Chamber Chat
The Chamber Chat - Danville Indiana Podcast informs, connects, and entertains by spotlighting local businesses, community leaders, and events that shape Danville, Indiana. Each episode shares engaging conversations and valuable insights that strengthen community connections and celebrate what makes Danville Indiana thrive.
Chamber Chat
Chamber Chat. In full bloom with Sami, Petals From Kaye, Danville Florist Part 1
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Chamber Chat with Sami is in full bloom!
We stopped by Pedals From Kaye; Danville Florist to check out what’s new with the new owners—and let’s just say, fresh ideas are blossoming everywhere.
Same beloved traditions, brand new products, and a whole lot of creativity in the air. But the real question is… what happens when Kelly & Jocelyn try their hand at flower arranging?
One masterpiece… one mystery creation.
Who do YOU think made the crazy-looking arrangement?
Tune in, take a guess, and see how it all unfolds.
#ChamberChat #ShopLocal #DanvilleFlorist #FreshBlooms #BehindTheScenes
We hope you enjoy the show.
SPEAKER_00Welcome to the Chamber Chat. We are so excited today. We're doing something totally different. We are on location, which I'm super excited about. Yes. Super, super, super. And so if you don't know us yet, I am Kelly. I'm Jocelyn. Or the Danville Chamber. Today we are at one of our newest members. So, Petals by K, Danville Florist. From Petals from Smart. Oh, it's from Pedal. From K. Petals from K. Oh, Petals from K. I love it.
SPEAKER_03How do I not know that? I don't know. And that really does. I mean, it doesn't matter except for the Google search, but except for the Google search. Yeah, I think that's a good thing.
unknownYeah, hopefully. I think I can do that.
SPEAKER_03I think that's more. So tell us a little bit about yourself. Well, I'm Sammy. Um, my husband and I own now pedal strew. Okay, Dambo Florist. Um, we have we started a shop. Um, I say from the ground up, but we didn't build it, we leased it. But we started that um in 2022 in Mooresville, and then in July of 24, we purchased Plainfield Florists, so already established, and then last October, so October 2025, purchased this. Alright. So now just kind of uh my husband used to work at FedEx, he was a manager at a tower manager there, and Plainfield happened, and he got into the flower business. He was already doing stuff with us, anyways, but yeah, and we started, I guess, before that, like it before we had the storefront, we um did vendor events out of a trailer, and that was kind of like the figure out, yeah, figure out if I knew what to do and how to run a business, and it was like, well, we could take that chance and it not be super super scary. Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00So you dipped your toe in. Yeah, and then you took in the way and then you went to the big wide ocean of Hendricks County and uh three shops, yes. Um, but what I find really impressive is that um how many children do you have as well? Four, four children, three businesses. Yep, I'm tired just thinking about it.
SPEAKER_03Well, I mean, we'll sleep when we die, so you just kind of mindset. Yeah, there's lots of late nights of brainstorming, and I don't know. I feel like now though, too, I have lots of nights that I'm like, okay, I gotta get this done, and then I'm like passed out flat on my back on the couch, like, okay, well, that didn't go as far as tomorrow. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So we all have this. We all have this. Okay, so while we talk today, you are gonna teach us how to make an arrangement. Yes, and I am so excited about this. I can honestly say, somebody I was telling somebody about this yesterday, and I said, She's gonna teach us how to make an arrangement. And they're like, You don't know how to make arrangement?
SPEAKER_02And I'm like, I just kind of throw stuff together.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, uh Yeah, but I don't know that I've ever made it. I mean, I just clip and throw it in the base. Yeah, so yeah, but it yeah, we'll do a little more. I want to know the techniques.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we'll do a little more than clip and throw it in the face.
SPEAKER_00Okay, all right. So teaching wine control your throwing.
SPEAKER_03Look at me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I know. This will be so exciting.
