Eleven years later: a thank you note to English teachers

I've had a long-cherished daydream that one day, I'll write a novel and it'll get published.  Inside, the dedication: along with the usual to family and friends, one special person whom I haven't seen in decade(s)... my seventh-grade English teacher.
But it's already been 11 years and I'm no closer to being published now as I was then.  And I want to say "thank you" before it's too late.
So lasso that Christmas spirit, pull out your fancy gel pens, and put your thoughts on paper; you might not get another chance.
This is the letter that I sent to the English teacher who changed my life:

Dear Mr. L--,

I was a student in your seventh-grade English class at E-- Middle School in 2002.  You were a fantastic teacher and I have always remembered you.

This month, I graduated from --- University with an MA in English Language and Literature, and I would like to thank you for your part in setting me on the path toward my passion.  I have often thought of writing you to say “thanks”, but I wanted to wait until I had accomplished this so you could really know what a difference you have made in my life and the lives of your students.

I always loved English and wasn’t an all-star at other subjects, like math.  But my 12-year-old self’s understanding of the world was that the one thing I was good at was not “real” or valuable.  My memory might have exaggerated over the years, but in my mind, you are the person who told me that “writing IS a real job” and I have never forgotten.  I so vividly remember biking home from school after our conversation that day more light-hearted, more hopeful, and more confident in myself than I had ever been before.  Since then, I have never put down my pens or my books. 

I’m sure that you continue to inspire, counsel and encourage hundreds of students; I hope you know how your kindness, teaching, and impact is treasured, and with what fondness you are remembered.

Thank you!

Yours,

JEM Colborne   

He's the person who told me one could study English, one could write for a living.  I spent the rest of my middle and high school career buried in notebooks, cooking up novels, toting around a thesaurus heavier than any of my other textbooks and dreaming of the day I'd see my novel in Chapters.  And now here I am, 11 years later, six of those spent directly studying Literature, now a "master".  If I didn't say "thank you" now, I might never get a better opportunity.

So seize the day, fellow bibliophiles!  Life is short.  Love is strong.  The time is now.

xoxo

JEM

Literary Gifts for Every Kind of Bibliophile on your List! Part One.

My grandmother insisted on always getting us kids books for Christmas-- even when our lists outlined My Little Ponies and action figures.  It's not that she was trying to disappoint us; it was her signature, her way of giving us something much more lasting.  She's gone now, but the library she helped me build is still growing.
With Christmas right around the corner, we've got you covered: from booklovers to bookworms, from the kid who "hates" reading to the friend who ONLY reads Harlequin romances, we've got the skinny on over 21 positively charming presents, the kind that says "Love from the English Major."

For the Friend who Reads a ton and Doesn't Need your Help with Books:

1. Gift cards to Chapters, BookDepository or better yet, your local used bookstore.
2. Vintage Dictionary Art: it's the perfect combo of bookish yet not a book.  Combine two passions: the love of words and the love... whatever it is they love!

Available on Etsy by AdamsAleArtPrints

3. If he/she already has a sizeable library, why not an embossing kit?  It's a very personal and thoughtful present.  There is a wide variety of price ranges, from stamps to embossers, so that your friend can label each book in their collection.  It’s also handy for your friend who is constantly lending books- and not getting them back.  I found a great customizable one at Acornsales.com.

For your Boyfriend who Needs to Know Books are NOT scary:

Sorry, why are you dating him?  Just kidding.  Surefire wins for your man-child include:

4. Russel Brand's Booky Wook or Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern (if he wants a laugh)

5. Theo Fleury's Playing With Fire or The Game by Ken Dryden (if he's a hockey fanatic)

6. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes complete series of short stories (if he has a short attention span).  Check out the sweet copy I scored for $14 at the used book store!

7. Or try the great Hunter S Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (if he kind of feels like he should maybe hop on that band wagon.  You know what they say... buy the ticket, take the ride.)

For your Friends who just had a Baby:

Wait, will you even be seeing them this Christmas?  I jest.

8. They NEED a copy of Adam Mansbach's Go the F**k to Sleep.  And if you want to class it up for their baby, might I suggest Little Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice or classier still, a beautiful hardcover of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.  THIS JUST IN: Found at IKEA, adorable stuffed badger wearing blue blazer for only $5.99 would go perfectly with WINTW.  Brain. Explodes. 

