free wood

Around November you'll start seeing the lights being stung and the tents go up

The empty lots turn in to forests

Branches trimmed, trunks sawed

Now's your chance to score some wonderful decorations.  

Most lots will let you pick through the trimmings and pieces of wood.

FOR FREE

I'm usually covered in sap by the time I'm done

firs, spruces, cypress, and pines

Fragrant trimmings for wreaths and vases

Fresh cut trunks for candle holders

I use them all year round.

A touch of rustic woodland at my fingertips when ever I need them.

candle plates, coasters, or just sitting pretty.

They'll leak a bit of sap for a few days

It's recommended to glue a few dots of felt or rubber bumpers to the bottoms

you don't want to ruin your furniture. 

did my monthly rounds at the craft stores today

I try to stay on top of trends I really really do but I'll fully admit,  it's all lost on me. 

I walked in to Hobby Lobby this afternoon and was greeted by a display of 4 foot tall stemmed giant faux daisy's in a florescent purple color.   In the center was giant rhinestone.   The petals where a thick velvety material.

My 8 year old Lisa Frank loving self was enamored, but my 30 something grown woman brain said. WTF.

picked up the usual supplies

brushes, paints, stamps, burlap

burlap??

here's some sunflowers to brighten your day or head over to the craft store and pick up some mutant daisy flowers, I'd love to see what they are used for. 

It's just too early...

When you're in retail the holidays come up faster than you're ready for.  

Take Fall for instance:  it's June.  And while I'm waiting for the wax to melt I'm in the pool sipping on a gin cocktail and planning fall candles.

It's hard to get those creative juices flowing when it's a 114 degrees outside.

I don't want to think about fall colors or maple leaves or pumpkins

I want to plan a BBQ or go on a road trip. 

Enjoy your summer folks, it goes by too fast.