Hair Bow Blog by Fifth Avenue Bowtique

I had the pleasure of designing this mum for Domonique, a senior at Westwood High School, this week! She requested the X-large custom double homecoming mum from 5th Avenue Bowtique. After talking with her and her mother, we determined that her requests included the following items should be on her high school homecoming mum: butterflies, stars, rhinestones and bling, zebra & leopard print (with monogramming directly on the ribbon), lots of RED, maribou feathers, and arhinestone encrusted horseshoe. She also loved the idea of the Diamond beaded garlands that come standard with 5th Avenue Bowtique as well as the tiered rhinestone bezel charms!

The photos show the actual mum as well as some close ups! I absolutely love the contrast between the black & red, which were highlighted really well with the ribbon selections- black & white sparkley leopard print and a regal red & white scroll print were the perfect accent for the large zebra layers! Oh, and the zebra ribbon had rhinestones added for a little extra “oomph”.

I am very happy with how this one turned out! This was a GREAT way to start off the Homecoming Mum season! I’m looking forward to meeting the requests of many other High School students (and their parents) in the next 2 months!

Along with this whole concept of creating homecoming mums that won’t fall apart in an afternoon, I love this idea that I came up with last year. Our spirit rings have been designed with the same materials- grosgrain ribbon and plastic diamond beads- so you can wear them year after year! High school students should get a full 4 years out of this accessory!

You have a few choices when it comes to ordering- the product shown has 2 layers of monogramming added (cost $21). Our basic mum rings are just $11. Guess what? When you purchase your mum from us, you receive a mum ring FREE!

To order this ring or a homecoming mum from 5th Avenue Bowtique, visit our website: http://fifthavenuebowtique.com/bow/homecoming-mum-spirit-ring-w-monogramming-p-548.html

You can also email us at info@fifthavenuebowtique.com

Why should girls have all of the fun?  After designing the “girl” themed spirit stick (see the blog post below as well as the link to our website for the product photo), I had to create something that would work for little boys too!

My goal was to make a “throw back” style spirit stick.  After all, Pepsi cola came out with a “throw back” soda (natural sugar with the old can design), and the NFL released “throw back” jerseys.  Why shouldn’t 5th Avenue Bowtique have “throw back” spirit products?  There’s something to say for going back to the time when these products were invented!

So, I added some detailed brown ribbon and hand tied on the streamers…they’ve been glued underneath with permanent adhesive and WILL NOT come off!  The bear is holding a well crafted “football”- I tracked it down because I loved the look, the quality…it looks perfect in his hands!  Then, the helmet, which happens to fit perfectly.  All together, it looks like a toy from days past!

It’s perfect for your little fan to wave in the stands when the game gets exciting…and, it’s going to be a great keepsake to pack away!  I will say, also, that this spirit stick could easily accompany your child to a NFL game…and would look great!

For more information on 5th Avenue Bowtique homecoming mums, visit: www.5thavenuebowtique.com

So, our customers really like the idea that our high school homecoming mums can be preserved over time.  The materials we used are ideal for being stored over time…if you place them in a box, under a bed, or in an attic, the ribbon isn’t going to bend, crease, break, etc.

High School homecoming mums are popular for high school students.  But, what about younger kids that haven’t made it to High School yet?  Well, I’ve designed something for them too!  The spirit stick is the perfect item to accompany them to the homecoming game.

The SPIRIT stick is the perfect accessory to accompany you to the game…styles are now available for both boys and girls.  I am most proud of the fact that your purchase can be stored and re-used next year, and the year after, and the year after!

So, maybe you have a son who is a High School football player and your son has a little sister.  This spirit stick can be used throughout his high school years and can be passed down from child to child (like hand me down clothes)!  Now, that’s getting your money’s worth!

We offer all color combinations and are happy to take special requests!  For more information, please visit our website:

http://fifthavenuebowtique.com/bow/spirit-stick-for-girl-match-your-homecoming-mum-school-colors-p-544.html

You can also email: info@fifthavenuebowtique.com.

I began making up some new samples of mums, garters and spirit items this week.  I’m really not happy with the photos from previous years as most have been taken in a rush just before customers were walking out the door.  This business has a lightning fast turnover rate.

One of my sample designs (which will be photographed and added to the website shortly as well as to this blog post) has been designed for Conroe High School.  First, for those of you who come across this in search of info on your school’s festivities this year, here’s some info (which is coming from the Conroe HS alumni website):

Game- October 14- 7:30pm.  Tickets cost $7.00.  I’m including a link to the Alumni website as they have a variety of activities scheduled for former students- how nice!

