New Floral Studio brings beauty and romance to Paris

By Bailey Zimmer

Rise, shine and celebrate as every day is better and blooming with the new Upsy Daisy Floral Studio. Located in the heart of downtown Paris at 56 Grand River St North, Upsy Daisy Floral Studio brings a new form of excitement and growth to the vibrant downtown core

The business, started by mother and owner Lisa A. and son Sasha Uzelac, came to Paris in early May and has really taken off since opening. The floral store is a welcome addition to downtown Paris filling a void left open when McCormick Florist closed its Mechanic Street operation several years ago. Upsy Daisy, typically closed on Mondays but open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every other day of the week, is bright and welcoming to each guest and offers a variety of different floral arrangements for all occasions “We don’t want to be a cookie cutter store we want to appeal to the locals and what they like,” said owner, Lisa. While she looks after the original store in Port Dover located at 110 Market Street East, which opened just before the COVID pandemic, Sasha looks after the sister store in

Paris

If you love flowers, decorating or creating DIY arrangements for around the house, mark September 25th on your calendar. Upsy Daisy will begin to host a monthly series of two hour workshops and the first one will focus on creating a thanksgiving centrepiece, consisting of a pumpkin pot with a bustle of seasonal and colourful flowers within to give a perfect fall aesthetic decor piece. A sign up sheet will soon be provided for interested community members.

nice flowers that are of good quality, from the wrapping to the presentation.

“I feel like a lot of people are afraid that we’re expensive here because of the way it [the business] looks, which we are not I like to cater to people who can’t afford as much because other florists’ wont,” said Uzelac

SCOREBOARD FEBRUARY 16 – FEBRUARY 23

Lisa and Sasha are passionate about quality for quantity, uniquity and visual appeal All bouquets, from the lowest price point to the highest are designed to meet satisfaction and surpass expectations. No two bouquets will be the same.

At Upsy Daisy prices for bouquets start around $20 and can go up to $100 depending on what the buyer selects All the flowers are well worth it and you know you're supporting the local industry by purchasing your arrangements at this store. All flowers and houseplants within the studio are locally sourced from within 100 kilometers of the store locations, meaning one small or local business helps another thrive Sasha Uzelac is eager to make affordable bouquets for anyone, sharing that everyone is deserving of

Uzelac shares that the presentation of the bouquet is just as important as the flowers themselves, as the appearance of high quality wrapping gives the bouquet extra appeal and shows the importance of a kind gesture The Floral Studio offers a mix of both custom and premade bouquets so every desire may be met. Flowers are also available to be sold by the stem, meaning as few as a single flower or as many as you would like may be purchased. Upsy Daisy also offers bridal consultation for weddings and has a corner area of the store decorated and dedicated to the special moments leading up to a wedding. The amount, types and arrangement of flowers and bouquets will be decided at the floral print cloth lined table within the building.

“What makes us different is that we’re full service If there’s a wedding we’re going to be at the venue early setting up for you. It’s not just that we make the flowers for you and you go on your own,” said Uzelac. “You get the flowers and we make sure they’re placed and displayed and that they’re healthy and strong ” Upsy daisy also offers funeral work services or any other event in which large quantities of flowers are needed.

Customer service is no weak point within the studio. Making the moment right and customer satisfaction is a priority for Lisa and Uzelac.

If a house plant bought from Upsy Daisy starts to look sickly, the plant can be brought back to the store and nursed to health until it is ready to go home once again as good as new. House calls can also be made and the owners of Upsy Daisy will help you with your purchase to treat and care for your new plants Lisa stresses the importance of being involved with the people who support her business and getting to support individuals who support her and Uzelac

“We’re not just florists,” she said. “We’re a part of your life. We’re there when your baby’s born, we’re there when you get a date or when you’re going to propose. We’re part of that.”

Upsy Daisy took over the former location of Friendly United Discount Convenience Store, which operated out of that location for decades. One of Lisa and Sasha's biggest challenges to date has been cleaning up and redoing the venue to ensure it is up to par for a flower shop. The Floral Studio has undergone a paint job, new flooring and has created open areas with bright colours and warm lighting welcoming everyone inside to marvel at the beauty of the revitalized space. Uzelac is excited to help the younger crowd of men and other love swindled beings in Paris, hoping to instill a sense of old fashioned romance once more. When speaking of wooing and pursuing, Uzelac is enthusiastic in his goals

“I want to focus on the young men of Paris. I’ve been helping them with their courtships That’s what I want to do I want to focus on having more affordable, well-presented bouquets because how your bouquet looks affects her perception of you,” said Uzelac. “One girl has probably five suitors who want to be her boyfriend, but if one of them brings her flowers, he wins … it’s that simple because it’s a gesture that means a lot” The uniqueness and individuality behind each bouquet created stems from the excitement and passion for community, compassion, empathy and romance.