FLOWER SHOP CHRONICLES - January 2023
FLOWER SHOP CHRONICLES
Finding joy in 2023
Meet our new shop dog
Congratulations Zack and Larisa!
Rainbows and Toddlers
Meet our newest designer Iuliia
"My little dog--a heartbeat at my feet."
—Edith Wharton
This is Finn, our new shop dog. Vanessa Marlin, the owner of Bell and Trunk Flowers, adopted him from Go Beyond Rescue in mid-December. He's only eight pounds but already a fully grown one-year-old. He's a pretty chill dude who loves running around at the beach and romping with the big dogs. Finn and Vanessa are mostly inseparable except when she's rowing, surfing or swimming. Finn's favorite flower is the old-fashioned pink carnation.
https://www.gobeyondrescue.org
Finding Joy in 2023
The temptation to reflect back on what a great year it has been is there. We see it happening all around us in holiday cards and all over social media. And in so many ways this year has been pretty amazing for Bell and Trunk. Our event calendar filled up early, we did some beautiful weddings with incredible couples, we established new relationships with important vendors and rekindled connections with longtime customers that had faded during the pandemic. But at the same time we were still plagued by illness, a notable rise in really stressed-out people, the escalating costs of doing business and the threat of economic insecurity. We have a lot to be grateful for even when times are hard. While no one can truly predict what will happen this year, one thing we can control is: our perspective.
Going into 2023 we plan to keep it simple. While it's important when running a business to always be looking ahead and reaching for ways to make more money and do things faster and better, my hope is for Bell and Trunk is to keep in mind why we're really doing this. The joy of running a flower shop in the best neighborhood on earth—Potrero Hill—is still in the daily interactions with people through flowers. For instance, it has given us a lot of joy to get to know our new neighbor, Mario Rimet, from Le Marche Cezanne, a new French grocery store that opened up across the street in November. He asked us to decorate the store window for the Grand Opening. Our newest Bell and Trunk designer, Iuliia Starkova filled the mint-green trimmed windows with baskets of fresh lavender, lemons and olive branches. The look was simple, elegant and very French but most importantly resulted in the beginning of a friendship and a daily croissant addiction.
It’s hard to predict what 2023 at Bell and Trunk will look like. But as I enter my fifteenth year as the owner of Bell and Trunk, I know that whatever happens, we have everything we need—loyal customers, talented and hard-working designers, supportive neighbors, and of course, beautiful fresh flowers. What else is there? Except for maybe a furry little "heartbeat at my feet".
Happy New Year!
--Vanessa Marlin
Congratulations Zack and Larisa!
Zack and Larisa are the kind of couple that you can't help but want to get to know better within the first five minutes of meeting them. Not only are they fun and adventurous, they are also accomplished artists. When they're not surfing in Pacifica, camping in Yosemite or rowing to Angel Island, they collaborate on short films. Zack does the visual design and storytelling. Larisa does the music--moving between a variety of instruments from the analog synth the Balinese gamelan. They have collaborated on a total of four films and won numerous awards all over the world. The couple got married in October at the iconic fire station at Ft. Mason. They hatched a plan for the wedding of their dreams but left out one detail: Zack envisioned an escort to the ceremony at Ft. Mason via row boat from the Dolphin Club at Aquatic Park where he is a member. Ultimately Zack's concerns about being turned away by the harbor master upon his arrival on his wedding day prevailed.
Looking for non-traditional wedding ideas?
Check out this article written by Katie Pierce,
freelance writer and preschool teacher
Rainbow Flowers and Sprinkles for a Birthday Boy
Bell and Trunk Introduced "The Rainbow" for Pride month a couple years ago and due to its popularity decided to keep it up year round. Andrea Chan Liu, a Bell and Trunk regular, saw an opportunity do a rainbow-themed birthday party for her two-year-old son, Grant. From rainbow balloons, to rainbow sprinkled cake and cookies it was a sweet and colorful fete fit for even the most discerning toddler. What makes this occasion extra special for us at Bell and Trunk is that we did Andrea's flowers for a very different occasion back in 2019--her wedding!
Photos by Laurie W. Photography https://www.lauriew.com
Florals by our very own Jennifer Herman
Meet Iuliia Starkova
Iuliia Starkova joined us just in time for Mother's Day last year from Hawaii via Siberia where she's from. She learned the tools of the trade from doing high-end weddings at hotels and resorts on Maui. Iuliia is extremely hard-working, dedicated and has a wicked sense of humor. Her creations are lush, colorful and feminine. You'll often catch her at the shop with her little French Bulldog, Pineapple. We are lucky to have her.
Now booking flower arranging classes for 2023
Our flower arranging classes have gained a lot of traction since we began doing them over Zoom in the early days of the pandemic. Our last class of the year was a holiday-themed women's networking event at J.P. Morgan in downtown San Francisco. Even though I'm the teacher I'm always learning something new from the fresh perspective of the students.
E-gift certificates available online
E-gift certificates make it easy to give the gift of flowers without actually giving flowers.You can order them off our website to be used anytime for anything on our website. Couples even list Bell and Trunk e-gift certificates on their wedding registries.
"Live simple. Love well. And take time to smell the flowers along the way."
- Mark Twain
Flower Subscriptions--Perfect for every season
The gift that keeps on giving and is perfect for any occasion is the popular Bell and Trunk flower subscription. Choose a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly subscription for pick-up or delivery and you all enjoy watching the seasons change through the assortment of fresh flowers we hand select and design just for you!