SPEAKER_03You do classes ever? Yes. So um wine and wreath is a big class that we do, and obviously that's not arrangements, but that's wreaths. Yeah. Um, but we have wreath presses that's in Mooresville, there's two nights of it. Um, and like we have greener. My dad laughs because he's like he he helps at this one, and he presses the wreaths because he's like, these ladies, they go crazy, and like green is everywhere, yeah. But they make little bundles and then they come up to the press and we press them all in. So we do that class, kind of yes, group class, and then um this Mother's Day, well, the week after, but May 17th, we're doing a Mother's Day event, which is like part of it, is a like class. So they do a class, then they have permanent jewelry snacks. Um, we're doing little um dried flower bookmarks for like the little girls to well, I mean adults too, but for the little girls to do and yeah. So that's in plain field though. Okay, when you say press a wreath, can you tell me what you mean by that? So we make I mean this is not we take like different kinds of like Christmas greens, right? And they'll bundle them, and then the I don't think I have any here. The wreath rings have these little clamps that are up, so then you put it in the press and the press will snap. So you put your press like snaps it down. Okay, and then you oh my gosh. Yeah. And some people will take like just a wreath ring and like wire them. Right. But I feel like it's more festive and fun when you're like pressing it. Like I think that's cool. And they like, I don't know, it's such a fun event because then they end up like some like it is just fun watching the ladies like how like we do they have the same instruction, but like how different they end up. Yeah, and like some of them are like just wild and crazy, and then some of them are like I don't know, you see the like professionists. We did um an event at we do like we've done private events, we did the wreaths at a um law office, and that was that was a it was fun, but that was different because they were like this is sticky, and I was like, Yes, sorry, this is a little different than the other day, but yeah, so it's a lot of fun. But yes, so classes, those are just the big ones, but yes, we want to continue like doing more and more of those kind of things.
SPEAKER_00I love I love going into businesses and doing I mean I feel like that's a great team building. I I feel like that's a a really great opportunity for for businesses to come and do and or you know, for you to c you come to them.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yep. Oh, very cool. Yep. Um, and this is it's just because Mother's Day's like on the brain. Um, but and it's not necessarily class, but we have two um well one's I think they're both ort orthodonts. Yes, they are. I was like, well, one's a dentist, no. They're both orthodontists, but they um do like a bouquet bar and just do like the moms will like pick the arrangements, which that's kind of cute too. Different and not teaching, but just uh just a fun thing, like a customer appreciation, mom appreciation.
SPEAKER_00But yeah. So did your husband get you flowers for Mother's Day?
SPEAKER_03Uh no, but I did get, and I guess this was I don't know, maybe two years ago. Um, our wholesale for our anniversary, which he's got me flowers like from Kroger and stuff before, like, but um he tell he says, Well, I'll buy her all kinds of flowers in the cooler. I'm like, she's time all day. I'm like, okay. But um, he had our wholesaler like make something and send it with our delivery so it was sitting on the table with us. That was two years ago. He hasn't done that again.
SPEAKER_00It's been two years. She's keeping track. Exactly. It's in June. Okay, so get us started. Okay, and then we'll ask more questions.
SPEAKER_03We start with greens. So these this is leather leaf. Um, and I didn't I brought another green, one other green, but for the most part, we start with leather leaf, and this um kind of helps make your base, but also a grid so that when you're sticking the flowers in, it has somewhere to go. Should we follow you? Yeah, you can follow, or I can show, and then you can follow. So you'll kind of trip.
SPEAKER_01Oh, nothing. Everything's fine. Everything's fine. Everything's fine. But that's what happens here. It's just mess. I say she is it's water. I'm nothing, I'm not it.
SPEAKER_03Gosh. Okay, anyways, but you'll start with your green. I okay, I always start with the vase normally full. Full so that your flowers are still like kidding. And then I changed the water out. All right. But so you'll kind of cut it at it's better to cut longer, too long, and make more cuts than too short, and then like oh no. Yes. Um, but you'll put like your first cinnamon, and then I always and depending on how big the vase is, you're gonna like you could keep some of those. Okay. But then your sec your next one, you're gonna take like your last little and stick in there.
SPEAKER_01Oh, so you've never done that before. There we go. I've learned something you already.
SPEAKER_03You're gonna be you're gonna be the professional, you're gonna be doing this all the all the time. So then you kind of rotate and you'll do the last, you'll go to the last one on the one you just did, uh-huh, and stick it in there. And then sometimes it looks a little taller, so you'll trick down a little bit. But and you just kind of go around, and again, depending on like the size, like I don't always go exactly to the last one, but it just kind of keeps them together, like keeps them linking together.
SPEAKER_02So, yeah, you just by hand all the time. How many employees do you have to help you? Because this seems terrible.
