Plant Street Flower Cart

Hello Friends!

I hope you are having an amazing start to the new year!

This year I hope to continue to bring you the stories of the small businesses that make our community unique.

Today’s article features the Plant Street Flower Cart, a mobile bicycle flower cart that sells bouquets of flowers by the stem in Downtown Winter Garden. The cart’s owner Tasha says “People always tell us that our cart ‘looks like it could be in a Hallmark movie.’” I agree, this cart looks almost like it rolled out of the screen, but I’m super excited to share its amazing real life story!

Photo by Steven Miller Photography

Before opening the Plant Street Flower Cart, Tasha has had previous experience in spreading happiness. “I was a wedding planner/ designer for 5 years but as I was nearing the birth of my second baby I knew I wanted to slow down a little bit. I didn’t want to go back into corporate America. I wanted to be able to use my giftings in floral and customer service but wasn’t sure how. Then we moved to Winter Garden and I noticed that there were no florists on Plant Street. I happened to see another flower cart on Pinterest in California and I thought, ‘That’s something I could do here and it would fit perfectly with the aesthetic of downtown WG.’ I showed it to my husband and he offered to build me the cart. I started out thinking it would just be a fun little side hustle, but from day one the community has welcomed us with open arms. The first night I had the cart out just for a photo shoot and people ended up lining up buying flowers for 3 hours. We’re blown away by people’s reactions and support of the cart. We’re only 3 months in but we’re already working on building another cart.”

With it’s whimsical nature and beautiful arrangements, the Plant Street Flower Cart has become a great way for Tasha to spread joy and her talents throughout Winter Garden. Their current success has helped them to dream of their future. “Our future goals are to grow our following on social media, build several new carts, and possibly build a bouquet studio one day. Also, continue to put smiles on peoples faces with flowers.”

Currently,  you can find them on Fridays and Saturdays in Downtown Winter Garden outside Rosallie, with whom they have a great relationship. They are open to other opportunities, as well. “We’d like to do some pop up shops, and photographers can rent out the cart for photos, others can also rent the cart for private events, etc.” 

Photo by Steven Miller Photography

Having the Plant Street Flower Cart has improved their personal lives, as well. “It’s rooted us in a community we love, it’s given us connections with people of all backgrounds, socioeconomic status, age, etc., and it’s been a blessing to our family financially and because of the flexible nature of a mobile cart. If we want to go on vacation we just don’t go out that week. That’s been incredible.

Probably the biggest challenge was in building the cart. Making sure the materials could stand up to heat, rain and bouncing around down the road. My husband built the cart and put a lot of time and effort into the research of materials and building it. 

We haven’t encountered too many hurdles with this business. But in life in general my faith is the anchor in my life, so even if there are obstacles or storms it keeps me grounded. Sometimes you also just have to have an attitude of tenacity and perseverance, while also flexing with what comes at you. I’m good with the perseverance, I’m learning the flexibility.”

Photo by Sophia’s Art Photography

Plant Street Flower Cart has also given Tasha the opportunity to truly impact the community.  “Time and time again I’ve had people say, ‘This year has been so hard and it’s so nice to just be out …building a bouquet (for myself or someone else) put a smile on my face.’” The community has been able to positively embrace and impact Tasha as well. In our interview, she said she wished she had known “…how absolutely amazing the people of Winter Garden are. Friendly, supportive, knowledgeable (I’ve learned so much local history), generous, and kind. LOVE living here.”

Photo by Steven Miller Photography

Tasha offers this advice for anyone looking to start their own business, “Find something you LOVE and have a talent or gifting for. Educate yourself and learn as much as you can. Get your basics in order first (license, insurance, etc), mentor or apprentice with someone who’s done what you want to do. Just do it! The worst that can happen is it doesn’t work well and you learn how to do it better or to shift into something that does work well. So many people’s dreams die before they even try.”

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us!

Please support this amazing business by following them on social media. Soon they are hoping to have a website! Follow them on social media for more updates!

Plant Street Flower Cart Instagram

Plant Street Flower Cart Facebook

You can also find them currently outside Rosallie’s in Downtown Winter Garden, Florida on the following days:

Fridays: 5:00 PM- 9:00 PM
Saturdays: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM

Stop by, say hi, and pick up your own arrangement! 

Thank you all for reading!

Remember to support small businesses and find something you love to do too!

Have a great week!

Logo courtesy of owner

_{The photographs used in this article are approved by the owner. Each photographer is credited below each picture}

Question and Answer with Author Ben Schafer

Hello all!

Today’s post is going to be a little bit different.

