Pining For Winter...

In yesterday's post I mentioned my recent obsession involving decorating with pinecones and I thought I would expound upon it (ooooh, I sound smart using that word, eh?) a bit more...

Brady and I don't personally (between the 2 of us) celebrate the holidays for a variety of reasons (although we love, love, love the winter season and attending the celebrations of those around us) but we have lots of friends who not only celebrate Christmas with gusto but also Kwanzaa, Channukah and, most intriguing to me, Solstice.  There's something about recognizing the bounty and beauty of nature, and bringing that into one's dwelling that appeals to me.  Maybe because I have an ever growing collection of leaves, stones, acorns, insects, bird's nests, etc, that threaten to overflow the bedroom mantle and bathroom counters and take over the rest of the house.  And most recently there has been a flood of pinecones that have made their way into our humble abode...and then many have made their way back outside due to the overzealous attentions of crazy kitties.  I'm hoping that they'll soon tire of the play and leave my cones alone!

Did you know that the pinecone is the symbol of winter Solstice for many cultures?  It represents personal growth and potential, and, well, I need both of those in abundance.  It's also plentiful in many areas, free, environmentally friendly (as long as you keep the glitter and paint off of them), they smell wonderful when burned (weird, I know, but I like it) and it looks amazing in/on just about anything!

But I can't stop with just thinking about decorating with pinecones...I had to go a bit further and splurge on dreams of wrapping paper ideas, handmade jewelery, creative cards and, of course, a vintage mug that I really want more than anything!

Take a gander...

Knitted goods AND pinecones? *head explodes with happiness*

This would perfect to leave up year 'round...

Oh, I love this rustic cake...

Easy peasy to make!

I'm so doing this for my quirky gifted cakes for friends and family!

Tie these free tags with some twine for a modern/rustic twist that could really be used all winter...

Beauty in simplicity...

I'd hang this from my car's rear view mirror...

The shape and the door...*sigh*...love!

Fancy wrapping paper that could easily be made at home...

Elegant, fun and could stay out all year long...and it keeps them safe from kitties!

This is what I'd wear while I was decorating the house with, you guessed it!, pinecones!

Perfect idea for party seating or to place in front of a potluck item so folks know what they're snackin' on...

Gah!  Must have these cards!  And how great would this look framed?

I. Want. This. So. Bad.  Isn't it great!?!

So, what do you think?  Are you a fan of bringing some of the outdoors in for the winter/holiday season?

PS  I don't know why some of the links are underlined and others are not.  I've tried to fix them but Blogger has been a big pain in the ass today!  *sigh*  Please let me know if there are any link issues on your end?