A friend of ours, Maria Cooke who is a creative event planner, used our Domino Box at one of her recent events. We love getting to see our products used in different ways and hope you do, too!

Labels: our style

The products we've kept around for a long time are truly some of the most special ones. These Kuba Cloth Pillows are a perfect example. One of our friends from Africa, Mohammed, travels all over the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa in search of Kuba cloth from various tribes and villages. He seeks to promote the talents and amazing artistry of the people who make these ornate cloths.

The Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo weave strips of raffia (natural fibers made from the leaves of the raffia-palm) to create a cloth that they drape around themselves at celebrations. We loved their graphic style and the texture that comes from handmaking these cloths out of raffia. And, because they're handmade, every single one is different; indeed another aspect that makes them so great.

Labels: our style

Do you live in the DFW area? Well, there's a huge sale in the Wisteria Outlet on Saturday, July 24! Get discounts off one-of-a-kind pieces as well as catalog items. Consider this one of the infamous warehouse sales (except it's only one day)!

The Outlet cannot accept orders by phone and will not ship items. We accept all checks & major credit cards. NO CASH PLEASE.

Labels: our inner circle

Masami Overstreet, the vice president of production, has been here since the very beginning and has done almost every job there is at one time or another including driving trucks to photoshoots, hunting for product in India, answering customer service calls and much more. If it seems that we are overly enamored of Masami, that's because we are. But no doubt she can be difficult, stubborn, and moody. The price of creativity.

What are your favorite things about working at Wisteria?
Working at Wisteria is never boring, always changing, and usually crazy, and I love the fact that it is. Somehow, we make it through all of the insanity, and get to create something beautiful, whether it be product, an image, or a landing page on the website. I also get to work with amazing people everyday and I feel lucky I am able to work with the people I do. We are a wonderfully dysfunctional family that works and laughs hard, and we all genuinely care about each other.

What is one thing about you people probably don't know?
I have an irrational fear of cockroaches.
*Editor's note: She used to be a sushi chef with her dad, was a child model, and has even done some modeling for Wisteria.

What are you known for?
Getting hives when really stressed out.
*Editor's note: what Masami won't tell you is that she is known for her humility and wicked sense of humor.

What is your favorite place to visit?
Anywhere is fine by me as long as I am with my husband and sons.

What is the one place in the world you've never been but would love to go?
One place? That is really hard. I have not traveled all that much so I have a lot of places... The entire European continent. Can I do that?

How would you describe your personal style?
Monochromatic, practical, and utilitarian.

What is your favorite Wisteria item?
We used to carry these white plates back in the day. They were octagonal in shape and had demure white dots lining the edge. They were good-looking plates, but what I loved most about them was the bottom-when you flipped the plate over, our logo was there. It was the very first product we carried that had our logo on it, and I helped get it there. Now our logo is on a lot of our products, but being there and being a part of the very first one makes those plates my favorite item to date.

How many/what languages do you speak?
Two. English and Japanglish.

My one indulgence is:
The internet, namely gossip and fashion sites, Facebook and cuteoverload.com.

Craziest food ever eaten?
I have eaten chips made with Olestra back when that was a fad. . . pretty crazy if you remember what the disclaimer for it was.

Favorite spot in your house?
My bed on a lazy Sunday morning. (However, with a 4 year old and a two month old "lazy" and "morning" don't quite go together for me right now.)

Favorite food:
1. Hagen Daaz Chocolate chocolate chip ice cream

Labels: our inner circle

We loved this picture of one of our employee's (Byron Neuhoff, the VP of Operations) family. They rode through a neighborhood Fourth of July parade to promote Wisteria!

Labels: our inner circle

Only in the Wisteria Outlet, can you find hidden treasures, including our handmade jewelry collection. Made from sterling silver, gold plating, and other fine materials, our collection includes beaded necklaces, sterling silver cufflinks, colorful bracelets, coral earrings, turquoise charms, and all sorts of other beautiful pieces. Most of the jewelry is handmade by artists in Nepal and India, but we also have pieces made right here in Dallas.

For the next two weeks, with any jewelry purchase, you'll receive a free bangle! Simply click on the coupon, print it off, and bring it in with you to the Outlet. We hope to see you there.

Labels: our style

We view our artisans as partners and look for like-minded organizations that are just as committed to their employees, community, and the environment as they are dedicated to great quality and interesting design. The company below lives up to our expectations and makes some of our favorite items including our Petit Sunburst Mirror, our Mexican Retablos, our Native American Chief Weather Vane, and our Handcarved Carousel Horse.

Family-oriented, this company is run by a mother, her daughter, and her son. They promote the careers of both current and former employees. It supports continuing education and helps employees pursue their career dreams.

Another interesting aspect of the company is the scholarship program, open for all employees' children. In order to provide the best possible education for all employees' children, the owner set up the scholarship program to provide full tuition for children ranging in age from pre-kindergarten to college. The program's first scholar is currently in her third year of graduate school studying veterinary sciences.

This company was founded in Manila, a city in the Pampanga province in the Philippines. The Pampanga province was the first province established by the Spaniards in 1571, and because of this, it is one of the richest, both culturally and fiscally. It is known for its culinary industry, with well-known and exotic foods originating from this area. Also, this region hosts the Giant Lantern Festival each December on the Saturday before Christmas Eve, the Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Festival in February, and a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus each Good Friday in the capital city of San Fernando, making it a popular tourist destination.

