Country Brush Wreath

An idea sparked the moment I saw them - the beautiful branches from a downed tree on my in-laws' property.  We burned brush and cut firewood most of the day, then headed home with a healthy bundle of branches I managed to save from the fire.  The wreath was easily assembled with a Mitchell wreath ring and wreath machine.  It was the perfect Christmas gift for my sister-in-law this year!

A Bird's Life - Repurposed Window

Jean's Antiques in Shell Lake, WI is practically a required stop when we make the trip up North to Mom & Dad's.  During this visit, two windows caught my eye.  After a good cleaning, I replaced the window panes with mirror panels from the hardware store (Lowes sells 6 packs of 12" by 12" panes, and will cut to any size for free!), held in place with glazing points.  All was going according to plan when the last pane shattered, and for the next month the window sat neglected in my garage.  When inspiration struck, this design was born.  Supplies include: Poppy pods, False Indigo, Birch twigs, silk foliage, Kiwi vine, speckled feathers, and an occupied bird's nest.

Silver Birch Bouquet & Boutonniere

What calls to an northwoods girl more than ice fishing and pine forests?  Birch bark of course!  Ok maybe that wasn't your first guess, but to this girl it was!  This bouquet is made with strands of birch bark strips bound with silver wire, silver 'chains', beaded wire, and shear ribbon.  Strands of birch and wire give the bouquet extreme movement and even sound.  The simple, yet elegant coordinating pin-on boutonniere completes the northwoods look!

Container Gardening

Finally May 15th, the first day to plant in zone 5, has arrived!  It has become to many like a celebrated holiday (I made cupcakes to mark the occasion), and if you've caught the gardening bug you know exactly what I'm talking about!  The first three planters at our house will grow pink/red Orchid Primrose (the plants that made my jaw drop!), Inspire Blue Speedwell Veronica, yellow/orange Dwarf Coreopsis, white Euphorbia, and Elephant Ear.  Chili peppers are one of the "must-haves" for one of the next three containers.  What unique and jaw-dropping plants are you planting in your container gardens this year?

Corsage Outside the Box

A corsage should reflect the personality of its wearer, so why do we continually go back to carnations and baby's breath?  One of the greatest compliments a florist can receive is the trust of a customer saying, "Do whatever you want!"  Try it the next time you're in a floral shop and watch their eyes light up!  This corsage I made for my favorite professor Donna Theimer, AIFD for our college's spring gala.  Birch bark, bullion and 24ga wire, pearl-head pins, green lycopodium and hypericum berries, a black and white speckled feather, and corsage magnets.

Embracing Color Once Again

This winter, during a very difficult time in my marriage and living with depression, much introspection lead me to discover the importance of color in my life.  There has never been a time until now, that I can remember or have been able to realize, when the state of my happiness and wellbeing has been measured in shades, tints, and tones.  Gray was a comfort - a color I had never warmed up to until then.  Black became my shelter - a dark place to hide and withdraw.  The litmus test and proof of my recovery has been color.  Which colors draw me in at this very minute?  Why that color or intensity of that color?  I am thankful for that season of depression and wouldn't trade it for the world, but I am also glad to release it and embrace bright, vibrant colors.  Amazing that a seemingly insignificant thing such as color could have such a profound impact on one's wellbeing and happiness.

Spring Cloche Design

Cloche designs were the big hit at a recent spring design show hosted by Van's Floral Products in Alsip, Illinois.  Dried honeysuckle vine created a base on which to build your design, and mine included poppy pods, feathers, leaves, grape hyacinth, and a nest with two small blue eggs.  So cute and so simple!

Great Lakes Floral Expo 2011

The 2011 Great Lakes Floral Expo was held this weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan and I was fortunate enough to attend, participate in a hands-on class with Loann Burke AIFD, and compete in the student design contest.  As always there was a wealth of information shared - tips Loann shared will go back with me to the classroom for next fall, and winning second in the design contest was the icing on the cake.  Looking forward to next year's Expo!  Highlights from the Professional and Student design contests...

Deep Fried Pickles!

Strangely enough when it comes to county fairs, nothing for me comes close to the excitement of deciding which food stand to stop at first.  Corndogs or elephant ears?  Pork chops or cotton candy?  Unashamedly I'll admit that my husband and I plan our fair food indulgences sometimes weeks ahead.

Maybe it's the dead of winter that is giving me this hankering for fair food, or maybe it's that I've been deprived of it for 4 months.  Whatever it is - I thank you!  Like Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love, I'm eating my way through life... one deep fried pickle at a time! 

More importantly, this perfect recipe by DMJOLLY can be found at allrecipes.com.  Enjoy!