A Beautiful Handmade Card Arrives in the Mail -

Becky opened this card from long lost artist Sue Tackmier in Portland.......she wondered had she made it and mailed it to herself in a dream? Needless to say we were enchanted.

Just the other day I was planning an October window display with Lynn Peterson about blackbirds and here comes one in the mail.....

Sue sent her business card in a glassine envelope onto which she has stamped her seal.
I love this and am now going to search for the one we had made when we incoporated....

I think we will start stamping glassine envelopes and anything else we can think of......

So happy to see some of her cards again - she is my Edward Gorey in sister disguise.
Sue told me she has been busy making shoes for ants......(Did I mention she is extremely droll - that's funny in an odd way)....I'd like to see some of those shoes.

This will make a lovely Valentine's card.

Some New Year's Flowers

Here are some flowers I was happy to send out for the New Year. Downright delicious.

Tulips and cabbages and roses with huckleberry branches - and a promise of spring to come.

I'd love to see these at a beautiful winter wedding at Gerlinger Hall on the U of O Campus.

The World's Longest Pine Cone

Here's a detail from the wreath on my front door.......The big cone is a sugar pine and it has the largest cones of any pine. Even though they say it grows in the Cascades, I have never seen one. It must be a sight to behold with the big cones weighing the branches down.

I love using it as a big focal point with mossy branches, fresh greens, magnolia leaves turned backside - says winter without screaming Christmas.

Some random photos of my house this holiday season.

I don't go overboard but I like it festive.

A Beautiful Greeting Card

Lots of fresh greenery.

A little high drama is always good at the holidays.

And lots and lots of lights on the tree.....

Christmas Gift Wrapping with Rubber Stamps

Last week when it was time to wrap some packages, I pulled out my tried and trusty DIY gift wrap kit which consisted of

Cavallini rubber stamp alphabet kit, a black inkpad, and a glue stick.

Some might call it recycling, others might say I was going green with my gift wrap, but I say I was putting my packrat tendencies to good use when I cut up this paper bag I'd been saving and used it to label my USPS Priority Mail box.....

I liked the strong imagery of strange animals.

And there was lots of space for the address...

And it was playful and fun. It made me smile.

It made the person who got the package smile.

And it even made the postman smile. So how about that?
Paperbags and rubber stamps and duct tape.

Our Christmas Window at Passionflower

Merry Christmas to All

And to All a Good Night..........

Beautiful Bridal Jewelry at Passionflower

Lindsey's boyfriend bought her this great shirt at Juicy Couture.....and we say great new piece of clothing needs great new piece of jewelry. Here we layered Susan Goodwin pearls with Exstasia amethyst glass intaglio.

Layered amethyst and pearls for a hyper romantic look.