So, what to do in terms of a design for a mum going to this school?  They are the Conroe Tigers. Colors- black and bright yellow…hmm…it didn’t take me very long to decide on this one.  This year, I’m working on customizing on a new level- with the ribbon.  As each year goes buy, ribbon wholesalers are coming up with more and more styles- I now have access to paw print ribbons, various mascots, animal prints, and sport themed ribbons (basketball, football, soccer, cheer, dance, etc.)  So, it’s time to make the upgrade!

To make this homecoming mum, I grabbed some black & white tiger/zebra print ribbon (I’ve included a link below to a SIMILAR product to what I used)…the tiger & zebra look about the same when it comes to black & white.  It’s fun, it’s girly, it’s different and a heck of a lot more interesting than plastic gift ribbon being used at the florist shop!

Things got dicey when I used my embroidery machine to monogram bright yellow letters over the tiger ribbon.  This one is a head turner…Next, of course I added all of the 5th Avenue Bowtique signature products- the (hand strung) diamond bead garlands, custom embellishments, real ribbon bows, curled grosgrain ribbons…lots more!

This one turned out great!  Stay tuned for photos along with the whole new product line!

Another year has come and gone and it’s football season again!  Fans and players alike will likely be lugging gatorade this year since Texas has broken all time records for number of days in the triple digits this summer.  With that, it would almost make sense for homecomings to be be pushed back later into the fall, but, like the trends from last year, some homecomings are popping up as soon as next week- September 9th!

This is an odd ball comment, and, call me skeptical, but, the homecoming dance planning committee has failed to consider the feelings of new students.  I’m sure many are feeling the pressure to find a date in just two weeks!  Wow!

I’ve managed to get a list of the homecoming dates for many of the Houston area schools and the corresponding GAMES.  Dance dates may be different from the dates posted, but I hope this will be of some help.  Please see the list below.

I’d also like to highlight Atascocita High School’s homecoming as their game is scheduled for September 16th, which is coming up soon!  Atascocita has a ridiculously TALENTED group of guys playing for them (see the link below as they won the Texas District 19-5A victory last year).

This is also one of the most insanely beautiful buildings ever built in the name of education- it is designed as a replica of Moticello, the estate home of President Thomas Jefferson- pillars and all!

Good luck this year Atascocita Eagles!

Homecoming Schedule for NE Houston:

Atascocita Eagles- Sept 16 Colors Royal, Red, White

Summer Creek Bulldogs- Sept 23 Maroon, Gold

K Park Panthers- Sept 30 Hunter Green, Black

Cleveland Indians- Sept 30 Red, Black, White

Huffman Hargrave Falcons- Sept 30 Red, black

Crosby Cougars- Oct 7- red, white

Humble Wildcats- Oct 7- Purple, white

Porter Spartans- Red, gold, black

Kingwood High School Mustangs- Oct 8- navy, white

New Caney Eagles- Oct 14- Royal blue, white

Splendora High School Wildcats- Oct 21- red, white

This past week, I had the privilege of making a homecoming mum for a young lady who had been elected to the homecoming court of her very LARGE high school. Her mother also purchased a garter for her brother who was also on the court, but in a different grade. The kids were delightful, good looking, intelligent kids, and deserving of special mums to commemorate this special high school experience.

This girl was a cheerleader, and her mum was decked out in megaphones encrusted with crystals throughout the mum. I’ve begun adding rhinestones standard on MOST mums- they just look better. The center of the mum had huge sparkly butterflies- for some reason, this is a favorite that people keep going back to on the mum. I also had a lot of ribbon with wire to give the mum extra dimension and layers. Oh, and huge feather boas. This homecoming mum exemplified everything that is girly, and appealed completely to the taste of the average teenaged girl. I think this is why we are regularly told by our customers that they receive oodles of attention.

The garter was equally impressive- a simple mum was in the center, and had a resin cast figure of a young boy planing football hanging from the flower. Striped grosgrain ribbon to coordinate with the school colors replaced the traditional polka dots that are so much more girly. His name and football number were also highlighted.

I do think that each and every one of the homecoming mums that are put out by 5th Avenue Bowtique are fit for a “QUEEN”…however tacky this sounds, the amount of work (hours for each) just makes such a difference in the end result. I have accepted the fact that we’re only able to take a handful of orders each week, unlike florist shops that can take 100′s. However, I am proud of the end result- they are truly gorgeous, and a real work of art!