SPEAKER_03Well, it's very good. Okay, so this like just now, okay, playing field kind of really kicked it in. Like, we need like we need more help. Yeah. And then as it's grown, now obviously, like, I'm right here and I'm not doing the flowers currently. Um, so we have two other designers, and then um busy times, my sister-in-law. She she started with us in the beginning, and then she has, I mean, my kids are young too, but she has like little young babies. And so she wanted to stay, she's a nurse too, so she wanted to stay home. Um, so she now helps us like Mother's Day, Valentine's Day. So she's I got her doing some centerpieces right now. But um, so yeah, we have three designers, then we have um, I guess we have two shop attendants here, different days, but two here, two in Mooresville, four, three designers, five, six, that's what I think. Um I always get my I Oh and then the drivers, and then the drivers. Then we have three drivers. Oh, okay. There we go. Okay, yeah. Well, when we're buying shirts and stuff, I'm always like, okay, I need more shirts. Okay, there's this many or gifts, and I'm like, okay, Riley and I are not in there, but then as a whole, we are in there. Yeah. So yeah.
SPEAKER_00So did you go to school for this?
SPEAKER_03Or did you do classes? No. I did not. I uh just following different, like I definitely think, like, I love Jesus, and I definitely think like that's I mean, he's played a role in the whole thing, but um they like I don't think 15 years ago when like YouTube okay YouTube was still a thing, but when things weren't like you couldn't just see things on the internet, you didn't have like other designers and other florists like showing like how to do things, so it wasn't like I would have had to do a lot more work, but no, it was just like following other designers and other like flower shops and like seeing what they do. Um and then my I our wholesaler, like she's like our sales girl, like she's helping out a ton. Like my first casket spray, she FaceTimed me and like walked me through it. Um, so it's kind of just I don't know. I feel like when you're like passionate though, like it's a like you're gonna make it work. So like you're gonna like you're gonna figure it out, you're gonna research it, and then as you go, like learn. Um, it was really cool when we bought plain there's a couple cool things. It's cool that I did not work in a flower shop because I didn't have any like expectation or like oh this is how we have to do it because like it was just kind of like oh we'll just do it how we want to do it. And then it was neat when we bought Plainfield, um, the old owner, they stayed on us with us for 30 days. He kind of showed us like the ropes and everything, and it was neat to work with him because that was the first time I've like one on one, like worked with another designer. He like taught me, like he taught me some things that I didn't know, like he taught me the actual like gridding, like because I would just stick it in, but he taught me like the putting them together, and it was but then it was cool too because it was like some of the things that I was doing, like they were different, but it was like oh, but it still works, and it's still okay, right? And I think that's the fun part about it too is it's an art, so it can be like you can do it differently, yeah. But I don't know now that now that we're here, I would love to go back and get like certified and stuff, but that was never a like stupid C because I didn't have to do that. So yeah, it's yeah, self-taught, which I think I don't know, some people think is cool, and some people I feel like would be like okay. And so then I just kind of keep going until I like the shape and until they are kind of tight in there. I know the table's cute, but then also it's like I need more space. Like I need some dry space that should like we're supposed to be waiting for.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I'm going because I'm thinking if we're gonna like we're we can do this while she talks too. Yeah, this one is huge.
SPEAKER_02Okay, also, what do you do with all this extra stuff? Are we just wasting it?
SPEAKER_03Um, so it kind of depends on like what's happening. Yes, just just put it right back in. Um, no, I think it I should be better at this. Um, some designers will like keep these in like chambers. Hydration. Yeah, a little shorter probably. Yeah, pull these in. Okay, sorry. No, you're fine. Um, but they'll put them in hydration chambers and keep them like damp and then use them for center pieces, like oh yeah. Oh, or like greening, like foam things, because you'll use like these small ones for those kind of things. I should be better sometimes about that, but sometimes it's just so do you do weddings? Yes, okay. Weddings, funerals, everyday, birthday.
SPEAKER_00So um you mentioned Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Are those your two bus busiest?
SPEAKER_03Yes, I would say those are the two busiest. Um sorry, I'm living moving or something. Um Christmas and Thanksgiving get pretty crazy too.
unknownOh.
