2013 Philadelphia Flower Show

"JACK" by Schaffer Designs

2013 Best in Show - Floral Design Award

and

Society of American Florists Award

The notorious legend unfolds.

Last week, I had the pleasure of working with the award-winning husband-wife team, Bill Schaffer and Kris Kratt, and an amazing group of nearly 30 talented volunteer floral designers from around the United States and England on their major exhibit at the 2013 Philadelphia Flower Show...JACK.
The show previewed on Friday, March 1st, with the theme "Brilliant", paying tribute to all things British. The Schaffer Designs team, known for presenting creatively imaginative displays, once again, does exactly that with their brilliantly cutting-edge depiction of the Jack the Ripper story.

The Bedroom...scene of the crime.

Not your great-grandmother's Victorian garden, this captivating walk-through exhibit takes spectators on an unexpected journey to the dark underground of the Whitechapel neighborhood of London where this notorious figure in British history reportedly killed and dissected his several prostitute-victims.

Eerily shocking...strikingly beautiful.

Damp and dank becomes delightful.

Following nearly a year of thoughtful research, the actual locations and facts surrounding the murders provide the inspiration for the series of rooms and vignettes where color and texture turn the macabre to magnificent.

So vibrant...you can feel it pulsing.

A wide range of innovative design techniques utilizing the latest in industry design products, (ie. Oasis Floral Products, Accent Decor, and FloraCraft) are combined with beautiful flowers, foliage and succulents to create what Bill Schaffer refers to as, "floral theater." Some of the most unique varieties come from growers as far away as Japan and Hawaii. These growers and wholesalers providing exceptional show-quality product include The Elite Bouquet, Rosaprima, Jet Fresh Flowers, Roseville Farms, Amy's Orchids, Green Point Nursery, Fern Trust, Naniwa Flower Auction Co., ltd., Sunburst Farms, Mayesh Wholesale Florist, and DV Flora.

Protect voting rights...Check your registration now!

I just sent all my facebook friends information on checking your voter registration and I thought I'd share it here on my blog as well.

 

I'm suggesting you check your registration status as well. I've voted and worked at the polls for the last several elections. Curiously, the OFA website can't find my registration...was I purged by the PA GOP? Is this just another of the Republican attempts to steal another election by stopping Dems from voting in a crucial state like Pennsylvania? NOT ON MY WATCH! Oh...and btw...I'VE GOT A PHOTO ID!

Please pass on this msg to your friends and family and protect our democracy...check yours here: http://my.barackobama.com/Commit-to-Vote

While I AM for giving Pres. Obama four more years...I'm not interested in telling you for whom you should vote, just protecting your right to make that choice...it's the patriotic thing to do!

 

Marketing, Advertising and PR News - MediaBuzz

Check out my results on this quiz sponsored by Monster thru their MediaBuzz social community for advertising professionals. I enjoy these type of exercises to ensure I remain on top of my game.

Marketing, Advertising and PR News - MediaBuzz

Try it for yourself and see how you score.

Setting the Floral World on Fire

I had the pleasure, this past week, of joining the design team from Schaffer Designs in creating the "Best In Show" Floral Exhibit, PELE: Goddess of Fire for the 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show. What a personally rewarding way for me to participate in the show after an eight year hiatus...Thanks to Bill Schaffer and Kristine Kratt for the opportunity to join them and the terrific group of people they assembled. The show runs Sunday, March 4th thru Sunday, March 11th. As an eight-time award-winning major exhibitor from 1996 to 2003 as Designs In Bloom, I think this year's show ranks among the best of them. Described as an interpretation of PELE's tale with spectacular botanical explosions as floral lava flows through a landscape of industrial rock formations, Schaffer's exhibit is definitely not to be missed...we're talking a red hot, brilliant concept, design and execution.