Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Warehouse Sale




Last week was crazy! We had our annual Warehouse Sale (which sometimes happens twice a year)! Everyone at Wisteria worked so hard to pull this off! And hopefully our customers were just as excited and pleased as we were.

Here's some pictures from the sale and the lemonade stand we had out front, which supported Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) for Childhood Cancer.



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posted by Wisteria at 3:53 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Handcrafted Pieces from New Delhi, India


We support artisans who have a dedication to helping people from all over the world. This organization has a 12-point program to do just that. This program includes creating women-led livelihood programs that provide necessary business and life skills, growth opportunities for the women and their children, and ensuring a healthy and equal work environment. They provide a fair distribution of employment opportunities for these women as well.


Located in the Surya Nagar and Shahid Nagar communities of New Delhi, India, this special organization provides employment for people an area characterized by high rates of unemployment and slum dwellers, a high number of sweat shops that involve women and children, and a lack of affordable schools. They are doing what they can to make life better for people in these communities.


New Delhi is a cosmopolitan city due to the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural presence of the vast Indian bureaucracy and political system. The city's capital status has amplified the importance of national events and holidays. National events such as Independence Day and Gandhi's Birthday are celebrated with great enthusiasm in New Delhi and the rest of India. On India's Independence day (August 15) the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation from the Red Fort. Most Delhiites celebrate the day by flying kites, which is considered a symbol of freedom. Products from this organization include our Triangle Edged Pillow, our Daisy Console, and our Vintage File Folder.

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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Wisteria Outing: Rangers Baseball Game

A few weeks ago, several of us cheered on the Texas Rangers in a game against the Minnesota Twins. Here's some pictures from that event!

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posted by Wisteria at 2:14 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

Friday, September 18, 2009

Employee Spotlight: Jose



Jose works in our repairs department, making sure each item is in tip-top shape! He is one of the most friendly people you will ever meet and always seems to be charming someone with the songs he sings.

Jose has three children (two boys and one girl) and one grandchild, Alex who is nine years old.

What is your job here?
Repairs

What are your favorite things about working at Wisteria?
Repairing products and working with his coworkers.

What is one thing about you people probably don't know?
He is a singer of Spanish, Christian music.

Listen to one of his songs, Que le Dare.
Que_le_Dare.mp3

What is your favorite place to visit?
Dallas Zoo

What is the one place in the world you've never been but would love to go?
Miami Beach!

What is your favorite Wisteria item?
German Silver Chest

How many/what languages do you speak?
 English and Spanish

Craziest food ever eaten:
Lasagna

Favorite spot in my house:
In his garden, studying his Bible

Favorite food:
Tacos

My pet's name is:
 Marie (poodle)

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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Inspiration: Chinese Elements

We're inspired by cultures from all over the world, and in this case, we've drawn inspiration from Chinese culture. Wu Xing, a traditional Chinese way of describing various interactions and relationships has five phases (or elements as they're called in feng shui design). Each phase is associated with several aspects of nature and life: seasons, climates, colors, emotions, creation, planets, fruits, sense, and many more. According to feng shui design, including pieces that represent each of these elements can make a room feel more balanced and pulled-together.

Wood
The Chinese associate wood with the color green. Think trees, the spring season, and sprouting plants. Our pieces are reminiscent of those lively aspects of nature: textured wood, twig-like details, and beautiful greens.

Fire
Fire is exactly what you'd envision: hot, the summer season, blooming plants, and creative energy. Vibrant colors and the flicker of candles are aspects of fire you can find in our pieces.

Earth
For earth, think of the freshness of terracotta, the color yellow, ripening fruits, and the feeling of clarity. This element is the balance, the yin and the yang. Our pieces reflect that sense of finality, incorporating finishing-touch elements.

Metal
The element metal is represented in whites, a sense of intuition, and the season of autumn. Our metal pieces incorporate the sleekness and polished quality of this element.

Water
Water is the element of intuition and is represented by blacks, blues, and the subdued aspect of winter. Our pieces include mirrors, antiqued glass, and reflective surfaces.


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Monday, September 14, 2009

Day of the Dead Celebration


Last year, some of us from Wisteria traveled to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to witness the annual Day of the Dead and All Saints Day celebrations. The celebration takes place at the first of November, but everyone begins preparing for it months in advance. Even though the town had been intermingled with modern technology and American culture, we were surprised to see just how well they have maintained their strong sense of community and tradition.

