New Moon roses

At the onset of "New Moon" mania, I half-jokingly tweeted that the movie might bolster flower sales. You know, with all the guys trying to imitate Edward Cullen and everything.

Turns out, my hypothesis wasn't far from reality.

While driving back from an assignment in Phenix City, I saw a sign outside Nosegay Florist. It said "NEW MOON SPECIALS." I was strangely intrigued. I went inside and asked about the promotion.

See that, Team Jacob fans? It's part of what you can expect from the deal, which includes a special kind of rose packaged in red with a "New Moon" sticker. Totally hot.

But will it sell?

Sales associates at the store are pretty confident. Check out staffers Ashley Huckaby, left, and Lanie Brown. They're the minds behind the promotion. They say guys are striving to reach the romantic appeal of fictional heartthrobs Edward Cullen and Jacob Black.

"Guys are trying to compete with them, obviously," Brown said.

And what better way to compete with a vampire or werewolf than by having a custom bouquet ready for your girlfriend when she returns from an afternoon screening? (Calling her "Bella" probably won't hurt, either.)

The roses come with a variety of stickers. You can buy a single rose ($4.99), a half dozen ($29) or a dozen ($49).

Nosegay Florist is at 2006 Crawford Road in Phenix City. Call 334-298-7726. Access the store's Twitter site here.