Why Choose a Shadow Box?

Shadow boxes are a very popular encasement choice for collectibles and floral preservation.  

Extra Large Mocha Shadow Box

They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and hold everything from military medals to floral arrangements.

There are pros and cons involved in choosing a shadowbox...the the positives far outweigh the negatives for those who make this choice.  In fact, the ONLY negative that we can think of, is the fact that you have to have a nice size shelf to sit it on, or sufficient wall space to mount it. (Note: due to the weight involved, shadowboxes should always have the support nails or screws secured into a stud).

Those in love with the shadow box concept then have to make two choices: size and style.

Black Rustic Pine

By far, our most popular shadow box style is our "Rustic Pine" model.  The stock colors are white and black, but they can be customized to other colors for an up-charge.  The last few years, the black model is ordered far more frequently that the white.  The nice thing about the "rustic" feel to this box, is that you don't have to worry about any nicks or scratches that are bound to happen as couples move from apartment to condo to home in the future.  There are four different sizes available...the most popular being the "large".  This size usually allows for flowers and other memoribilia to be encased in the same place.  However, some customers prefer to emphasize just their beautiful flowers.  All Rustic Pine models fit around a UV protected acrylic liner.

2" molding in black

The next most popular model has a clean 2-inch frame in a color called "mocha".  The mocha finish has dark streaking on a dark background, and often looks black from a distance.  This contemporary coloring is very popular in the furniture stores right now.  This frame style can be configured around the UV liner, or can be fitted with a UV glass pane on the front, allowing for a deeper depth than the standard liner allows.  This is a great option for flower arrangements that include asiatic or oriental lilies, which work better with a deeper depth.  The same frame style comes in a variety of colors and finishes (such as the burnished gold to the right), as do most frame styles.

We haven't had any requests for this, but a shadowbox can also be fitted with a front dome, which gives additional working depth.

We do have a HUGE variety of other frame styles available.  You can see from these photos how a shadowbox can become very personalized using some of these frame styles.  We have samples of all our frame styles in our office, so that you don't have to "guess" from a picture in a catalog.

You can find an extensive array of finished shadow box projects by visiting the shadow box gallery on our website: http://www.evergreen-dreams.com/floralpreservation/shadowboxphotos.html

Temporary Lawn Signs...The Way to Guide Guests without GPS

Many tech savvy folks these days have GPS systems in their cars or as a smart phone app. 

But many of us, myself included, still live in the map-and-sign age. :)

We recently attended a bridal show that had very clear signs posted at major intersections pointing out the way to both vendors and attendees.  It was AWESOME to be able to follow the arrows and easily get where we were going.  Admit it...most of you find garage sales by following the signs...right?

A little ironically, but great with fortune for us, we had come to the show equipped with prototypes of our new offering...directional signs!   We were able to ask the attendees if they had seen the signs on their way to the show, and emphasize how helpful they were!

Last summer, the organizers of our family reunion were able to get us all to their house in the suburbs by using similar signs.

Because of our common wet weather in the Northwest, we are making our signs of recycled corrogated plastic and vinyl lettering.  No smeared, smudged, or faded writing here, folks!  Signs are double sided so folks traveling both directions can find you. 

For more information, please visit our website! http://www.evergreen-dreams.com/directionalsigns.html

Ten Reasons to Preserve Just ONE Flower

Aside from the obvious monetary difference involved in preserving a full bouquet vs. a single flower, we came up with some very logical reasons for preserving just ONE special bloom:

1.  He always gives you the same color single rose...

2.  The bouquet from last week was beautiful, but there is one flower that is still amazingly alive...

3.  You live in a small space, and can't hang a large display...

4.  You want a memory of your wedding to bring out each anniversary...

5.  Someone you love is no longer with you, and you kept one flower from the funeral...

6.  You want to start a tradition of keeping one of the flowers you received when you had your first child (and the next one)...

7.  You want to send your mother a gift that will daily remind her of you...

8.  You want a reminder to keep on your desk at work...

9.  Your daughter just finished her first recital, and you gave her flowers...

10.  You just found the most beautiful rose in your garden (or on your walk...)

We can think of more reasons...can you?