The Plaza Civica continues to be the center of daily life with the traditional environment of the surrounding markets, shops, and cafes. But the wrought iron benches, now occupied with laptop users of all ages, reveal how modern technology has been incorporated into this age-old society.

Although much has stayed the same from the original Day of the Dead celebrations, some aspects of American Halloween have been incorporated into the festivities. But instead of children going from house to house collecting candy, everyone gathers in the plaza. It becomes a hub for all the families, with dressed-up children coming to the plaza to collect candy from all the parents, like one large family celebration.

We've tried to capture some of these amazing aspects in our catalog. Unfortunately all the pictures we took from that trip were lost, but we created a few pieces inspired by that visit. We hope you enjoy!

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posted by Wisteria at 11:13 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Friday, September 11, 2009

Farmers Market Food


A trip to the local farmers market is guaranteed to provide inspiration and the ingredients for fresh healthy dishes. We always feel so satisfied about purchasing produce straight from the hands that helped cultivate and harvest it. The fruits and vegetables are vibrant in color and rich in flavor, and we find the best recipes are ones that are simple and compliment the natural flavors. Summer is pretty much gone in most parts of the country, but since it's still hot in Texas, we've been able to still enjoy recipes that call for berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and corn. These recipes are variations from ones found in a local food publication and one from a great blog about food and home.

Tomato and Corn Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

From the farmers market, gather tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and corn.

Shallot Vinagrette
2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
2 shallots, minced
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Mix together all the dressing ingredients and store in a jar. Roast corn and cut it length wise from the cob. Slice thick sections of tomato and slice cherry tomatoes in half. Drizzle with shallot vinaigrette and serve.


Black and Blue Lemonade

Ingredients:
6 cups water
2 cups sugar
the juice and zest of 8 lemons
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup blueberries

Instructions:
Heat 2 cups of water with sugar, until sugar dissolves. Continue to heat for 5 minutes or so until it starts to thicken up; do not let it brown. Add the rest of the water, lemon zest, and juice, and mix to combine. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Put the blueberries and blackberries in a blender and puree. Add the puree mixture to the lemonade and strain. This will be a beautiful dark pink color. Slice lemons for garnish and serve.

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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Goodbye Summer

Labor Day has often been celebrated as the official end of summer. A friend of ours and a Wisteria customer celebrated summer's end with a party and our Oversized American Flag. Isn't it lovely?

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Friday, September 4, 2009

The Artist Behind our Handmade Bottles

The daughter of a draftsman father and an artist/oil painter mother, our friend Cheryl has art in her blood. Her mother taught her to crochet at age 6, and she taught herself to sew her own clothes at age 13. She grew up in a beach town, and much of that scenery would become inspiration for her artwork.

Her love for anything creative grew over the years. She did macrame, china painting, pottery, seashell mirrors, and stained glass boxes with seashell lids. In the early 80s, she learned to make stained glass windows in a friend's garage, and when she built her house, she made 23 stained glass windows for it.

She has loved and collected antiques for many years. Every time she finds a great old bottle, she feels it's like a work of art. Cheryl departed from her love of art to support her children in the corporate world, but it has been her dream to do something creative again. These bottles are the result of that dream.

Cheryl makes our Message on Bottle and our Antique Bottles with Stone Toppers.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Our friend Sybil

With so many of our products, we choose ones that remind us of special times in our lives or special people. In the case of our Patchwork Scarf, it looks a lot like one worn by our dear friend, Sybil Todd.

Sybil was a very special friend to Wisteria. In 2007 she succumbed to cancer. Prior to her death, Sybil was our Vice President of Customer Service. She spent her entire career in higher education, mostly at the University of Virginia, where she was Dean of Students. During her time at UVA, Sybil focused on turning budding college students into leaders that could someday be forces for change in their own communities.

After her retirement, she came to work with us at Wisteria. She helped us move from a crazy start-up to a crazy professional company, all without losing the values, determination, and laughter that marked those early days. Sybil used to say "God help us in spite of ourselves." God surely did by sending Sybil our way.

She was both a mother and a mentor to us all, and we miss her dearly. This scarf is one of the ways we try to keep her memory alive.

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