Pair with a copy of The Wind in the Willows (5$ paperback at Chapter's) and you just made a great $10 baby gift.

For your Knight in Dork's Clothing:

9. A Tolkien Bestiary by David Day

Dune

Persepolis 

10. A legit Harry Potter wand... WB shop has a sick Death Eater one here.

11. Anything autographed

12. Personalized t-shirt or tote bag.  Last year, I got my sister-in-law a tote that says "Team Darcy" and stuffed it with Austen-y things, like candles, tea-cups and biscuits.  Their favourite quotation would serve nicely.  Come to think of it, anyone who is part of a fandom loves fangear.  So related wall decals, laptop/car decals, fridge magnets, dishwasher magnets, teapots, mittens, blankets, scarves etc. are all winners.  My bro just picked up a Doctor Who teapot for his secret santa.  

13. Anything from OutofPrint or Litographs (be warned: not budget friendly).

For Your Sister who just got a new Apartment:

14. Invisible bookshelf, available from Chapters and IKEA, among others.

15. If they own boring billy bookcases or thrifted bookshelves, pretty wallpaper and spray paint to liven them up.  Also works great if given with a coupon for your services in helping with the DIY project.  PS. if doing this in winter, use a tarp.

Stocking Stuffers for Literally Everyone:

16. Adorable magnetic bookmarks.  These are the ones my guy got me from Indigo, but there's a sweet Youtube tutorial on how to make them here.

17. A plant.  Every reading nook needs some greenery.  Go with succulents that don't require much care.  You can even plant succulents in teacups and other non-draining containers (like mugs and terrariums) because they require so little water.  If your friend is a responsible adult, consider trusting them with a boston fern or philodendron. 

18. A Christmas ornament filled with passages of their favourite books.  $10 on Etsy at NovelAdornment.

19. This reading journal from Amazon.

For your Mom:

20. She's probably the most selfless person on your list, so give the gift of reading to a less fortunate child.  Various charities have “reading” gifts: individual books, entire libraries, or reading kits for teachers.  You can make the donation in the name of your friend. Don’t forget- you can always send books to your foster child too!  They are great for shipping! 

21. Magazine subscriptions are underrated. The great thing about subscriptions is that you can lessen the cost by cutting back on the number of copies they receive, and you can usually find great deals online or from coupons- they usually beat the cover price by 40%.  Go for National Geographic or Gardening Life or Maclean's or something that has to do with her hobbies.  And if she complains that they pile up, tell her to donate her read copies to women's shelters or office spaces.

You can also check out this helpful Buzzfeed article, Gifts for Bookworms.

Well, I'm tapped for now, but expect Part Two early next week!

xoxo

JEM

Good morning! Why not try a healthy breakfast smoothie today?

I’m going to share my breakfast smoothie with you this morning. I hate to call it a “weight loss” smoothie because I refuse to play into society’s paradoxical obsession with weight loss, however, I have to tell you this smoothie has helped me lose weight. One of my relatives has recently lost a lot of weight. She looks fabulous but, more importantly, she looks healthy.  I asked her the question I’m sure everyone asks her: “how’d you do it?” She simply replied “I cut out bread”. Now its not that simple. She also got a super-active summer job working on a farm which was the driving factor behind her lifestyle change. Once she started seeing results she started eating better; a little motivation goes a long way! Cutting carbs was huge in the late 90s and early 2000’s but we all came to the quick realization that it’s not quite that simple. Fad diets come and go and TBH I’m not a nutritionist so I’m not going to get into it here but her amazing transformation inspired me to stop eating toast for breakfast and start exploring other healthy options! The truth is a well-balanced diet rich in natural, whole foods and low in pre-made, preservative dense products is best. Personally, I love fruits and vegetables and try to eat as much local, seasonal and organic food as possible - but that’s another post.  Whatever your healthy diet is I think this smoothie is a great addition to any breakfast selection!

Hamilton Beach Blender

To get started I bought myself a small Hamilton Beach smoothie blender. I didn't want to invest until I knew whether or not I would follow throughw ith my smoothie routine. If you haven't noticed, smoothies are all the rage right now! Even my bank teller asked me this week if I "blend". The HB blender isn't the strongest blender in the world but it’s the perfect size and it does the trick for now. A Magic Bullet is a comparable option – someday I’d love to get something stronger.

The Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 0% plain organic yogurt
• Fresh or frozen fruit of your choice
• Kale
• 1 banana

This is a simple smoothie because of the limited ingredients. You can get as fancy as you want and add-in whatever “extras” you want (for example, a lot of people put ground flax in their smoothies). If you have a sweet tooth try adding a tiny splash of honey for a little natural sweetness! Not a fan of honey? Try a touch of vanilla! If you're not on the kale bandwagon yet the kale can be substituted for spinach. I sometimes switch it up anyways to keep things interesting! You will have to do a little experimenting to find out how much kale you want to put into the smoothie to get a texture you like (it can bechanging the texture. If you’re not a fan fo kale substitute it with a handful of spinach. 

Directions: 

It’s too easy! I put my yogurt in first, then frozen berries (already missing the fresh, local berries from the summer :( ). I blend until well blended before adding kale and banana. You can also add ice if you want your smoothie to be a little colder and more textured!

About Yogurt:

Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, several vitamins, protein and "good for you" active bacterial cultures (depending on the brand! do your research) that all help to start your day off right! Without the unneccessary added sugars in flavoured yogurt, plain yogurt is just plain good for you! Yep, that was a terrible pun :)

About Kale:

According to Worlds Healthiest Foods kale has risk-lowering benefits for at least five types of cancer: bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. According to Mind Body Green kale is rich in antioxidants and has many anti-inflammatory benefits for people with conditions like arthritis and asthma. Kale is low in calories, high in fibre and has zero fat. Kale is high in iron, vitamin K, A & C, calcium and is a great detox food that also lowers cholesterol. Kale supports a healthy immune system, blood clotting and bone health. Kale has more iron per calorie than beef! Note of caution: always buy organic kale because traditionally grown kale is on the “dirty dozen” list of foods grown with the most pesticides and toxins (click here to read more about the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen) 

About Bananas:

According to Worlds Healthiest Foods, bananas are a high energy potassium packed power food! Being the highest food source of potassium bananas have been proven to lower blood pressure. Bananas are awesome for cardivascular health, bone health, protect our bodies from ulcers, protect eyesight, promote kidney health! If you're still not convinced check out Food Matter's 25 Powerful Reasons to Eat Bananas! 

I've heard it's best not to eat the same thing everyday so once you get on to the smoothie trend you can change things up and keep it interesting! Mix up your ingredients and start googling more advanced recipes. I promise you'll be hooked!

Tug my heartstrings, don't sucker punch my ovaries: Kate Morton still enchants

If you want a sure bet for most any (female) reader on your Christmas shopping list this year, go with Kate Morton.  Though not new on the publishing scene, if the receiver on your list hasn't yet read her works, she's bound to be enthralled after just a few pages.      

 Morton's sumptuous novels are elegantly strewn together to make captivating, touching mysteries.  It is chick-lit at its best: novels that focus on intellectual, emotional women and the hardships of their lives, from infertility and adoption to broken marriages and doomed love affairs.  Unfortunately, I think most male readers will stick to Green Lantern.  But I could be wrong.

 The House At Riverton (2007), Morton’s breakout novel, which is published in Australia as The Shifting Fog, chronicles the lives of an upper-class family in the late 19^th century.  It is narrated from the memories of one of their old housemaids, who now lies dying in a senior’s facility, out of place in the modern age.  Morton is especially talented at writing the narratives of elderly ladies, and both of her Sunday Times best-sellers have senior citizens as their protagonists.  This is a breath of fresh air, when you consider quite a lot of chick-lit is a la Devil Wears Prada and stars young, fashion savvy 20-somethings in the Big City.

From bookdepository.co.uk

The Forgotten Garden (2008), Morton’s second novel, is about a grand-daughter who takes up the cross-continental search for her grandmother’s birth parents.  The novel jumps smoothly from different characters, locations and time periods, and the reader’s attention is held by the fast-pace of the changing plot.  But, one may find, as I did, that Morton’s characters tend to be a little static.

My biggest criticism of her work is that after reading both the books, the characters are indiscernible from one another, and her style, though easy on the eyes, was so changeless that these two separate works felt to me like one, continuous world.  That being said, though I wouldn't read 20 Kate Morton books back-to-back, I thoroughly enjoy picking up her up at least once a year, and I always pick up her newest releases when they hit the shelves at Costco.  Then I cozy up with my tissues, cocoa, nail polish and nature soundtrack for some quality girl time.