SPEAKER_03Just because um a lot of like, well, with wine and wreath and the like those kind of events, and people um like doing some private events or the bouquet bars because I feel like they're trying to like get like get together like in the offices, they're trying to do stuff, like appreciation things with their employees. And then um, yeah, crit Thanksgiving gets kind of busy with centerpieces, but and that's a fun one too, because people bring like their ceramic turkeys in, and they're like, Oh, I just want like I want this filled, and I'm like, Okay, this is fun because that is fun, that is super fun. And it's fun because then they got like, you know, their like family name like serpent on the bottom or whatever. I don't know. It's just I like that. And then Christmas, there's like centerpieces and stuff too. But as far as like I mean, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day are definitely like the big ones.
SPEAKER_00The big ones. Like when my grandmother passed away. We came in and did like a consultation. Do you do those at all three or do you try my okay? Yep.
SPEAKER_03Yep, so we have um we don't really have like the books anymore. I feel like that's kind of like a I mean, some shelves still do, but I think that's kind of a pass. But we like our computers are just on little swivels, and um, like yeah, we'll meet with the families and um we have pages that have like casket sprays or like the um floor pieces or standing sprays, like some people want the whole casket spray, like casket, all the things some people just want like a standing spray from the grandkids or whatever. Um, but yeah, we'll go through and um put those or spin that around for them and let them pick, and then they can kind of if they see one they like but they want like oh, actually her favorite flower, she loved lilies, and you can add that or whatever.
SPEAKER_00So yeah. Okay. I got genius. Okay, yeah. But that's not like one you would put in a big floor. Yeah, like a cut, yeah, not really a cut flower, but you could do like a potted one beside, like with the workflow. I'm not having a funeral. She's having a roast. I like a roast for my funeral. So yes. I love it. And are we I forget, are we supposed to roast you? Or roast you. Okay. Yeah, yeah. Although I feel like I feel like I should do it like before I'm dead, though, because I really want to hear. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you're gonna look at it. My mom is almost dead. My mom has I know. My mom has said that she wants her funeral before she's dead because she's like, I want to see everybody. Yeah, okay. I want to be part of it.
SPEAKER_03That's kind of why this is I mean, I'm sometimes a darker person. Um, anyways, so my mom passed some I guess I should have said this in the beginning, but my mom passed away in August of 21, and that's kind of what like sparked. Well, and she wasn't even a flat, like she liked flowers, and she would like get silks and stuff for the house and add different things. I don't know. But she was not like I mean, she wasn't a florist, she didn't have a garden. Like, but at her funeral, like I loved looking at the flowers that people sent, and that was the first time I appreciated like someone sending flowers, like I know that's what you do, whatever. But it was the first time being on like my grandma had passed and stuff, but it like being on that side and like seeing things that were like to me. Um, so I loved that. And then we had gone to um Brownsburg Flower Shop after a family friend had passed, and so I went and got the chimes and the family stuff, whatever. And I just loved it in there, and it was so cute. And I was like, I think like I want to I wanna have a flower shop. And my husband was like, let's do it. And I was like, Oh, no, I cannot believe that he was just that was yeah, he's kind of a I love that he was so supportive. Yeah, he's kind of a fiery little he doesn't have red hair. Um, so that's why we started with the trailer. But um, but what I was gonna say is we had she was a school bus driver, and um when we had found she had pancreatic cancer, and when we found out that she had like months to live, which really wasn't months, but uh beside the point, um, we did a parade. Um, so it was like, I mean, it was all like her like family and friends, like we drove by the house, but all the buses ended up like there's a cool video, but she had I didn't know this until after, but she had asked our neighbor, she was like, She was like, When you die, do you think that you can see your funeral? And like, can you like do you think you know who's there? And she's like, I don't know. And she's like, Yeah, I'm not a cryer, anyways. Um, but she said uh she was thought it was cool because she was like, I feel like this is what like my funeral would be like, like these people will be there. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I should have never did that. So I've never organized that. But so I think yeah, I think it's cool that you get to like it's a party for you. You want yeah, you want to be able to witness that. Yeah, agreed. I think we start something new. Okay. Well, you start something new. I think you start the start the the pre pre funeral. Yeah. Like a yeah. Okay, so we're gonna use these next. We're gonna do three of these.
