Thanks N. But the darn price, and the additional shipping puts it waaaay out of my range. :o( I thought I'd typed in every possible thing in the search box last night, LOL. Gingerbread was the key it seems. I'm sure those ornaments are glued to the wreath, at least I would have them glued myself. My DD's MIL has a small 4 ft table tree she uses for broken ornaments and its so darn cute. She even puts some small chipped wineglasses on it. Her Mishap Tree! But honestly, no one would have a clue anything on it was broken. (she's worse than me about throwing stuff out, and Christmas decorating. I love to see her stuff each year.) hugs, Karen

My gracious, I haven't had THIS many pats on the head in years! Thanks to all of you - and may you all have a great holiday season! prosperity66 - I got you in as a contact now. You should be able to view the full size images on Flickr. bettyd - I'll get working on that book. Actually, I have been working on it in my head for years. That blue wreath didn't cost nearly what you think it did - it's a few years worth of scavenging at tag sales and a few family pieces thrown in. But thanks - copy the pic for next year if you like! dreamgoddess - That big angel is really big - about 34 inches tall. She used to have a dove in her hands but the dove decapitated himself about 3 years ago in a fit. No note or anything and I never did find the head. Thanks for the praise! mary_ruth - Yes, I am a florist and have been for about 25 years. Kind of comes naturally. you do a might good job yourself, if I might add. kathi - I love to share. Really. countrygrl - Yes, I am a floral designer and (fortunately) have access to some cool stuff. Kind of helps a lot. I get a lot of inspiration from walking the aisles at wholesale florist supply places. And, aw shucks (kicking the dirt) - you're too kind. kathie738 - Yes. If you want a 44 year old 'son' with a menagerie of birds and beasts, a grand piano, and a hatred of cooking. Oh, and I have expensive tastes at Christmas. ;-) angelcub - Clone away. I could use about 6 more of me sometimes, and especially at this time of the year. Too much to do and not enough time to do it all. Clone a dozen and send me 6 and we'll call it even. No effort is humble if it comes from the heart and the soul. In the words of a song I love 'close your eyes and listen to the Christmas in your heart...' Best to all, Jim A

I am the adult kid here (scary, ha) with a 16 month old and I didn't have a job to go back to after maternity leave with no prospects (I'm an architect and 80% of architects in my county are currently laid off) so things are a bit tight here as well and I am doing the handmade/homemade gift thing as well. Both of my nieces have their ears pierced so they are getting a hand painted and lined jewelry box and an inexpensive pair of earrings for christmas and my parents/inlaws are getting a book of photos of our son (blurb.com allows you to publish "real" nice quality books and I have been working on it on and off for nearly a year adding photos as I get them - this one covers just his first year). That's about it. My parents are financially much better off than we are. We moved back to a very high cost of living area and purchased a house about a year before the height of the market and now I'm laid off whereas my dad is retired with a very nice pension and my mom bought her company a few years ago and is doing well with it and they are VERY generous with us. If the situation ever flips - well let's put it this way, there is no way I'd spend money on an expensive trip while my parents were living out of a crock pot because they could not afford a new stove! (though I would not get them a Wolf). I say as a parent you need to listen to your instinct. When we make sacrifices for our children it's because it feels right and because we want them to have a good life. It sounds like you have given them a good start to a good life and they are not babies anymore. You do what makes you feel right... and my parents are pretty tight-lipped about what they do for each sibling because frankly it's no one's business except the people actually involved. I think this is a good policy - your other kids do not need to know if you are helping out one of your kids who needs it more. JMHO - and it should not be part of gifts, just something you do because you can (no raiding your own retirement fund because then the burden will be on your kids to take care of you LATER) and want to. As far as gifts, I urge you to sit down and think about what would make YOU feel good to give them. I'm sure there are things you can come up with that don't cost a lot of money. If it's just about the money making you feel good then you should probably reevaluate what the holidays are to you. There is a LOT in between "socks n underwear" and giving an extravagant gift you cannot afford.

OMG, OMG, OMG, Joanna---that is the IDENTICAL table! Is it listed as a Milo Baughman?? I can't believe this--I'm only on my first cup of coffee and I'm already having heart palpatitations! I am so glad I decided to post on this site and that you happened to be reading! I don't think I ever would have known what I got, because I have limited knowledge of modern furniture. Reading everyone's delight at my serendipity is almost as much fun as finding this was! Here's the story: I got it at a nearby Salvation Army. I've been on vacation since Christmas so I've been indulging my thrift shop addiction (and it truly is!). Over the years I have found some incredibly fabulous things there but stopped going because about a year or two ago a new manager was hired who appeared to be robbing the place blind (this is not unusual at these thrift shops--sometimes corrupt employees sell all the good stuff out the back door). He and another antiques dealer who got herself a part time there no longer seem to be employed, and the good stuff is coming back out on the floor. I think successfully shopping charitable thrift shops involves persistence and tenacity. My house is truly full of treasures I've found over the years, yet any friends or family that I've directed to these stores scratch their heads and say they can never find anything. Maybe the stuff just finds me, because like a stray dog, it knows who will love it! Regarding the frames on the print, I think I do agree that I should leave them as is. I do agree with Flyleft and dillydally that they are part of the art--it's even more clear IRL. But if I were to paint them, I do like Les's suggestion of a wood tone from the burl. I think I'll leave them for now--they have a real mid-century bohemian feel that helps balance some of the elements I have in this room. Amy, I can't help but think of your gorgeous decor when I look at these red prints, so I am even more inspired to keep the original frame color. And yes, we should talk--I've been meaning to check out a couple of the places I think you're referring to. I also recently found a cool little consignment shop in your town that I was thinking of consigning some stuff to. Oh, what a way to start the New Year! Thanks everyone for boosting my excitement! I wish you all similar luck in 2009!