realflorists.info

Physics World blog article featuring D-Wave

Admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:28:50 +0000

On Friday Hamish Johnston from Physics World visited D-Wave to have a look round and investigate the ‘inside’ of the D-Wave box. Read his report here!

Physics World Blog >> Inside the box at D-Wave

Here are a few of the photos from his visit on Flickr:

Visit to D-Wave Systems Flickr set

Hack the multiverse

Lilies, Lilies, and More Lilies!

Admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:51:28 +0000

Last week we received a shipment of Lilies to our office. It was amazing! We received both Oriental and Hybrid lilies in different colors, including white, yellow, orange, and several different shades of pink. We had a total of 100 Lilies filling our office! This is definitely one of the many perks of working at FiftyFlowers! We test our products and perform photo shoots, to constantly update our product pictures and to see how our products perform under different conditions, and then we get to take these flowers home! But before we took them home, we snapped a few group shoots, so, check em out!

Oriental Starfighter Lilies

Hybrid Lilies

Pink Oriental Lily

Oriental Starfighter Lilies

Hybrid Lilies

My Desk – I Love Frogs!

Aren’t they gorgeous!? I just had to throw that last pic in! I love frogs and my mom got me that vase for X-Mas, isn’t it adorable! Also, we received these Lilies on Tuesday of last week, and the ones I have at home and on my desk are still going strong! Need Lilies for your next event? Head to FiftyFlowers Now!

Wedding Flowers for All Brides

Entrepreneurs need two things: coffee and power. And now, Portland is getting more of both… with Coffee & Power

Admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:35:35 +0000

If there are two things that are always in short supply, it’s coffee and power. That’s why I was happy to read that—as reported by GeekWire and Willamette Week–the popular San Francisco workspace Coffee & Power is opening up a new branch. In Portland.

Coffee & Power is a hub for all kinds of mobile workers buying and selling small services.

You tell others what you are willing to do or need done, right now, for how much. The map shows your listings along with those of other people. You use SMS and your mobile phone to quickly make/receive offers and get paid. Buyers and sellers use US$ currency for payments. You can add funds to your C&P account using your credit card or PayPal, or earn them by selling services. You can also withdraw funds via PayPal.

Seems perfect for Portland. If only it were located somewhere convenient. Well, they seemed to nail that too. You see, it’s going to co-located in the Urban Grind NW coffeeshop on NW 14th.

And WWeek puts it better than I could:

So why should you care?

For a start, the man behind the company is Philip Rosedale, the founder of Second Life (which, while not wildly successful now, did have its shining moment in the sun in 2006). Secondly, its investors include Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Digg founder Kevin Rose and Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder Mitch Kapor (though for some perspective, several of these guys were Linden Labs investors, and the series A funding for C&P was a total of million; Bezos alone invested million in gaming site Kongregate a few years back).

For more information, visit Coffee & Power, follow @coffeeandpower or @cpworkclub3 on Twitter, or like Coffee & Power on Facebook.

Data, Culture, Networks, People: Learnings from Etsy, Code for America, and Y Combinator

Admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:24:27 +0000

Portland is lucky to have a bunch of awesome people swinging through all throughout the year. And every once in a while, we’re lucky enough to get one of them to hang out and chat about their experiences.

This time it’s Paul deGrandis, who’s going to share his thoughts on Data, Culture, Networks, People, this Tuesday, February 21, at 6PM.

Paul deGrandis lives for magnificent engineering. Elegant, well-founded, useful solutions to problems that say something about engineering’s beauty. He loves metrics, taking on the impossible, and making lives better through technology. Currently he is the VP of Engineering at Tutorspree (YC). Previously he worked at PushButton Labs, Etsy.com, OurShelf (DreamIt), and SilverCloud Software as well as working in advanced research (DARPA). He’s also contributed, time, money, and effort to Code for America, PyPy, and Clojure.

Urban Airship has been gracious enough to host. So there will be plenty of space. Please try to make this one.

For more information, visit Calagator.

(Image courtesy Anita Hart. Used under Creative Commons.)

