"We opened the doors, and our neighbors came in. It was great to see them looking around at the different things we had to offer," Brown said.

Flower Flour, 896 Willow St., is a cross between a small flower shop and a pastry place. Walking in, the senses are hit by the aromas from both the kitchen and the buckets of cut flowers.

"I wanted to open a different kind of place. One that hasn't been in the Willow Glen area before."

Brown has always loved flowers and arranging them, and she loves to bake, so, she says, "I figured it would be nice to combine both."

"I started arranging flowers about 10 years ago and love making beautiful things for people to look at. I've done a few weddings and worked at both Bloomsters and Lily of the Valley for a couple of years," Brown said. "So when I decided I would have flowers in my shop I knew that I wanted to have a selection that people couldn't find in the grocery stores."

Brown took the same approach to baked goods.

"I don't like a lot of sugar or heavy creams in my desserts. I like texture. So the things we create here are mostly seasonal, with a lot of seasonal fruits. The fruits have just enough sugar in them to sweeten our pastries," Brown said.

With everything baked on the premises and with only fresh ingredients, the selection changes every day.

"We haven't set out a menu yet, and I'm not sure that we will. There will always be great things here, but I like variety, and I think my customers will, too," she said.

One of the items in the refrigerator cases that catches a Flower Flour's customer's eye is the chocolate ruffle cakes. The cakes are made with light cake and a chocolate mousse or raspberry filling. The ruffle on top is made of either white or dark chocolate.

Tarts and tortes are other items at Flower Flour.

"Some of our purees for the tarts come from France, but we make most of our things here. All fresh and nothing frozen. I think people can taste the difference between fresh and frozen fruits no matter what you put them in," Brown said.

Each day there are a couple of sandwiches available. One sandwich that seems to be becoming a customer favorite is the herbed chicken sandwich on fresh bread or a fresh-baked croissant.

"We have a wonderful kitchen here, so it makes it fun to go back there and create something new and different for our customers," she added.

While a customer looks for the perfect tasty treat, Brown is happy to help select some fresh-cut flowers and create an arrangement for them to take home.

"I want to keep our prices reasonable. There's no reason why a nice pastry and a flower arrangement should be expensive. They are both meant to be enjoyed," Brown said.

Flower Flour is located at 896 Willow St. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call 408.279.0843.