.

April 24, 2009

For some of you guys, it's that time of year. Yep. You're gettin' hitched. Congratulations. You've obviously done something right to get her to say yes. Chances are you've read some of my prior stories and that made the difference. Either that or you're just plain lucky. All right, maybe you did get it done on your own merits. In any case, the biggest day of your life is almost here. You may not think so, but she does. And you don't want to mess this up. She's got expectations. She's got hopes and dreams. She's probably been dreaming of this day for 20 years or more (or maybe less, you cradle robber). And believe it or not, you're the schmuck that's fulfilling those dreams. I'll keep it brief. She's already planned every detail. There's no way you can screw this up. Not even if you try. The whole day is planned for you and if you just shave and show up, you'll be directed to do pretty much everything you need to do. You guys with beards have it even easier.

So why am I writing anything?

Because you can go from mediocre schmuck to knight in shining armor in one little step. You know she's got it all planned out. So do the unexpected (but don't screw up her plans). If you've got a horse and a suit of armor, be the knight. She'll never forget it. But if you're coming up shy in the stable department, try magnifying the little details. You've seen the movies (she's made you see them so you know what I mean). The knight rides up, grabs her hand, swings her up behind him, and what does he present her with? A flower. That's all you have to do. When you present it to her is up to you, but it's the simplest thing you'll ever do to make her yours forever. Get a flower that's a little different from her wedding flowers to give to her. Why different? So she knows you planned ahead and thought about this moment before it arrived. (And so she knows you aren't tearing apart the centerpieces). Tell her you'll never forget how she looks at that moment. Chances are you will (you're a boneheaded guy after all), but she won't forget. Ever. Wipe the tear from her cheek and kiss her. That's the fairy tale ending she'll never forget.

January 28, 2009

Happy New Year. Alright, now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business. It's that time of year. You and I both know what time that is. Well, I do, anyway. You probably won't register what I'm talking about for another 2 weeks. Still no clue? Well, good thing for you, I'm here to help you plan for that most romantic of holidays-- yes, Valentine's Day. Before you leave the site, let me tell you, the Guy's Corner isn't always about promotion of The Flower Shoppe. Ok, it is. But it's also about promoting you as a man. If you want the weekend of February 14th to be a warm one, you'll pain attention to the next few sentences. You need to do something. You need to plan. You need to make a few phone calls. That's really it. So long as you recognize that you need to do something and then actually do something, you're pretty much in the clear. Now, if that something should involve flowers, then give us a call now. You'll have it out of the way, AND it will cost you less. Make a call (752-1776) and we'll go through the details with you. Now go feel the love.

November 8, 2008

Sometimes you need to buy flowers for another woman in your life. Don't get any dumb ideas. I'm talking about your mother-in-law, your mother, her grandmother-- those women. Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and chances are about 50-50 that you're going to her house for the holiday. Ok, chances are probably more likely 90-10, but whatever the odds, you're going to spend some time with her family during the upcoming holidays. In the past, you've probably shown up, eaten the food, and you may have said thanks to her mother or grandmother between after dinner belches if you were on your best manners. And that's a big if. Point is, you've probably not done anything particularly impressive in the past, and that's why this year can be different.

This year, be a little more thoughtful. Plan ahead. Surprise her. Heck, surprise your wife, too. Take some flowers with you. Even though she's got the house decorated from floor to ceiling with all of her own decorations, trust me, she's going to be in awe that you brought a centerpiece to Thanksgiving dinner. It doesn't have to be a centerpiece for the table, it could be an autumn arrangement in a vase, or any number of other creative ideas. Just tell the ladies at the shop that you need something to take for the holiday. They'll take good care of you.

October 18, 2008

I'm going to start off with a personal experience buying flowers. As I said a couple weeks ago, my wife owns this flower shop. So as you can guess, she can pretty much get all the flowers she ever wants, without me doing anything. This works both for and against me. Let me explain. We took a trip a little while ago, and we went to a nice little restaurant and sat outside to enjoy the fresh air. Well, we ordered and began enjoying our meal when this guy walks up to our table. Wouldn't you know it-- he's selling flowers. I think I've got an easy out here because my wife owns a flower shop, right? Not so fast. This is how good this guy is-- I tell him we own a flower shop and he says none of that matters here because we're on vacation. But that's not what gets me to buy. No, he continues and says I can have one for any amount I'll give him.

Think about this.

If I refuse, my wife thinks I'm a super cheapskate because all I had to do was reach in my pocket for money-- any amount of money. If I give him a lousy buck, he'll give me a rose, but my wife still thinks I'm a cheapskate and that I'm just getting the guy out of my face-- and that doesn't win any points with her either. So what do I do? I hand the guy a five and in my mind thank him for teaching me a little secret about romance (while cursing him for basically stealing my five bucks at the same time).
So what lesson did I learn? Well, that's what I'm going to share with you.

It's not about the flowers. Really.

In fact, it's not about the money. It's only about the gesture. See, by giving this guy five bucks, I showed my wife that I don't care that she owns a flower shop and can get much nicer flowers than this guy was peddling. It shows I don't care about five bucks (which was plenty overpriced-- but that's not the point!). What I did show her is that I care about her. I showed her that what she wants is more important that what I want. And did it work? Oh, you bet it did-- and I'll leave it at that.
So next time you come in to the shop, pick something you know she'll like. Pick something based on her favorite color, or choose something with flowers from your wedding. Maybe she's got a favorite flower, or maybe she likes the smell of all flowers. Whatever it is, the only thing you have to remember is this-- it's the gesture that matters. And one of the best parts is that you'll get to spend whatever you choose, and you're wife won't be right next to you judging whether it was enough or not. (By the way, I know you'll get the best deal in town.) Now, if anyone asks, you're welcome to deny you ever read this. It'll be our secret.

October 4, 2008

Here's a page just for guys. No frilly pictures. Just straight talk from a guy who has probably been in your position before. I'm married to one of the owners of The Flower Shoppe, so I hear a lot about guys who come in for all kinds of reasons. My wife tells me how it is from her side and I'm going to share that knowledge with you. Thing is, guys have all kinds of reasons to give flowers to women. Sometimes we do it right, sometimes not so much. So what you will find here is how and why to give flowers for the best reasons. And just so you know, flowers given for the best reasons get the best results (that's from my wife).