Almost there...

Oh friends, it's almost 2011! I thought you might like these cute little clocks to help you with your countdown...from Sesame Letterpress Store.

P.S. What are your plans??

Be-still my heart! This is what I'm shooting for with the Christmas Eve dinner that Elijah & I are hosting for our family. And if I can get my hair to behave as lovely as the woman with the blonde hair, then it will all be nothing short of perfect, right?! haha. There are so many beautiful things happening with this picture. What are your plans?

Photograph by Steve Depino
(Thanks for the inspiration, Mia C.)*

Origami Xmas Tree!

How sweet is this idea that my friends Zach & Michele did with their tree this year? A decked out origami Christmas tree! My favorite is the giraffe as the tree topper.

DIY Christmas Wreath!!

1.) your supply checklist: branches, wire, tree clippings (free at any Christmas tree lot), and whatever else you might like to put in it. i went on an adventure-hunting-for-things-to-put-in-my-wreath walk with v.v. and gathered a bunch of dried magnolia buds

2.) pic of my supplies


3.) getting there with real cranberry garland as my finishing touch!

4.) Merry Christmas to Scott & the lovely Elf family, who so kindly hung my wreath in their window (sorry my pic is so dark)


Hi friends! So the most amazing restaurant in Los Angeles, Elf Café, asked me to make them a wreath to hang in their window! This is my step by step guide. I used the wire to tie the tree clippings onto my branch skeleton, and made sure that I went in a clockwise manner as I filled up my wreath. Once that was done (about 20 min) I added my little arsenal of nature-y things from my morning walk with V.V. To finish it off, I wrapped my already made cranberry garland (DIY coming up next) and voila! A beautiful, nature-filled wreath that smells incredible! We even added lights at the restaurant when we hung it so that it glows in the window!

*(you can get the exact branches already beautifully twisted into shape at any Michaels Art & Craft store for as little as $.75 - 20.00)

Time is flying by! I've been working on setting up the most beautiful Christmas trees, garlands and decorations with Lily Lodge and will have some fun DIY to post for next week so that you too can make them! Hope you're all feeling the charm of it all and taking the time to enjoy the month of December.

(BTW, I swear I'm not being rude, but I am unable to post comments?? I cannot leave responses to your comments and cannot leave comments on your blog? Does any one know why or have had this problem with blogger?? Please tell me how I can fix it. Thanks)!

Awwwww, the weekend is finally here...such a long week. Hope everyone gets to sleep in tomorrow (I know I will)*

(via Little Winter Bride)

Urban Flowers

Sometimes when I have nothing to read I reach for an old issue of something that I have saved. This morning over tea and cinnamon toast, I re-discovered this wonderful Ellen von Unwerth shoot titled Urban Flower with a whole clan of aesthetically like-minded creative women including Erin Fetherston (all clothes by her), Karen Elson, Zooey Deschanel, Victoria & Vanessa Traina, and Lynn Yaeger. I'm really, really loving the floral crowns/headbands that they're all wearing!

(All images from Paper Magazine, March 2007)

1.) beautiful love n' fresh arrangement

2.) rad flower crowns from Holly over at the flowerdrum

Did you have a lovely Thanksgiving? I sure hope so. I certainly did, and even though the food was divine and perfectly prepared, and the plethora of desserts took me over the limit to Fullsville-in-Heaven, and the almond champagne that we washed everything down with was perfectly part bubbly/part refreshing and a wee bit intoxicating, and the host & hostess were exceptionally wonderful and their home equally sensational, I have to say, my favorite part is always getting to be with the people I love the most! That is surely my quintessential slice of paradise. It just makes me realize how utterly grand life is.

OK, 2 things here (all thanks to Design*Sponge): you must check out Love 'n Fresh Flowers and see what that treasure of a floral studio is doing with all their fresh flowers from seed to centerpieces for truly special events.

And then meander over to The Flower Drum and be prepared to get swept up in one of Holly's wild flower adventures! So much fun!

Black Thumb

If you have a black thumb, then here is your lovely solution! Knitted terrariums & plants by Holly & Shannon! Haha! How great are these? So sweet and impossible to kill! Voila! :)

Oh, and the bottom sketches are from Holly's daily night drawings (her form of meditation). I found them very sweet and it reminded me that drawing every day is so important to keep up with. Even if it isn't perfect, draw anyway! That and by now I hope you recognize my obsession with nature & feathers and such, so I just thought I'd put that up too. Hey, are you all ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow?! I'm so excited...

Jungle Reading Room

Dennis Reid has an amazing plant and book-filled home! It's all pretty dreamy. A nice cup of tea, a good book and the company of plants in Dennis' library/living room and I could disappear for days...Read more here.

some inspiration flow...there is so much good stuff out there, huh? ;)

I realized today that I haven't done a post on what I don't like. It seems a bit strange, but I figure there should be a balance, right? A healthy dose of what I like and a dose every once in a while of what I don't...I received this catalog in the mail the other day and the cover really annoyed me, actually. I don't want to sound pretentious or say anything that would upset feelings, but if you see something that I don't with the model sporting kale on her head, let me know. I feel like the idea could have been manifested in a least half a dozen other ways. I don't know. What do you think?

I love her hair. I love her crown. I love her dress.

There is something so familiar and breathtaking about Ramis Kim's work. So whimsical and prepossessing that I find something new to get lost in every time I look at her work.

Beautiful peonies from New Zealand.

Floral stylist extraordinaire at work...(btw amazing locks, no?)

Ready for the shoot.

What magic she spins with magnolia branches, polo roses & hydrangea.

Here is the rest of our hectic and productive Friday! It's such a fantastic learning experience getting to work under such a talented lady! I learn from her constantly and she pushes me to see more than just wildflowers.

Under the watchful eye of the insanely talented Ariana Smeraldo, I got to create some pretty grand arrangements yesterday. Not really wildflowers, but I got to re-create a wild rosebush (first pic) which was really fun and actually looked rather elegant and unrestrained when I was finished. I have lots more to post but have to run so I'll do the rest tomorrow. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

CM of Scout Holiday

Have you seen the delicate and beautifully crafted work of artist Cheri Messerli? This is her collection of flag necklaces that she makes individually and laboriously by hand. They are such a treasure to possess and make for the most perfect gift. I have one in all white leather and one in all black leather, and it is always the perfect finishing piece for whatever I am wearing! I love them so and I think you will too. But I have to tell you, go quickly and buy them now here because her line is quickly and quietly soaring off...oh, and while shopping, check out her incredible paper crane mobiles, also made individually by hand. Makes my heart swoon...

*Don't forget to check out her winsome blog too...you're all gonna love me for this one*