{Pic from Country Living, October 2008}
One of my all time favorites.

{Pic from MarthaStewart.com}
so simple & sweet.

{source unknown}

{Pic from Better Homes & Gardens}

{Midwest Living, October 2009}

{Pic from Better Homes & Gardens, October 2009} 

 
{Pic from Country Living}

SUGAR MOLDS from Napa Style

With the winter season here so are the wonderful winter weddings!  Here at Whispering Pines Catalog we have seen a spike in the Ski Lodge Wedding Theme.  This theme can be so great to work with since there are so many ski details that can be worked into the wedding.  When having a winter wedding think about fun ways to bring the outdoors in. 

Have a pine cone bouquet or use white glitter to act as snow and reflect the light.  Instead of a guest book think about having an old pair of skis for everyone to sign or a large piece of birch bark for your guest to sign.  Think about low candle light with birch candles, which you can find over at our wedding collection or fun twig votive holders which you can find from us as well.  One thing to think about when having a winter wedding is to keep your guests warm.  Offer a basket of shawls for your guests to get cozy as the night goes on, or offer a warm tasty drink such as hot apple cider, or the popular ski lodge drink, a “sprained ankle”.  The possibilities are endless with a winter wedding.

thanks Maggie… wonderful as usual!!  xo,fancy

Be sure to check out the Whispering Pines Rustic Wedding BLOG HERE…

** More from Whispering Pines HERE **

** More Wedding Sources & LINKS HERE **

{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!

If you’ve ever gone to the Tuscan hill country you’ll find colorful Majolica style pottery in every village market.  But if you find yourself around Puebla, Mexico you’ll discover similar Majolica ceramic techniques used, but in the very Mexican style of Talavera Pottery.

Brought to Puebla by Spanish monks during the Colonial Period, the Majolica style is defined by its tin-oxide base glazing.  This glaze produces an opaque, white background- obscuring the dark clay terra cotta underneath- and provides a wonderful canvas for artisans to create their colorful designs. 

Recently, Mexican Talavera has become an increasingly popular way to bring color into the earthy tones and rich textures common in today’s rustic décor.   In our retail business, Tres Amigos Rustic Furniture, we brought in Talavera pottery on a whim as props to brighten our showroom’s rustic furniture displays.  Soon we found our customers were wanting to buy the furniture andthe Talavera pottery! 

Since then we’ve seen Mexican Talaveragrow to be an immensely popular category, not only in our retail store, but in our online store as well. Talavera pottery selections have grown from decorative Talavera center pieces- like Talavera platters, bowels and vases- to more whimsical Talavera animals and wall decore.  Surprisingly popular are the Talavera hardwareitems like Talavera knobs, drawer pulls, outlet covers and even a Talavera sink!

Keith Krammer
Tres Amigos Rustic Furniture

I love it all!!!  Thanks, Scott…

** Click HERE for more **
Rustic * Western * Vintage Merchandise LINKS

{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!

Meet Ross Sveback… If you don’t already know his name I think you will soon. He sent me a note not long ago about his new line of dishware & I was instantly hooked to his website ~ Kon-Tent.com ~ which is full of ideas about how to maximize your lifestyle ~ from tips on buying linens, to DELICIOUS recipes, to his own line of products, Ross has a completely interesting perspective on lifestyle that this world needs!!

So first is Ross’ line of dinnerware which is really wonderful… there are three patterns ~ Faux Bois, Danish Fern and also Tweed.  All three feature a rich chocolate brown & bright white palette which gives you the opportunity to mix and match the patterns creating your own unique tabletop.  You can go to his website and purchase the dinnerware directly from Ross ~ he is also working directly with retailers who are interested in selling his merchandise.

Ross also just released a new line of jewelry inspired by TRAVEL and the open road… it’s a  perfect reminder of those childhood vacations with Mom & Dad in the back of the station wagon, and even better reminder to make sure you also get your kiddos out onto the blacktop!!

In addition to all of his other enterprises Ross teaches cooking, and posts recipes that look truly DIVINE!!  Check out his Summer Corn Salad ~ he has instantly solved your dilemma about what to take to this weekend’s BBQ ~ enjoy!!

SUMMER CORN SALAD

8 ears corn, husked and kernels removed

4 tbsp butter

6 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp thyme

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved

6 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

In a large frying pan, heat butter and half the olive oil. Add garlic and thyme, sauté for one minute. Add green onions and corn, sauté for 3-4 minutes. Remove from stove, pour into a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl mix together the other half olive oil, tomatoes, feta and basil.

Once corn mixture has come to room temperature, add tomato mixture – season with salt and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve.