I have featured local businesses and amazing creative entrepreneurs but I have not yet featured local authors, artists, or musicians. This I hope to change. These individuals help to make Central Florida a unique and vibrant place to live. Their contributions to our community are vast and their stories are worth telling.

Today’s article is a Q&A with author (and my brother) Ben Schafer!

Ben is an independently published author local to Central Florida and his newest book The Race to Newton’s Moon comes out today on e-book format!

I thought that it would be interesting to have him answer some questions about being an independent author and the opportunities that he faces in the current environment.

I hope you enjoy and I hope to have more stories like this in the future!

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What made you go into writing?

Well, the cliche answer (though no less true for the fact) is that I became a writer because I was a reader. However, there is one memory that stands out from an early age. After a short writing assignment in elementary school, my teacher commented that I had a talent for writing and that she believed I should pursue that talent. We often hear platitudes told to children such as “You can be anything,” but I believe this is actually less helpful than treating each child as an individual and telling them that they have a genuine talent for something. If you give a child a vision to strive for, and if you are honest about their ability to pursue it, then they will keep that in their heart for the rest of their lives. It was just that sense of vision that my second grade teacher gave to me that day, and I’ve carried it with me ever since.

In what way has this improved your life? 

I have a natural desire to communicate and discuss ideas. Fiction has provided an outlet where the ever-shifting realities (or perceptions of realities) can fade away, allowing deeper truths to be examined. In short, I can’t see myself not writing, and the innovations that have emerged in independent publishing allow me to produce high-quality work without having to wrestle with the traditional gatekeepers.

Have you had any challenges in this journey?

Of course, no journey is without its setbacks. My original vision was of a more traditional route to publishing by finding an agent and a publishing company who would pick up my work. Yet the choice to take the path of independent publishing has meant the world to me. All this being said, I am only still taking my first steps into this rich and competitive landscape, and it is still a challenge to develop the discipline to write even when inspiration does not seem to be at hand.

Do you like writing in this ensemble format or do you prefer first person like your first novel?

Each point-of-view format has its strengths and weaknesses. My first novel, Son of Syria, takes the audience on a deeply personal journey with the protagonist, Kyle Hoyek. For that reason, I defied the standard action-thriller tradition of third-person POV to get the audience in Kyle’s head and experience the adventure entirely through his eyes. That did mean that certain standard tricks of the trade that could build tension were denied to me, but the emotional strength of the first-person perspective paid off in ways a more detached narrative structure could not have achieved. Every choice is some sort of compromise. For a story as vast in scale as The Newton’s Moon Saga, a third-person perspective was the only logical choice. Even so, the first novel in the series, The Search for Newton’s Moon, kept a tight focus on the ensemble crew, with only rare glimpses at the perspectives of other characters. The sequel, The Race to Newton’s Moon, really opened up the universe in a major way and forced me to grow as an author as I learned to juggle a wider array of characters and viewpoints. But I think the results speak for themselves, and I hope that my audience will agree.

What is something that you wish you knew before you started this journey?

That the idea of “inspiration” as some abstract concept floating around, to fall on someone and then float away on a breeze, is complete nonsense. There are times when inspiration seems to strike out of nowhere, but I find that the most satisfying moments as a writer occur when I am in the thick of a difficult passage, slogging through a portion of description or dialogue that holds no passion for me (at least in the moment) but that I must work through in order to move the story forward. Subtle moments and details occur in those seemingly dreary passages of time, little flashes that would quickly die out if I simply succumbed to the old excuse of “writer’s block.” But, as those flashes build, they can turn into a storm of new ideas that can open the story in bold new directions. To put it more simply, it is the act of writing that generates inspiration, and not mere inspiration that produces good writing.

What does success look like to you?

Success for me, looks like the freedom to pursue my passion for writing full-time. It looks like having fans who hold a genuine interest in the characters and the plots that I present to them, discussing where certain threads will lead with fellow fans around the world. Mostly, though, success looks like an unwillingness to let negative reviews or poor sales stop me from doing the thing I love. It is this passion and this spirit of perseverance that continues to push me to grow and evolve as both a writer and businessman.

What challenges did you face during this year specifically?

Like many people in the central Florida area, I temporarily lost my day job due to the public health lockdowns and subsequent economic downturn. While my writing time was suddenly wide open due to the loss of my job, the sudden loss of structure (coupled with the enduring uncertainty) made this free time feel more like a swamp that threatened to drag me into despair rather than an open ocean to be crossed to new lands. Fortunately, I did not have to endure these times alone, and I am grateful to my friends and family for their support.

Were you surprised by anything that happened?

Truly, I was surprised that the market for e-books did not soar higher than it did given that people were locked down in their homes for so long. However, given the economic uncertainty in these same households, it is understandable that disposable income for entertainment was more limited than it otherwise may have been.

