Happy Halloween

It's amazing how quickly the days pass. Just yesterday, it seemed many of us were enjoying a day off from work because of Labor Day. Now, just like that, we've flown through September and October.

Sarah put a spider web on our store windows
for Halloween.

A succession of holidays is about to commence. Halloween is almost here. If you haven't been in lately—and why haven't you?—we have some fun Halloween décor and merchandise.

More of Sarah's talent is on display.
She made three of these spiders, complete with furry legs.
Warning: Objects in photo are larger than they appear.

Before you know it, we'll be knee-deep (and then some) in greens of all sorts and strand upon strand of holiday lights. But not just yet. It's not too late for you to take in our Halloween decorating and even purchase some cute spider magnets in an array of sparkly colors.

Our Halloween princess will greet you.

Stop in Wednesday to say hello, get a Halloween treat, and check out our giant spiders and whatnot. We'd love to see you—costume optional.

Happy Halloween!

Meet Our Greene Card

Have you been by the shop lately? If so, you were probably asked if you’d like a Greene Card. It’s new, and it’s our way of thanking shoppers for, well, shopping with us. Whether you have a card or need one, here’s the scoop: buy and earn.

The card has a flower with six petals. Each time you make a purchase at Brown & Greene, we fill in the pretax amount in a petal. Once the six petals are filled, we add up the amounts and give you 10% of the total in store credit. Spend $200, earn $20. Spend $350, get $35. You earn as you spend. How cool is that?

Shop and earn with our fabulous Greene Card.

Even better, we enter $100 in your first petal, so you really only have to make five purchases to complete the card. There’s no expiration date, and you don’t have to carry the card and remember to show it at your time of purchase—leave that to us! We keep your Greene Card next to the register, so it’s right there for us to update when we complete your transaction.

We’re so glad to have the customers we do, and this is our way of showing it. So, whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the neighborhood, stop by soon, say hello, make a purchase, and get your Greene Card. We look forward to seeing you!

Road Trip! Treasure Hunting in Wisconsin

As the unofficial end of summer, the long Labor Day weekend seems to be one in which people like to cram in a trip to the lake or some other fun activity. Then again, there are folks who take on projects around the house or just work. For Lyn, the weekend was a combination of fun and work. She went garage saling, antiquing, and thrifting in Wisconsin. Simply put: road trip!

Lyn and her mom, Shirley, headed just northwest of Menomonie, Wisconsin, to Boyceville, a village with an area of a whopping 3.9 square miles and fewer than 1,100 residents.

The Grain Bin

The trip included more than garage sales and antique shops. Stopping at the Grain Bin was required. Located at E4548 County Road FF in Boyceville, the Grain Bin has LOTS of good stuff. Sweet, sour, salty, savory. See for yourself!

Colored sugar in a variety of hues, hard candies, gummy things, salty snacks, baked goods, herbs—you’ll find them all at the Grain Bin.

Pat was a big help at the Grain Bin. Lyn and Shirley had to stop there for the map and directions to the sales. They partook in a scrumptious cinnamon roll. But that was just their first visit to the store during their trip. The duo returned after sale hopping, and we’re reaping the rewards here at the shop. Yum!

Beautiful Barns and Great Finds

Lyn snapped pictures of all kinds of things. She walked out of the Grain Bin and the yellow barn below caught her eye. It was just perfect.

Top row: Who says barns have to be red? The yellow one is like butter! The white one had stuff for sale in it. Bottom row: One sale included bikes, a trike, and a tractor.

Giant gumballs for 10 cents. Chew at your own risk!

Food Break!

After all the hunting for treasures, it was time for something to eat. Welcome to Fatboy’s Bar & Grill, located at 805 Main Street, in downtown Boyceville.

Rick, the owner, and Wanda, the waitress, served up a three-piece cod meal with fries and coleslaw. The fish was average. The fries were DE-licious! The coleslaw, however, was not a favorite and tasted like, well, dirty dishwater. And, Lyn notes, “The flatbread square pizza was phenomenal: A+++++.”

