Winter Wonderpup!

My poor puppy! Welcome to winter in Illinois, Maizy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

It's Christmas! Hope your holiday is filled with joy and candy canes. And if your family is anything like mine on Christmas, those candy canes had better be garnishing a bottomless peppermint martooni!

Maizy's first Christmas

Maizy and I, and her new little stuffed reindeer, wish a very merry Christmas to you and yours. Try not to kill each other.

Things I Love: Vintage Elegance

I have started to list some vintage items in my shop. Things that I have special memories from my childhood, many items dating from the 1940's, 50's, 60's, and 70's that I'm sure will find new life in a new home.

This item, already sold, is a gorgeous Seth Thomas chime clock.

I have just listed a set of two beautiful vintage crystal hurricane lamps. They date back to the 1940's and have been in my family since that time. They put out a soft light that adds the most interesting ambience to the room with their etched shades and prism crystals dangling below.

I sure hope they find a loving home!

I have many vintage items that will start appearing in my shop, Little Brown Bird, including jewelry, housewares, home decor, and fashion items. Keep checking back or subscribe to my shop feed to get updates as they occur. (Shop feed button is in the right column of my shop home page)

Things I Love: Wearable By Design

Have a look at Wearable By Design, stunning silver handmade jewelry by Jennifer Smith-Righter of Redwood City, California. Jenn's designs have long been a favorite of mine. She has the most beautiful organic creations juxtaposed with the beauty of mechanical objects. Some of her designs are mind-blowingly intricate.

Jenn was also kind enough to contribute to my holiday cookie recipe collection on my food blog, All Up in My Kitchen. Please check out her favorite cookie recipe for Cream Wafers.

cookie recipe

A Walk in the Park: "The Fen"

This morning, Maizy and I took a walk across the street to the nature preserve. Small by most standards, The Fen sprawls on for acres and is surprisingly vast when you start to trek through it. A place where natural mineral springs bubble up from under the earth at random points among the soft rolling hills and valleys. Where the sky is wide open and the prairie grass stands six feet tall.

And it's all in my back yard! A short walk past town homes, condo buildings and the water filtration plant lies this beautiful, peaceful, untouched native prairie. Yes, I said prairie. This is Illinois after all.

(please click on the pictures below for a closer look)



Maizy and I walked along a short paved path surrounded by trees, winding through the park up to the entrance to the nature preserve. Although we couldn't go down into the valley of the preserve because dogs are not allowed there ( I will leave that for another day by myself), we were able to walk the path around the perimeter, meeting several other dogs and their owners along the way. The view is magnificent!

It was perfect weather with nothing but big blue sky, a good breeze, and temps in high fifties. Normally, I would consider that a chilly morning, but the sun shining on our faces and the brisk walk was more than enough to warm us. Maizy, only a mere eight inches tall or so, had to stay close behind my feet at times so as not to get lost in the tall grass. But she had a blast furiously chasing down every fallen leaf that blew past.

This area is part of a network of nature preserves that Illinois has designated as natural, native prairie land. The program hopes to save these areas in their perfect and natural prairie state, just as it would have been hundreds of years ago. The soft, rolling hills sway with six foot high grass, cat tails, and bubbling streams.

I'm fortunate to live so close to this prize while still considering myself a city girl. I just hope the weather stays nice a bit longer so we can enjoy more hikes like today. And I just really wanted to share it with all of you!

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Handcrafted Jewelry Show!

It's that time of year, when craft shows are in full force and people start gearing up for the holidays. The latest addition to my show schedule is the Handcrafted Jewelry Show.

This show should be a great one for jewelry addicts in the Chicago area. Twenty five jewelry artisans, including yours truly, will be displaying their finest for the holiday season. It is ALL handmade jewelry, so unfortunately I won't be able to display my other accessories such as scarves and handbags. But if you see anything in my shop, Little Brown Bird, please contact me at my shop on Etsy and I will bring it along to the show just for you! Or shop on line if you can't make it to the show. Delivery is free on most items and I do ship internationally!

Jewelry Giveaway!

I am giving away a pair of earrings on another blog site. Jewelry by Solange is hosting a fantastic giveaway with some great prizes from a variety of designers. You can see the details of the giveaway here and join in the fun!