Sounds wonderful!! Thanks, Ross, for all of your inspiration!!! xoxofancy

** Click HERE for other DINNERWARE **

** Click HERE for other FAUX BOIS **

{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!

Leaving for the weekend with an image from our newest sponsor, Lucky Star Gallery.  I just love imagining these vintage glasses filled to the brim with cold lemonade!!

I’m going to be in the Cactus Creek STORE allll weekend ~ Saturday and Sunday .  Would love to see you if you’re in the Kansas City area!!!  Here’s a quick follow up to all we’ve posted this week… hope you have a beautiful weekend with the people you love the most… go for a swim, take a hike and eat loads of ice cream {did you know that ice cream doesn’t have calories if you eat it with someone under the age of 12??}

• Have you ever painted a room CHOCOLATE Brown?? This bedroom is inspiring me to hit the paint aisle…
• We’re knee deep into t-ball season… this DIY Baseball Kit might make a good gift for coach.
• LOVE this hip country Cow-inspired KITCHEN.
• This is a great source for DIY projects!!
• Boots and jewelry from The Farmstead are now online ~ and also in the Cactus Creek Store!!
• In Austin or Houston or anywhere near there??  Be sure to visit the summer edition of Round Top Antique Fair this weekend!!!
• Pics from Judy Hill’s HOME SHOW. Swooooon.
• This week on the Junk in my Trunk RADIO SHOW we talked about GALVANIZED METAL ~ buckets, trash cans, whateva’.
• Custom Made Southwestern Pet Pendants ~ new and exclusive and the perfect gift for pet lovers!!
• The great Tasha Polizzi ~ her style is perfection.

See ya’ on Monday!!!  luvya, fancy

{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!

Guests at the Ranch ~ whether you live on a 40-acre spread, or on the 40th floor of  a downtown high rise, we all love a stiff drink and a great gift.  These rocks glasses do double duty ~ they’re the perfect hostess gift to take to summer parties.  {pssst… don’t Father’s Day gifts!!!}

Cowboy Cookie Jars ~ a necessity for after swimming snacks.

Cowboy Pitcher ~ a no brainer for serving cold iced tea.

 
Pedestal Bowl ~ My favorite dish to take to a party is my Layered Salad.  OK, it’s not really mine, it’s just layers of yummy veggies & delish salad dressing… it can be yours, too… add a little bacon & blue cheese crumbles to the top.  Lordy, lordy, I’m ready for a bar-be-que.  I’m pretty sure the Layered Salad would be even more yummy if served out of this bowl!!

Custom Glassware ~ There is a Gallery of Patterns that you can peruse, but you can also imagine your own design and the folks at Etch O Sketch can custom make just the right thing for you ~ or your party guests.

 
Etch O Sketch also offers metal signs, stepping stones and custom tiles.

 Traci is the owner, but you can call her Catfish.  Whatever you do, just call her… she can hook you up with all of your summer glassware needs.  It’s not too early to be thinking about Christmas either!!  Geez, did I just really write that??  Contact info for Catfish is RIGHT HERE.

** Click HERE for more **
Rustic * Western * Vintage Tableware

** Click HERE for more **
Rustic * Western * Vintage GIFTS

{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!

First up is this gorgeous antler side table {ABOVE} ~ the Antler Demi Lune Table ~ that is exclusive to Black Forest Decor. It is handcrafted from oak then decked with authentic, naturally shed elk antlers that are interwoven along the bottom of the table. How gorgeous is this for an entry or hallway…

 The Bear Family Chandelier {ABOVE} is another new item exclusive to Black Forest Decor.  It features Bears walking amidst a beautiful mountain landscape wrapped around the mica light diffuser of this chandelier crafted in steel. I would just love to see this above a dining table, or in an entry way, for a cabin ~ and if your cabin is in the middle of the ‘burbs, even better!!

 And for the kitchen Black Forest Decor has Fresh Pine Pottery Dinnerware… warm and in-touch with the great outdoors, these
pottery sets featuring an all natural selection of hand-thrown, hand-carved, reduction-fired stoneware with a three-tone glaze. The hand carving, accented with golden hues, is a reflection of the sun’s rays falling through pine branches. Each piece is dishwasher, microwave and oven safe.

BIG thanks to Black Forest Decor for sharing these BRAND NEW PRODUCTS with the Cactus Creek readers!!! Folks, keep your eye on the mailbox for your Black Forest Decor Catalog ~ or go HERE to order one today…  Be sure to let them know that Cactus Creek sent you!!

** Click HERE for more **
Rustic * Western * Vintage MERCHANDISE LINKS

{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!