To round out the meal, Lyn had a Spotted Cow, the beer she can’t leave Wisconsin without drinking.

Welcome to Fatboy’s beer garden!

This-That-N-Everything 

Some of Lyn’s fabulous finds:
zinc lids, old canning jars, an old 7-Up
wood crate, random milk glass pieces,
and this cool cabinet

Lyn had a bit of a surprise at This-That-N-Everything when met with owner Sharon Seeger’s brusque greeting and numerous questions. But Sharon’s interest in having Lyn there was apparent when she prompted Lyn to tell others about the store (whew!).

This-That-N-Everything offers crafts, angels, antiques, and collectibles—Avon, too. If you call ahead, 715-643-2533, Sharon will gather eggs for you from her chickens. This-That-N-Everything is located on Main Street in Boyceville. The store is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

It was a good trip: neat barns, great finds, yummy food, tasty beer, and fabulous company. Can you ask for anything more?

These old finds set a great scene.

Changes Are Afoot

It’s my third week at Brown & Greene. The creative minds at work here are apparent. Ideas have been flying about, and we’re trying to figure out what we like, what’s doable, and how to bring possibilities to life. Changes are afoot. Brown & Greene is in the process of rebirth. You’ll see and experience some of the changes soon. Actually, you’re seeing one here: I’m blogging.

Some lovely silver letters that spell out the store’s name were delivered recently as part of our new signage. Sarah assembled the new sign this week. It will hang on the wall behind the front counter.

Sarah, our resident artist

We love the new sign! It'll look great on the wall.

Don’t worry; Brown & Greene will remain the lovely local flower market it’s been for many years. Lyn still owns the shop and leads the charge in designing amazing floral arrangements, buying for the shop, and making Brown & Greene what it is. And Sarah and Lisa continue to help Lyn with the flower fabulousness, as well as their usual tasks, while Nancy’s energy is keeping things going as she mans the front of the store, among other things.

Laurel and I are the newbies. We’re here to help with this and that, including generating marketing ideas and making them happen. I’m a writer. Laurel’s the photographer—check out our Facebook page for some of her lovely shots. You’ll see our work regularly in the blog as we partner to share the store—and whatever else comes to mind—with you. Stay tuned!

The Perfect Touch: Flowers on the Nightstand

What a lovely way to start your day, waking up to flowers on your bedside table. There are oh, so many options, come talk to us about what flowers would best complement your space. Better yet, have a guest coming to visit? Surprise them with fresh flowers in their room!

Milk Glass for Flowers!

Lyn has just returned from a buying trip, and has stocked our shelves with vintage milk glass! We're loving the vintage pieces filled with flowers. We love milk glass for weddings, bedside tables, dining centerpieces, as hostess gifts and wherever else we can find a little space for a cute arrangment! Here's some of our inspiration, enjoy!

from style me pretty

from The Knot

from  roseredandlavender

from Exquisite Designs Blog

We're getting GREENER!

An exciting shipment arrived this week.... our new LED light bulbs! In our effort to be energy efficient as possible, we've made the switch to the latest generation of LED bulbs. Here are some fun facts:

1. They are guaranteed to last 5 years (in a residential setting they will last much longer since they aren't on as often) This means WAY less hauling around the ladder for us!!

2. They are WAY cooler to the touch. Our previous bulbs would burn your fingers if you touched them, these get a little warm, but can be touched with your bare hands. This means our air conditioner has to work way less to keep our space cool!

3. They Offer Huge Energy Cost Savings LED light fixtures consume up to 85% less energy than standard lighting over the course of their long lives, while providing just as much brightness and versatility

4. They're easy to live with! They don't "buzz" like fluorescent bulbs and offer very similar light quality.

Come in and  check them out... see if you can tell the difference!

