The Next Chapter of Momma Aleene’s Journey

Make Your Own Corsage Kit - Los Angeles Examiner Advertisement - April 1, 1949

As we keep rolling along with the “History of Aleene’s,” we’ve hit a fun milestone—her first business expansion. Momma Aleene was never one to rest on her laurels, and after getting Aleene of Arcadia up and running, she saw a chance to branch out beyond fresh flowers. That entrepreneurial spirit of hers kicked in, and before long, she was stocking florist wire, tape, and ribbons—everything you’d need to get crafty with blooms. She even started teaching local women how to make their own corsages and arrangements, passing on her skills to anyone who wanted to learn.

Aleene closed her florist shop in 1945 when her husband, Woody, was released from the Army. In 1947, her first child, Candace was born. During this time, she taught classes out of her home and at adult education classes over the greater Los Angeles area.

That little idea grew into something bigger, and soon she launched the Aleene’s Make Your Own Corsage Kit. It was a neat package—ribbons, floratape, corsage pins, wax paper, and wire, enough to make 25 corsages. She honed her selling skills and got her kit on the shelves at a local favorite, Bullocks Department Store in downtown Los Angeles. The advertisement shows that she was featured in their Party Favors department on the Fourth Floor of their Hill Street Building.

Aleene - KFI TV - Believed to be in 1949

Photo credit: earlytelevision.org

This archive photo also shows that she made an appearance on KFI-TV to spread the word. Remember that television was in its infancy at that time. I found this Television Receiver Distribution chart from March 1, 1948, which shows that there were 18,000 TV receivers in Los Angeles at that time. Oh how I wish we had a recording of that KFI television appearance! Little did she know how television would make the biggest impact on her growing business in the years ahead.

Here’s a gem of information I dug up from the family archives: she sank $1,200 into those corsage kits—a big investment back then—and, well, they didn’t quite take off. It must’ve been tough to see them sit on the shelves. I think she was just ahead of her time, dreaming up things folks weren’t ready for yet. Still, knowing Momma Aleene, she didn’t let that slow her down. She brushed it off and kept moving, and as we go further in her story, you’ll see how that determination led to her big break.

With all this going on, her little shop needed room to breathe. So, she moved Aleene of Arcadia into a bigger building—a sure sign she was building something special. Hang with us—there’s more to her journey coming your way!

Aleene & actress Dorothy Gardner