From railbirds.com

Both novels contain unforeseen twists and the secrets, which lure the reader in, are more complicated than I’d originally anticipated.  The books are extensively researched and even though they’re not incredibly insightful, the prose is loftier than the Shopaholic series.  Morton has a formula that she sticks to, but that’s not to say that her stories aren’t fluid and addictive.  I literally found a hiding place at my summer job so that I could curl up and enjoy the final chapters uninterrupted (it was under my boss' desk...he was never in his upstairs office). 

Her newest books, The Distant Hours (2011) and The Secret Keeper (2013) are on my Christmas wishlist.  They're bound to be the emotional, misty-eye-inducing plots that everyone loves a dose of, minus the Nicholas Sparks hyperbole.  I don't know about you, but I like the little subtlety in my chick lit; more of a tugging on my heartstrings rather than a sucker punch to my ovaries.

Don't quote me on it, but I'm pretty sure Costco and Indigo have four packs of all Morton's works.  Or if you don't want to chance it, go with just Riverton-- so far, it's my favourite.  You can't lose with the roaring '20s, a troubled poet and a tragic mystery.  If you're feeling extra generous, pair with a vintage tea cup, some herbal teas, or a scented candle for the ultimate girly-girl reading experience.

You can check out KM talking about Distant Hours here. 

Gotta book it!

xox

JEM

How to create a basket for a silent auction this holiday season!

Ready for another DIY WTD-ers?

Tis the season for holiday gatherings; whether they are dinner parties, company get-togethers or charity events it feels nice to be able to create something that will make a difference this holiday season. Creating a basket for a silent auction is a fun, creative and unique way to represent your company/group/cause at an event! Alternatively, if you don't have a silent auction lined up this year you could create a basket as a gift this holiday season. Instead of buying a pre-made basket the company I work for decided to put me in charge of creating our own this year. Personally, I love doing this kind of thing; I love buying presents, wrapping and basically any and all crafty pursuits so I was thrilled. However, I will forewarn you that baskets are not inexpensive to put together. The cost of each item adds up and before you know it you've maxed out your budget! You want your basket to look as bountiful as possible to raise as much money as possible for whatever cause you’re donating the proceeds to. The last  thing you want is a sad, empty looking basket. Luckily, I've formulated some tips and tricks to help you out! Remember: combine “big” items to fill space with small extras like nice chocolates sprinkled throughout to create visual appea.

Step One: Set a Budget

Your budget and basket size can range from minimal to expansive! I recommend starting anywhere above $30 (once you factor in the price of the actual basket you realize that's pretty low). Our budget was $100. To be honest, I went a little over - I spent around $125 when it was all said and done. (Don't worry I didn't get in trouble!) Plan out your costs before you start - how much will you spend on the basket? The wrapping? Go shopping armed with your budget in mind and a list in hand to keep you focused.

Step Two: Know Your Audience

Yes, a basket filled with dollar store items is going to look full and be easier on your budget but will the attendees at the event want to bid of a basket of cheap-o junk? It depends on who your audience is. The event I'm working for is a year-end executive Christmas due, therefore I created a basket with as many high-end touches as I could to appeal to the people who will be there (think: lawyers, construction managers, engineers ect.) Adversely, if your event is geared towards people with less in their pocket they might be intimidated by an ultra-fancy basket and might not end up bidding because you scared them off. Note: there are places you can utilize the dollar store to your advantage; basket filling, cellophane and decorations can all be found there for a fraction of the cost.

Step Three: Choose a Theme

My “theme” was “Treat yourself this Holiday Season”. It’s a bit vague but I wanted to buy things people would enjoy and might not necessarily purchase for themselves. It ended up being a coffee/tea/snacking focused basket.  Other fun themes I found by searching the internet were; dogs (treats, toys, bags, and bowls), movie lover (popcorn bowl, gourmet popcorn, movies) spa/pampering (facemasks, cream, and loofa) the list goes on and on!

