2. Wisteria Woodblock Print Tablecloth
Jun 282012
Jun 272012
One of our employees, Kameilia, is due any day now–due to deliver her first baby! She’s been making her final preparations in creating the perfect little nest in which to bring home her bundle of joy. Her and her husband opted not to find out the sex of the baby, so they created a sweet, gender-neutral nursery. Have a look for yourself.
Jun 262012
Alice Moore – Marketing Manager
What kind of bicycle do you ride?
Schwinn blue and white cruiser.
How often do you ride?
Most every day.
For what purpose do you ride?
Typically pleasure, but I broke my foot (KK stop rolling your eyes) therefore, have been riding more for exercise.
Where is your favorite place to ride?
My hood.
If you have a basket, what do you use it for?
My groceries when I ride to Whole Foods.
Do you like to ride solo or with someone?
My favorite is riding with my daughter. We will go on a bike ride after school and she will tell me all about her day. Those are the moments that I cherish!
What was your first bicycle?
Sad as it is, I don’t remember…I remember our moped and I am thinking I had a Ten-speed.
What is your favorite memory of riding your bicycle?
Riding down the Rio Grande Trail from Aspen to Woody Creek; we do it every summer and it is one of my favorite outings.
Can you do any tricks on your bicycle?
I can ride without using my hands…pretty cool I think!
Nikki Smith – Marketing Coordinator
What kind of bicycle do you ride?
A red and white Schwinn cruiser.
How often do you ride?
When it is nice out I try to ride as often as possible. I try not to drive anywhere outside of work and to the grocery store during the summer months.
For what purpose do you ride?
My main reason is for fun but I guess the health benefits of riding a bike are nice.
Where is your favorite place to ride?
I enjoy just riding to enjoy the nice weather out but it is always a great time when a bunch of my friends and I get together and ride to the nearest patio and enjoy a nice cold beer.
If you have a basket, what do you use it for?
I don’t currently have a basket but I am trying to find one to put on the back of my bike so I am able to carry a few groceries in it.
Do you like to ride solo or with someone?
I don’t mind riding alone but riding with someone is typically a lot more fun!
What was your first bicycle?
Aside from my pink and white bike with training wheel, my first real bike was a purple Huffy mountain bike.
What is your favorite memory of riding your bicycle?
My favorite memory of being on a bike was when I would ride with my brother and we would bike to the creek by our house and ride on these hills.
Can you do any tricks on your bicycle?
I can ride with no hands. I use to be able to do a few jumps when I was younger but I don’t think I would try them now.
Brittany Cross – Copy and Brand Manager
What kind of bicycle do you ride?
It’s a Specialized Allez road bike.
How often do you ride?
I try to ride a few days a week, especially when the weather’s nice.
What purpose do you ride?
Exercise, fun, and to feel the wind in my face!
Where is your favorite place to ride?
The closest place is around a lake near my house. But I also like riding on less-traveled country roads.
If you have a basket, what do you use it for?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a basket. But I do have some pockets on my shirt that I put snacks and my phone in.
Do you like to ride solo or with someone?
I like riding with other people. I’ve seen all kinds of animals (armadillos, deer, bunnies, rams, goats, etc) and interesting people and scenery on my rides, and it’s more fun when someone else is there to enjoy it with me.
What was your first bicycle?
Does a big wheel count? I think my sister and I had a Barbie Big Wheel when we were little.
What is your favorite memory of riding your bicycle?
Recently I went riding with my husband in the Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg specifically. It was 34 miles of really great weather, interesting animals, wildflower-covered scenery, and rolling hills. It was the perfect ride!
Can you do any tricks on your bicycle?
Um, no. I’m too afraid of falling (which I’ve done plenty of times). But I have made it up to 30+ miles per hour on my bike.
Ryan Creery – Copy Writer
What kind of bicycle do you ride?
1968 Hercules English 3-Speed Roadster.
How often do you ride?
Mostly on the weekends. Now that it’s getting warmer, however, I may find myself replacing jogging with some evening biking.
For what purpose do you ride?
Mostly to get around town. Sometimes, I like to hop on my bike on Saturday mornings before it gets hot, get a cup of coffee, and watch the town wake up. It’s my favorite part of the weekend.
Where is your favorite place to ride?
Around the downtown Denton square and through the historic neighborhoods.
If you have a basket, what do you use it for?
I’ve been dying to get an old wooden produce crate for my back fender so I can make trips to the Farmers’ Market.
Do you like to ride solo or with someone?
In the evenings I prefer riding with someone; it just makes it more fun.
What was your first bicycle?
A red and black BMX bike. I had that thing for years.
What is your favorite memory of riding your bicycle?
None in particular, but I love when I find a new path to ride. Recently, we found a path by the library where we get to cross a wooden bridge. It feels so magical!
Can you do any tricks on your bicycle?
I’m really good at falling off of it at very slow speeds. I guess you could call me a pro.
Jun 252012
Do you have a wish list of items from Wisteria you want? Make sure to enter our $5,000 gift certificate giveaway so you can have chance to get everything you’ve been eyeing.
Click here to enter. The promotion runs until July 8.
Jun 222012
Alison is that person to whom people just gravitate. A trifecta: Smart, beautiful and funny! She will have you laughing hysterically with one of her crazy real life stories, be your mentor and offer great advice and guidance, analyze the budget in a flash all while giving you the blow by blow of what happened on the season premiere of Dallas!
What is your job here?
Buyer
What are your favorite things about working at Wisteria?
The entrepreneurial, ethical, can-do spirit.
What is one thing about you people probably don’t know?
