Blossoms in Bloom: An Interview with Jenn Z

Blossoms 

In 

Bloom

An Interview with 

Jenn of Jenn Z Floral Designs 

The following is an interview I did with the very talented florist, my dear friend, Jenn Z of Jenn Z Floral Designs. I had hoped to post this around the holidays, however sometimes time just sweeps you away. Nonetheless, I think these tips are useful for any time of year, and the photos of her arrangements are beautiful! Now that it is SPRING in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought it would be a perfect time to post this. Thanks to Jenn for taking the time out to do the interview.

Jenn, center

Selena: How long have you been a floral artist?

Jenn Z: I started at a flower shop in 2005, but had taken floral arranging classes through 4H throughout childhood. I began my freelance business in the summer of 2009.

Selena: Do you have any basic tips for someone creating their own flower arrangements?

Jenn Z: When making a round arrangement, create triangles. Start out filling the bottom, then add the top flower, then fill in making smaller triangles. This will guarantee that you have a more balanced looking arrangement. Don't forget to space out color evenly too, unless you are purposely blocking colors in the arrangement.

"When making a round 

arrangement [start by] 

creating triangles." 

- Jenn Z 

Selena: What are some good, more affordable flower options? 

Jenn Z: White pom daisies are great for people on a tight budget who love flowers. Pom daisies are not expensive compared to roses and can last up to 3 weeks! Also since several blossoms come on a stem, you can really just trim, and put into a vase if you are intimidated by designing. Spray paint a glass jar red or silver and add a bunch of white pom daisies for a fun holiday arrangement!

"White pom daisies are 

great for people on a 

tight budget who

 love flowers.

 Just trim and put into

 a vase!"

- Jenn Z

Selena: What is a good way to get more bang for your buck when it comes to buying flowers? Are there any secrets?

Jenn Z: Many people are disappointed when they grab roses at the grocery store and they wilt the next day. You can tell if they are older by feeling the blossom or head of the rose. If it feels soft, it is older and will wilt quickly. If it feels firm, it is fresher. Some stores mix in bunches of newer flowers with older flowers to trick consumers into getting the older flowers. Also, rose stems should be cut at a diagonal for optimal hydration.

Selena: Any tips or warnings about certain flowers or flowers to avoid?

Jenn Z: Flowers that have browning edges are usually older, no matter what variety. Try to steer clear of flowers that look older.

Selena: Do you have any tips for decorating your holiday table using flowers?

Jenn Z: Keep table arrangements no taller than 14 in. so that people can see over the arrangements. You can use evergreens in floral arrangements for a holiday feel, you might be able to get free evergreen trimmings from places that sell fresh Christmas trees- it doesn't hurt to ask! Don't forget that jewel tones like dark pinks and purples are beautiful during the holidays, you don't have to just stick to red and green!

To hire Jenn in the Indianapolis, IN area contact her at: jennzdesigns@gmail.com or visit her Facebook fan page.

P.S. In case you were curious about her beautiful photos, she's also a model! All photos courtesy of her Facebook business and personal pages.

Here's an arrangement idea that doesn't require flowers or water: How To Make A Wishing Tree

Check out another plant related blog here: Saving Money Saving Seeds

Working on a wedding? Try this: How To Make Cheap Shoes Look Expensive

Subscribe to Saving With Selena

How to Save Over $3000 A Year On Groceries

Couponing 101: Build Your Coupon Binder!

Supplies Needed:
- 3-4" Binder
- Scissors
- Clear binder sheets
- Baseball card holder sheets (located at the front of your local big box grocer, usually near magazines, baseball cards, and/or As-Seen-On-TV merchandise) or 8.5" x 11" clear photo divider pages
- Calculator
- Binder Organizing Pages --> I use this one:
 http://thekrazycouponlady.com/wp-content/uploads/kclcouponbinder.pdf?7db95a
- Store Coupon Policies (Print from store websites)

- Sale Ads for all local stores (for price matching when possible)

- Computer with administrator rights
- Printer
- Printer Paper
- Printer Ink Cartridges

Optional Supplies:
- Pencil cases for 3 ring binder
- Smartphone ( for calculator and/or internet use in store for coupon match-ups)
- Notebook
- Mini pair of scissors
- Envelopes
- Paper clips
- Pen/marker
- Clear Tab dividers

Basic Directions:
1. Obtain Coupons: Purchase multiple Sunday newspapers. Separate the coupons by page and stack them up with like pages. Print coupons from the internet, facebook, and other coupon sites.
2. There are 2 methods for detailed coupon organization. You can store them uncut and cut them as needed. Or you can organize them by coupon for easy retrieval in store.
3. Match coupons with sales for the lowest price possible. Stock up based on your need until the next sale cycle begins.

