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Exotic Decor at Our Dallas store

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

Decorative table accent

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

Making Books by Hand

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.

Elvis in Concert

 Our Community
Aug 142009
 

I’ve always been a huge Elvis fan. The above picture is at my fortieth birthday party. My friends hired an Elvis impersonator. It was great!

I come from a long line of Elvis fans. My Grandmom LOVED Elvis. She was such a huge fan. She listened to his music when she worked at the Greyhound bus station in Albany, GA. She totally identified with him.

When I was a kid, maybe five or six years old, my mom got the entire extended family tickets to see Elvis in concert in Atlanta. I remember we had two great tickets on the floor near the stage. My grand-mom would take each of the family members down there so we could each have a turn being close. I totally remember being near him on the stage and wondering why he kept giving his scarves to women. My older brother didn’t get to go. He had to stay home with my younger sister. He’s never forgiven my mom over that.

Maybe one day, we’ll create an Elvis product at Wisteria. In the meantime, you can enjoy my Elvis pez collection seen here

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 Posted by Andrew on August 14, 2009  No Responses »

One of the Many Reasons I Love Elvis

 Our Community
Aug 102009
 

This coming Sunday (August 16) is the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. I happen to be a really big Elvis fan, especially for his ability to soothe even the most difficult audience with his music. Cooper was a pretty tough baby; he cried a lot. Somewhere along the way, I got a videotape of Elvis in Hawaii. We put that on and he LOVED it! I mean, he would watch the full two hours nonstop. We eventually got him a fake guitar, and he’d sing along with Elvis. He just loved watching that movie. So now, several years later, he knows a lot of Elvis songs. The funny thing is that one of Shannon’s friends also had a crying baby. We told them about the Elvis tape. They got one, and it worked like magic. The baby calmed down for the entire tape, and he watched it every day.

Got any Elvis stories of your own? We’d loved to hear them!

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 Posted by Andrew on August 10, 2009  1 Response »

India Spring 2009

 Our Travel Adventures
May 222009
 

We love traveling to meet our vendors all around the world. We not only meet our suppliers in the established markets, but we also meet with them in their homes. It’s always an adventure. Recently, we were in India meeting with one of our favorite vendors. They make a lot of the fantastic furniture you see in our catalog. We always like to show up at their facility around lunchtime because they serve the most delicious vegetarian meals. During our last visit, I saw one of the men making chapati (an Indian bread). Of course, I had to try my hand (literally) at making it. All the cooks covered their mouths to hide their laughter as I tried and tried (and failed) to get it right. Even so, our hosts were generous enough to take my half-baked creation and serve it at lunch. We all took a piece of bread and passed it around. In many ways, that’s what is so great about this job. We get to travel around the world, meeting all sorts of wonderful people and sit down and break bread together, all over the best-tasting food ever!

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 Posted by Andrew on May 22, 2009  No Responses »

Lemonade

 Wisteria's Kitchen
May 152009
 

When it comes to lemonade, you can call me a purist. Now, I’ve heard stories about people, more extravagant than myself, who enjoy infusing their lemonades with flavors like lavender, vanilla, and elderflower. And I have to admit that sounds intriguing. But personally, I prefer the classic, no frills, variety of lemonade, super sweet and really cold with lots and lots of lemons. That’s the kind of lemonade I grew up on. And it’s that same homemade lemony concoction that Shannon and I still serve to our guests. While the recipe hasn’t changed much since I was a kid, the beverage dispenser certainly has. So if you’re a lemonade purist like me and you like to keep things simple this recipe is for you.

Simple Sweet Lemonade

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 6 cups water, Lots of ice.

Directions: Combine all ingredients and garnish with lemon slices. And if you find even the simplest of lemonade recipes too much of a task to tackle in the summer heat, don’t worry, we’ve got a recipe for you too. According to the ladies in the Wisteria office, the hands-down, easiest way to add extra cool to your cup is to simply add sliced cucumbers. Aromatic, refreshing, and easy to prepare, it is a great way to pamper yourself and your summertime guests.

Cucumber Water
Ingredients: Sliced cucumbers, Water, Ice.

Directions: Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

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 Posted by Andrew on May 15, 2009  2 Responses »

Mother’s Day

 This Month's Holidays, What Inspires Us
Apr 302009
 


Both Shannon and I grew up with designing moms, who were always arranging and rearranging our homes. When I was young, I often wondered why my mom would work for hours on the smallest of tasks. But it always seemed like those extra details made the room special.

Sometimes she would come across something she loved in an antique store. I had no idea where she would place that item in our house. But she always seem to make it work, sometimes rearranging the entire room around it. Part of the reason Shannon and I started Wisteria was because of those moments spent admiring our mothers. We’re so thankful for their influence in our lives.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. The pictures you see above celebrate some of Wisteria’s mothers. Masami, our Vice President of Production, is pregnant with her second child. She leads the team of people who put together our catalog. Mary Jane, our Senior Creative Director, is a brand new grandmother (pictured with her new grandson Moss). And the last picture is my mom, Cooper and Susanna, their cousins, and Shannon’s mom.

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 Posted by Andrew on April 30, 2009  2 Responses »