Local Holiday

The "Buy Local" approach to shopping and life is more than a "she-she" trend that adds novelty to our weekends.  There are so many logical reasons to support your local economy. Here are a few I picked up from The Institute of Local Self-Reliance:

• Product Diversity: A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based, not on a national sales plan, but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.
• Competition: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.
• Keeping Dollars in the local Economy 

With the holidays approaching, keep these bullets in mind while Christmas shopping.  Local products are often unique and high quality, not to mention you know their origin.  So get to shopping! Loudoun County has a great landscape of local businesses and shops to choose from.  Wine Clubs anyone? 

An Up-cycled Christmas

Up-cycled Newspaper wreaths and Glitter Ornaments

This week is the official start to the holiday season.  Soon we will begin out month long celebration of Christmas season.  I cam to this realization when I walked into work this morning and our lobby was decorated with sparkly green and red dressed garland, poinsettias and matching wreaths.

Before we know it we will be making fires in our living rooms, mixing holiday cocktails and unwrapping the gifts we thoughtfully picked out by our loved ones.  Everyone has their own holiday traditions and associations.  You probably have our go to holiday dishes, decorations and parties that you routinely depend on every holiday season.  After all, it is a holiday built on tradition. 

We like putting a new spin on old traditions. Maybe revamp old ornaments with a fresh coat of festive glitter.  Try a new Christmas tree theme that is easy to do, burlap maybe? You can do this all without spending a fortune on Martha Stewart's most recent line...

Take your old wreaths, garlands and ornaments and give them a facelift.  Don't be afraid of a little crafting.

Tips For Pickers

Every time I pass I pile of trashed personal belongings on the street I instinctively do a double take.  I did not recently pick up the habit of picking...I grew up doing it.  My mom was always coming home with our neighbors thrown out furniture, mirrors, books, etc with excitement in what she had come across.  Today she is still living her daily life with peeled eyes, ready to snatch up someones neglected coffee table or outdated picture frames. 

To be fair, she has sophisticated her technique to seeking unwanted belongings through Craigslist and yard sales, but that does not mean that she won't go dig marble slabs out of a dumpster (she does this often).  I came up with a few TIPS FOR PICKERS that I picked up front the master growing up:

1.  If somethings catches your eyes get it [now]! I cant tell you how many times I have run by someones garbage in the early mornings and said "Oh I'll grab it after I'm done" and thirty minutes later, that circa 1970 lamp is gone!
2. Go for good bones If you cant decide whether something has potential look at the bones of the piece. Is it well made? Does it have a unique OR timeless shape? If something is made of quality materials it will stand the test of time after some sprucing up.  
3. Don't be turned off by finish, color, upholstery or blemishes These things are all easily fixed so you have to learn to look past the ugly stains and tarnishes. 
4. Be weary of Craigslist Pictures Sometimes furniture will be a lot bigger or smaller then perceived in the photos.  So ask for the dimensions before driving your pickup to a strangers house..

New Holiday Items Available!

Snowflake & Bird Holiday Wreath

Christmas has a way of sneaking up on us.  I seem to do a lot of holiday entertaining and with that comes the necessity of holiday decor. So I find a few statement pieces to jazz up my home for the holidays. I just finished up my first batch of wreaths, table runners and ornaments.  They will be posted on my Etsy site today (www.esty.com/shop/thepinkfinch).  If you see something you love and you would like to reserve for purchase, feel free to e-mail me! I hope you enjoy all the photos which are posted under "New Items".  Christmas will be here before we know it! Have a specific wreath request? Let me know!