Step Four: Go Shopping

I bought all of my items in one shopping trip (with multiple stops of course). I had excellent luck at Home Outfitters and Home Sense. I was able to find gifty, gourmet items that are higher end than you’d find in the grocery store. The imported tea and “sipping chocolate” was a little more expensive than I’d hoped to spend but the beautiful tins they are packaged in add to the overall look I was going for. Some of my favourite finds included boxed truffles and Denby mugs for $5.99 (regular price ranges from $30-50). The baskets I bought at JYSK were labelled $16.99/ea but I ended up buying two and the total came to $19.99 for both at the counter. You have to love those kinds of surprises!

Step Five: Put it All Together

I put white packing paper in the bottom of the basket for padding. I bought glittery gold metallic shreds to put on top of the paper for finesse. I staged my items as nicely as possible before wrapping the whole thing in cellophane. (Helpful hint: you will need a lot more cellophane then you might think!) I put a Poinsettia with my bow for a little holiday spirit. 

Step Six: Make a Tag

It’s really helpful for the people at the auction to get a tally of what exactly is inside the basket. I made a small card on good paper listing my items. If it’s a charity event I wouldn’t include company information but if it’s a business-y, executive event you can throw in a business card and some company garb. 

My final list is as follows:

Treat Yourself This Holiday Season 

• 2 Denby Mugs
• Bodum French Press
• Bond Street Imported English Afternoon Tea
• Tea Timer
• Bellagio Sipping Chocolate Drink Mix
• Ethical Bean Lush Medium Dark Fair Trade Organic Coffee
• Boxed Monty Bojangles Truffles
• Ghirardelli Milk and White Chocolate Squares
• Lindt Lindor Chocolates
• Pop Corn Bowl
• Organic Microwave Popping Corn
• Swiss Chocolate Bar
• Company Ball Cap
  
  

Close-Up

 

The Finished Product!


Gotta book it! xxoxo JEM

The English Major Book Clutch Tutorial

Before we get started with this excellent tutorial, first let me say haters gon' hate.  Ever since the Lauren Conrad incident when she chopped up Lemony Snicket books to make a stylish storage bin, self-righteous book lovers everywhere have been viciously deploring anyone who so much as blinks at their craft supplies.
There are a lot of reasons why I think that's wrong.  For one, I think the internet is like the judgiest place ever and it drives me mental that those hiding behind their laptops screens can post comment after comment of vitriolic insults that they would never dare expound face-to-face.  Plus, there's the added fact that we don't know the whole story.  If some craftster has rescued a pack of books from a dumpster and they are literally falling apart and unreadable, who am I to criticize if they use the pages for arts and crafts?  People also have the right to do what they want with their own property, whether we like it or not.  And personally, if I'm going to work for property law changes or to alter people's mindset, I'm going to work on the assholes who think they can beat their dogs or euthanize their otherwise healthy animals just because "it's my property."  But I'm getting off track.  The point is, keep your bitching to yourself, Internet.  Because this is a really awesome craft and it made a fantastic, inexpensive, meaningful grad gift to my beloved friends.

Book page art by TexasGirlDesigns on Etsy

  The hardest part of this process was finding the right books.  I wanted affordable, but beautiful, sturdy hardcovers, of novels my friends had not just read, but loved.  Because it's definitely poser-ish to strut around with a book clutch of a story you've never read.  I don't have photos of this part of the process, but scour Value Village, the Salvation Army, and used bookstores until you find a book that appeals to you and a clutch or wallet that is a similar size or slightly smaller.
STEP ONE: Gather supplies.
Pretty book
Similar-sized clutch
Hot glue gun and gun
Exacto knife
Scissors
Pencil and sharpie
Cardboard and wrapping paper
Stuff to protect your workspace like a trivet and old newspaper
Possibly some foam and fabric if your clutch is way too short for the cover.

Ready to go!

STEP TWO: This one hurts.

The hardest part of the process is cutting up the book.  I know, it hurts.  But if you do it carefully, the book will come out intact.  Be extra careful not to puncture the cover!  Just cut the cover from the bound pages.

Take a deep breath.

STEP THREE: Position the clutch inside the cover, and, when it's where you like it, generously glue it in place.

Also cut any ugly tags out of the inside of your clutch.

There's a saying "I craft, therefore I have no thumbprints."  That's because hot glue BURNS.

STEP FOUR: Wait patiently for glue to dry.  The amazing thing about hot glue is that it's solid after like three minutes.  So not much patience required.  I like this.  Add more glue if you see weak spots.

STEP FIVE: Take the intact pages of the book and measure against a piece of firm but flexible cardboard.  This will be the new cover.