SPEAKER_02Um, so these are flowers.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, these are flowers, yes, Moria flowers. Uh these are ultramaria. Okay. Um, astramaria, ultramaria. Um and so I leave these greens unless they have like unless they look bad, but I think they look fine because I like the spunk and the crazy. And then I take the other ones off and we can just throw them on the floor and we'll do that. And then this is a kind of playing around too, because sometimes like until you're like, until you know like you're how tall you want them. Um and then I just kind of place them around the edge. Sometimes I'll do like one in the center. Um I kind of start. This helps me with like my shape. But again, like other designers are gonna do it. Like how much. I mean, I think that looks good. I mean, I don't know. Some of it's like what looks good to you. Like, yes, mine are shorter, but at the same time, like it's what looks good to you. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Mine is gonna be a design. Oh, I love it. It's gonna be great. So do the kids get involved? Yes.
SPEAKER_03Sometimes they get involved in too much mess. But yeah, they do. Um, and at the vendor events, like with the trailer, they would go to I Riley would get upset because he's like, These kids can't be running around here. And I was like, they're part of it. These kids are part of it. But um, no, we have uh he's in preschool, so he's three days a week half day. So on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and after school every day, like he's over there barefoot and he's feral. He's pretty feral. But um, he's like the little shop pet. Um he's always into something. And then when the kids get out of school, like they're I mean, they're there, they've slept. And it's less now that we have help. But um when it was just us, like there are like multiple nights where they're like falling asleep. There's TVs at all shops. Well, there's not one here. There's not one here, yeah. But um so they kind of I don't know. They're yeah, but they have iPads and stuff, but they like I have pictures of them falling asleep and like and some of that was by choice, but in like our big like flower delivery boxes, they're like sleeping in there, and I'm like so I love that it's a family business.
SPEAKER_00I love that. And you know, sometimes they hate it, but do you think so? Do you have uh oh, because I have one boy?
SPEAKER_02But how many boys? Two boys to girls. Oh okay. So the girls are ten and eight, and the boys are five and six. Do the girls have any interest in?
SPEAKER_03I mean, yes and no. Our oldest, she is no attention to detail, and just uh yeah. And we laugh because we're like, okay, so we can leave shops to them when we die. Mara would just sell it for a bunch of candy bars or something silly. And then Louie, she's our second, and she's like, she's the attention to detail. She likes help set this up, has like an eye for some things. I mean, she'll make the she'll make trash flowers, we call it, because she'll dig like when like there's scrap, like she'll make trash flowers. Oh, so like the she'll pick the stuff up off the ground and make the beautiful. Um, and then I don't know, it'll be cool to see like who actually like wants to be a part and who's like not gonna.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so I don't know.
SPEAKER_03But I keep what Mar asks about like going to school, she wants to be a hairstylist, then she I don't know, she changes her mind, which is fine, she's 10. I'm 53 and still changes. So, yeah, I was 30 and was like, hey, you know what? I want a flower shop. What? I have a degree of psychology, like, and I I was at home, but I don't know. But it'll be cool to see like what they do, but yeah, sometimes she's like, Well, what would I go to school for? And I was like, I think you need to go for business. Like, I wish I didn't know, but I wish now I would have gone for business, right? And she's like, Well, that's silly, and I'm like, Well, I don't know, we're not there yet, but I mean it'll be here.
SPEAKER_00But anything you do involves business, and even um if you think about like I mean, even your husband working at FedEx in the tower, like thinking about like numbers of getting people in and out. I mean, there's yes, planes in and out. Yeah, yeah. So no, I yeah, I would say, like, I yeah.
SPEAKER_03But then now part of me is like, well, I could go back for business, and I'm like, what time? Yeah, I don't want to do that now. Just figure it out. Yeah, we'll just figure it out. Okay, so these I just kinda Okay, what are these? So sorry, no, no, no, no, you're fine. So these are purple money casino, they come in um purple, and then there's white. The white ones are a little smaller, but I like this one. This is a favorite. So it's hanging out. And then I just kinda shove them. Yep, just kind of stick them in there and fill in the water.
SPEAKER_02Are you going for the outside again?
SPEAKER_03Kind of, and just kind of fill in the spaces.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, gotcha. Let's do it.
SPEAKER_03And then clean off any of the leaves that are like down the stem. And the cleaning the leaves or the stems, just keep your water fresh and clean. And then, yeah, we'll and we'll re change the water out. Um, because it gets kind of dirty as you're putting things, but it just keeps the water fresh and let you know there's there's a stem under there.
SPEAKER_02We'll have to remember to get that. So it's fine.