Labels: our inner circle

Summer is a great time to hit the road. We love long road trips, scenic drives, and visits to out-of-town family and friends. One of my favorite parts about traveling is getting lost somewhere, especially when you have a travel partner you love to get lost with. It's a different attitude toward traveling: less itinerary, more intuition.

I have a friend that spent a two-day layover in Mexico City without an itinerary. She spent most of her days looking for the best vendor of street tacos. And in her quest to seek out neighborhood taco stands, she stumbled upon an Argentinean restaurant that had live tango dancing all night. The tango in Mexico City? You just never know what unexpected adventures you will find.

I have another friend who wherever he travels in the southern United States always orders Chicken Fried Steak. It is his goal to be a connoisseur of this southern fried creation.

Wherever the road takes you, we wish you many happy travels and lots of unexpected adventures.

Shown above is one of our Legendary Sign Highway Travel Totes.

Labels: our inner circle

The Art of the Drop By
Summer is the season of the drop by, a time to become more acquainted with neighbors and friends. Anyone can master the drop by, but you need to follow some specific rules to ensure your drop by is received as an unexpected surprise not an unwelcome intrusion. A drop by is a wild card that can be played often with great success but only if well choreographed.

Step 1: Identify your drop-by target. People with fancy grills, boats, pools, or at the very least air conditioners make good candidates. Drop bys are divided into three primary categories based on timeframe: The Morning Drop By, the Afternoon Drop By and the ever-popular Evening Drop By (Late night drop bys are extremely difficult and should be attempted by professionals only). Know which type of drop by best suites your target. For example, college kids, people who work late, and rock stars do not usually make good Morning Drop-by candidates.

Step 2: You need a reason for the drop by. Don't spend too much time here just throw out something and move on. "I saw the paper out front and thought you might be out of town." (It's okay to take you own paper. The fact that they don't get the paper is irrelevant.) Neighborhood gossip is another good excuse for a drop by. And try to avoid antagonistic excuses like "I just wanted to let you know your dog has ripped through my petunias again." This will shorten your drop by significantly. By the way, "I just stopped by because I think your wife might be a witch" is called the Gladys Cravitts and hardly ever works.

Step 3: Never show up empty-handed. Take some vegetables from your garden (farmer's market for those not blessed with a green thumb) or a basket of muffins (Krispy Kremes for the baking impaired). A set of Vintage-Inspired Flag Napkins, Derby Critters, or Hercule Poirot Wine Bottle Candleholders from Wisteria also work nicely.

A tasteful drop by is something to master with lots of practice. Take advantage of the drop by, and enjoy your summer.

Please note: People with small children almost never make good drop-by targets. Mothers-in-law should not attempt the drop by ever.

Got any other ideas? We'd love to hear from you about making the most of your summer and getting better acquainted with those around you!


Avoiding the Drop By
Nothing is more annoying than a pesky neighbor that always seems to show up right in the middle of your backyard barbeque, pool party, or naptime. The drop by problem becomes epidemic during the summer. Just as you've settled into the hammock with the crossword and a tall glass of iced tea or lemonade, some nosy somebody will show up at your door. Luckily, here are some ways to avoid the unwanted drop by.

Number 1: Fake an illness. You'll want to pick something severe enough that your would-be drop-byer won't want to catch it, but not so dire that he or she might not return for a boomerang drop-by later (this is known as the Doctor Drop By and is usually accompanied by warm chicken soup). Bad allergies almost never work and might even extend the drop by with talk of what is blooming, recommended medicines to consider, and a lengthy description of his own allergic history. On the other hand, "I think I might have swine flu" could result in complete isolation and a miraculous recovery is difficult to explain when you are seen at the nearest Blockbuster two hours later. While embarrassing, the standby "Don't come too close; my stomach is in knots, and I've got trains leaving from both stations, if you know what I mean," usually works like a charm.

Number 2: An angry or missing pet can be your best friend. Try "I would love for you to come in, but our pit bull Butch is in a really nasty mood today," or "Petey the python is out of his cage right now," or "Junior had four tarantulas but we can only find three."

Number 3: Beware of the myth of the pirate. In olden times (even before the 1980s) pirates had a sure fire way of avoiding the drop by at sea. They simply raised the Jolly Roger (scull and cross bones) flag and other ships stayed away. Unfortunately the opposite effect is true today. Raise a flag of any kind and you're sure to be up to your knees in drop bys.

Number 4: The Reverse Drop by. You can avoid a drop by with a move called the Bounce. This subtle turning of the tables requires meeting the drop-byer at the door just as he is about to ring the bell. Jump out and say, "What a pleasant surprise, I was just on my way over to your house with these vegetables from my garden or basket of muffins.Let's bring them over there together." Note: A set of napkins, Nautical Salad Plates, or Corkscrew Wine jute Bags from Wisteria also work nicely.

Embrace the drop by and be thankful someone considers you a worthy target.

Got any funny stories about avoiding a drop by? Or maybe you are the drop-byer. How have you made summer a little more fun by visiting those around you?

Labels: our inner circle

Summers in Texas makes us long for cool, crisp remedies to the high temperatures. Here's a sure fire treat to rid yourself of the sweltering heat: a sweet salad filled to the brim in our Mexican Bowls. We hope you enjoy!

Tomato Watermelon Salad
4 cups or equal parts of cubed tomato and watermelon pieces
1/2 of a medium sized red onion sliced thinly
2 tbsp thinly sliced (chiffonade) basil
1/2 cup olive oil or a generous drizzle
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients together with sea salt and crushed pepper to taste. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Labels: our table