Since I don't consider myself a coupon blog, I will not go into the step by step details, but I will tell you this: There is a plethora of resources out there that makes couponing very easy. Once you get yourself organized, it will become second nature.

Resources:

Beginner Couponing:
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/beginners/   <-- This is where I learned how to coupon.

Coupon Match-ups:
www.thekrazycouponlady.com
www.passionforsavings.com
www.iheartthemart.com

Printable Coupons:
http://coupons.walmart.com/
http://coupons.target.com/
http://walgreens.shoplocal.com/walgreens/default.aspx?action=entryflash&storeid=2489450&pretailerid=-99389&savezone=Y
www.smartsource.com
https://www.recyclebank.com/join/earnpoints

** Coupon match-up sites will list links. I just follow those links, unless it is a site I have not heard of before. Make sure it is a reputable source.
This is what I use most:
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/print-coupons/

Other Ways to Receive Coupons:
- Newspaper subscription/ in store newspapers (check for all coupon inserts)
- "All You" Magazine
- Sending emails/letters/phone calls to companies
- Join Customer Review sites or P&G sites which send periodic coupon mailings
- Social Media "Likes" & contests
- Contests
- Visiting recycling centers
- Collect from friends/ start a coupon swap

Money Saving Mindset:
http://pennilessparenting.com/
My new blog: www.savingwithselena.blogspot.com (I don't post coupon match ups, but I will post basic couponing how-to's and resources to other sites as well as other ways to save money and get into the money-saving-mindset)

Saving Money Saving Seeds

One of the best ways to save money on fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs is to grow them yourself. Typically the cost for garden supplies is less than the cost of purchasing the same yield of the items fresh from the supermarket shelves. Also, when you grow it yourself, it cuts out shipping and is much more eco-friendly. Plus, you know exactly how fresh it is when you pick it yourself!
You can purchase plants or buy seeds at regular price, but to save big bucks, you need to plan a year ahead. About this time of year- starting in late July, most stores will severely mark down their seed prices to get them off the shelves by the end of the season.

Resurrecting ancient plants?

Although germination rates (% of seeds that will sprout into plants) will decrease over time, seeds can last A LOT longer than we ever imagined. In fact, according to the Alaska Dispatch, scientists who recently resurrected an ancient plant “in Siberia, successfully germinated a flower from an ice-age seed which is about 32,000 years old.” The Millenium Seed Bank Partnership is a project aimed to save 25% of the worlds seeds by 2020.

Seeds as currency?

I met a very interesting man this weekend while shopping for seeds at my companies associate store, who said he thinks it is possible that seeds could become a new tender in the future, since the world-wide economy is so bad. What do you think of that? It reminds me a little bit of my bartering blog from a few weeks back.

Over 95% Savings!

We got some great deals on seeds at 10 cents a pack! These packages range from $0.97- $3.49 so when I added up the final savings, I saved over 95% from the original price and now I have enough seeds for the next few years, and then some to give to friends. I chit-chatted with the seed-as-currency man while digging through the treasure bins and bins of Burpee, Ferry-Morse, and always organic Seeds of Change seeds. He said most packaged seeds can last about 5 years, or longer if frozen. We estimated that Ferry-Morse “seeds guaranteed to grow” brand has a shorter sell-by date simply due to the decreasing germination rates over time (which happens to all seeds). Seeds don’t technically expire at that time and are simply packaged for a certain ideal season.

Keep in mind:

- How many seeds are in the packet?

This will give you an idea of the final price per seed.

- Is it organic?

It might be worth a little more if it is because it was grown from plants without any pesticide trails, cross breeding, or genetic modification.

- Avoid hybrids for seed saving.

Hybrids are created from two types of plants. So, typically if you save seeds from your plants for next year, you may or may not yield the same results. Or you might not get any fruit at all. Or it could be genetically modified in a way that might harm you (we don’t know all the effects yet of genetic modification).

- Remember the flowers.

When planning a garden for food, don’t forget the benefits of flowers and companion planting. Stock up on marigolds, which help keep pests away, or borage which attracts bees who pollinate your plants. Lavender can be used as an herb and Nasturtiums are edible flowers- great for adding color to salads.

- Consider trading seeds with friends.

Start/join a seed train group online. Add seeds to the “train” and take a few of the ones you want, then mail them on to the next person. It’s a great way to add heirloom seeds to your collection and share what you don’t need or wont use. The next year you will have so many seeds you won't know what to do with them. This is what to do with them!

