The Genius of Danny Seo

Over the holidays, I popped into a book warehouse book remainder sale and was fortunate enough to find these Danny Seo books, Simply Green Parties and Simply Green Giving. The books are interesting and inspiring. In the Foreward to one of the books, Debbie Levin, President of the Environmental Media Association, writes "Danny Seo has a flair and talent for mixing green living with a unique and stylish viewpoint on lifestyle in general." I love the idea of combining environmental awareness and concern with stylish living. I just love it! And as you see in the photo, Danny's book gave me another place card holder idea. This idea is featured on the cover of Simply Green Parties. Simply take a wine or champagne cork. Cut a slit in the top. And use a paint chip as a name card. I used a clear label on my example, but you could write directly on the paint chip with a sharpie marker.

Tea-zer

I saw my brother over these holidays and he gave me this wonderful traveling tea brewing tumbler. He saw it at the grocery store, Publix, and decided that I just had to have it. Well he was right! I love it. The label reads "Liquid Solution Tea Tumbler." The attached tag reads "Liquid Solution Tea-zer." This was the web address on the attached tag. The outer lid of the tumbler screws off. The inner, press in lid has a hole through which you can drink your tea. And the innermost piece is an aluminum strainer. Fantastic idea and design.

Place Card Samples

As I mentioned before, I will be teaching a workshop on Place Card Holders in January. I am going to provide workshop participants with a variety of ideas, some very simple and some more crafty.

Each of the place card holders pictured here was inspired by one thing or another that I have seen published in one of the Somerset magazines. I have simplified things somewhat in order to make it possible to produce the projects in number so they can serve as place card holders. This first project is an embellished fork with the twines bent back to allow a name card to be slipped in. I found stainless forks, three for a dollar, at the dollar store.

This next project (below) was made with a wine/water goblet that I found at the dollar store for a dollar. This project was by far the most time intensive of these three.

Finally, this last place card was made in a small ball jar.

Gratitude

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.

~Theodore Roosevelt

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.

~Meister Eckhart

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

~Thornton Wilder

Sanctuary of Stuff Workshops

This is the flyer advertising a workshop that I will be teaching at the Sanctuary of Stuff here in Asheville. (Double click the image if you want to see a larger version of the flyer.) I will be organizing a series of craft workshops for all of 2009, so if you are interested in teaching here in Asheville, let me know!

My workshop will cover a large number of ideas for making place cards for your dinner table. I had such fun making unique place "cards" for the ladies luncheon that I hosted, that I decided to create a whole workshop on this theme. I will be working on it from now until January 18, 2009, when it takes place, so if you have any place card ideas that you want to share, let me know. I have done a thorough Google search, so I have seen the most common ideas. I am looking for ideas that are unique and unusual. Thanks!

A Day of Sharing Words

A blogging friend reminded me that I missed yesterday's "Day of Sharing Words." This idea began with L.K. Ludwig's post on November 13 in which she presented an idea:

"The Plan: on your blog, post a poem that moves inside you, touches you, reaches you."

Well, I am sorry to be a day late, but here below is the poem I have selected. And here above is an artwork that I made after reading the poem a while back.

First Snow

by Mary Oliver

The snow

began here

this morning and all day

continued, its white

rhetoric everywhere

calling us back to why, how,

whence such beauty and what

the meaning; such

an oracular fever! flowing

past windows, an energy it seemed

would never ebb, never settle

less than lovely! and only now,

deep into night,

it has finally ended.

The silence

is immense,

and the heavens still hold

a million candles; nowhere

the familiar things;

stars, the moon,

the darkness we expect

and nightly turn from. Trees

glitter like castles

of ribbons, the broad fields

smolder with light, a passing

creekbed lies

heaped with shining hills;

and though the questions

that have assailed us all day

remain -- not a single

answer has been found --

walking out now

into the silence and the light

under the trees,

and through the fields,

feels like one.

Table Inspirations

I recently found this book, Table Inspirations, at a discount store. Since I recently hosted a luncheon and put alot of thought into the table decor, I decided that I just had to have this book. Well, it is lovely and informative. The book includes many many ideas for table decor and is beautifully illustrated. I was also taken by the illustrations in the back of the book. These pictures show the "proper" way to set a table in different countries. Fascinating.

