o, tannenbaum ...

fake tree or real tree? always a tough question. the last few years, we've gone with a real tree from the "uglies" section at the nursery. a few gaping holes, a crooked trunk, who cares! this year's tree is no exception - a great $36 cast-off! in exchange for a real tree, we have made it a point (a painful, laborious one at that) to trim and compost the greens and chop the trunk for use in the outdoor firepit. you know, in order to try to make good with the universe. or, mother nature at the very least ....

2011 xmas tree (composite photo)

hard to discern in this photo, but the tree is finished with (one of my favorite materials of all time) hemp twine! and we have some seriously cute ornaments (maybe i will add more photos later?). what you can see here, though, is the (1) white burlap tree skirt that i made and (2) the driftwood garland that i purchased with the intention of draping on the tree itself instead of wrapping around the base of the tree to hide the tree stand. it turns out that it was far too heavy for our charlie brownish tree. but the improv use works well.

here is a close up of the very cool driftwood garland, for which i will have to find a post-xmas use. ideas?

fake tree or real tree? always a tough question. the last few years, we've gone with a real tree from the "uglies" section at the nursery. a few gaping holes, a crooked trunk, who cares! this year's tree is no exception - a great $36 cast-off! in exchange for a real tree, we have made it a point (a painful, laborious one at that) to trim and compost the greens and chop the trunk for use in the outdoor firepit. you know, in order to try to make good with the universe. or, mother nature at the very least ....

2011 xmas tree (composite photo)

hard to discern in this photo, but the tree is finished with (one of my favorite materials of all time) hemp twine! and we have some seriously cute ornaments (maybe i will add more photos later?). what you can see here, though, is the (1) white burlap tree skirt that i made and (2) the driftwood garland that i purchased with the intention of draping on the tree itself instead of wrapping around the base of the tree to hide the tree stand. it turns out that it was far too heavy for our charlie brownish tree. but the improv use works well.

here is a close up of the very cool driftwood garland, for which i will have to find a post-xmas use. ideas?

featured item: "desert bull horn" weathered branch

i really thought the branches would be the hot-ticket sale items in the shop, but it turns out that the wreaths have been selling strong since day one (and a few photographs, outside of Etsy). in our home, we have branches and twigs mounted on the wall, resting on shelves and tabletops, and suspended from the ceiling (see here, and please excuse the poor photographs).

someone out there must no doubt wants this guy - weathered in the texas sun, carried back to chicago with love by me, nicely contrasted blooming tillandsia and reindeer moss ....! see the full listing here.

i really thought the branches would be the hot-ticket sale items in the shop, but it turns out that the wreaths have been selling strong since day one (and a few photographs, outside of Etsy). in our home, we have branches and twigs mounted on the wall, resting on shelves and tabletops, and suspended from the ceiling (see here, and please excuse the poor photographs).

someone out there must no doubt wants this guy - weathered in the texas sun, carried back to chicago with love by me, nicely contrasted blooming tillandsia and reindeer moss ....! see the full listing here.

5 reasons a wreath can be better than a tree ...

did you happen to see this post on apartment therapy? i couldn't agree more!

wreaths have been selling briskly in the shop - get yours in time for the holidays! (p.s. - they also make great hostess gifts and gifts for mothers and grandmothers!)

Holiday Apple Grapevine Wreath $34

did you happen to see this post on apartment therapy? i couldn't agree more!

wreaths have been selling briskly in the shop - get yours in time for the holidays! (p.s. - they also make great hostess gifts and gifts for mothers and grandmothers!)

Holiday Apple Grapevine Wreath $34

branches and perversions

it's next to impossible to get a good photo of the branch i decorated and hung in front of our very large, east-facing office window. i used hemp twine and hooks (the hanging kit available in the shop), and hung the branch just below the upper moulding. i then suspended three aeriums/terrariums (should that be aeria and terraria?) - "perversions," also using hemp twine.

here's the best i could do with the pictures:

it's next to impossible to get a good photo of the branch i decorated and hung in front of our very large, east-facing office window. i used hemp twine and hooks (the hanging kit available in the shop), and hung the branch just below the upper moulding. i then suspended three aeriums/terrariums (should that be aeria and terraria?) - "perversions," also using hemp twine.

here's the best i could do with the pictures:

the studio

this is my "studio," in the back sunroom of our house. there are a number of windows that face west, but with these dark days of winter, you'd barely know it! good thing i have all of these colorful, pretty things to keep the gloom at bay...

messy studio = busy studio!

this is my "studio," in the back sunroom of our house. there are a number of windows that face west, but with these dark days of winter, you'd barely know it! good thing i have all of these colorful, pretty things to keep the gloom at bay...

messy studio = busy studio!

foraging in austin

we went to visit some friends in austin, texas last weekend and enjoyed a lovely visit: good friends, good food, good weather, and, best of all ... good foraging! i checked this 3-foot-long box as luggage (for free - thank you, southwest airlines!) and brought home all the goodies that i found while there (this is half-unpacked). look for new items in the shop soon!

we went to visit some friends in austin, texas last weekend and enjoyed a lovely visit: good friends, good food, good weather, and, best of all ... good foraging! i checked this 3-foot-long box as luggage (for free - thank you, southwest airlines!) and brought home all the goodies that i found while there (this is half-unpacked). look for new items in the shop soon!

for keeps

i decided that i like this wreath kind of a lot, so instead of in the shop, it's on our door! speaking of the shop, i'm so pleased that it's getting lots of traffic. five days in it's got 427 views and 16 favorites! just still waiting for that first sale ...

i decided that i like this wreath kind of a lot, so instead of in the shop, it's on our door! speaking of the shop, i'm so pleased that it's getting lots of traffic. five days in it's got 427 views and 16 favorites! just still waiting for that first sale ...

diy driftwood shelf

one of my favorite new editions to the house is this diy driftwood shelf. i found the wood washed up on the michigan shore this fall and bought some simple industrial "L" brackets to hang it above our diy prep table.

p.s. - those are peppers and tomatoes from our garden! i purchased the little piggy chalkboard on etsy and the mccoy pottery cookie jar was my grandparents.

one of my favorite new editions to the house is this diy driftwood shelf. i found the wood washed up on the michigan shore this fall and bought some simple industrial "L" brackets to hang it above our diy prep table.

p.s. - those are peppers and tomatoes from our garden! i purchased the little piggy chalkboard on etsy and the mccoy pottery cookie jar was my grandparents.

cactus tea cup perversions

i've been busy at work in the "studio" crafting away in order to open the shop. but i have not yet determined if i should sell any perversions, as i'm not sure how to ship them. so, instead, tea cup perversions have recently gone instead as housewarming gifts to amy+greg:

and katy+dan:

i've been busy at work in the "studio" crafting away in order to open the shop. but i have not yet determined if i should sell any perversions, as i'm not sure how to ship them. so, instead, tea cup perversions have recently gone instead as housewarming gifts to amy+greg:

and katy+dan:

preview

i decorated this cute little weathered branch while proofing homemade bread dough last night.  i was able to use some recently foraged seed pods, plus moss and dried eucalyptus seeds.

i decorated this cute little weathered branch while proofing homemade bread dough last night.  i was able to use some recently foraged seed pods, plus moss and dried eucalyptus seeds.

get ready for take-off ...

etsy shop to launch soon - stay tuned!

etsy shop to launch soon - stay tuned!