Anyhoo, the kitchen is as dreamy as can be ~ looks like the perfect space for making eggs & tortillas on Saturday mornings, margaritas with the girls, and finally taking a turn at making homemade tamales.

 If you are looking for a new spin on your cocina {kitchen}, here are a few ideas on where to get started.

Rancheros Handpainted Mexican Talavera Ceramic Tile Mural from Mexican Tiles.com

Kitchen Island with Copper from La Fuente Imports
We have a kitchen island similiar to this one {except the doors are covered with cowhide versus copper}.  It’s the focal point of our entire great room… we cook here, eat here, and spend time as a family ~ always around this big island that is really the heart of our home.

Native American Indian Pottery from Traditional Pueblo Arts

Rustic Beams from Arizona Faux Beams
Yep, they’re “faux”… actually they’re foam.  We would all love to have soaring ceilings with massive timbers aged perfectly over the last 100 years but sometimes we have to find another way to get the look we want for less.  That said, Faux Beams are a great solution for acquiring a rustic look for much less.

Talavera Flour Tortilla Holder
These are also great in bathrooms filled with cotton balls or to hold your jewelry…

Antique Metate Grinder from Tierra Dulce’s EBay Store
Lovely filled with fresh fruit, onions & peppers or lemons & limes. Or you can grind your own corn for fresh tortillas…

** Click HERE for more INSPIRATION Rooms **

** Click HERE for more Merchandise LINKS **

** Click HERE for more BOOKS **

{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!

In this era of society’s mad scramble to ‘just make it’ we often forget those teeny tiny moments that make it all worth it… The blessing is that so many of those moments are captured by photographs. Whether the photo is taken in haste with our cell phones, in a quick pose around a birthday cake, or by a talented photographer. It almost seems that, without these tangible reminders, the best moments of our lives would be lost.

One of the things I love most about photographs is to look at the eyes of the subject, this is especially true with vintage photographs. I wonder how that person’s morning went along, what lead them to be photographed, their SPIRIT ~ what was their greatest joy, their hardships, their biggest secrets… It’s a snapshot of our history that would be lost forever if not for the effort of the photographer. It’s this appreciation for the tiny moments of days gone by that make Westernware’s products so special.

The photograph {LEFT} is of L.A. Huffman, “Laton Alton Huffman’s camera captured the Cowboy and Native American culture, the buffalo herds, the burgeoning cattle and sheep industry. His legacy provides us with life portraiture of the Northern Plains and the pioneering aspects of the area – ranch life, wildlife, frontier town views and Yellowstone National Park.

L.A. Huffman is cited as one of the most important photographers of the West. Renowned Western artists Charlie Russell and Frederic Remington painted from Huffman’s vintage photographs. His photography provides a glimpse into the memorable history of frontier America.”

It is a company called Westernware that has taken Huffman’s beautiful photographs, and those of other historical photographers and collections, and applied them to common items that we use every day in our homes.  I really cannot think of a better way to use these images than in a way that they can be truly appreciated every single day.

Westernware is a company that sells exclusively to retailers like Rustic Ranch Relics and Will Wyatt’s Cowboy Couture. 

 Click HERE to find a retailer near you.

Many more images after the break… Read on!!

‘The photographs on the handbags and pillows come from the archives of The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Some of the images were hand colored by Abigail Hornik-Minckler {the founder of Westernware Goods} others were left as is. The photos were taken in the early 1900s up to the 1940’s… The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience, and independence that helped shape the American West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire.’

Many of the images in Westerware’s Native American Collection come from Richard Throssel. ‘Richard Throssel was of Cree decent born in Marengo, Washington on September 18, 1882. In 1902 at the age of 20, he moved to the Crow Reservation in Montana, for the dry climate as he had rheumatism. He was adopted by the Crows and compiled a vast photographic census of the inhabitants. He also photographed the Northern Cheyenne ceremonies that were then prohibited by governmental regulation. He was elected to the Montana State Legislature for two terms in 1925 and 1927. His photographs remained mostly uncirculated and unpublished until the 1980’s 

I look forward to seeing what other items Westernware creates in the coming years…  the new photographs they uncover… the history of the Western spirit that I am certain they will unveil.  Many thanks to Natalie and Abigail!!  xo,fancy

** Click HERE for other WHOLESALE Companies **

** Click HERE for more Stores We Love **

{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!

Faux Bois Tableware from RSH Catalog

Kind of like trees… Faux Bois never gets old, it just gets BETTER.

** Click HERE for more FAUX BOIS **

** Click HERE for more TABLEWARE ** 

{SUBSCRIBE} HERE to have the CactusCreekDaily.com BLOG
delivered straight to your E-Mailbox!!