Celebration Tablescapes!

 It's graduation time for some, and summer party time for others. Bring in your napkin/ inspiration images and we'll help you create the perfect floral centerpiece for your event! From one centerpiece for a small dinner party to many centerpieces for your gala gathering, we're happy to help. If you've got a vase or container(s) in mind, bring it in! We're happy to re-use your favorite vases. The perfect blooms always help add the finishing touch to your tablescape.

Fresh Cut from your Garden!

'tis the season to supplement your bouquets with goodies from your garden! Let's pretend you have a dinner party tonight, and you want a nice arrangment for your dining table. Stop on by, we'll get you some larger statement blooms, then walk out back to your garden and cut a couple hosta leaves, some pretty grasses, some mint, or whatever you can scrounge up, and VOILA! you've just upgraded your bouquet!  Below: some garden goodies we found out back!

Serving You Better.

We're implementing some new ways to serve you better! This week, hot off the press, are our new fresh cut care cards, and plant care cards. Now, with each plant and floral arrangement that leaves the shop, you've got helpful directions for optimal health of both plants and fresh cut floral arrangments! Each arrangment and/or plant are expertly packed and beautifully packaged now WITH our new cards creating the ultimate gift!

Artist Spotlight - Colleen Kroening

Featuring matchboxes by Colleen Kroening! She makes lovely covered match boxes featuring vintage postcards, maps, french scenes, flora and fauna and more! Using a technique she used to do with her grandmother, she's brought her talent to our shop, a perfect pairing with a candle!

Graduation Gift Ideas!

It's just around the corner, all our favorite students are graduating, and we have NO IDEA what to get them! Here a couple ideas from your friends here at Brown & Greene Floral!

1. start with a CARD! We've got a great selection of graduation cards, congratulations cards, and some that are just plain silly, that, given a little creativity could just as well be a graduation card!

2. Are your graduates heading off to college? How about a PLANT for the dorm room/apartment? While we can't promise that our plants will take away the smell of stinky socks, they DO provide better air quality. How about a terrarium garden!

3. R&R. Reward your graduates with some pampering care. We've got a wide array of soy based candles that smell divine, bubble bath, Shea butter soap and lotion, lip balm and room diffusers!

4. FRESH FLOWERS! Who doesn't love a cheerful bouquet. Just give us a call and we'll put something together just for your special graduate!

Happy Monday!

Here are the beauties we sent out today, just look at these roses and parrott tulips, we're in love!

Succulent Delivery

Succulents are HERE! We've been anxiously awaiting their arrival, now we can make you wonderful gifts, tablescapes, terrariums... you name it!
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Terrarium Classes are HERE!

Is it Spring Yet?

Well... we're sure hoping so! Come in and check out our fun new colorful spring-y things!

Vintage Wedding!

We had the best time pairing up with Piccadilly Prairie last night for their "unveiling" of their vintage wedding part of their shop. Pairing their vintage containers with an eclectic variety of romantic flowers... it turned out lovely!! We worked with bell jars, metal containers, trays and more. Go check out their store to get inspired, we sure did!

Valentines Day is NEAR!

Boutonnieres and Corsages

It's that time again, this week it's for local schools winter formal dances. We're in the process of making many tiny masterpieces exchanged and worn as a special accessory. The best part? Each one is specially made to coordinate with the person that will wearing it. Giving a corsage or boutonniere is a great way to honor someone! Think of honoring someone on their birthday, shower, wedding, graduation, and other special events by bringing a special flower just to wear!

Just give us a call with the details and we'll have it ready to go.

Supporting Small Businesses and Artisans

Being a small business ourself, we know how important it is to support other small businesses and independent artisans in our store! We strive to carry products that are both high-end and artisan made, or produced by a small business. Come by and we'll show you the unique items we have in the store that do just that! From fresh cut flowers to hats, candles, cards, jewelry, vintage items and more...
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