Amid all the hustle and bustle of the season, I find one of the most enjoyable activities is gift wrapping...yes, I'm one of those...which shouldn't come as any surprise since I love working with paper...and fabric...and found objects...of course with a bit of metal (wire in this case) thrown in as well...
So I gathered together my supplies and got to work...
As per usual, I like to use what I have at hand...or acquire as inexpensively as possible...here's the round-up...
The Rustic part is the copper wire as well as a few snippets of greenery from the yard...the Luxe part is the vintage buttons, fabric ribbon made from old linen tablecloths and wax paper...yes, waxed paper - there's quite a nice sheen to the paper that gives just the slightest shimmer in the light. I also added in a roll of paper first aid tape - a poor man's washi substitute - details here about my discovery of this inexpensive tape - and a few sheets of colored tissue paper....both the paper first aid tape and the tissue paper came from the dollar store.
Using an idea from Martha Stewart years ago, I wrapped the first two gifts in colored tissue paper and then wrapped each gift again in a layer of wax paper...mutes the color of the tissue and adds that slight shimmer.
Then I used a length of thin wire to encircle each gift and embellished the wire with buttons and tiny silver beads. Since the wire is thin, it is easy to manipulate and fashion into whatever designs you want. I went with plain and simple...
The metal box shown in the picture above was given a little bling with a silver seal topped with two vintage buttons...I punched two small holes in the top of the tin to thread the wire that holds the buttons in place.
I also wrapped up two gifts in a shimmer of white...
white tissue paper on one, waxed paper on the other and then embellished each in its own way...
Copper wire encircling this gift holds a found white feather in place...a strip of paper first aid tape with a message of "peace" stamped in gold adds the final touch...
The second gift is tied up with a length of linen ribbon...old worn and stained linen tablecloths are torn into strips of about 1" wide...the frayed edge of the ribbon giving a nice texture to the monochromatic tones. The final embellishment is a tiny vase...created from a string of burned out tree lights...I just snapped off the bulbs from the wire string, pulled off the green plastic connector and was left with just the bulb...its made of plastic but still looks glass-like with its faceted edges...I twisted a length of wire around the top, attached it to the top of the gift and added in a few sprigs of color- voilà
Lest you think that I am super organized and have all of my holiday gift giving under wraps...I do not...and in fact, should probably get on that right now....
Linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk and Knick of Time Vintage Inspiration Party - holiday inspiration at both abounds!
the last number of days have been very gray and damp...
a steady rain that seems to say "slow down, don't go too fast"
a good plan for the new year...let's ease into it...acknowledge each day...
without wishing instead for the ones yet to come...
though difficult to discern from the photo...the silver baby cup is monogrammed with N.O.W.
I have no idea who this is...but the idea of making the present moment count is what captured my attention...
the diminished light gives a blurred edge to my photographs without any additional tweaking...
edited with just a simple layer of kk texture pinit11 (which you can download from kim's pinterest board here)
linking up with texture tuesday at kimklassen.com ...
For the last year or so, I've been thinking how I would like to live more simply...not just in leaving a smaller footprint on the planet...but actually contemplating living in smaller space...with less stuff...in a white house...
I remember the "white issue" of Country Living Magazine a couple of years ago...I fell in love with this bedroom...
Painting my workshop studio white was a first step...all that white does make the rusty metal and the worn wood stand out...the textures more pronounced...which is a plus for me...
When customers at work tell me that they are painting the inside of their house white because they can't deal with color, I always encourage them to rethink that approach...go for a little color...so its surprising to me that I've now fallen in love with white...its calming effect...its lightness...its purity...
But its not just about painting the walls white...its also about a design aesthetic that is cleaner and pared down...
When I saw this book at the library recently, I picked it up and brought it home...I had heard of Remodelista but didn't know much more about it other than it was a design company...
OK- where have I been! Wonderful book...with beautiful photographs and concrete information...
exactly as printed on the cover...a manual for the considered home.
Not all of the examples suited my style...but I can still appreciate thoughtful design, executed with grace and quality...
Of course, as soon as I was done devouring the book, I sought out their website...www.remodelista.com ...and signed up to receive their daily blog posts...which is a big hurdle for me...I don't have a lot of time for blog reading (darn that day job!) so I need to cull what I can consume daily...its a refreshing read that I enjoy each morning as I'm starting my day...with daily topics from home decor to travel to textiles to restaurants...really anyplace and anything where good design makes a difference...
So I've been pinning ideas to Pinterest boards...and have plenty of dog-earred pages in magazines...
I feel a change is underway...
its a good thing the Southern Man and I like to paint...
Linking up with Friday Finds over at Kim Klassen's blog...what great find did you discover this week?