Recycled Holiday Wrap

Once again, this year Target is carrying the greenroom eco brand of holiday wrapping supplies. I found them on an ender in the gift wrapping section of the store. The tag on this bag reads "Our paper is made of 100% post consumer waste and printed with nontoxic soy based ink." So, if, like me, you must sometimes wrap, this would be a good line of products to select.

Welcome Thanksgiving

For me, the holiday season opens in November with the birthdays of my daughter and myself. Those have passed and now we await Thanksgiving. We will be entertaining here in our new home this year. Here is a glimpse of the table I have prepared for the day.

And the winners are...

The winner of the tea book, Musings With a Cuppa, is The Vintage Rose from Australia!

The winner of the Crafty Girls notecards by Claudine Hellmuth is Steph of Steph's Cup of Tea!

Thanks to everyone for participating!!!

Cute Cartoon

There is still time to enter the two giveaways (below)! I will draw names to night at 6 p.m. east coast time and will post the winners shortly thereafter. In the meantime, enjoy this cute cartoon. I found it funny, not offensive to those of us who enjoy "little crafty projects." The cartoon definitely implies the school would be lowering the bar by admitting those interested in such things. But I found it cute and funny nonetheless.

I found the cartoon over at Patti's blog, Altered Attic.

Post Number 250!

This is my 250th post, so to celebrate this milestone I am hosting two giveaways! One giveaway will favor my tea-loving readers, the other will favor my crafting readers. For you tea lovers, I am giving away this book of tea poetry, Musings with a Cuppa.

For my craft-loving readers, I am giving away this set of Claudine Hellmuth Crafty Girls notecards.

To enter the drawings, just leave a comment and specify which drawing you are interested in. If you want to enter both drawings, leave two separate comments. I will draw names at 6:00 p.m. east coast time on Monday, November 17. I can't wait to see who I hear from!

Thank you, Angela

Angela over at Tea With Friends recently hosted a giveaway of Kalahari tea. Well, you see here that I was one of the winners! Thank you, Angela, for sending such delicious samples.

And here is the first tea of that bunch that I have tried. It is Kalahari's Chocolatte Hazelnut Mocha Black Tea. Delicious. I added just a bit of turbinado sugar to enhance the natural sweetness of the tea. The ingredients on this tea bag read: dark roasted cacao, organic black tea, cinnamon, licorice, chicory, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and natural hazelnut flavor. Doesn't that sound delicious?!

Bird theme for Ladies' Luncheon

Here is one more detail from the ladies' luncheon. This is the necklace I wore that day. The pendant came from Michael's, as did the chain. I just put them together quickly the morning of the party to add yet another little touch to my theme of birds and nests.

My dear blogging buddy from Tea With Friends asked for a tutorial on how I put together the bird theme for the ladies' luncheon. Well, this is not exactly a tutorial, but here is how it came together. It all started with this Martha Stewart bird punch:

I already owned this punch. While playing around with place card ideas I decided to use this punch as a central theme for my decorations. As you saw below, I made a place marker for each guest on a clear glass bottle (see photo below). I found these bottles for about a dollar apiece at the craft store, AC Moore. I simply cut paper to wrap around the bottles and made a sort of medalion to glue onto the front of each bottle. I used Mod Podge to glue the paper to the bottles and it worked very well. For the names at the tops of the bottles, I piered the bottle cork with a florist pin and then glued the names onto that. I topped each bottle with a small piece of ribbon and glued this same ribbon around the bottom of each bottle. Oh, and I wrapped string around the top of each bottle and stuffed each one with crinkled paper. I thought this added a little needed texture to the piece.

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Please let me know if you think this would be a good idea for a craft class. I am organizing craft classes to be held at Sanctuary of Stuff here in Asheville and I am wondering if this might be a fun craft to work on. Most everyone has parties, so I thought that creating these sorts of place markers might appeal to many people.

...

So to continue with the "tutorial," once I had made these place markers I kept my eyes peeled for bird theme items whevever I shopped. I found the nest-like candle holders at target. The white bird candle in the centerpiece came from the Sanctuary of Stuff. The bird nest and eggs came from the lucious Gardener's Cottage in Biltmore Village. And the twig tray holding the centerpiece came from Thyme in the Garden on Weaverville Highway.

