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Thursday, September 8, 2016

Feather Talk

Have we talked about feathers yet?

A few years ago, my friend gave me her lime green, feather wreath as a surprise gift. Maybe it was because I couldn't stop petting it, or maybe she had a secret pile of back-up wreaths in the cupboard, but when I discovered what she had done I almost cried with happiness.
I hung it front and center in the living room window, and kept it up for way longer than I should have. Seeing it every day was the most welcome of sights, and I never wanted to take it down.
As Spring started to arrive, the outside colors took over, and the green started to fade into the background; gone was the vivid contrast with the sharp, white snow outside, and I knew it was finally time to put it away.

The next year, all I wanted for Christmas was my feather wreath. Carefully placed in my office closet, I never gave it a second thought, but when I tried to bring it out in November, it didn't even come out in one piece. The foam was eaten, and the feathers were neatly piled into the corner, behind my paint swatches, surrounded by mice poo. Five hundred and seventy five million paper paint swatches, and they didn't even taste one; they chose to seek and destroy the wreath instead. Like me, they couldn't resist the soft feathers, and I am sure it made their Winter the most coziest one ever.

This year, I might buy a new one, but it probably won't be lime green, and it definitely won't feel the same, but I still find myself googling feather wreaths as I sip my morning coffee. I honestly never thought I was a wreath person, but this unexpected gift really changed my mind, and now I can't wait to find another one to hang in my front window...

A more subdued feather wreath from West Elm.
This is for the elegant, the quiet nod to controlled eccentricity
(and perhaps even for use year round?)

This Acorn wreath from Duncraft is so unexpected,
and would easily last quite happily from Fall to Spring on your Front door. 

(p.s. don't store this where the mice can get it)

Such a small and simple wreath deserves to be noticed.
Beautiful in its simplicity, this was handmade by Liz over at I Heart Naptime

Often used for decorating fancy parties and weddings, this boxwood wreath will last for months, and cheer up every cold, dark Winter's day. 

Is there anything that we can't buy over at Etsy?
(This birch twig wreath, decorated with natural cotton blossoms, is worth every penny!).

I don't know if I have favorite, but this one from Dried Decor comes pretty close.
I wouldn't put it outside (but then again, it is made of bird feathers,
and birds do live outside) but wherever you hang it, it will get noticed
(and your friends won't be able to resist petting it...). 

2 comments:

Kimberly Merritt said...

I'm not a wreath person either, Wendy. But I can understand your love of your feather wreath. The examples you show are far more attractive than what most of us might think of when we conjure up the misshapen, sad looking dried (or faux) flower version we're all familiar with.

Might I suggest sewing the feathers? You'll need lots, but it might be worth it to keep the mice at bay. Or just hang is year-round. Why not?

Wendy Wrzos said...

Thank you, Kim! Who knew we also had that in common :-)

I think that is a good idea about sewing the feathers (I think the lime green one - after doing all my feather and wreath research yesterday - was a feather boa wrapped around a Styrofoam wreath).

After discovering the natural one's that are out there, I am really considering having one up year round, or at least moving it from place to place as the season changes. I think one similar to the one's pictured would fit easily into my home!

Thanks so much for reading, Kim! Enjoy your weekend.
- Wendy