RIVER FALLS – “The Flower Girl,” a.k.a. Tiffany Dux, has been a familiar face at local floral shops over the years and now she has made the leap to open her own shop.

Dux and her “blooming buddy” Esther Stewart opened Blooms for Happiness on Tuesday, Reb. 7 at 123 Cascade Ave., River Falls. Dux had been working out of her home, but the stars aligned, fate intervened and the shop became a reality – in a short amount of time.

“I always had a dream to start my own business,” Dux said.

After leaving a previous job, talking with her accountant, forming an LLC and hearing that her husband believed in her talents, Dux plunged into her dream headfirst. She knew she needed a place with a big sink, number one.

“I was doing this out of my house,” Dux said. “People kept asking if I had a storefront. So much happened in one week.”

She signed the lease on Jan. 26, moved in Jan. 29 and opened Feb. 7.

“That’s how quickly all this happened,” Dux continued.

Stewart, who is originally from New Mexico and a former event planner, believes everything happens for a reason.

“God has perfect timing and plans for how everything happens,” Stewart said.

Both women have worked in a variety of floral shops, and in fact, met while working together.

“I think it’s fun because we are both so creative,” Stewart said. “It’s fun to use these God given gifts to serve people. To be able to use our talents and gifts to serve people at any stage of life, building a connection and a relationship. My goal is to make an impact on people and use the gifts we have to be a blessing.”

Dux, who is from Roberts, took up floral arranging and design when she was just 16. When she was 17, she worked in a small-town craft store, working with silk flowers. She gradually moved into bigger arrangements and showing at craft fairs.

As Dux and Stewart chatted, they worked on arrangements almost effortlessly.

“Esther and I try to think of different things that not every shop is going to have,” Dux said as she watched Stewart artfully arrange a “love letter” planter. “We want to be creative.”

The pair met at a local florist and connected right away. They described themselves as hard workers who like to have fun.

“I’ve learned a lot from her and she lets me be creative,” Stewart said.

Dux’s parents had their own business and her dad was an inventor, so she grew up in the small business world. She knows a thing or two about making one a success. Paired with Stewart’s experience as an event planner in Washington D.C., the detail-oriented duo know how to get things done.

“The whole month of January, we spent marketing,” Dux said. “We walked the streets of River Falls. We set goals every morning and checked to-dos off our list.”

The shop serves not only River Falls, but surrounding communities such as Prescott, Hudson, Roberts, Hammond, Ellsworth, Beldenville, Spring Valley and Baldwin. They made sure to connect with event venues, funeral homes, and multiple businesses. They have three wedding shows booked and are hoping to meet more people.

“We’re out there building relationships,” Dux said. “Good old-fashioned marketing. I’m huge on networking. We want to engage with people and we want to be part of the community.”

On Valentines Day, the blooming buddies are supplying flowers (200 carnations) and candy to area senior homes. The initiative falls perfectly into their philosophy of making an impact with blooms.

“That’s the reason we named the business Blooms for Happiness,” Dux said. “Any type of bloom is going to bring happiness to somebody.”

They plan to provide several “bloom programs,” such as Blooms for Dancers, Blooms for Vets, Blooms for Birthdays, Blooms for Hospice, etc. The shop offers a wide variety of fresh flowers for any occasion, plus plants, European/dish gardens, silk flower arrangements, dried floral arrangements, gifts, gourmet fruit baskets, gift baskets and greeting cards.

After a lot of tears, sweat and coffee, Blooms for Happiness opened Feb. 7. Dux paused in the doorway that morning, trying to believe she was standing in her own shop.

“Opening day was extremely busy. People are very supportive. They like that it’s small-town.

There’s a lot of support here, not only in River Falls but everywhere. It’s just neat,” Dux said. “We want everyone to come in here and feel welcome.”

Blooms for Happiness is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and closed Sunday. To learn more, visit bloomsforhappiness.com or follow them on social media.

Blooms for Happiness owner Tiffany Dux and her right hand woman Esther Stewart make unique arrangements you won’t find anywhere else, such as those seen here. Photos by Sarah Nigbor