winter holiday inspiration

the mailbox has been full of holiday catalogues over the last couple weeks, signaling the season of celebrations ahead. some catalogues offer the same-ho-hum-old-things, but others offer truly unique and fun items. my winter inspiration note board includes hand-made stockings for the fireplace, vintage furniture, one-of-a-kind still life bags, ski motif pillows, playfully painted dishes and lots of animals to liven up the space.

two catalogues stand out - the november and december anthropologie and the winter gifts garnet hill. anthropologie had some fun in the november issue by featuring cute and whimsical photos of animals with its gift ideas. also, the artist original still life bags are lush. the december anthropologie used a backdrop of woodland scenes. my favorites were one with a huge moss covered boulder and another with a tiny cabin with a moss covered roof....absolutely green and delightful!

as always, garnet hill's clothing is classic. the beautiful sweaters stand out; they create a feast for the eyes, and are truly practical for our maine winters. and, of course, something a frugal new englander really notices is the fact that just looking at all the pretties doesn't cost a penny....