Did you have any opportunities during this time?

The obvious answer is that the lack of regular employment opened up my schedule for more writing. But I was also able to spend more time with a smaller circle of friends, which allowed me to build deeper relationships and foster creative bonds that can serve us all well moving forward.

Do you have any tips for other authors?

First of all, anyone can write, so push any thoughts of unworthiness from your mind. You have a story to tell, and only you can do it justice. Write a draft, sloppy and contrived and disjointed as it may be at first. Stop making excuses and get it down. Give yourself grace to make mistakes in that first draft. However, when it comes time to edit, approach your work with a ruthless and critical eye. No one should be a greater defender or a fiercer critic of your work than you are. Also, as odd as it may seem, remember that the editing process is just as much a creative endeavor as generating the first draft from a blank page. You are not “surrendering your art” or “selling out your vision” by trimming excess characters, dialogue, or plot in the service of greater narrative cohesion. Beyond that, read as many books as you can, both classics and contemporaries, in order to broaden your vocabulary and narrative voice.

Thanks Ben for answering my questions today!

Ben’s book The Race to Newton’s Moon releases on e-book today!

You can click this link to pick up your own copy!

Check out Ben’s Facebook Page for his other works or just to say hi!

Lastly, check out his website at Thebenschafer.com for updates for new works and to read some more exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else!

Thanks for reading! If you would like to be featured on this blog please email me! I would love to hear how you are helping to make Central Florida unique!

Remember to keep supporting local artists and keep finding new stories to tell!

Have an amazing day!

Amy

Chelles Bakery

Good Morning Readers!

Today’s article is about Chelles Bakery, LLC a home based start up out of Winter Garden, FL.

This is run by business owner Darimar M. Velazquez, a self-taught baker and cake decorator.  She specializes in Gluten-Free French Macarons and much more.

I found out about this business through the Chelles Bakery Instagram page. She has such a variety of different macarons that all look incredible.

When asked what made her chose this product Darimar responded, “The first time I tried a macaron was at the Bouchon Bakery in Rockefeller Plaza, NY. I became obsessed. I was fascinated by the range of colors and flavors that I instantly knew I had to make this treat. I researched a lot, read a lot, tasted a lot, and even threw a lot of macarons in the bin just to get them right. I chose this product because it has taught me one very important and valuable lesson: to not give up.”

The decorating component of the business came about after Darimar’s sister-in-law used fondant for a cake for her daughter’s birthday. This experience propelled Darimar on her quest to learn everything she could about cake decorating through Google and YouTube. She became obsessed to learn how to create.

She then gained experience through small time bakeries and just trial and error. After some time, she knew it was time to take the risk and start her own journey. Originally selling her creations through word of mouth orders though her friends and family, she said that she would carry her phone everywhere and show pictures to anyone who was interested pictures of things she had created. Eventually, she made a Facebook and Instagram pages to market her delectable works of art.

She says, “I knew I had to find a niche to be able to stand out from the crowd. That’s when I remembered how much joy I got from eating my very first macaron. I wanted to bring that same joy to others. I soon got to work on these delicate, little pastries that are notorious for enticing the hearts of people and drawing tears to those who want to perfect them. I started selling my macarons on December 2017 at the Winter Garden Farmer’s Market. It’s only been six months into the business but being at the market has brought me so much exposure. Since opening I have been commissioned to three weddings, Sweet 16th parties, and much more.”

“Becoming an entrepreneur has enhanced my life completely. It has provided me with a new perspective. You begin to think as a business owner (which makes you feel pretty special, by the way).”

When asked if there have been any challenges she replied, “I wear many hats. From being a stay-home mom of two young girls to running all aspects of the business by myself it’s easy to see that time-management might be one of the biggest challenges I face. What I have learned is to delegate. I consistently ask myself, ‘Is what I’m doing right now the absolute best use of my time?'”

Her tips for others to start their own business are to work hard and find your niche “Do work you care about and truly believe in. This type of business is very saturated and competitive, but it can also be very fun and rewarding.”

Thank you so much Darimar for taking the time to share your story!

If you would like to learn more about Chelles Bakery, please visit the links below.

Instagram

Facebook Page

Pinterest Page

Due to the extreme heat in Central Florida she will be returning to the Winter Garden Farmer’s Market by the end of September or beginning of October. Follow her social media links to learn more about this and when she will be starting to sell her amazing treats online. While these will not be able to be mailed, she will be able to provide either pick up or delivery within Central Florida.

Thank you all for reading! Have an amazing day and remember to be uniquely you!

All pictures are graciously sent by Darimar M Velazquez and Chelles Bakery and are not my own.