Air plant afloat

The chain is actually an old bracelet, the connecting loop a fancy swirl paperclip, and the base a toy whisk a la IKEA (inspiration for using a kitchen implement from this lovely pin). I am pleased with the simplicity of it.

Ooh la la – an air plant!

Taking a bath submerged in a jar!

A sweet friend of mine gifted me with an air plant and I am so very excited! I have been wanting one (some?) ever since I saw a column of them strung on wire in a magazine. I never got around to doing anything about it until this lovely gift arrived for me.

I've pinned a few favorite display ideas on my "nature decor – ideas" board so I figure I better get crafting soon. It isn't very elegant to leave the poor thing flopped on the counter!

What I'm reading…

Hello there, dear readers. Sorry about the lapse last week. I have been in the mood for scrapbooking (scissors and paper and tape) and photobooking (Snapfish) and neither of those activities make good posts. And I am getting ready for – or awkwardly in the middle of – some other projects. So this week I will just give you a peek into what's been going on. More details to come in the future!

All off the new shelf at the library (of course!):

We Love Color: 16 Iconic Quilt Designers Create with Kona Solids 
And you all know I very much love color! Although I am not about to start a new quilt (yet) I was very impressed with these made just from solid colors. They were striking and some of the quilting was very impressive.

Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds 
Totally was not seeking out this book. But there it was! Truly magical and definitely on my future to-do list. Awesome use of fascinating objects in these these masterpieces – shells, rocks, sands, even pretties like beads and vintage jewelry.

This Is Not My Hat 
This isn't a crafty book but it is inspiring all the same. I really love this illustrator (Jon Klassen). This latest title shares the same hint of dark humor as his previous book I Want My Hat Back. For a craft-related read I would recommend the magical knitting story, Extra Yarn, that he also illustrated.

finishing touches

Motivated by a couple of meals I was hosting, I had to finish my decorating and clear off the dining room table. As a general rule, your house tends to look more festive without half empty decoration bins all over the place.

In years past, I have displayed these sparkly curlicues and red berries in a vase. This year I was just going to toss them back in the closet when my eyes landed upon my fern. Why not? I jazzed it right up. Who says evergreens have all the fun at Christmastime?

I topped my table with this new-to-me antique glass dish and filled it with antique bulbs, limiting the colors to red and silver. I love the way the circles in the design of the glass and the ornaments echo each other. Perfect!