planter

I snipped some red berries from an overgrown hedge that threatens our eyes every time we walk by. I think they look quite festive with the yew branches.

trunk

We added a wood stove to our home a year and a half ago to reduce our oil consumption (my dad has a woodlot and we get free wood which is much appreciated). This trunk was a fabulous $5.00 find at a yard sale, and it is the perfect wood box. The whole trunk if covered in leather (the light coloured outer part), and the dark strips are metal. There's even a broken key in the lock, how neat is that?

decorating

Some Christmas decorating has been happening around here, in between napping, playing, laundry, and other regular activities. Pinecones, twigs, and red berries are among my favourite things. I'm over the kitschy stuff and like a more natural and cozy LLBean flavour these days.

Other than that, not too much exciting has taken place, other than the arrival of two Toast catalogues in today's mail. Ahhhhh. An expensive and beautiful assortment of necessities and un-necessities. And beautiful images, like this one, which stole my heart. I saw the catalogue mentioned on this blog, as part of a discussion about whether catalogues and images like this are beautiful and inspirational or made to make an average person feel inadequate (check out the comments). This was in response to a Times Online article. I think they're lovely images to enjoy and I am fully aware that standing in these beautiful socks (on a table?) with perfect artisan toast is not something that is part of my daily life. I also think that the vast majority of people are clever enough to realize that this isn't real life and it's a bit of an insult to assume that we (beautiful catalogue, magazine, and Martha junkies) are all dumb sheep. On to the catalogue perusing!

free rice

I found a new multiple choice choose-the-correct-definition word game to play today. In a nutshell, by playing I 'earn' grains of rice which will make their way to someone in the world who needs them. I'm a bit of a skeptic and wonder if it's really that simple. From the FAQ section:

"Here is how it works. When you play the game, advertisements appear on the bottom of your screen. The money generated by these advertisements is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people."

"The rice is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). The World Food Program is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good. Wherever possible, the World Food Program buys food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. We encourage you to visit the United Nations World Food Program to learn more about their successful approach to ending hunger."

I like to think it is that simple. Check it out!