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It was such fun putting all of this together. I guess my main advice on creating theme decorations is to start early. For me, it took a while for it all to come together. Particularly since I bought things piece by piece here and there.

Traveling Tea

I fogot to mention below that my lovely luncheon was catered by Michelle Sullivan of Traveling Tea. The food was delicious. The menu consisted of butternut squash soup, quiche, green salad, and chocolate cake. With dessert, Michelle served South African red bush tea that was outstanding!

Ladies' Luncheon

Today I hosted a luncheon for myself and nine friends. It was wonderful. I had a great time at the luncheon, but I also had a great time planning it. Here are my table decorations that I put together myself with bits and pieces from various shops including the craft store.
Place "card" with each guest's name:

Candleholders in the shape of nests (Found these at Target):

Birdhouse that I put together as a little decoration:

Table centerpiece:

Shower Favors

A friend and I are hosting a shower for another friend who is adopting a daughter from China. These are the favors we will be handing out at the end of the party. I love the fall colors of the ribbon mixed with the pink of the candy. They are packaged in scrapbooking accessory bottles.

Change and Hope

Michelle Obama's dress: the poll says....

I was wondering what my girlfriends thought of the dress that Michelle Obama wore last night. So I did a poll. I will be posting results as they roll in.

Here is my comment:

"I thought it was a daring choice, as was her family’s color theme of black and red. I think the dress was probably not the most flattering thing that she has ever worn, but I liked it because it was daring, interesting, and stylish. "

Comments from girlfriends:

• "I also found the dress unflattering, which dismayed me because political wives are often disparaged for fashion missteps--as if that should matter!"
• "I hated it. Not flattering at all...To be perfectly frank."
• "I loved the dress because it was different and definitely not “cookie cutter.”
• "I think the colors were harsh for such a happy moment and yet reflected strength and boldness."
• "Stylish it was.
  Flattering it wasn't. "
• "I personally did not like Michelle Obama's dress, but as you say, it was daring and interesting!"
• "I liked the colors. However, the hourglass pattern of the color block on the front did not flatter her figure. Also, the satin fabric did not work in the bright lights -- too reflective -- also not a good thing for enhancing a figure. I say this recognizing that in most instances in the past, the choices are flawless. Her daughters looked adorable. I also loved that their color scheme went with their mom's."
• "I thought the new first family looked absolutely
  lovely -- the girls are beautiful and self-assured and Michelle is the
  picture of grace, kindness and intelligence. "
• "I too thought it was different. It was so far from the usual first lady attire. It even looked like it had fringe at the bottom. I think her choice is significant. It says that she plans to be herself, not some other idea of what a first lady should be or look like."
• "I quite liked Michelle's dress and thought she looked great in it."

Want to read more about the first family's choice of dress on election night? Take a look at the article, "Fashion and the First Family Effect." And for further fashion commentary and details, take a look at The Cut. For those of you who have not already heard, the dress was by designer Narciso Rodriguez .

Scenes of the Season

Taking my cue from The Amateur Cocktail Guy, I decided to stir up a non-alcoholic seasonal drink for the kids and myself. This is what I came up with: Warm spiced apple cider

Mix 1 cup apple juice with 1 generous tablespoon of Monin pumpkin spice syrup. Heat and enjoy!

And here below is a scene from the road in front of my home. A band of wild turkeys regularly roams the neighborhood.

Hydrangeas

I visited my mother in upstate South Carolina yesterday and she helped me make this flower arrangement with hydrangeas from her yard. It was hard to believe that she still had this many beautiful flowers, here on the first day of winter. She soaked an oasis block in water. We then placed the oasis block in this bowl and filled it full of hydrangea blossoms. I think this may be one of my favorite flowers! I love the subtle, muted variations in color.

My craft room - Before!

Here is my craft room in our new home. As you can see, it is in a "before" state. I fear it will be a while before I can show "after" photos, but I will be working on the process diligently, if slowly.

Here in the top photo you see my oven, which I will use for baking polymer clay and shrink plastic.


The second photo gives you an idea of the natural light in the room. Not much of it since it is a basement room - but I'm not complaining!


And here is one last photo of the room, from the window side. I just can't wait to get in there and paint the walls and set things up. But first I must deal with unpacking boxes in the house above!