boxwood wreathing

(this is a boxwood wreath)

I am normally not a very patient maker/crafter, but this project forced me to follow steps and really take my time.  I started it a month ago and just finished hanging my last wreath this afternoon!  That kind of patience is really unheard of around here, so I'm thinking it was good practice?  Patience practice?  Sure.

While I was researching for this project, I had a hard time finding a thorough tutorial--most sites just sort of glazed over the steps and made it seem like no big deal.  And I mean, it wasn't a really big deal, but I like to have pictures and clear instructions.  So I made sure to take lots of pictures for you.  You're welcome!

Step one: trim your boxwood bush with your garden shears.  Optional: puppy supervision.

Step two: using a hammer, smash the ends of your branches.  This helps the vegetable glycerin absorb with greater ease.  

Step three: patiently wait while your bottle of vegetable glycerin arrives from amazon and mix up one part glycerin to two parts water in a bucket.

Step four: Add some green food coloring to the glycerin mixture so the leaves will keep their shiny green luster.

Step five:  submerge branches in bucket and wait 2.5 weeks for your branch pieces to soak in the glycerin/color (this step prevents the branches from drying out and turning brown).

 

 Step six:  channel your inner martha stewart and lay pieces of boxwood on your wreath while securing them with floral wire.   I made one large wreath and seven smaller wreaths and my fingers are still kind of mad at me.  But it was worth it!

I hung them in all of our big windows downstairs and I'd like to think they are so festive they make up for our lack of christmas lights (Evan has some unresolved issues with christmas lights....).

I'm not a fan of artificial wreaths and fresh wreaths can be kind of an expensive habit (they need to be replaced every year), so I'm hoping these little wreaths will last for a few years to come (they should?  I'll keep you posted.).

sunny day

{I know I know, it seems I can't stop posting about the weather lately....}

 

 

  

 

I have been trying really hard to embrace the foggy/rainy weather that has enveloped us lately (it's not really working).  BUT, one of the good things about the foggy weather I decided, is that it makes you super duper appreciate the sunny days.  Like today.  We had a little lunch picnic outside and I completely ignored my to-do list and spent the day soaking in the sun.  Because it is so so precious.

Have a happy (sunny?) weekend!

p.s. it is way to green outside to feel like almost-December.  weird!

giving thanks

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

My brother Nick and his wife Camilla came up for Thanksgiving this year.  We are still feeling very grateful for such fun visitors and delicious food.  We decided to focus on the Native American side of thanksgiving this year--it just made sense because of the two vegetarian lady chefs who were not about to cook a turkey!  We made Navajo tacos (soo authentic! haha), autumn succotash, pueblo rice, pomegranate walnut salad, and creamy pumpkin pie bars for dessert.  We fit in lots of outside time (I'm actually still tired!), and I even made everyone do a craft project (spaghetti box feathers).

Oh my stars, there is so much to be thankful for this year.
Hope you had a nice thanksgiving!

I am thankful for the sun

On Saturday the sun came out for 7 minutes.   It was amazing!  It's been oh so foggy/rainy/overcast around here lately and I have been missing the sunshine like crazy.  When I casually mention the gloomy weather to long-time-locals they just laugh and say, oh just you wait until january, it's the worst!  And then I get super worried.
Oh dear.  It is what it is I suppose.  I am trying my hardest to embrace this inland northwest weather business.

We've been eating our weight in apples lately.  I'm thankful for those too.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

 

some snapshots from a foggy thursday
(and here's to hoping that this weekend includes a heavy dose of vitamin d!)

sweet home :: a front room

This was the hardest room in the house!  Evan and I couldn't agree on a 'purpose' for this little front room of ours.  I wanted a cozy library with overstuffed chairs and ottomans.  He thought it should be a bit more functional, with places for people to sit and chat.  So we sort of compromised and it ended up being a love seat in a library that's also a front room.  Haha!  We are still looking for another chair(s?) to go in this space, but I'm really in no rush.  Also, it's a pretty small room, so I am trying to be careful not to stuff it full of furniture.

I'd been saving up my wildflower money for bookcases and rugs (does that make me sound super boring??  Should I have been saving for a speedboat or a trip to Aruba?  ahh well.).

 I love love love sitting in front of that sunny window and since the rug is made of wool, you'd better believe it's Gesso's favorite spot too (smells like sheep! yum!).

fall colors

 

 

  

 

 

my phone is full of fall and puppy photos right now (aaaaand food, naturally).  It's just how things are, ya know?

In other news, I got my annual haircut this week!  *spoiler alert*  It looks the same, just shorter.

painted lanterns

I've been working on some projects for the baby room this week (things are really happening in there, people!), and these were simple to make and made me pretty happy.

I had inherited a whole pile of craft-hand-me-downs (craft-me-downs?) from a friend, and there were three white lantern kits that needed some love.  So I broke out my watercolors and decided to give them a little color.  

I mean, I realize that you can buy colorful lanterns, but where's the fun in that?
(answer: there's not any)

 

I opted to not use the light-kits (so many cords!), and instead just tied some ribbon around the frame and stuck them to the ceiling with a couple of push-pins.

Boom!  Lanterns.

(since snapping this picture last week, the lanterns have migrated to the other corner of the room...it must be the weather?)