happy holidays!

have a great holiday, everyone!
we will return in the new year! 

flower scraps

photograph by kristen bach

muhly grass beauty

i was out at the bot garden and passed this beautiful white variety of muhly grass. it was actually a light celery color that was so pretty. i love how the pictures of this grass look like drawings or paintings. very energetic!

photographs and words by rebecca wood

shale

photograph by rinne allen

the old gym

my family spends time in the mountains, and this old gym spans a stream nearby. it used to be part of an old girl scout's camp, but now is open to those who live near it. we often walk there with our kids to explore and marvel at how it sits above the rushing waters, and listen to our echo inside.

words & photographs by rinne allen

moss

photograph by rinne allen

wreath-making

One of the perks of writing for a local magazine is collaborating with creative friends in town. For this piece — a holiday DIY article for Athens Magazine — Rebecca Wood and I spent an overcast morning on her front porch making living wreaths. It was a perfect day for a photoshoot, a little drizzly, her cat stretched out next to our props. I especially loved these succulents for their soft, washed colors…so reminiscent of R. Wood ceramics. We started with a vine wreath and moss then overlaid them with plants, securing mostly with florist wire, letting Rebecca’s instinct guide the way. We made a second wreath that became a table centerpiece; this one for hanging. Mist the succulents with a spray bottle every few days and it will last well beyond the season.

photographs and words by allyn rippin

into the woods

photo by kristen bach

satsuma and rosemary cookies

i found some satsuma oranges with leaves at the store the other day and couldn't resist!  yesterday my daughter and i were making some holiday cookies and decided to use these lovely oranges as our inspiration.  now lets see if they can last until christmas!

ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 tsp zest from the satsuma oranges
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh squeezed satsuma orange juice
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temp
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

directions
-in a bowl, mix your dry ingredients;  flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, zest, and rosemary
-in a separate bowl, mix your butter, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla
-beat the wet mixture until blended
-slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix until combined.  do not over mix
-put dough in fridge for 1 hour
-pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, line 2 pans with parchment paper
-after your dough has chilled, spoon 1 teaspoon sized balls into a bowl of powdered sugar
-roll each ball into a ball and place on your baking sheet
-leave some space between each cookie, they will spread a bit
-bake for about 12 minutes
-enjoy!

fading colors

photograph by kristin karch

2016 beauty everyday calendar

for the last 4 or 5 years we have printed free beauty everyday calendars and given them away. they were always huge newsprint foldouts, in black & white, and we loved them. this year, though, we decided to mix it up and print a limited edition letterpress version, with our friends at smokey road press. rinne took some of rebecca's drawings and created the calendar, printing it in an ochre color that is seasonless (and also looks good with our book). here are a few behind the scenes photographs of our friend margot printing the calendars and hand-flocking a little dusting of gold on some of the lettering…

the calendars are also available from r.wood studio and treehouse in athens, and we are also offering free shipping on any purchases over $100 from our online shop. get while you can!

pinks

photograph by rinne allen

florence, alabama

a few weeks ago, I took Rebecca and our friend susan with me to Florence, Alabama to visit Alabama Chanin...one day while I was working, they hopped in the car and explored all over the Shoals area, crawling around old warehouses and neat buildings, taking pictures. Here are a few things that susan found.

words by rinne allen, photographs by susan hable

peak

photograph by kristin karch

helen keller's birthplace

i recently visited florence, alabama. with time to explore, someone mentioned the helen keller birthplace. i was mildly interested and it was a beautiful day, so off we went. i was totally unprepared for the power of that site. the force of helen's powerful spirit and strong intelligence is still to be felt in every room. her portrait in the hall shows a beautiful, strong woman, and she was.

when i saw the bronze statue of helen, at the water fountain, and the look on her face as a giant lightbulb went off, when she learned that water had a name, that she could communicate with others and leave the darkness and solitude of her mind behind…it is powerful.

on the grounds are all the original buildings from when it was a 600 acre farm, minus some of the acreage. helen was born and raised here, and you will find the water fountain out back, between the main house and the kitchen. mostly all the furnishings are original. on the way out, there is a glass case outside, full of moments and gifts sent to her from leaders around the world. there is an old t.v. set that plays over and over a speech helen gave to the lion's club. the life between helen and annie sullivan is palpable and powerful. the speech helen gives ( she learned to speak well ) is so powerful it makes the hairs on your arms stand up! what an inspiring force she still is!

warm winter

photograph by rinne allen

gold leaves

i love leaf shapes! this fall i collected some and pressed them between newspapers to dry. then i tried a few kinds of gold paints and waxes. love the shapes golden!

words and photographs by rebecca wood

crisp country morn

photograph by kristen bach

sweet potato + persimmon soup

i quickly made this soup the other day as i was trying to create a meal from what we had in the house.  i have been loving getting fresh ginger and turmeric from our local farms and using them in as many meals as i can!  those two fresh and healing ingredients were my starting point for this light- comforting soup!  enjoy!


ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 cup red lentils
1 quart vegetable stock
2 cloves of garlic
2 small persimmons or 1 large persimmon, peeled
a 3 inch piece of fresh turmeric, remove skin if needed
a 3 inch piece of fresh ginger, remove skin if needed
1 can of coconut milk
salt to taste

directions
-pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
-in a roasting pan, combine diced sweet potatoes, 1 Tbsp coconut oil, cumin and salt
-roast for 20 minutes, turning potatoes mid way
-meanwhile, in a large soup pot;  saute the onions and celery on medium to low heat in 1 Tbsp coconut oil
-add the lentils, stock, roasted sweet potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes
-when the lentils are cooked, pour the soup into a blender and add the rest of the ingredients
-blend until smooth
-return to soup pot until ready to heat
-serve with croutons atop, optional

croutons
-1 Tbsp coconut oil, diced stale bread, salt to taste
-bake at 350 until browned
 
 

photos and recipe by Kristen Bach

woodstack

photograph by kristin karch