Silicon Florist

Brides Against Breast Cancer – Gown Sale – Tampa, FL – Feb. 18th-19th

Admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 22:45:03 +0000

You guys rocked last Oct. and helped us raise ,000 to Brides Against Breast Cancer, an awesome organization that helps give women with breast cancer the resources to have an affordable wedding! One of the ways they do this is with their Gown Sales, and this weekend it will be in Tampa, Fl! So, if you live in the Tampa area and want to help out a great cause, just check out the information below!

Brides Against Breast Cancer

Tour of Gowns

Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 18th-19th

Tampa Westshore Marriott

1001 N. Westshore Blvd

Tampa, FL 33607

(877) 721-4673

Dresses range from -9, and most of these dresses are brand new with retail prices up to ,000!! That’s a huge savings! Help a great cause and save money, sounds like a good time to me!! Pre-Register online for free or “donate’ to get first access to the dresses!

Wedding Flowers for All Brides

Facebook Contest – Win Your Wedding Flowers!

Admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:10:05 +0000

We have just launched our New Facebook Contest! Woooohoooo! Are you gals ready for this? It’s a good one! We are using Polyvore mini-editors to let you create your Wedding Inspiration Board! The best part, there will be a new winner every month! That’s right, Every Month! The winners will receive 0 towards the purchase of their wedding flowers from FiftyFlowers.com! And don’t worry, if your event is during the month of the competition, you can buy your flowers as planned at FiftyFlowers.com and if you win we will credit you back 0.

Here’s how it works:

Visit FiftyFlowers Facebook page and like our page if you haven’t already! If you have already liked our page, you can find the contest page by clicking the “Win Your Wedding Flowers” tab, on the right hand side, under our logo, or by clicking here. Register for the contest and you are ready to get started!

Example of Beach Inspiration Board

We have 5 wedding styles for you to choose from, including, Romantic, Beach, Classic, Modern and Rustic. So pick the theme that best represents you and your wedding style and Start Styling! To do this, you can scroll through the items at the bottom of the editor, which will consist of flowers and other wedding related items, such as dresses, shoes, candles, vases, etc. then start dragging items up to your board, and style, style, style! Have fun and play around with all the fun and creative things you can do! Create your wedding bouquets, centerpieces, or create a whole wedding inspiration board, it’s totally up to you!

Example of Romantic Inspiration Board

Example of Rustic Inspiration Board

When you are finished with your inspiration board, you must publish it for it to be included in the judging. To publish a board, you must either have a Polyvore account, which is free and very easy to sign up for, or you can sign up through Facebook and allow Facebook permission to access your information! Super easy to do and it will guide you through the steps when you go to publish your creation!

View the official rules here!

Example of Modern Inspiration Board

Example of Classic Inspiration Board

So what are you waiting for?! Head to Facebook and start playing to Win Your Wedding Flowers!!

Wedding Flowers for All Brides

Gorgeous Garden Roses from FiftyFlowers Featured on Style Me Pretty Destination!

Admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:16:51 +0000

On Feb. 14th, Style Me Pretty Destination featured a breath-taking Maui Wedding shot by the incredibly talented Anna of Anna Kim Photography. She captured the brilliant golden peach hues of the David Austin peach garden roses and hydrangea that blend beautifully with the stunning shades of a Hawaiian sunset. Just check out some of the images…

Bridal Bouquet Photo by: Anna Kim Photography

Garden Rose Bouquet Photo by: Anna Kim Photography

Bouquets Photo by: Anna Kim Photography

Bridal Party Fun Photo by: Anna Kim Photography

Centerpieces Photo by: Anna Kim Photography

Garden Rose and Hydrangea Centerpiece Photo by: Anna Kim Photography

Bride and Groom Photo by: Anna Kim Photography

Isn’t it gorgeous? Check out all of the images in the gallery. Then head to FiftyFlowers to order your favorite wedding flowers!

Wedding Flowers for All Brides

Valentine’s Day BBB Florist Warning: Top Source of Complaints

Admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:23:44 +0000

Valentine’s Day flower shopping advice abounds. Yesterday, Chicago’s BBB reported that complaints filed against florists were up 47% from 2010 to 2011 and urged sweethearts to shop wisely for the best blooms.

