Some New Ones

noble fir, young cedar, laurel and holly

noble fir, cedar, holly leaves, beautyberry

noble fir, cedar, cypress, wild mountain blueberry twigs, sumac

noble fir, pine, dried hydrangeas, twirly wild grass

for door of Madison's new apartment--noble fir, pine, young cedar, cypress, sumac

New Materials!

Nancy in action

Nanc and I love to look for new things to add to our wreaths.  We always have our clippers in the car in case we find something amazing.  Recently, we found some new materials that really inspire us:  blueberry foliage, cherry tree twigs covered in lichen, and a variety of cedar that is almost lime green and full of interesting texture.  Check it out:



fir, cedar, sumac, twigs with lichen

fir, pine, cedar, holly

fir, cedar, wild mountain blueberry twigs and foliage, sumac

Gathering Sumac

Sumac grows all over Eastern Oregon, and I cut a whole bunch of it for our wreaths this year.  It has tight clusters of ruby red berries that hold their color for months, even years! It adds amazing color and texture to an evergreen wreath, and Nanc and I love to use it!

Advent Wreath

Advent wreaths have their origins in the folk traditions of northern Europe, where in the deep of winter people lit candles on wheel-shaped bundles of evergreen. Both the evergreen and the circular shape symbolized ongoing life. The candlelight gave comfort at this darkest time of the year, as people looked forward to the longer days of spring.

Later, Eastern European Christians adopted this practice. By the sixteenth century, they were making Advent wreaths much as we know them today. An advent wreath traditionally contains four candles-three purple and one rose. Purple dyes were one so rare and costly that they were associated with royalty; the Roman Catholic Church has long used this color around Christmas and Easter to honor Jesus. The three purple candles in the Advent wreath symbolize hope, peace, and love. These candles are lit on the first, second, and fourth Sundays of Advent. The rose candle, which symbolizes joy, is usually lit on the third Sunday.Because Advent wreaths are an informal celebration, not all are the same. Instead of purple candles, some people use blue, which recalls the color of the night sky before daylight returns. Others use all white candles.

This is a lovely tradition.  Last year, Nancy and I made advent wreaths as gifts for our friends.  It was fun to think we were all lighting our candles on the same night and we can't wait to do it again.  It truly is, the perfect gift! 

Sumac

fir, pine, sumac

Silver

Regal!

noble fir, salal, wild mountain blueberry, young cedar, and beautyberry

First Ones of the Year

fir, pine, holly

fir, long-needled pine, salal, hydrangea

fir, cedar, laurel, beautyberry

fir, cedar, salal, wild mountain blueberry

fir, cedar, pine, beautyberry