I have a self diagnosed affliction called “Heat Rage”. I was raised in the temperate Northwest so any temperature over 80 triggers panic in my soul. After 15 years in Texas I am still not cured of “Heat Rage” and dread summer every year. Not just summer, late April through November.
What is your favorite place to visit?
Mayan Rivera.
What is the one place in the world you’ve never been but would love to go?
Pompeii.
How would you describe your personal style?
Functional and basic. I have 2 kids under 3 ½.
What is your favorite Wisteria item?
The metal nativity that was handcrafted in Haiti from salvaged steel drums.
What is your most treasured item?
Health.
How many languages do you speak?
Sadly one. My Italian professor in college told me, “It hurts me to hear you speak my language.” Language career over.
Craziest food you have ever eaten?
I am a texture person so sea urchin does not work for me. I also despise goat cheese and lamb. I have a theory that some people can taste lanolin and some can’t. Since lanolin is a product of sheep it has to be present in the by-products. I fall into the “taste” camp and cannot put goat cheese or lamb in my mouth. I come from generations of sheep herders so I am kind of an expert (in my own mind).
My one indulgence is:
Just one? Dark chocolate with sea salt. One square every night, with some wine. I recently discovered a version that incorporates blue cheese. Delicious. I also do love McDonald’s.
Favorite spot in your house?
Front porch, weather permitting. Refer to “Heat Rage” above.
Favorite food?
Egg McMuffin. Seriously. Also Malden salt, on most things.
My pet’s name is?
Eugene, Mildred, and Hank. All dachshunds.
Favorite place to watch the sun set:
I’m not really a sunset watcher. Generically, a beach if I happen to be on one.
Additional notes about yourself:
I love reality TV, specifically “Toddlers & Tiaras” and “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding” and “The Housewives” franchise.
Jun 212012
Canna fodder – a beautiful mess of leaves decaying in my brother-in-law Stuart’s planting bed.
Years ago I lived out away from nearly everything and everybody, on a small, wooded acreage in rural Oklahoma. On any clear night, I could step outside my door and look straight up to see the Milky Way sprawl across the sky, like white smoke from a nearby campfire wafting over my house.
I had to give up a few modern conveniences to enjoy this experience, but even the sacrifices of living almost-off-the-grid brought their own rewards. For one thing, I acquired some handy skills: Because winter storms would sometimes lead to power outages, I learned to cut and split my own firewood so I could warm the entire home with more comfortable radiant heat. And because there’s no garbage man in the sticks, I discovered the joys of composting.
Fruit and vegetable trimmings, coffee grounds and egg shells, in fact anything that was once alive, can go into a compost heap. In a matter of weeks this once smelly, kitchen garbage magically transforms into dark, earthlike organic matter to enrich the soil of a garden or even potted plants.
Today I live in a suburb of Dallas, with regular pick-up of not only trash but also recyclables, and yet I still love to keep a compost heap. And I have to confess I’ll probably continue to do so whether or not I have a garden or potted plants. There’s something I find fascinating about witnessing the alchemy of organic decay, when something as useless and gross as a banana peel can become life-sustaining.
There’s nothing better than a long summer weekend in Chicago! The weather is great (especially compared to Texas summers), and there are tons of fun family activities. My oldest daughter, Quinn, is there now to visit her grandparents.
Here are a few of her favorite things to do in Chicago:
Millennium Park
Lincoln Park Zoo
Lego Store and American Girl Store
Her only complaint so far is she can’t eat ketchup on her hot dogs!
Everyone at Wisteria is surrounded by furniture and home decor items, it’s no wonder after working here for a while you start collecting a lot furniture. I thought it would interested to see what all of our favorite pieces of furniture were in our own homes.
Paige’s favorite is her Vintage Chinese Butcher’s Table: “My favorite piece in my house is my Vintage Chinese Butcher’s Table. I love the shape of it and how sturdy it is. It makes a wonderful buffet in my dining room when I entertain. The drawers are quite big and great for storing my linens and odds and ends. It fits perfectly into my eclectic space and is such a statement piece and I am still in love with it after all these years.”
Brittany ‘s favorite piece is her Moorish Chest: “I have a few favorite furniture pieces in my home: two antique nightstands that I refinished myself, a large antique end table from my grandmother, even my sleigh bed. But my most favorite piece is also the most eye-cathing: my Moorish Chest. It’s so unusual and almost everyone notices it the first time they walk in my house. And I love telling the story of how it is made. Plus, since its color scheme is relatively neutral, it always looks good no matter how you style it.”
Alice’s favorite item right now is her iron brass floor lamp: “I absolutely love this lamp! The brass finish, the unique style of the lamp and the feel that it emanates in our living room. It is one of the first things you see when you walk into our house and because of the unique look of it, always becomes a conversation piece…another great thing about this lamp (seriously, I have a huge crush) is that it is so versatile…one of those finds that can work in so many different spaces and places!”
My favorite piece is my mid-century Kroehler sleeper sofa. I saw this in a thrift store from across the room and knew right away I had to have it.
Ryan’s favorite piece is his dressers: “My apartment revolves around the mid-century style of these dressers, repurposed as a buffet/bar in my dining room. I just love their simple Danish design, compact size and groovy oval drawer pulls.”
Jun 182012
Summer is upon us and it has me thinking about vacation time and where I would like to spend it. I definitely want to be close to the ocean. And I would like to go somewhere a little cooler, temperature wise, than Texas. So, I started a little virtual vacation for inspiration. First stop: California! I was awestruck when I saw this house. The windows, the ocean, the architecture, the gardens, the tile work; I could go on and on. Enjoy a little virtual vacation with me on this lovely Monday . . .
images Via C Magazine
Enjoy more of the home in the gallery below.
