Jolene Bute recently moved her flower and gift shop Accents to Alden from Freeborn, and the new shop opened Dec. 13, 2008.

The biggest difference, Bute said, has been the traffic flow, which she said is much greater in Alden than in Freeborn and leads to more walk in- customers.

“We’re just so much more conveniently located. I get that a lot, ‘it’s so convenient, it’s just so easy to stop here,’” Bute said of her shop the sells and delivers fresh and silk flowers, and she sells gifts and home decorations.

Bute, who lives between Alden and Freeborn with her husband, Pat, said the biggest reason for the move was that her children go to school in Alden. Her son, Jordan, is 13, and her daughter, Erika, is 8.

The new location has also allowed Bute to increase the range of her business. There isn’t a specific range of where she will deliver flowers, but she said a lot of her business is in Alden, Wells and Kiester and she also delivers to Albert Lea.

One service Bute provides at Accents is decorations for weddings and other events. She will provide and sets up all the materials at a reception. She uses fake plants and trees decorated with lights, different color fabrics, backdrops and arches.

“It’s not like we get all the flowers ready, deliver them and then we’re done with them. It’s kind of an all-day process,” Bute said.

She said she doesn’t do the same thing for any wedding. Bute said she tries to meet her customers and learn what they want for the wedding or other event she’s planning for.

‘“I feel that we really personalize what we do for people. And we get to know out customers really well,” Bute said.

Bute opened the shop in Freeborn in 2005, but Bute said she’s always loved working with flowers. But before opening a flower shop, she worked as a graphic designer and sales representative. Bute said her experience in graphic design has played a big role in floral work.

“It’s all about being creative, and knowing how and where to put — place to build the flowers that we do. …I like being creative and getting ideas out to people,” Bute said.

In a small town, Bute said she really strives to personalize her floral arrangements and the other things she does. She said she tries to personalize and get to know her customers.

An example of this would be to use a cookie jar as a vase for an arrangement for a woman who loves to bake cookies.

Bute said she was concerned with making the move while the economy is unsteady, but she there has been more business than she anticipated.