Exotic Decor at Our Dallas store
We are fortunate enough to go on several trips a year to such exotic locations as India, China, and South America. During our journeys we stumble across unique items that might be vintage, antiques, or even the last one left. So, every trip, we're sure to bring our empty suitcases to fill with these rare finds so we can carry them back home.
Our Employee’s Home: Paige’s House
What is your role at Wisteria? I am the Senior Creative Manager, I manage all the photography for the catalog and web. I direct and edit the photography at the photo shoots and the styling on set.
Handmade Books in Jaipur, India
This company was started when three young friends rented a booth at a trade fair 14 years ago to sell books and bags made of handmade paper. This Indian artisan has grown great lengths since then and now specializes in handmade paper, bags, books, and leather products. They are located in Jaipur, India and also have a small group of designers and workers from a small village outside of Jaipur.
Last week was crazy! We had our annual Warehouse Sale (which sometimes happens twice a year)! Everyone at Wisteria worked so hard to pull this off! And hopefully our customers were just as excited and pleased as we were.
Here’s some pictures from the sale and the lemonade stand we had out front, which supported Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) for Childhood Cancer.
We support artisans who have a dedication to helping people from all over the world. This organization has a 12-point program to do just that. This program includes creating women-led livelihood programs that provide necessary business and life skills, growth opportunities for the women and their children, and ensuring a healthy and equal work environment. They provide a fair distribution of employment opportunities for these women as well.
Located in the Surya Nagar and Shahid Nagar communities of New Delhi, India, this special organization provides employment for people an area characterized by high rates of unemployment and slum dwellers, a high number of sweat shops that involve women and children, and a lack of affordable schools. They are doing what they can to make life better for people in these communities.
New Delhi is a cosmopolitan city due to the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural presence of the vast Indian bureaucracy and political system. The city’s capital status has amplified the importance of national events and holidays. National events such as Independence Day and Gandhi’s Birthday are celebrated with great enthusiasm in New Delhi and the rest of India. On India’s Independence day (August 15) the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation from the Red Fort. Most Delhiites celebrate the day by flying kites, which is considered a symbol of freedom. Products from this organization include our
Triangle Edged Pillow, our Daisy Console, and our Vintage File Folder
A few weeks ago, several of us cheered on the Texas Rangers in a game against the Minnesota Twins. Here’s some pictures from that event!
Jose works in our repairs department, making sure each item is in tip-top shape! He is one of the most friendly people you will ever meet and always seems to be charming someone with the songs he sings.
Jose has three children (two boys and one girl) and one grandchild, Alex who is nine years old.
What is your job here?
Repairs
What are your favorite things about working at Wisteria?
Repairing products and working with his coworkers.
What is one thing about you people probably don’t know?
He is a singer of Spanish, Christian music.
Listen to one of his songs, Que le Dare.
Que_le_Dare.mp3
What is your favorite place to visit?
Dallas Zoo
What is the one place in the world you’ve never been but would love to go?
Miami Beach!
What is your favorite Wisteria item?
German Silver Chest
How many/what languages do you speak?
English and Spanish
Craziest food ever eaten:
Lasagna
Favorite spot in my house:
In his garden, studying his Bible
Favorite food:
Tacos
My pet’s name is:
Marie (poodle)
We’re inspired by cultures from all over the world, and in this case, we’ve drawn inspiration from Chinese culture. Wu Xing, a traditional Chinese way of describing various interactions and relationships has five phases (or elements as they’re called in feng shui design). Each phase is associated with several aspects of nature and life: seasons, climates, colors, emotions, creation, planets, fruits, sense, and many more. According to feng shui design, including pieces that represent each of these elements can make a room feel more balanced and pulled-together.
Wood
The Chinese associate wood with the color green. Think trees, the spring season, and sprouting plants. Our pieces are reminiscent of those lively aspects of nature: textured wood, twig-like details, and beautiful greens. Fire Fire is exactly what you’d envision: hot, the summer season, blooming plants, and creative energy. Vibrant colors and the flicker of candles are aspects of fire you can find in our
pieces. Earth For earth, think of the freshness of terracotta, the color yellow, ripening fruits, and the feeling of clarity. This element is the balance, the yin and the yang. Our pieces reflect that sense of finality, incorporating finishing-touch elements. Metal The element metal is represented in whites, a sense of intuition, and the season of autumn. Our metal pieces incorporate the sleekness and polished quality of this element. Water Water is the element of intuition and is represented by blacks, blues, and the subdued aspect of winter. Our pieces include mirrors, antiqued glass, and reflective surfaces.