A 47% complaint increase? Quite an alarming statistic – one that really begged for a closer look.

So I dug through their numbers to discover the details of the source of that huge jump in BBB complaints:

Total 2011 Chicago BBB Florist Complaints : 588
FTD.com complaints: 558
Local Chicago florist complaints: 30

FTD.com’s business practices were the source of 95% of all complaints about ‘florists’ made to the Chicago BBB.

I called the Chicago office of the Better Business Bureau to ask a few questions and to express my dismay with the way their press release seemed to create a negative portrait of Chicago florists as a group. In reality, the overwhelming majority (all but 5%) of complaints processed were about a single business – FTD.com – and the BBB still rates that company with an A+.

So in effect, by urging consumers to view florist ratings on the BBB site, the BBB is heartily ‘endorsing’ their single biggest source of consumer flower dissatisfaction.

Many local florists believe the Better Business Bureau should put national floral marketing firms like FTD, Teleflora, 1800Flowers.com, Blooms Today, Just Flowers and others in a category separate from local flower shops. These businesses don’t stock fresh floral inventory and don’t actually make the deliveries themselves. They primarily broker orders to local florists for fulfillment or use third-party fulfillment houses to drop-ship orders via parcel services.

Please, call them Floral Relay Services, Floral Marketing Agencies, Online Floral Services or some other name that reflects the true nature of their businesses, but don’t classify them as ‘florists’.

Lumping local stores in the same category as national call center/affiliate marketers is akin to categorizing Expedia or Travelocity (travel agents) as hotels or airlines.

Before anyone gets the idea that weak local florists cause most of the complaints about FTD.com, it might be helpful to know:

- Valentine’s Day 2011 was the scene of a major marketing fiasco with FTD.com and Groupon where FTD’s discount offers through the group buying site were called bait and switch scams across national media.
- Approximately 75% of the products featured on FTD.com for Valentine’s Day and other floral holidays are not delivered by local flower shops. They’re drop-shipped in boxes via UPS and FedEx.
- FTD created a program which severely fines local florists 100% of the value of each flower order if the shops fail to deliver the items on time. The down-side for accepting their orders is now much greater than the up-side during busy major holidays. Many stores simply shut off their FTD communications software and refuse to accept FTD orders before and on high-demand days like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

As a business owner whose company is a member of the BBB, it’s disheartening to read such an incendiary, misleading headline as the one released by the Chicago BBB about florists this Valentine’s Day.

A more helpful headline could have read: “Local Chicago Florists Blossom in 2011: Just 30 consumer complaints for the entire year.”

Hey, Chicago BBB, how about a do-over? And if you’re going to send out a press release cautioning flower buyers for Valentine’s Day, think twice about who you award those A+ ratings.

Real Florists Blog

Meet the Startup: Chatting with Portland mayoral candidate Charlie Hales

Admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:48:13 +0000

It’s been a bit of departure from startups, but chatting with Portland’s mayoral candidates has been an interesting sidebar. And hopefully valuable for those entrepreneurs looking to choose a candidate who reflects their ideals.

Rounding out our third interview with the candidates, Meet the Startup sat down with Charlie Hales, to get his views on Portland, his previous experience, and what he sees as the future of our fair town.

For more information, visit Charlie Hales for Mayor, follow @HalesforMayor on Twitter, or like Charlie Hales for Mayor on Facebook.

For more interviews, subscribe to Meet the Startup on YouTube, follow @MeettheStartup or like Meet the Startup on Facebook.

Silicon Florist

The Meanings of Rose Colors!

Admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:09:40 +0000

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, so I thought it would be fitting to go over the meaning of the different rose colors. You definitely want to be sure your sending the right message to the one you love, so here we go…

Black Magic Rose

Forever Young Red Rose

The Red Rose is a classic “I Love You” rose, making it a popular choice for Valentine’s Day. Red roses also stand for passion, true love, romance and desire. Used in a wedding it can also represent bliss in the marriage as well as true respect and appreciation toward one another. A deep red rose can mean that you are ready for commitment, and have a deep passion for that person. Ultimately, if you want to tell someone you love them, a red rose is the way to go!

