Tree & Axe

Christmas has come and gone. But my decorations are staying up for as long as they will last! I will keep my home smelling of fresh fir and vetiver (if not by tree, by candle).

What am I keeping my nights busy with, when not stuck at the office? Wood burning, glass etching, die cutting, knitting, and painting. I had to narrow it down to the things I want to become really good at.

I still find time for fun playdates with friends. Rebekka and I recently took a few axes to Shelby Bottoms and she shot the coasters Danny and I have been working on. Then, the dear made me a beautiful new blog header. I am oh so excited! She does all kinds of custom illustrations, for sale here. Her house paintings are my absolute favourite!

Have a safe & happy New Year, and remember that each morning is a fresh new start.

Christmas! Week 5

Carols and hymns, a favourite part of Christmas. There is something so special about going to a midnight mass, singing sweet songs with a room full of strangers, the loving warmth that ensues, then walking out to a quiet, dark, frosty night. Only to snuggle up in bed and wake up to yet another magical day of celebration! I thought that surely deserved a banner.

4 sleeps til Christmas. Fa lalalala, lala, lala!

Christmas! Week 4

Happy Monday! It is also happy birthday, so I didn't get as many holiday decorations done over the weekend as I would have liked. Nonetheless! Santa appeared at my door... with a TREE! A wonderfully smelling, sappy little fir. He also brought a darling vintage deer ornament, which is fast friends with the other two deer ornaments I found at the antique mall. Couple in some red velvety bows, a makeshift lace treeskirt, and my trusty antlers, and find the perfect little Christmas corner. Then, I filled some glass ornaments with twine and hung them between my french doors and doilies.

Though I scoured for mistletoe, to no avail. So! I made some. It sure seems to do the trick.

13 sleeps til Christmas!

Holiday Shopping

You have two hours left to catch Say Ooh and other great local vendors at Porter Crossings! In the cozy little corner surrounding Family Wash in East Nashville.

Christmas! Week 3

Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming! And my humble home is slowly getting in the spirit. This weekend, the beau and I made stockings. When my parents were newlyweds, they made adorable felt sneaker and heel stockings. It's a fond memory of the holiday spirit fireplace-we-never-had. Danny and I sewed dark burlap together and trimmed them with native fringe (and lace!). We like to think of ourselves as "Buck" and "Doe", so we made silhouettes from some felt and glued them on for each of us. A sweet gold "made with love" heart and some jingle bells give each stocking just enough holiday cheer. Hope your stockings are full of goodies this winter season!

Just 20 sleeps until Christmas.

Christmas! Week 2

Also, the first week of Advent. Ah, what a lovely (albeit chilly) time of year. I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Texas with the beau's family, and tho the cranberry relish I made for them was unfortunately confiscated by airport security, this bit of holiday cheer was not. I simply found some vintage fabric, embroidered some cursive, and spray painted a hoop gold. Ta-da!

A Letter

Some of my friends and I are still very old-fashioned in that we love to write letters. Everyone loves receiving mail, but few take the time to write, stamp, and address a sweet card. A favourite way to do that is custom stationary. My friend Lori had lovely W stationary, but was recently wed and had trouble finding a new J monogram, so the beau and I took it upon ourselves to help. He carved this stamp and we spent and evening printing up yummy rose, cream, white, and gold sets. If you're interested in any this holiday season, please let us know!

Christmas! Week 1

It's that time of year! I have filled my home with wondrous woodsy candles from Anthropologie, sprigs picked from a cotton field in Alabama, and red velvet bows. I'm slowly introducing winter decorations and Christmas baked treats. Each Monday morning, I'll be sharing with you a new creation I've made for the Christmas season. If only my time allowed for my aspirations, as I've seen oh-so-many crafts and goodies I'm dying to create.One delightful aspect of Christmas from my childhood was the ANTICIPATION! Who am I kidding, to this day I adore surprises and anticipation, I just do not readily admit it. I'd make a paper chain every year. One of the designers at the publishing house where I work designed this cute reindeer chain. Perfect for me, right?! I cannot tell you how many dozens of tiny antlers I have cut out. 34 sleeps til Christmas!

I spent last night whipping up an absolutely delicious cranberry relish. I plan to take it to my boyfriend's family for Thanksgiving in a few days, and make another batch for Christmas gifts. Though it sounds wonderful to pair with turkey (potentially with tofurkey but honestly I never get one), Hannah has many other great suggestions for it if you visit Nothing But Delicious for the recipe.

Are you making any decorations for Christmas? Do you carry on traditions from your childhood?

A Very Gentlemanly Tailgating Picnic

A recent collaboration with two wonderful friends Rebekka and Hannah, led to a very lovey faux-tailgating picnic in my backyard! Hannah made a delicious gourmet spread, I made bowties, we all arranged and rearranged the food, and the men talked shop while drinking homebrews and screwdrivers. This is one of my favourite shots, and was taken of Manley by Miss Messinger. More to come, and for all you Vols fans, order the bowties here!

Neuhoff Recap

Well, Soundland sure was a good time. I made it to the Station Inn on Friday, then to the Basement after Neuhoff Factory for Caitlin Rose and the Watson Twins. Scottie and I had a great time at Neuhoff. Great music (including Jack White's interesting new project and his rolling records truck, thanks to Dani for posing),

gorgeous old factories turned studios/ lofts/ boutique (cattle ghosties included), wonderful people, and some good old fashioned fun. Hopefully we'll get to collaborate on more market festivities in the future!

Soundland: Factory Party

What do you get when you combine some of Nashville's hottest bands, inflatables (water slide!), food trucks, and a warehouse in Germantown? The perfect place for Say Ooh. Find myself and Scottie there from 1-9ish on Saturday. Great shows by Those Darlins, Jeff the Brotherhood, Jessica Lea Mayfield, and more!

Saturday, September 24 Neuhoff Factory Party Stage 1315 Adams Street, Nashville, TN 37208 (Germantown)

Hope everyone gets to make it out to lots of fun NBN/ Soundland shows. I'm excited for Painted Desert at Station Inn tonight!

Birth

Each day is new. I'm growing something from seed... see?! I kill everything! But these are my sweet basil babies, and someday, hopefully, I will eat them. And my friends will eat them. And everyone will be happy.

Tomorrow is my friend Jordan's birthday. She wanted something to dressup a black dress, so I took some lovely strands of leather and beaded them with turquoise, white hearts, and soft feathers. Upon testing them out, I was quite tempted to don myself in warrior paint. The wedding I was on my way to was surprisingly not native themed, so I had to hold back. This time. Here's to growth and more growth. Late nights dancing and quiet nights in alone. Autumnal bonfires. And keeping love alive.

Tiny Boot Giveaway!

I am honoured to be featured on Tiny Boot! There, you will find a cutesy new lil piece, and a chance to win it. While visiting, please check out Robyn's incredible assortment of vintage wares for sale! I especially like this adorable dress.

Growth: Dirt & Gold

Fire Finch Art Show

The show at Fire Finch during art walk was a hit. So many friends, co-workers, and strangers meandered on by! I think it was the most loved by older men, who were so anxious to tell me about THEIR grandmother's doilies. I seem to meet quite a few gentlemen, especially my age, who know a surprising amount of sewing. Always a pleasure. Anyhow, the show was simple: myself, an old card table, a vintaged wooden ladder, and a box of wine. Pretty stress-free.

Most of these pieces will be reshown at the Porter Crossings artisan markets happening the second Saturday of each month in East Nashville. I would highly suggest checking out the space, then popping across the street to Family Wash for a pint and pie.

When I hit 10,000 views I am going to have a party. It's the little things, eh?