 STEP SIX: Glue the book to the cardboard and wrap it (like you did in third grade) with pretty paper.  Write the title on the front and the spine.  Ta-da!  You have a completely readable, customized, book, as well as a new purse that is totally a conversation starter and a proud proclamation of your love of all things lit!

No books were harmed in the making of this purse.

STEP SEVEN: You can add a decorative tassel or cord to the zipper or cover if you want (Fabricland has great options).

Each will be unique; this clutch came with a wristlet and cute rounded clasp.  See the gold cord along the side of the spine?

|Clutch on the left; book on the right.  Tassel attached to the zipper.

Hope you enjoyed this.  Go forth and make your own clutches; they're great conversation starters.  What better way to show the world how madly in love you are with a book or author than by touting them around everywhere you go?

Gotta book it!

xox --JEM

UPDATE:

Apparently the "in" thing right now, thanks to Restoration Hardware, is spineless books! Another excellent way to salvage and display the inside of your hardcover after doing the book clutch DIY. The evidence:

DIY:

Restoration Hardware inspired spineless books

 ETSY:

For sale on Etsy

Restoration Hardware Catalogue

Restoration Hardware

Restoration Hardware

How to be thrifty this holiday season

So, I’m using the politically correct terminology here and calling it the “holiday season”. I want this information to be applicable to anyone, anywhere because being thrifty can be applied to any aspect of your life! I’m going to be frank with you readers, I celebrate Christmas. To be even more frank with you, I am not religious. My enjoyment of the holiday season has little to do with any theological belief. I enjoy the spirit of December; the decorating, the baking, and the celebrating so take what you will from this post and add it to your already expert knowledge of thrifting!

Shop Your Local Craft Sales

 

This past weekend I went to a huge craft sale in my area. Thanks to Etsy, a lot of what used to remind of us our grandmothers is right back in (think: knitting & crocheting).  There were chunky, knitted infinity scarves that you would pay $70 for online for $25. There were mountains of beautiful homemade afghans, rugs, mittens and socks. Knitted dishcloths were 3 for $1! I wanted it all and I didn’t have to factor shipping into the overall cost! My haul included two beautiful, handmade pottery dishes (perfect size for rings and jewelry on the bedside table) for $1/each. A sizeable beeswax candle in a mason jar for $5 (a total steal if you are familiar with beeswax candle pricing! Plus, beeswax candles cleanse the air while burning instead of emitting toxins like regular candles! Thrifty and eco-chic!).  An adorable stained glass Christmas tree for $2. My “splurge” items that went over the $5 mark were an amazing glass dish in the shape of a heart for $20 and two decorative oversized pinecones on spikes for $4/each. 

Shop the “End of Season” Deals

 

I know, I know, the last thing you want to do after the holiday season is over is re-invest more money into the holiday season. You’ve spent enough money on gifts and outfits for holiday parties and all you want to do now is curl up in front of the TV with Friends re-runs and eggnog.  If you can get yourself off the couch and in to a store you’ll find you can get some major deals! You’ll save an arm and a leg on holiday decorations whether its lights, wrapping paper, décor items or ornaments the big box stores want that merch gone and they’re marking it down to move.

 

Make Your Own Decorations

 

Pinterest has a plethora of holiday season inspired DIYs. What’s even better is that a lot of the DIYs are made of crafty items that can be purchased at the dollar store! Not only will they look better than the junk sold at the big box stores but they’ll cost you a fraction of the price.

 

Take Inspiration from Nature

If you have a front porch (sorry - apartment living doesn’t exactly lend to this kind of decorating) make up a cute decorative planter. The nice thing is that you can have some green on your porch without worrying about it dying in the cold winter weather! Combine greenery (last year I stole the bottom branches off my Christmas tree), dogwood (those trendy red sticks you see everywhere at this time of year) and either buy or make some pinecones or stars on sticks to add a little character to the display. I usually finish mine off with a big red bow from the dollar store. Last year I purchased some cute faux snowflakes and blue ribbon to tie around the pot. If you can’t get out of the city to scavange some greenery and sticks you’ll probably have to buy it at the farmers market. 

This year I took the dogs out back at my boyfriend’s parents place to get the greenery and sticks I needed. I ended up finding some really cool dried flowers I’m going to add! Of course, the dogs decided it was a great day for a November swim. Brrr!