MT Everest White Rose

Akito White Bulk Rose

The White Rose often represents purity, innocence and youthfulness and is sometimes referred to as the bridal rose because it is associated with young love and loyalty. It can also stand for a new beginning and everlasting love, which would be perfect for weddings!

Pink Osiana Wholesale Rose

Shocking Versilia Hot Pink Rose

The Pink Rose can stand for femininity, elegance, refinement and sweetness. But the pink rose can also have additional meanings depending on its shade. A deep or hot pink rose can convey gratitude, appreciation, recognition and is a great way to say “thank you”, while a light or pale pink rose conveys grace, gentleness, joy and happiness.

Gold Strike Yellow Rose

Aalsmeer Gold Yellow Rose

During the Victorian times, the Yellow Rose had a much different meaning than it does today! While it used to symbolize jealousy, now it represents friendship, joy and caring. These beautiful sun colored roses can also convey warmth, delight, gladness and affection, as well as say good luck, welcome back, and remember me. The yellow rose is the perfect rose for a close friend or someone who needs a little cheering up, since these blooms are sure to brighten anyone’s day!

Mystery Dark Lavender Purple Rose

Blue Bird Lavender Rose

Lavender Roses are unique yet stunning roses that can make quite a statement. Their symbolism is often tied to enchantment, wonder, splendor and mystery as well as love at first sight or enchantment at first sight. So, if you have a secret crush or if someone has caught your attention and grabbed your heart, this may be the perfect rose to send them this Valentine’s Day!

Twilight Light Orange Rose

Mariana Orange Rose

This bold and fiery bloom often stands for desire, fascination, enthusiasm and energy. The Orange Rose can say “I am so proud of you” with their meaning of admiration and excitement. Feeling unenergized lately? Place a bouquet of these bold beauties in your house for a burst of energy!

Blue Roses Tinted

Blue Roses cannot be created by nature, therefore, their meaning is quite fitting, as they represent mystery, the impossible, or the unattainable. Give a blue rose to someone and you are saying “you are extraordinarily wonderful”, maybe that’s why this rose was a top seller for Valentine’s Day last year!

Donna Peach Rose

Osiana Peach Wholesale Rose

The sweet Peach Rose conveys a meaning of modesty, genuineness, sincerity and gratitude. It can be great for saying “thank you” and would be an appropriate gift when closing a business deal. The peach rose can also be a great way to show sympathy to a loved one or a close friend.

Black Roses Tinted

The Black Rose is a mysterious bloom that can convey many meanings. The color black has often been synonymous with death and mourning and is usually used at funerals. But black roses do have a more positive meaning as well. They can stand for the beginning of new things and major change. Black roses can inspire confidence by signaling the birth of a new era and can bring hope and courage.

Red and Yellow Roses

Red and White Roses

The last and final colors we will discuss are a few mixed bouquets. When you combine different colors of roses you can send multiple or slightly different messages. For example, a combination of red and yellow roses conveys happiness and cheerfulness, while a mix of red and white roses can symbolize unity, a popular choice for weddings. A bouquet of several mixed colors can send multiple messages or can send a message of, I’m not quite sure how I feel yet, but I do like you.

I hope this helped you send the right message this Valentine’s Day or on any occasion you want to make the right impression!

Wedding Flowers for All Brides

realflorists.info

Physics World blog article featuring D-Wave

Lilies, Lilies, and More Lilies!

Entrepreneurs need two things: coffee and power. And now, Portland is getting more of both… with Coffee & Power

Related posts

Data, Culture, Networks, People: Learnings from Etsy, Code for America, and Y Combinator

Related posts

Brides Against Breast Cancer – Gown Sale – Tampa, FL – Feb. 18th-19th

Facebook Contest – Win Your Wedding Flowers!

Gorgeous Garden Roses from FiftyFlowers Featured on Style Me Pretty Destination!

Valentine’s Day BBB Florist Warning: Top Source of Complaints

Meet the Startup: Chatting with Portland mayoral candidate Charlie Hales

Related posts

The Meanings of Rose Colors!