Last year, some of us from Wisteria traveled to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to witness the annual Day of the Dead and All Saints Day celebrations. The celebration takes place at the first of November, but everyone begins preparing for it months in advance. Even though the town had been intermingled with modern technology and American culture, we were surprised to see just how well they have maintained their strong sense of community and tradition. The Plaza Civica continues to be the center of daily life with the traditional environment of the surrounding markets, shops, and cafes. But the wrought iron benches, now occupied with laptop users of all ages, reveal how modern technology has been incorporated into this age-old society. Although much has stayed the same from the original Day of the Dead celebrations, some aspects of American Halloween have been incorporated into the festivities. But instead of children going from house to house collecting candy, everyone gathers in the plaza. It becomes a hub for all the families, with dressed-up children coming to the plaza to collect candy from all the parents, like one large family celebration. We’ve tried to capture some of these amazing aspects in our catalog. Unfortunately all the pictures we took from that trip were lost, but we created a few pieces inspired by that visit. We hope you enjoy!
A trip to the local farmers market is guaranteed to provide inspiration and the ingredients for fresh healthy dishes. We always feel so satisfied about purchasing produce straight from the hands that helped cultivate and harvest it. The fruits and vegetables are vibrant in color and rich in flavor, and we find the best recipes are ones that are simple and compliment the natural flavors. Summer is pretty much gone in most parts of the country, but since it’s still hot in Texas, we’ve been able to still enjoy recipes that call for berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and corn. These recipes are variations from ones found in a local food publication and one from a great blog about food and home.
Tomato and Corn Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette.
Ingredients: From the farmers market, gather tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and corn. Shallot Vinaigrette: Ingredients: 2 c. olive oil, 1/2 c. white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar, 2 shallots, minced, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions: 1. Mix together all the dressing ingredients and store in a jar. 2. Roast corn and cut it length wise from the cob. 3. Slice thick sections of tomato and slice cherry tomatoes in half. 4. Drizzle with shallot vinaigrette and serve.
Black and Blue Lemonade
Ingredients: 6 cups water, 2 cups sugar, the juice and zest of 8 lemons, 1/2 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup blueberries.
Directions: 1. Heat 2 cups of water with sugar, until sugar dissolves. Continue to heat for 5 minutes or so until it starts to thicken up; do not let it brown. 2. Add the rest of the water, lemon zest, and juice, and mix to combine. 3. Remove and let cool to room temperature. 4. Put the blueberries and blackberries in a blender and puree. Add the puree mixture to the lemonade and strain. This will be a beautiful dark pink color. 5. Slice lemons for garnish and serve.
Formed in 1875 by citizens concerned about the waste and abuse of the nation’s forest, American Forests is the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization. The organization is proud of its historic roots in the development of America’s conservation movement and of the new approaches they have developed to help people improve today’s environment. American Forests works with communities to restore and maintain forest ecosystems through planting trees, calculating the value of urban forests, fostering environmental education, and improving public policy for trees. They have planted more than 25 million trees in ecosystem restoration projects since 1989. Their goal is to plant 100 million trees by 2020 through their Global ReLeaf campaign.
In addition to focusing on new trees, American Forests works to identify and protect America’s grandest trees by maintaining and publishing the National Register of Big Trees and America’s Historic Tree Register. Started in 1940 and published biannually, The National Register of Big Trees lists the largest-known specimens of native and naturalized trees in the United States. America’s Historic Tree Register commends important trees throughout time and is separated into five categories: age, historic tree, unique tree, famous places and attractions, and famous people. Some of the most famous of these trees’ are the Johnny Appleseed and Gettysburg Address Honey locust. Our Historic Tree Program (www.historictrees.org) brings history alive by propagating direct-offspring of trees that witnessed events and lives significant to American history. Through the planting of these historic trees and every other seed, American Forests hopes to spread their goal as an organization: to protect, restore, and enhance the natural capital of trees and forests.
Learn more about them by visiting www.americanforests.org
The daughter of a draftsman father and an artist/oil painter mother, our friend Cheryl has art in her blood. Her mother taught her to crochet at age 6, and she taught herself to sew her own clothes at age 13. She grew up in a beach town, and much of that scenery would become inspiration for her artwork.
Her love for anything creative grew over the years. She did macrame, china painting, pottery, seashell mirrors, and stained glass boxes with seashell lids. In the early 80s, she learned to make stained glass windows in a friend’s garage, and when she built her house, she made 23 stained glass windows for it.
She has loved and collected antiques for many years. Every time she finds a great old bottle, she feels it’s like a work of art. Cheryl departed from her love of art to support her children in the corporate world, but it has been her dream to do something creative again. These bottles are the result of that dream.
Cheryl makes our Message on Bottle and our Antique Bottles with Stone Toppers.
Labor Day has often been celebrated as the official end of summer. A friend of ours and a Wisteria customer celebrated summer’s end with a party and our Oversized American Flag. Isn’t it lovely?
