tour of our christmas tree

I just finished our tree tonight and I thought I’d give you a blurry crappy cell phone photo tour of it. I mean, a blurry crappy tour is better than none, right? Well, actually, no. No, it’s not, Trace. Nonetheless, we proceed apace, undaunted by crap, which is basically how one must approach life, I suppose.

With the exception of the shiny balls on our tree — because I love shiny balls and who doesn’t, ahem — everything on our tree is paper. Most of the decorations were homemade by me eons ago when we were newlyweds and poor and starving. Now we’re oldyweds and poor and starving, so paper it is! Still!

Here we go. Do not adjust your computer screens. Do not call your ophthalmologist immediately for an appointment re: your nonexistent glaucoma. The photos are just that blurry, but let’s call it atmospheric and old timey, okay?

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One of my painted paper angels and one of my “hope/joy/love” tags. These are scattered throughout. Our tree is a talker, what can I say? Oh, and I sort of drape this stuff called excelsior into and around the tree. See it poking out under the “joy” tag? It’s basically that throwaway stuff that lines the bottom of the Christmas basket you got at work filled with those snootsie Ferrero Rocher candies that everybody is supposed to like but nobody really does. But the stuff is all kinky and curly and I love the way it makes the tree sprrroing out at you. Our tree looks very …. lively in person. I can honestly say I’ve never seen another tree with excelsior on it. When I bought my supply this year for 3 whole bucks, the lady at the floral supply said, “Baskets, huh?” And I said, “Actually, I put it on my tree.” I wish I could have snapped a blurry crappy photo of the funny look she gave me, as if she were thinking, “You put trash on your tree?” Uhm, peaches, I put trash on my head, so there.

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Let’s see. (Boy, these are seriously crappy photos.) On the very left is the “twist” of a wired paper ribbon I made. There are 4 sections of this on the tree. Next to it is one of my gold paper snowflakes. A “joy” tag. Another angel. A portion of the pale gold and sheer white ribbon star garland I made one year from what was at hand. You know, that said, I’m kind of surprised the whole tree isn’t done up in Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup wrappers. Maybe next year. MB and I had better get crackin’ on that now then. Lots ‘o’ Reese’s to eat.

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More wired paper ribbon. In the middle of the shot, though, is one of my mom’s quilling pieces. Isn’t it gorgeous? She gave MB and I a few dozen of these for our first Christmas together. I think it’s the best present she’s ever given me. They’re so delicate and very time-consuming to make. I treasure them.

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Around the bottom of our tree, I hang Christmas cards MB and I have given each other over the years. More talking on the tree! This one is my favorite. It has a quote I love from Anton Chekhov: We shall find peace. We shall hear the angels. We shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.

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More of the bottom, with one of the larger gold snowflakes hanging amongst the cards.

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The top. Just a plain red papier mache star, some plaid Christmas ribbon because I’m a sucker for plaid Christmas ribbon, and a pop-up angel card from years ago. Actually, I need to futz with the lights so it looks a bit more “lit” up there.

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A jumble of stuff. Clearly. (Or not so clearly.)

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The tree unlit — and actually, not entirely finished in this shot. You can’t really see the full sproingy action in this photo, but it’s there, it’s there. Papery and wonky. I like how the cards and snowflakes give the tree some kicky pleats.

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Daytime tree.

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The tree lit up, ablaze.

Thanks for coming on this blurry crappy photo tour of our tree, pippa.

I love paper!

Oooh. The first time I saw these paper lampshades from Seattle artist Jil Smith years ago, I wanted one. More precisely, I wanted to learn how to make them myself. Like, right then. Aren’t they cool?

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I still want to learn how to make these …. hm …. hm ….. hmm …..

Anybody know how to make the frames??

I love paper!

Wow. This is so great.

When we were in Thailand 3 summers ago, I bought this huge, colorful, hand-drawn map of Bangkok full of nifty little details. I saw it, fell in love with it, had to have it. Today, doing some searches, I stumbled across the artist’s site for these very same maps. Now I see she has one of Chiang Mai — where we spent most of our time — which I simply must have, too!

Just take a look at a little corner of her Bangkok map. It’s fun and gorgeous and alive. (Oh, she has some fabulous greeting cards, too.)

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Neato-japeeto. I want her to travel everywhere — everywhere, I tell you! — and draw maps so that I may buy them and look at them and fondle them.

mixed (coffee) media journal

So …. during a slow summer afternoon last week at Boheme, I did this to the back of one of my writing journals — you know those composition books that are all black and white and marbly-looking? Yeah, it’s one of those:

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I challenged myself to use only what was on hand at the coffeehouse — paper bags, coffee filters, register tape, newspapers, food coloring, coffee for dyeing papers. Oh, and glue. Yes, I keep a glue stick in one of the drawers. Then I gave myself half an hour, just creating what came out of my fingertips first, raw, wrinkly, whatever.

So. Hahaha. There it is. A mixed-media rough draft of sorts.

oh, hurry now!

There’s still time to participate in The 2007 Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest! Hahahahaha.

Here are a couple of pictures of last year’s winner and runner-up:

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Okay. Laugh if you must, but I am eating this up! I think it’s fun and creative and amazing. I mean, just look at the detail on these two gowns — all from toilet paper! I love it. Plus, I know Nightfly’s getting married soon and I don’t want him to miss out on an opportunity.

And, uhm, may I say congratulations on your spectacular toilet paper cleave, Bride #1.

More photos here.

Contest closes July 31st.

And you thought TP was just for flushing. Sillies.

I *am* paper!


You Are Paper


Crafty and creative, you are able to adapt freely to almost any situation.
People tend to underestimate you, unless they’ve truly seen what you are capable of.
Deep down, you’re always scheming and thinking up new plans. Your mind is constantly active.
You are quite capable of anything you dream of. You can always figure out a way to get what you want.

You can wrap a rock person up in your sheet of trickery.

A scissor person can sneak up and cut you to pieces.

When you fight: No one can anticipate your next move

If someone makes you mad: You’ll attack them mercilessly when they’re unprepared

Hahahahahahaha! So deeply dumb. I love it.

Please be advised re:
my sheet of trickery.

I love paper!

From artist Laini Taylor, these paper doll adornments, each one with a quote to match its theme. I looooove them. So fun.

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Go check out her site. Click around. There are lots and lots of these. Can’t you see one hanging from a bedpost or a mirror?