- Label your packets.

Remember one plant yields many seeds once it has grown and produced fruit. Save as many seeds as you can, and always label them so you know what you have next season. If you can, add any notes about characteristics you noticed. Was this variety the only one that didn’t get a bug infestation? Was the fruit sweeter? Did it handle the cold/heat better than other varieties?

- Negotiate with the store.

By clearance time, many stores just want to get rid of the seeds so they don’t have to ship them back or throw them out.  You might consider speaking with the manager and kindly asking if they are willing to negotiate a lower price for take-all of the seeds they don’t sell.

- Up for a mystery?

By clearance time, there will often be loose “mystery” seeds at the bottom of the store bin, which the store will simply throw away. Ask your store associates if they would let you have them for a small price or free when they clean up the seed containers. It never hurts to ask and you can toss these out or plant them at your leisure in a “surprise” section of the garden, or grow them in small pots and identify them by their leaves early on.

- Don’t forget, you can get seeds FREE…

if you get them from organic fruits and vegetables that you buy from the supermarket or if you gather them from plants in public parks.

*Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for your actions. It is up to you to find out what is legal in your park/city/state.*

What do you think? How do you save seeds? Have you ever joined a seed train? Do you think seeds could become currency in the future? What sort of companion planting do you do? Have you ever planted “mystery” seeds or gathered seeds from your grocery bought food or local parks?

Green and Clean: Home Made Windex and Disinfectant

 Everything make me sneeze except this!

I wouldn't suggest drinking it because of the essential oils...

I get sick a lot. I've been tested for allergies and the doctor always tells me that I don't have any! Yet, sometimes when I smell a strong cologne or cleaner, I have trouble breathing and my asthma flairs up. :( 
Not good.


Of course, there are millions of chemicals we come in contact with every day. So to reduce the amount of toxic material in my life, I've started looking for "greener" ways to clean. 

One of the cheapest safest germ killing disinfectant and degreasing agents is vinegar. Now before you scoff at the acrid scent, I promise there are ways to use vinegar as a cleaning product AND get the fresh and clean scent you like with out the harsh chemicals.

Vinegar is a common ingredient in salad dressing and pickle recipes (or you can try my "lazy pickle" recipe here).

I've developed this vinegar cleaning product recipe based on my stockpile of essential oils, mixing and adding, and spraying and smelling until I got it right. Of course if you have any allergies to these scents, you can replace them with any essential oil you'd like. I want to try lavender and lemon oil next.

Selena Marie's "Clean Scented" Vinegar Disinfectant Recipe: 

This recipe is for 28 oz. of cleaner. You will need a clean, empty spray bottle and 30 total drops of essential oil. If you don't have essential oils, you can consider bartering or split the cost with a friend.

*It is very important that you DO NOT reuse a spray bottle from another cleaning product. Mixing chemicals (even residue) is a big, unhealthy, unsafe "no, no."    

At least if you tell your kids that, maybe they will help with cleaning? It's worth a shot! ;)

1. Fill the spray bottle with 22 oz. of white vinegar.

2. Add:
   -  6 drops fennel oil
   - 4 drops tea tree oil (another natural disinfectant)
   - 10 drops geranium oil 
   - 10 drops peppermint oil

3. Top it off with 6 oz. of water if the vinegar smell is still too strong for you.

4. Shimmy Shimmy, Shake Shake!

*Remember oil and vinegar don't mix, so this will be a bit like a vinaigrette dressing- shake it before each use. *

For counters and glass tables, I like to let it set for a few minutes to kill germs and remove grease more easily.

Tip: Old News Is New News:

Did you know? Newspaper works great to clean glass surfaces like your bathroom mirror or big picture window. Spray the window, and crunch a ball of newspaper up to use it like a paper towel. I never buy paper towels any more since I already get the newspaper.

 It's pretty much a free cleaning tool since I am reusing something I already have- and who doesn't like that? 

 Scrunch, spray, wipe away! :)

Viola!

 **Sparkly windows.**

Grab a new piece if the paper starts to get mushy or gray...
You are cleaning, not making paper mache art projects
 ("Paper mache?" you say. Another blog, another day).

This is only one of the many uses for vinegar. With so many different uses for vinegar, you may want to stock up! When you purchase your vinegar, don't forget what size to buy: price per unit.

More Green and Clean news will follow soon...  My next home cleaner recipe blog will be laundry detergent! It's loads of fun! (I'm so punny right ?)

For another post relating to sustainability check out my article on saving seeds. 

Do you have any home made cleaning recipes? Have you tried making something like this? What do you think of it?